Panasonic Lumix TZ99 Review… what?
This is the Lumix TZ99, or ZS99 depending on where you are in the world, and it’s a sort of new compact camera from Panasonic.
Sort of new? Yeah it’s a weird one. Just to set your expectations it’s a very minor update from an existing camera, and it exists most likely to satisfy the EU selling standards where everything needs to have a USB-C now.
But there are some changes, and some new features that I think are worth exploring.
And I suppose if you’re the kind of person who likes to buy brand new rather than used, well, this is a brand new camera. So there’s that. Lol.
SO what do we have here exactly?
The Lumix TZ99 is quite a stylish little number, and very compact. I llke the little hand grip on the front. It doesn’t add much to the footprint but it makes it feel more secure in the hand.
There’s a flip up touch screen, but the main selling point is the absolutely obscene 30x 24-720mm Leica branded zoom lens. I mean. Look at it.
There is no viewfinder — which is disappointing given the camera it is replacing — the TZ95 — DID have one — and while the lens is super versatile, it isn’t the fastest in the world with an f3.3 to 6.4 variable aperture.
There’s a relatively dinky 20 megapixel 1 over 2.3 inch CMOS sensor inside, so coupling that with the narrower apertures and we shouldn’t expect anything too impressive in low light. Like. Keep those expectations REALLY low. However if you’re looking for a sunny holiday camera with a great zoom this might be ideal for that.
What is the point of the Lumix TZ99?
It’s a tough one. I can see it as a family camera to throw in the bag and use for the bright holiday moments, but the moment you get into tricky lighting you may as well use your phone.
But let’s not get too negative. The camera does shoot raw, and there are full manual controls, which I always love to see, even on more beginner friendly cameras like this.
So with that in mind it could be a decent first camera for a young enthusiast who wants to try manual controls for the first time.
There’s an onboard flash but you can’t pop it up or angle it like you can on some other smaller cameras. Andddd there’s a 80% change your finger will be in the way of it anyway when it goes off. It’s in such a strange place!
The Lumix TZ99 will shoot 4k up to 30 frames per second on the video side, with a pretty hefty crop, and absolutely no stabilisation. Your phone would definitely be better for video.
What do I like about the Lumix TZ99
It’s 332 grams, so really tiny, light, and very pocketable indeed.
There’s also a sort-of macro mode, which will allow the lens to focus at closer minimum distances, which is pretty handy for travel and “you never know when you’ll need it” sort of thing. I didn’t think I’d value this setting, but I actually used it quite a lot in Costa Rica when I took the Lumix LX15 with me.
One thing I quite like about this camera is there’s a spinning dial around the lens that you can change settings with. You can either have it change your shutter speed, or aperture, or you can change it to adjust the zoom of the lens. This makes the camera feel a bit more tactile and premium in my opinion, as that standard zoom rocker sometimes gives me camcorder flashbacks.
Unfortunately the other way to change settings is that spinning wheel of doom on the back, which makes holding the camera one handed and changing the settings a bit of a faff.
The Lumix TZ99 is definitely NOT a vlogging camera
In a lot of the promotional copy for this camera, the term “vlogging camera” comes up quite a bit. And dude. This is not a vlogging camera by any stretch of the imagination.
For one thing:-
There is 5 axis optical stabilisation, which was absolutely essential really for the longer focal lengths to stay steady. But annoyingly that doesn’t work in 4k video mode. Jittery jittery sadness.
And another….
There is a whopping a one and a half times crop in 4k. So you couldn’t ever turn this camera on yourself to talk to it. You’d basically see a very awkward close-up of half your face.
So best to use the flippy screen for selfies rather than filming your self.
So is the zoom on the Lumix TZ99 worth the compromises?
The main selling point of this camera is of course the zoom. But is that worth all the other compromises?
The zoom really is ridiculous. Here are some examples for your viewing pleasure. On the plus side, yes I smuggled it into a venue for a show. The down side? the quality is really, really, quite bad.
And, bewilderingly, as bad as it is in LOW light, there’s also an issue in BRIGHT light. This camera will only go up to F8, which means unless you’re cranking your shutter like a mad person, in very bright conditions you might actually end up with over exposed images. The ISO range isn’t very generous either, going from 80 to 6400 in photo and only 3200 in video.
So what about the price? What do I think?
The Lumix TZ99 is currently around £469, which… whooooo boy. That’s quite a lot, right? If this glowing review has somehow convinced you to buy one you can check it out on Amazon here!
So. Thoughts and feelings. If you want a compact camera with mad zoom, then it’s pretty competitive.
But if you can live without the zoom? Argh.. I so wish Lumix had re-vamped the LX15 line instead, which has a faster, higher quality lens, with less zoom. You can buy those around the same price used as this is new, so I know where my money would go… but at the same time I’m not entirely sure I’m the target audience for this TZ99 camera.
Who else might like it?
If you want a pocketable versatile camera that’s easy to use and has great image quality in good lighting conditions, perhaps a holiday camera, then it’s a decent enough proposition. The TZ in the name even stands for Travel Zoom, so that’s the target audience for this little camera.
It’s also really great if you want to buy something new, with a warranty, and not have the hastle of searching for a used alternative. I mean, new, there isn’t much competition at all. There’s the Canon SX740 with 40x zoom, which is around £450 new. Or you could look to the Sony RX100 line of cameras, which have much larger sensors, but are literally twice the price of this camera.
So it definitely has its place, just not personally in my collection. like. ever. no thankyou.
As I say, I would love to see premium compacts make a come back, but I was thinking like LX100, LX15… really high quality lens, and versatile, and something that can look better than a smart phone. This camera definitely has more optical zoom than a smart phone, but I don’t think it brings too much else to the table.
If you love photography then go check out the LX15 or LX100 or similar used at MPB MPB UK, MPB US, MPB EU
If you want this new camera check it out on Amazon here you mad person you