Brand New Digital Camera: Panasonic Lumix LZ10 10 MegaPixes – $240.00

Brand New Digital Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 (10 MegaPixes/ 5x zoom) (Prize won from company annual D&D)  Selling at S$240 negotiable

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 ($249, Market Price) is a fairly compact camera offering a 10 Megapixel CCD, a wide 5X, 30 - 150 mm lens, a gorgeous 2.5" LCD display, widescreen movie recording, and more. It, along with its little brother (the DMC-LZ8) are the replacements for the DMC-LZ6/LZ7, which were introduced a year earlier.

Here are the notable features on the LZ10:

• 10.1 effective Megapixel CCD (compared to 7MP on the LZ7)
• 5X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 30 - 150 mm (versus 6X, 37 - 222 mm on the LZ7)
• Optical image stabilization
• Venus Engine IV image processor
• 2.5" LCD display with 230,400 pixels and auto brightness adjustment
• Intelligent Auto mode + full manual controls
• Face detection (for up to 15 faces) with tracking feature
• Enhanced slideshow feature
• Much smaller body

There are some other new features that I'll describe in detail later in the review. And with that said, let's get started!

What's in the Box?

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ10 has an average bundle. Inside the box, you'll find:

• The 10.1 effective Megapixel Lumix DMC-LZ10 camera
• Two AA alkaline batteries
• Wrist strap
• USB cable
• A/V cable
• CD-ROM featuring PhotoFunStudio, ArcSoft Software Suite, Adobe Reader, QuickTime, and drivers
• 138 page camera manual (printed)

Most cameras have built-in memory these days, and the DMC-LZ10 is no exception. Panasonic includes 20MB of memory, which holds just three photos at the highest quality setting. That means that you'll want to buy a large memory card, and fast. The LZ10 supports SD, SDHC, and MMC memory cards, and I'd suggest starting out with a 1GB or 2GB card. It's definitely worth spending a little more for a high speed card, though there's no need to go overboard.

Like its predecessors, the DMC-LZ10 uses two AA batteries for power. Panasonic includes two alkaline cells in the box, which will quickly end up the trash (or preferably, recycling bin). Thus, you'll want to buy a pair or two of NiMH rechargeables, which will cost you less in the long run, and they're better for the environment as well. Don't forget a fast charger, as well! Here's what kind of battery life you can expect out of the camera once you've got those installed:

You don't need a degree in math to see that the DMC-LZ10's battery life is best-in-class, and well above the group average. To top it off, the LZ10 uses AA batteries, which are my favorite.

I like AA-based cameras for two reasons. One, a pair of AA rechargeables is a heck of a lot cheaper than a proprietary li-ion battery. Second, if your batteries ever die, finding off-the-shelf batteries is a piece of cake. The LZ10 is the only camera in its class that uses AA batteries.

Discussions

chongweitong
19 Apr 11, 6:29pm

hi,
can sell at $150?