Panasonic Lumix TZ95 Panasonic - Review 🏆

The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 is a feature-packed travel zoom camera that combines a versatile 30x optical zoom lens in a compact body with 4K video recording and a range of creative controls. This lightweight camera is designed for photographers and videographers looking for excellent image quality and advanced features for both stills and video in a pocketable form factor.

Key features of the TZ95 include a 20.3-megapixel sensor, fast autofocus, 10fps burst shooting, 4K video at 30fps, and an electronic viewfinder. The camera also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless image transfer and remote control from smartphones or tablets. With its extensive zoom range, array of shooting modes, and 4K video capabilities, the TZ95 aims to deliver maximum versatility and performance in a travel-friendly camera.

Design

The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 has a sleek and stylish design that makes it easy to carry around. It measures 105 x 64 x 38mm and weighs 322g, so it can fit into a pocket or small bag. The body is constructed from plastic with some metal accents and comes in black or silver color options.

Despite its compact size, the TZ95 doesn't feel flimsy or cheap. The buttons and dials are responsive and tactile. There's a raised grip on the front to make it easy to hold, and the overall build quality feels solid. Panasonic designed the camera to be lightweight and portable without sacrificing durability.

In addition to the TZ95, the Panasonic LUMIX GX9 + 12-32mm Lens features a versatile design perfect for photographers looking for a compact yet powerful camera. The GX9 offers a range of customizable controls, a high-resolution viewfinder, and advanced image stabilization. The 12-32mm lens adds to its versatility, allowing users to capture sharp images in various settings, from wide landscapes to detailed close-ups. Its elegant finish and ergonomic grip make it a joy to use for extended periods.

Image Quality

The Lumix TZ95 delivers excellent image quality with its 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch sensor and Venus Engine image processor. The resolution is sufficient for making large prints or cropping into photos. While the sensor is on the smaller side, it still captures impressive detail and performs well in low light up to ISO 800. Noise does start to creep in at ISO 1600 and 3200, but it's manageable. Overall, the image quality exceeds what you'd expect from a compact travel zoom camera like this. The color reproduction is vibrant yet natural, and images have good contrast and dynamic range. The camera also supports RAW capture for maximum editing flexibility. While the sensor can't compete with larger APS-C or full frame sensors, the TZ95 punches above its weight class for image quality. Additionally, for those seeking enhanced durability and premium build quality, the Panasonic Lumix Premium + Rock Solid Beta Carbon is an ideal complement to this camera, offering rugged performance and style.

Zoom

The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 has a powerful 30x optical zoom lens, giving it an impressive focal length range of 24-720mm. This allows you to get very close to distant subjects. The lens combines both aspheric and ED elements to help reduce distortions and fringing.

In addition to the optical zoom, the TZ95 also has 4x digital zoom. However, digital zoom simply crops into the image, reducing quality. Optical zoom is generally superior as it doesn't lose detail or resolution. The 30x optical zoom is more than enough range for most shooting scenarios. You can capture wide landscapes and architecture, and also get highly detailed closeups of wildlife and other distant subjects. Overall, the versatile zoom range makes the TZ95 a great travel camera.

Video Recording

The Lumix TZ95 excels when it comes to video recording capabilities. It can shoot 4K video at 30fps for lifelike footage packed with fine details. The camera utilizes advanced stabilization to deliver smooth, shake-free video while walking or moving.

Lower resolutions are also available, with the option to record in full HD 1080p at up to 60fps. This allows capturing fast action and playback in smooth slow motion. Different aspect ratios are supported too, including 16:9 widescreen or 4:3 standard.

The Lumix TZ95 provides versatility for video formats. It can record high quality MP4 clips, perfect for directly sharing online or mobile devices. For more advanced editing, AVCHD format is available with high bitrates. There's also an option for 4K Photo mode to extract stills from 4K video. Overall the TZ95 provides stellar video recording to match its excellent still photo capabilities.

Autofocus

The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 has a contrast detection autofocus system that is generally fast and accurate. It offers several focus modes including Face/Eye Detection, Tracking, 49-Area, Custom Multi, 1-Area, and Pinpoint.

• Face/Eye Detection works very well at detecting and focusing on human faces and eyes. This is useful for portraits and people photography.

• Tracking AF allows you to select a subject to stay focused on as it moves around the frame. This is great for tracking moving subjects like kids or pets.

• 49-Area utilizes 49 focus areas across the frame for wide coverage. This mode is good for general photography of still subjects.

• Custom Multi allows you to specify a group of focus areas to use. This provides more precise control over the focusing.

• 1-Area uses a single focus area that you can move around the frame. This is good for pinpoint focusing.

• Pinpoint offers precise focus on a tiny area for extreme accuracy.

Overall, the autofocus system is responsive and locks focus very quickly in most lighting conditions. It can struggle a bit in very low light, but that's expected. The tracking capability is also impressive for a compact camera in this class.

Features

The Lumix TZ95 comes packed with a wide range of features for both photos and videos.

For photos, it has a variety of shooting modes including Intelligent Auto, Creative Control, Panorama Shot, Time Lapse Shot, and Stop Motion Animation. Intelligent Auto mode automatically selects the optimal settings for the current scene. Creative Control offers 22 filter effects like Toy Effect, Miniature Effect, and One Point Color.

Panorama Shot stitches together multiple images for dramatic wide-angle shots. Time Lapse Shot creates cool timelapse videos by taking photos at set intervals. Stop Motion Animation allows you to take photos of objects frame-by-frame to create stop motion animations.

The TZ95 also has built-in WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. This allows you to wirelessly transfer photos to your mobile devices, remotely control the camera, automatically back up photos to the cloud, and geotag your images.

For videos, the Lumix offers 4K video recording at 30fps for ultra sharp footage. The 4K Photo mode lets you extract high resolution stills from 4K video footage. Other video features include High Speed Video for slow motion, Time Lapse Video, Stop Motion Video, and Sequence Composition to combine multiple clips into a video.

Battery

The Panasonic Lumix TZ95 is powered by a DMW-BLG10 lithium-ion battery. This battery provides around 380 shots per charge according to Panasonic's CIPA testing standard. The battery life is decent for a travel zoom camera, but you may want to bring a spare battery for all-day shooting or extended trips without charging access.

The TZ95 can also be charged via USB, which is convenient for topping up the battery on the go if you have a portable power bank. Overall, the battery performance is solid for this class of camera.

Pros

• Powerful 30x optical zoom gets you close to the action
• Shoots high-quality 4K video footage
• Compact and lightweight body that's easy to take anywhere
• Fast autofocus locks onto subjects quickly
• Extensive range of manual controls for advanced users
• Large 1-inch sensor delivers excellent image quality
• Large 3-inch tilting touchscreen display
• Built-in electronic viewfinder
• Bluetooth and WiFi for easy photo transfer and remote control
• Face detection and tracking focus modes
• In-camera panoramas and HDR modes
• Fast continuous shooting up to 10 fps

Cons

• The camera has a small 1/2.3" sensor, which can lead to more image noise in low light compared to larger sensors. This makes it less ideal for low light photography.

• The electronic viewfinder has a lower resolution than some competitors, at only 2.36 million dots. This can make details appear less sharp.

• The 4K video has a crop factor, meaning the field of view becomes narrower in 4K mode. This may limit wide angle video capabilities.

• The zoom range, while versatile, maxes out at 30x optical zoom. Some other travel zoom cameras go up to 60x optical zoom.

• The camera lacks weather sealing, making it less protected from dust and moisture than some higher-end models. Care must be taken in wet or dusty conditions.