Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95D Panasonic - Review 🏆

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95 is a travel-zoom digital camera that packs an impressive amount of features into a compact body. This camera has a 20.3-megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor and Venus Engine image processor, enabling it to capture high-resolution photos and 4K video.

Key features and specs:

• 20.3MP 1/2.3" MOS sensor
• 30x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens (24-720mm equiv. focal length)
• 5-axis hybrid O.I.S+ stabilization
• 0.2-inch 1.166k-dot LVF (Live View Finder)
• 3-inch 1.04m-dot touch LCD monitor
• 4K video at 30/25 fps, FHD video at 60 fps
• L.Monochrome and L.Monochrome D photo styles
• Built-in Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity
• Travel-friendly body weighs just 322g

With its long zoom range, array of features, and compact size, the Lumix DC-TZ95 is designed as an ideal camera for travel, landscapes, and day-to-day shooting.

Design

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95D has a sleek and compact design, perfect for traveling and everyday use. It measures 105 x 59 x 42mm and weighs 322g including battery and memory card, making it quite portable. The body is constructed of high-quality plastic with a metal lens barrel, available in two classic colors - black and silver.

Despite its small size, the camera is comfortable to hold thanks to the grippy texture and thumb rest on the back. The buttons and dials are sensibly laid out, with quick access to key settings via the mode dial on top. Overall, the design focuses on portability without compromising usability and control.

In contrast, the Panasonic Lumix DC-G90 boasts a more robust design tailored for enthusiasts and professionals. It features a weather-sealed body, an ergonomic grip, and an intuitive layout of controls, ensuring easy handling even during extended shoots. Its versatile design includes a fully articulating touchscreen and the ability to accommodate a range of interchangeable lenses, making it ideal for creative photography. The DC-G90's solid build does not compromise on style, showcasing a modern and appealing aesthetic.

Image Quality

The Lumix DC-TZ95D features a 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch MOS sensor, which is capable of capturing detailed images with good dynamic range. The sensor resolution allows you to print high-quality photos up to 13 x 19 inches.

The camera has a native ISO range of 80-3200, which can be expanded to ISO 6400. Noise performance is quite good through ISO 1600, with some visible noise and loss of fine details at the higher ISO settings. However, images remain very usable through ISO 3200. The camera does a good job controlling chroma noise. Overall, the image quality is impressive for a compact camera with a small sensor.

Low light performance is aided by the built-in optical image stabilization, allowing you to shoot at slower shutter speeds and keep ISO lower. The camera also has numerous scene modes and creative filters to optimize settings for different shooting situations.

In addition to the Lumix, the Panasonic hc-vxf1 Camcorder offers impressive video capabilities. It features a 4K Ultra HD recording option and excellent low-light performance, making it ideal for capturing high-quality videos in various environments. With its advanced optical image stabilization and versatile zoom, the HC-VXF1 is perfect for both amateur and professional videographers.

Video Capabilities

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95D excels when it comes to video recording capabilities. It can shoot video at 4K resolution up to 30fps, resulting in incredibly detailed and sharp footage.

The 4K video is recorded using the MP4 format with H.264 compression. This allows for high quality video while keeping file sizes manageable. Slow motion capabilities are also impressive, with the ability to shoot 120fps at 1080p resolution. Slow motion footage can be very cinematic when played back at normal speed.

When shooting at the highest 4K resolution, the frame rate can be set to either 24fps or 30fps. The 24fps option gives video a classic film-like look. For smoother motion, the faster 30fps frame rate is available.

Beyond 4K, the TZ95D can record Full HD 1080p video at up to 60fps. This allows for 2x slow motion when played back at 30fps. At the lower HD resolution, smaller file sizes are possible, giving you more recording time on the memory card.

Overall the video features on the Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95D are versatile, providing high quality 4K resolution as well as a range of frame rates for both slow motion effects and a cinematic look. The H.264 compression keeps files sizes practical while maintaining excellent image quality.

Autofocus

The Lumix DC-TZ95D has a contrast detection autofocus system with 49 areas. It features Face/Eye Detection AF to automatically detect and focus on human faces and eyes.

The autofocus is generally fast and accurate in good lighting conditions. It can lock focus in around 0.1 seconds in ideal situations. However, autofocus speed does slow down somewhat in low light.

For static subjects, autofocus is very accurate. It can precisely lock onto subjects like landscapes and portraits. Tracking autofocus for moving subjects works decently well, but isn't amazing. The camera can sometimes lose focus on fast moving subjects.

Overall, the TZ95D has a capable autofocus system for a compact camera. It handles both still shots and video recording admirably. While not as advanced as higher-end cameras, it gets the job done for casual shooting. The combination of speed and accuracy makes it reliable for everyday photography needs.

Zoom Range

The Lumix DC-TZ95D has an impressive zoom range thanks to its 30x optical zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens, which provides a 35mm focal length range of 24-720mm. This versatile lens allows you to capture wide landscape shots at 24mm as well as get extremely close to distant subjects with the 720mm telephoto end.

The 30x optical zoom gives you tremendous flexibility for framing your shots without having to move your feet. Whether you're photographing wildlife, sports, landscapes, or portraits, you'll be able to zoom in tight or pull back for a wide field of view.

In terms of macro capabilities, the TZ95 can focus as closely as 3cm at wide-angle and 2m at telephoto. This allows you to capture fine details in close-up shots. The maximum magnification is approximately 0.5x (35mm camera equivalent), delivering good performance for macro work.

Overall, the broad 24-720mm focal range and close focusing abilities make the TZ95 a highly versatile all-in-one travel camera. You can cover vast shooting scenarios without needing to change lenses.

Features

The Lumix DC-TZ95 camera comes packed with a wide range of useful features for both photos and videos. Some of the most notable features include:

• Post Focus and Focus Stacking: The Post Focus function allows you to select the focus point even after shooting. Focus Stacking composites multiple images with different focus points into one image with extended depth of field. This allows you to achieve photos with maximum sharpness.

• 4K Video and 4K Photo: You can shoot high-resolution 4K videos up to 30fps. The 4K Photo modes allow you to extract still frames from 4K video footage. This is great for capturing the perfect moment.

• Image Stabilization: The Power O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) helps reduce blur from hand shake in photos and videos. This allows you to capture sharper images when shooting handheld or at slower shutter speeds.

• Built-in EVF: The 0.21-inch 2.33m dot Live View Finder allows you to compose your shots as if you were using an interchangeable lens camera. This is useful in bright sunlight when the rear LCD may be hard to see.

• WiFi Connectivity: Built-in WiFi allows you to remotely control the camera, instantly transfer photos to smartphones/tablets, and share on social media.

• Travel Features: The camera has a range of features tailored for travel photography, such as Built-in GPS to geotag photos, Self Timer, and Panorama Shot mode.

• Auto Features: Intelligent Auto mode detects the scene and automatically optimizes camera settings. The camera also has Face/Eye Detection AF for automatically focusing on people's faces and eyes.

Battery Life

The Lumix DC-TZ95 camera has a decent battery life rating for a compact camera. It is powered by a rechargeable DMW-BLG10 lithium-ion battery.

For still photography, Panasonic claims the battery can last for approximately 380 shots per charge when using the rear LCD, or 250 shots per charge when using the electronic viewfinder. This battery life rating is fairly standard for a compact camera of this size.

When shooting video, the battery life is rated for approximately 90 minutes of continuous recording per full charge in 4K resolution. If recording in full HD resolution, Panasonic claims up to 150 minutes recording time per charge. This is a respectable battery life for video in a compact camera.

The battery can be charged in-camera via USB, which is convenient when travelling. Overall, while not class-leading, the battery performance is suitable for a versatile travel zoom camera intended for both stills and video capture. Just be sure to pack the USB charger if you plan on heavy video use or hundreds of photos per day.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent zoom range from 24-720mm
• Compact and lightweight design makes it highly portable
• Great image stabilization for sharp photos and videos
• Fast autofocus and tracking
• 4K video recording
• Tilting touchscreen LCD
• Built-in electronic viewfinder
• Numerous shooting modes and filters
• Long battery life

Cons

• Image quality is just average, especially in low light
• Small sensor size means limited dynamic range and higher noise
• Viewfinder is quite small
• No weather-sealing
• No microphone input or headphone jack
• No RAW shooting capability

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95 is an excellent choice for travelers and photographers looking for a versatile point-and-shoot camera. Its impressive 30x zoom lens provides an extremely wide 24-720mm range, letting you capture everything from wide landscapes to distant objects. Image quality is very good, with 20.3MP photos full of detail. The camera also shoots crisp, stable 4K video.

Autofocus is fast and accurate even at full zoom, thanks to Panasonic's Depth from Defocus technology. The camera packs a wealth of useful features like 4K Post Focus, Focus Stacking, and a 180-degree flip screen. Low light performance is quite good, with an ISO range up to 6400. The built-in electronic viewfinder provides a clear view even in bright sunlight.

Battery life is a bit disappointing at around 250-300 shots per charge. The small sensor means you may see some noise in low light shots. Still, the TZ95's combination of portability, zoom range, features, and image quality make it an excellent choice as an all-in-one travel camera. It earns our strong recommendation for travel photography enthusiasts looking for great versatility and performance in a compact package.