Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ15

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Performance

Panasonic claims the Intelligent Exposure mode will "prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows". Which is true because even when faced with backlit or high-contrast scenes, the camera managed to properly expose the image for maximum details.

With Intelligent Exposure, the camera exposed for both the highlights and shadow regions.
(click for larger image)

The iA mode was quick to detect different scenes and switch to the appropriate settings. Faced with people, the iA mode was fast to go into portrait mode. Boxes would appear around the face, indicating that the face detection function had been activated. It would continue to follow and track the faces even when they were moving.

The Quick AF was speedy in focusing on subjects at wide angle, and it performed well in dim lighting, too. However, when we zoomed in all the way, the focusing was a bit slow in seeking the correct focus point. But once it did, the focus stayed sharp even when we moved around.

The Lithium-ion battery that came with the TZ15 promised 330 shots on the specs sheet. Compared with its predecessor, which is capable of only 270 shots, this is quite an improvement. This could be due to the new Venus IV image-processing engine which Panasonic claims will reduce power consumption, thus improving battery life. This is good news for frequent travelers who may have problems finding a suitable electric point to charge their devices.

The flash output is well-balanced with the surroundings. Even in dim surroundings, our subjects were properly exposed together with the background. This is one feature that we really like because for most compacts, the camera will tend to expose for the subjects only.

The startup time for the point-and-shoot was a quick 1.74 seconds in our Lab test. Time to first shot, however, was a tad slower at 3.3 seconds. Shot-to-shot time was acceptable at 2.4 seconds because the camera would retain the focus on the subject even after a shot was taken. The time taken between shots with the flash turned on was a little bit longer, but still acceptable.

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