Panasonic was kind enough to pluck us out of the ruthless tundra that is New York City and bless us with mid-70's zephyr-ridden bliss for a few days, which we are eternally thankful for. While in Miami, we got a chance to splash around with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 for an afternoon and this is what we found.
Under the Sea…
Well, not exactly the sea. Our first event took place at the hotel pool. Panasonic caught live mermaids and mermen for us to harpoon, er, shoot with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 underwater camera. Now this is the camera that can withstand a 5-foot drop and be submerged up to 10 feet. Based on our experiences with the Olympus Stylus 1050, we were quite skeptical in terms of performance. Panasonic's first-generation underwater camera was bound to trip and fall flat on its face in our eyes. However, the results were quite surprising, especially the underwater video footage.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is equipped with the new AVCHD Lite video format, which is just a subset of the camcorder-specific AVCHD codec. Think of it as downsized AVCHD. AVCHD Lite records 720P HD video at 30fps while AVCHD is 1920 x 1080 and can reach frame rates of up to 60i. If this is too much to swallow, all you need to know is that based on what we saw from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1, this is the highest quality HD video available on a consumer camera. AVCHD Lite also occupies half the space of Motion-JPEG, which means twice the recording time.
The Verdict
We were highly impressed with our underwater footage when Panasonic connected the Lumix DMC-TS1 to a Viera HDTV via HDMI. We haven't seen video quality of this caliber from a digital camera prior to this screening, and we couldn't help but wonder what the future of consumer camcorders might end up to be. It's only a matter of time until we see the full HD AVCHD still camera. Then camcorders are really up a creek.
The image quality was also up to par, especially for an underwater camera. We've had trouble with exposure from Olympus cameras in the past, but that's something that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 handled with great aplomb. Handling the Lumix DMC-TS1 was fairly intuitive, and the knurled, oversized shutter button came to the aid of our slippery fingers.
In terms of durability, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 withstood four 5-foot drops upon the poolside concrete, much to the dismay of the surrounding Panasonic reps and fellow media jockeys. One journalist decreed that he "couldn't watch the torture," but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 surfaced unscathed, aside from a minor boo-boo on its bottom corner. Still, the battery and SD card hatch remained fastened snugly and the LCD screen was devoid of even the minutest nick. We're eager to test the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1, and this is one underwater camera you're certainly going want to check out.
The Moment You've All Been Waiting For
Image Samples! Overall, we're very impressed, but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 will have to appease the Gods of Lowlight in order to show that it can hang with the landlubbers as well. We're dealing with a 12-megapixel 1/2.33" CCD and new Venus Engine HD processing, so we approached the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 with a pair of fresh eyes.
Mermaid
At full resolution, this is not a perfect image, but it contains many elements of a very good image. Noise is inherent, but not overbearing. However, look at the vibrancy of the colors and crisp detail within the mermaid's golden cloth bracelet. Sized down slightly, this image has an almost majestic quality to it, and is certainly one of the best underwater shots we've seen from a compact. Not bad at all for blindly sticking our hand underwater and snapping away.
Ritz Carlton
We know what you're thinking, and yes, this is an example of perfect lighting. Either that or you're hating us for spending time in this bliss. Regardless, this is a very impressive image in terms of color and detail. There's absolutely no fringing or haloing and noise levels are surprisingly low. We're very impressed with this image, especially compared to what we saw with the Olympus Stylus 1050, which underexposed in every scenario. We could use a little boost within the palm tree leaves and plants at the base of the image, but the overall exposure of the image is top notch.
Flowers
Pebbles
We shot both of these images in Macro mode, and couldn't believe the detail we attained. This is not a particularly Macro-friendly camera, meaning we couldn't bury the lens into our subject matter without the content going out of focus. However, the focused portions display exceptional detail and color. Olympus has a new target, and it's the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1
South Beach
Okay, we lied. We also went to South Beach. This image is just another example of the exceptional detail rendered by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. There's really not much more to talk about other than the fact this camera made us smile.
More South Beach
Landscapes are also no problem for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1. Seriously, we tried to find some major flaws in all of these images, but see for yourself. Aside from some minute noise, there are no prominent image aberrations and this image is beautiful. Though these images are from a sample unit, we're expecting big things from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1.
Price and availability
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 will be available in April 2009 for approximately $400.
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