Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver)

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 7 x 6 x 3 inches ; 7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0007OV45Y
• Item model number: DMC-LZ2PP-S
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (70 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,049 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 21, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Amazon.com Review As Panasonic will tell you, and we have to agree, that the most awesome thing about this camera is its Mega Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) system. With a 6x optical zoom and the ability to make QuickTime films (with sound) that can be as long as your memory card is big, Mega O.I.S. really expands the image-taking capabilities of this camera.

Soldiers guarding Stockholm's royal palace, without zoom (top) and at 6x zoom (bottom). (Click images for larger views.)

In the still photos at right, for example, we snapped pictures from a park bench across from the palace, first with no zoom, then with the maximum 6x zoom. With no viewfinder, photographing like this--without a tripod--means that your arms are extended and introducing camera shake into the picture. Mega O.I.S. compensates for this admirably. We were also stunned when we took the camera to a concert and shot some video; in a jostling crowd, holding the camera over the heads of people in front of us, our image was still remarkably steady.

A night shot taken with the LZ2 with Mega O.I.S. turned on. (See larger image.)

The Mega O.I.S. system performs reasonably well in low-light situations, though the LZ2 experiences some other challenges in dimmer or brighter light. In low light, for example, sometimes the camera's exposure compensation is better when you use the flash, even if the flash can't possible illuminate the scene. This doesn't mean that nice low-light images aren't possible--see the image at left--but it wasn't unusual for us to take four or five images in variety of modes and settings before we landed on one we liked.

In very bright situations, on the other hand, the display becomes difficult to read. We took the camera with us on a snow outing, and again, we had to take several pictures of each thing we wanted to capture because we couldn't judge our aim from the LCD. We also couldn't show off our images in sunny situations.

The last difficulty we encountered is that the menu system is not as intuitive as those found in most other cameras. Scene modes are split between two settings on a top-of-the-camera dial, so we had to flip between main menus there before making a final selection using toggle buttons on the back of the camera. This set-up also meant that when we accidentally rotated the dial while taking out the camera or putting it away, we found ourselves having to re-select a scene mode next time we used the camera. We ended up taking a lot of pictures in the Auto and Easy modes, which have their own slots on the dial.

Some of our favorite photos taken with the LZ2. (Click images for larger views.)

We really liked the LZ2 anyway, because it takes gorgeous pictures. At right is a sampling of some of our favorites, demonstrating that the camera can perform in a variety of shooting situations. The color palette it records is beautiful, and its fast start-up time gives you a lot of help in capturing fleeting moments--in our cases at right, fast-changing good weather and camera-avoiding friends. Also, the facts that it's powered by two AA batteries and it squeezes a lot of life out of them means that the camera really travels well. We ran out of battery juice in Sweden and on a mountain top, and getting back to shooting was as easy as popping in two fresh, readily available batteries.

If you're looking for increased optical zoom and/or a high-performance image stabilization system, the Panasonic LZ2 is a great value--packed with advanced features and lots of megapixels, but at a price that hardly hits the pocketbook.--Sarah Sternau

Pros

• 6x optical zoom with Mega Optical Image Stabilization
• Beautiful colors and great lighting in images
• Fast performance and long battery life with convenient AA batteries

Cons

• No viewfinder and display is difficult to read in bright light
• Complicated menu system

Product Description

Panasonic's DMC-LZ2 Lumix Digital Camera delivers sharper, better photographs with just a touch. The 2.0" diagonal LCD uses a TRM design to suppress reflections, allowing you to see more clearly - even outdoors. It operates on two convenient power sources, for maximum flexibility: Alkaline or Rechargeable AA batteries. Store photos in the built-in memory when your SD cards are full. Unlimited Consecutive Shooting lets you snap shots until your memory card is full. Shutter Speed - 8 - 1/2,000 sec. Exposure - Program AE 10 sec. Audio Dubbing Records to SD/MMC slots Auto Review - 1 sec/3 sec/zoom @ 1x/4x/8x Scene Modes - Simple, Normal Picture, Economy, Macro, Portrait, Night Portrait, Panning, Fireworks, Party, Snow and more PictBridge direct printing Auto Angle Detection Backlight Compensation Works with OxyRide AA batteries (included), Ni-MH rechargeables and alkaline batteries Color - Silver Dimensions(HxWxD) - 2.50 x 3.96 x 1.30 Weight - 0.49 lbs. Included Accessories - Two AA Oxyride batteries, A/V & USB cable, strap and CD-ROM

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

118 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AMAZING! (LZ1 review since there are none for LZ2), May 9, 2005

By 

Sandy Gardener "Sandy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

I've known what I wanted in a digital camera for several years:
1. Fast shutter release (my Canon S-200 takes 3+ sec., 5+ flash).
2. Small and light (for backpacking, travel).
3. Point and shoot zoom(5X plus with image stabilization).
4. 4+ megapixel, under $250.
5. No proprietary batteries, 2 AA preferred.

Up until now, nothing has come close. Then I read in Business Week that the LZ1 and LZ2 had become the best selling cameras in Japan within several months of their introduction. No independant reviews were available (even CNET) so I bought the LZ1 on the strength of it's technical spec's and my previous experiences with Panasonic products.

I took the LZ1 to the rodeo several days ago to test it under demanding conditions. I used the "sports" setting and burst mode(four exposures in about 1 1/2 seconds under those circumstances), all freehand. The results were stunning! No noticeable shutter lag, no blurry or out of focus pictures, all action frozen. Simply put: point, shoot, you got it!

Notes: Actual weight with 2 batteries is 8.2 ozs. The user interface is the best I've seen- full functioned and simple. Flash shots have shutter lag of approx. 1/2 second. I use Panasonic 2300 mah nmh rechargeable batteries purchased at Costco. Panasonic specs claim 370 pictures with those batteries, 30 seconds between shots, flash every shot, full zoom in and out each shot. This camera has no optical view finder. I use a 512mb Sandisc Ultra II SD memory card- a little more expensive, but after having a Viking card quit and swallow 200 pics on another camera, I don't pinch pennies on memory.

92 of 95 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Great Camera!, May 18, 2005

By 

D. Strait (PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

This is one great camera! I also have a Canon Powershot A75, so I have another great camera to compare it to. I thought the Powershot took excellent pictures until I got the Panasonic DMC-LZ2. The LZ2's pictures are even better. The 6x optical zoom is one of the reasons I wanted the LZ2, and it works great! I took some pictures of my kids racing (swimming) in the pool using Auto, and they came out beautifully. They were not blurry at all, and you can even see the splashes of water in the air. I thought they might be blurry since I didn't use the "Sports" mode, but they were not. I also took several pictures of them from about 100 feet away and zoomed in the whole way with the optical zoom. The pictures are very close, clear, and look terrific. I am no where near a professional photographer. I am just a Mom who wants to take great-looking pictures of her family in all situations. I am very impressed with this camera, and I highly recommend it.

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Camera, September 29, 2005

By 

Sean Barry (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5MP Digital Camera with 6x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

Even though I have no basis for comparison as this is my first and only Digital Camera, I must say "WHY DID I NOT BUY A DIGITAL CAMERA BEFORE!!!!" These things are GREAT!.

Anyway, I decided to buy the DMC LZ2 after all of my research. The cameras I was considering and why I didn't buy them were:

Canon SD400-Pretty pricey, reports of a fragile LCD and proprietary batteries. Also test pix on various review sites from the panasonic seemed to be better.

Canon A520-Only 4mp's and when I went into best buy to play with it I couldn't figure out how to turn off the flash. If you have to fiddle with a camera for the first time and 15 minutes later you figure out how to shut off the flash, I shudder to think how hard the other features might be to figure out. Granted, I didn't look at the manual, but some features should just be easy to do. Plus I think it was too much camera. More options then I need as a simple point and shoot photographer.

Kodak C360-Good price point and nice features but has a proprietary USB cable and batteries. Also some complaints about low light photography. Also, little leary about buying first year models.

As for the Panasonic itself I'm happy with my purchase. I bought a 512 mb SD Ultra II card as well. When it arrived, I put the batteries in, and started taking pix. It was a sense of euphoria, I just was snapping away, and when I came to a picture I didn't like, delete it and "poof" it was gone. The camera is performing flawlessly. It does have it's downfalls, and they are stated by other reviewers these are my negatives:

Movie Mode: The movies at 30fps are good enough for me, but I have a digital video camera, and to be honest, the movies are not a must in a digital camera.

LCD: The resolution to my untrained eye is not notieceable. The pix look good when I review them. However, in bright direct sunlight I do have to cup my hand over it too see it. Took me a while to figure out that if I just rotated my body to form a shadow on the camera that worked great!

No optical viewfinder: Ok, I admit it, for the first 50 shots or so, I kept bringing the camera up to my face, bumping my nose in a futile search for a viewfinder. Took me a couple of days to stop doing this learned response after years with a 35mm Camera. No viewfiner is not that bad, but in direct sunlight, it is a little difficult to see the shot and then take it, but overall, not that bad.

Indoor/Low Light Photography: Works great with the flash as long as objects are within the flash range, which, if you are indoors that should be fine. Now I haven't taken it too a large indoor arena or anything, but most of those type of events are lit pretty well aren't they? In dimlight and the object is a distance away, you do have to kinda guess when framing up the photo but it doesn't take long to figure it out and I haven't had that much problem.

Overall: A good camera, the burst mode is great!!!! and the 6x zoom with the Image Stabilization, awesome. It can't be understated how HUGE that feature is. I'm glad I chose this camera over the others in hindsight. I now send my photo's to costco via the internet to develop what I want, which is awesome. If you're a first timer to Digital Photography, this is a great camera for you.

Take Care, Sean