Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TS1 shockproof camera is designed for outdoor activities like mountain climbing and scuba diving, but for this accident-prone mom, it’s tough enough for birthday parties, school trips and Saturday soccer matches.
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Over the last couple of years I have destroyed six perfectly good cameras. One fell in a lake. Another drowned in my bag when a water bottle opened up. But the majority have been dropped or fallen off something. The latest casualty was at the Bronx Zoo this past summer. My four kids were lined up waiting to be photographed when the camera fell on the concrete. Instead of saying cheese, the f-word came out of my mouth. I had just purchased the camera four months before.
That did it for me. I was resigned to never buying a camera again until I discovered that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 camera, an extreme sports point-and-shoot that is advertised as shockproof and waterproof. Panasonic says the the camera can be dropped from up to five feet, is waterproof up to 10 feet below, and has an airtight body that guards against dust and sand. I am sold!
What I love
I really like the look and feel of the camera. It is well put together. It feels like a tank, even though it weighs just 5.7oz. Even though I haven’t tested how tough it is by dropping it, I’m pretty confident I won’t easily break it like the other point-and-shoots I’ve destroyed. I also have a habit of leaving electronics in pools of coffee or water on kitchen countertops — not a problem for the Lumix.
I also like that this camera is super portable. It’s flat and fits nicely in a pocket.
I take a lot of pictures, but I’m strictly point and shoot, which is lucky because the Intelligent Auto setting does a great job of switching between modes according to the situation.
This camera has 26 scene modes – the usual ones like portrait, macro, scenery, low light etc. and plenty more that I will more than likely never use, like baby, soft skin, pets, food and candle light. In fact, the number of scenes is overkill. By the time you’ve found the right scene, the photo op is over.
It also has face recognition that detects a face in a frame and adjusts focus on that particular face.
There’s very little shutter lag, which is perfect for taking shots of my crazy active kids.
The camera takes great HD-quality video. At a resolution of 720p, the video is great quality. It is super easy to switch from movie mode to camera mode. There’s built-in optical image stabilization, which reduces a lot of shake. I like that you are able to use full zoom even while filming. Sometimes you want a close up.
Originally I was put off by the fact that it had a battery charger. I have always liked the convenience of carrying around AA batteries for a quick change. But the DMC-TS1’s battery charger is good for about 300 shots on a single charge, which is plenty. Besides, I bring the charger along to plug in if need be.
What Sorta Sucks
Although the TS1 claims to have a high sensitivity mode that records up to ISO 6400, which is sensitive enough to capture subjects in near total darkness without using a flash, I generally think all point and shoot cameras take crappy night photos. I also wish the zoom range was larger. It starts at 28mm wide angle up to a 128mm in telephoto. I suppose that a larger zoom capacity would change the design of the camera and it would no longer be flat.
The camera also has poor button placement on top. It is easy to mistake the zoom button for the shutter release. In fact it happens a lot.
There is no lens cover, so extra care must be given to ensure that grubby fingers are not touching the lens because it is always exposed.
Conclusion
Overall, I am delighted with the camera. It can handle abuse and quickly capture four impatient kids with good results. I can’t wait to bore my friends with the 400 plus pictures I took on our summer vacation!
DMC-TS1 is available in silver, green or orange models for a suggested retail price of $399.95.
