DMC-TS2_Spec_Sheet
The Hiking/Biking/Swimming/Camping kit...
After going hiking WITH the
full Canon DSLR outfit, it was clear that taking the Canon and lenses on a full backpacking trip would not be possible. Well unless I wanted an 80 pound pack...
We went on a backpacking trip and I left my camera home, and could not borrow my wife's
Lumix DMC-TZ5 because she was using it. And it would have been vulnerable to the rough handing and weather if I brought it.
Later, we went on a cross-country ski trip and I brought my
SONY Mavica MVC-CD500 but found that it was a bit bulky, and also vulnerable. I had already decided that the Lumix DMC-TS2 would be a suitable all-purpose camera for times when I wanted to travel light and faced the possibility of exposing the camera to moisture, cold or rough handing.
This kit is very compact, provides reasonable image quality given the abuse the camera is capable of withstanding, and is well rated among such cameras.
I purchased a carry case that holds all the provided camera accessories (listed below), a ultra-light-weight monopod
and mini-ball head, and a couple different soft cases that can be placed on the belt or hung around the body by a strap. I also bought a few spare batteries.
The specs are OK:
14 MP
4.6X optical zoom
~300 pictures per battery charge
~2700 pictures on a 16mb memory card
- HD video (1080i)
- Waterproof down to 10 meters, drop-proof up to 6 feet, and freeze proof down to
-10C.
   
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom with 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
Included with camera:
Additional items:
I have a heavy,
prosumer-grade DSLR that makes incredible images. I love to use it and for the first year and a half of ownership, carried it everywhere along with a tripod, a
monopod, four lenses, charger, extra batteries, and all the little gadgets that go with it. Almost 30 pounds of gear in a purpose-built
backpack. And I have made some very pleasing images.
And then my sons started having outdoor activities involving
hiking, camping, water, and ice. As I like to be in the outdoors, I naturally participated and brought my "pack of lead" with me. Well that was fine for the trips where the weather was nice and I didn't need to carry anything but my camera gear.
But at the end of the day, I was whipped and I had to be concerned with securing my DSLR kit so it would not get wet, cold or in some other way damaged. Then came the multi-day hikes and activities like Cross-Country
skiing...
It was clear to me (what took so long you must be saying?) that this was not going to work. I went on one hike with no camera and spent the whole trip feeling that I was missing photo-opportunities. It's just the way I am wired. I have been recording my kids outdoor activities for their entire lives and this left a gap. I tried to revert to my previous digital camera but it was a bit large and also vulnerable to the elements, and a bit dated from the technology point-of-view. I needed to get a camera that was going to be small, rugged, and capable of producing better than average images.
Which brings me to the Lumix DMC-TS2. I looked at the variety of cameras in this class (waterproof, "drop-proof", freeze-proof, dust-proof) and found that from the choices offered by Canon, Pentax, Fuji, Olympus, and Panasonic, only the Canon and Panasonic had image quality that would rise to the level I needed. The others are fine cameras and produce good images, but I wanted to get the best image quality possible and have a camera that would withstand some abuse.
Comparing the Canon D10 to the Lumix DMC-TS2, I found the Canon to be larger, though just as well qualified to produce great images. In fact my inclination was to go for the Canon but the size was the determining factor. The Lumix just fits better in the pocket and on my backpack belt. The image quality (according to numerous reviews) is a toss-up, so there it was - choice made.
In actual practice this camera is quite good, though you will need to spend considerable time with the advanced owners guide to get the most from the camera. If you just want to point-and-shoot, the camera has a terrific setting for this, along with some basic "scene" presets (snow, beach, underwater, portrait, etc.) that in my experience produce some great pictures.
The memory card this camera uses offers storage from a couple giga-bytes to 64 GB. At 64GB you are paying more for the memory than the camera, but you have a bottomless store for pictures - great if you plan to be on a multi-week outing with no computer access.
With my DSLR, I use a two-battery grip that gives me about 1000 images between charges. Panasonic rate
the batteries for the Lumix DMC-TS2 to give about 300 images per charge. Consequently I recommend, as I have done, to get two or three batteries if you expect to be away from a power source for a few days. The batteries fit well into any number of small belt-sized camera cases that you may wish to purchase for carrying the camera.
The best results I have gotten with this camera to date are sunsets, morning skies, some people shots, and landscapes in general. There are also some great portrait settings that I just starting to explore with good results.
I don't plan to go diving, but am happy that the camera will tolerate it. I don't plan to drop the camera but it's nice to know this camera will survive small bobbles. I spent a lot of time outside in bad weather and cold so feel good that this camera is made to do that. This gives me the solution to that heavy DSLR kit that cannot coexist with outdoor activities.
The best camera (for me) is the one I have with me...
Here's what I pulled together for my "light-weight expedition kit"
  
 
2/9/2011
|
Camera Effective Pixels |
14.1
Megapixels |
|
Sensor Size / Total Pixels / Filter |
1/2.33-inch / 14.5 Total Megapixels / Primary Color
Filter |
|
Aperture |
F3.3 -
5.9 / 2-Step (F3.3 - 10 (W) / F5.9 - 18 (T))
|
|
Optical Zoom |
4.6x
|
|
Digital Zoom 1
|
4x
( Max. 18.6 x combined with Optical Zoom without
Extra Optical Zoom )
(Max. 39.3 x combined with Extra Optical Zoom)
|
|
Focal Length |
f=4.9-22.8mm (28-128mm in 35mm equiv.) |
|
Lens |
LEICA
DC VARIO-ELMAR
10 elements in 8 groups
(5 Aspherical Lenses / 6 Aspherical surfaces / 1 ED
Lenses) |
|
Optical Image Stabilizer 2
|
Power
O.I.S. (Off / Auto / Mode1 / Mode2)
Photo & Movie |
|
Focusing Area |
Normal: Wide 30 cm - infinity / Tele 30 cm -
infinity
Macro / Intelligent AUTO / Clipboard : Wide 5 cm -
infinity / Tele 30cm - infinity |
|
Focus Range Display |
Yes
|
| AF
Metering |
Face /
AF Tracking / 11pt / 1pt HS / 1pt / Spot
|
|
Focus |
Normal
/ Macro, Zoom Macro, Quick AF On/Off (On in
Intelligent Auto), Continuous AF On/Off , AF
Tracking |
| AF
Assist Lamp |
Yes
|
| ISO
Sensitivity |
Auto /
80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600
High Sensitivity (ISO 1600-6400) |
|
White Balance |
Auto /
Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set
(Selectable at Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform,
Self-Portrait, Panorama Assist, Sports, Baby, Pet,
High Sensitivity, Highspeed Burst, Pinhole, Photo
Frame, High Dynamic) |
|
Exposure |
Program AE |
|
Exposure Compensation |
1/3 EV
Step, ± 2 EV |
|
Backlight Compensation |
Yes
(only in Intelligent AUTO mode) |
|
Auto Bracketing (AE) |
+/-
1/3 EV ~ 1EV step, 3 frames |
|
Light Metering |
Intelligent Multiple |
|
Face Detection |
Photo
& Movie |
|
Still Image Scene Mode |
Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Pan. Assist, Night
Portrait&Scenery,
Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1/2, Pet, Sunset, High sensitivity, Hi-Speed Burst, Flash
Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Aerial photo, Pinhole, Film Grain, High Dynamic, Photo Frame, Underwater
|
|
Movie Scene Mode |
Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self-Portrait,
Scenery, Low Light, Food, Party, Candle Light,
Sunset, Aerial, Pinhole, Film Grain, Underwater,
High Sensitivity, High Dynamic (Standard, Art, B&W)
|
|
Movie Scene Mode Note |
(Activated by selecting Still Picture Scene Mode
then pressing movie button. Still Picture Scene
Modes without corresponding Movie Scene Mode is
recorded in Normal Mode) |
|
Shutter Interval |
approx. 1.0 sec |
|
Self Timer |
2sec /
10sec |
|
Auto Review |
1sec,
2sec, Hold |
|
Image Quality |
Fine/Standard |
|
Motion Picture Recording 4:3 |
VGA:
640 x 480 pixels, 30fps (Motion JPEG)
QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG)
|
|
Motion Picture Recording 16:9 |
WVGA:
848 x 480 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) |
|
Motion Picture Recording HD Movie |
1280x720 pixels, NTSC Mode: NTSC model: 60p(CCD
output is 30p)
(AVCHD Lite, SH: 17Mbps / H:13Mbps / L:9Mbps ) /
30fps (Motion JPEG) |
|
Aspect Ratio |
4:3 /
3:2 / 16:9 |
|
Intelligent Exposure |
Photo
& Movie |
|
Real-time Histograms |
Yes
|
|
Scene Mode Help Screen |
Yes
|
| LCD
Monitor |
2.7"
TFT Screen LCD Display (230K dots), AR Coat
Field of View : approx. 100% Wide Viewing Angle
AUTO Power LCD mode, Power LCD mode |
|
Playback Mode |
Normal
Playback, Slideshow, Category Playback, Mode
Playback, Favorites Playback |
| OSD
Language |
English, Spanish |
|
Recording Media |
Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card,
SDXC Memory Card |
|
Interface |
AV
Output (NTSC), mini HDMI, USB2.0 High speed, DC
Input(requires optional Multi Conversion Adapter)
|
|
Viera Link |
Yes
|
|
HDMI |
Video:
Auto / 1080i / 720p / 480p
Audio: Dolby® Digital Stereo Creator |
|
Color |
Blue
|
|
Built-in-Flash |
Auto,
Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow
Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off
0.3 - 5.1m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3 - 2.8m (Tele/ISO
Auto) |
|
Included Software |
PHOTOfun STUDIO 5.0 HD Edition
QuickTime
Adobe Reader |
|
Standard Accessories |
Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Case, AV
cable, USB Cable, Brush, Hand Strap, Silicon Jacket,
CD-ROM |
|
2-Speed Zoom |
No
|
|
Quick Menu |
Yes
|
|
Continuous Shooting Mode |
Full-Resolution Image, 1.8 frames/sec Max. 5 images
(Standard mode), Max 3 images (Fine Mode) High-speed
Burst Mode: approx. 6.0 frames/sec (image priority)
approx. 10 frames/sec (speed priority) (recorded in
3M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9) |
|
Focus Icon Select |
Yes
(in Face Recognition only) |
|
Optical Zoom in Motion Picture |
Yes
|
|
Macro Zoom |
Yes
|
|
Orientation Detector |
Yes
|
|
Playback Still Images with Audio |
Yes
|
|
Additional Playback Mode |
Yes (
AVC HD Lite / Motion JPEG) |
|
Slideshow Mode |
All /
Still Images Only / Motion Picture Only / Category /
Favorites / BGM Effect (Natural / Slow / Swing /
Urban / OFF) |
|
Show Histogram |
Yes
|
|
Delete Image |
Single
/ Multi / All / All except Favorites |
| Cut
Animation |
Yes
|
|
PictBridge Support |
Single
/ Multi / All / Favorites / DPOF |
|
AVCHD / AVCHD Lite REC |
NTSC
(North America) |
|
One-Touch Movie Button |
Yes
|
|
Water Proof |
10.0m
(IEC60529 IPX8 compliant) |
|
Dust Proof |
Yes
(IEC60529 IP5X compliant) |
|
Freeze Proof |
-10.0℃
|
|
Shock Proof |
2.0m
(MIL-STD810F Method 516.5-Shock compliant)
|
|
Wind-Cut in Motion Picture |
Yes
|
|
Flash Burst Continuous Shooting Mode |
Max. 5
images (Standard mode) |
|
Intelligent ISO Control |
Photo
|
|
Face Recognition |
Photo
|
|
Intelligent Scene Selector |
Photo
(Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery,
Sunset, Macro) & Movie (Portrait, Scenery, Low
Light, Macro) |
|
File Format |
Still
Image: JPEG (DCF/Exif2.21)
Image with Audio: JPEG (DCF / Exif2.21) + QuickTime
Motion picture: AVCHD Lite / QuickTime Motion JPEG
|
|
Mode Dial / Mode Button |
Intelligent Auto, Normal Picture, Sports, Snow,
Beach & Surf, SCN, Clipboard |
|
Still Picture Recording 4:3 |
4320x3240(14M) / 3648x2736(10M) / 3072x2304(7M) /
2560x1920(5M) / 2048X1536(3M) / 640X480(0.3M)
|
|
Still Picture Recording 3:2 |
4320x2880 (12.5M) / 3648x2432 (9M) / 3072x2048 (6M)
/ 2560x1712 (4.5M) / 2048x1360 (2.5M) / 640x424
(0.3M) |
|
Still Picture Recording 16:9 |
4320x2432 (10.5M) / 3648x2056 (7.5M) / 3072x1728
(5.5M) / 2560x1440 (3.5M) / 1920x1080 (2M) / 640x360
(0.2M) |
|
Color Mode / Color Effect |
Standard, Vivid, Natural, Black & White, Sepia,
Cool, Warm, Happy (only in iA Mode) |
|
Copy / Title Edit / Text Stamp |
Yes /
Yes / Yes |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
99.3 x
63.1 x 24.3 mm
(3.91 x 2.48 x 0.96 in) |
|
Weight(lbs) |
Approx
.41lb with Battery and SD Memory Card
Approx. .37lb without Battery and SD Memory Card
|
|
Extra Optical Zoom (EZ) |
5.5x
(4:3 / 10M), 6.5x (4:3 / 7M), 7.8x (4:3 / 5M), 9.8x
(under 3M) |
|
Shutter Speed |
Still:
8 - 1/1300 sec
Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec. |
|
Digital Red Eye Correction (Red-Eye Removal)
|
Photo
|
|
Mode Switch |
[Recording] / [Playback] |
|
Composition Guide line |
Yes (2
pattern) |
|
Easy Zoom / Zoom Resume |
No /
No |
|
Thumbnails / Zoomed Playback |
12,30-thumbnails / Max 16x |
|
Calendar Display / Dual-Image Playback |
Yes /
No |
| Set
Favorites / Rotate Image |
Yes /
No |
|
DPOF Print Setting / Set Protection |
Yes /
Yes |
|
Resize / Trim / Aspect Conv. / Leveling |
Yes /
Yes / No / Yes |
|
Travel Date / World Time |
Yes /
Yes |
|
Built-in-Memory |
Approx. 40MB |
|
Microphone / Speaker |
Mono /
Yes |
|
Power 3
|
ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, Minimum:
940mAh) (Included)
AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional)
|
|
Battery life (approx.) |
360
pictures (CIPA Standard)*1 |
|
Intelligent Zoom |
6x
|
| AF
Tracking |
Photo
|
|
Intelligent Resolution Technology |
Photo
& Movie |
|
CRT (motion pictures ) AVCHD Lite with picture quality
set to [SH] |
Approx. 110 min |
| CRT
MOTION JPEG with picture quality set to [HD]
|
Approx. 110 min |
|
Still Image with Audio Recording |
5 sec
|
|
Video Divide |
Yes
|
|
ART (motion pictures) AVCHD Lite with picture quality
set to [SH] |
Approx. 70 min |
|
ART (motion pictures) MOTION JPEG with picture
quality set to [HD] |
Approx. 70 min |
|
|
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