Panasonic's new rugged compact is ready for you to kick sand at its lens and toss it in the ocean. Did it live through our rigorous tests? Read the full Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 review to find out.
Review summary of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1:
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 Right now the rugged compact market is a sea of emerging models, each flaunting waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, dustproof and eventually Earth proof. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is one of the better choices out there, right alongside the Canon PowerShot D10. The Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP failed to impress us in our waterproof shootout, so that leaves the newly announced Pentax Optio W80, which has not been released. We were fans of the Lumix DMC-TS1’s AVCHD Lite video quality and overall still performance, though the compact was not really as ballsy as we thought it would be, and never quite acted the same after our shockproof test. The lack of a viewfinder was irksome, but the Lumix DMC-TS1 provided a great LCD and plenty of features to keep us happy underwater. In this exclusive class, we recommend checking out either the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 or Canon PowerShot D10 because they are the tops dogs at the bottom of the ocean. Release: May 2009. Price: $400.
Pros: Good overall still image and HD video quality, even underwater. Lots of juicy features.
Cons: Not as tough as we expected. No viewfinder. Pricey.
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Full Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 Review:
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Design – Mediocre
For a rugged compact, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 did not seem to be a likely candidate for fending off sudden impacts or wicking away droplets of water. The camera was lighter than we expected a fully metal chassis to be, but there were no rubber shock protectors or textures to cushion the blow of an inadvertent plunge to the pavement. We tested the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 with the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP and found the Lumix DMC-TS1 to be the least rugged of them all.
We dropped each camera on the New York sidewalk at each of their respective shock resistance heights and the Lumix DMC-TS1 was the only model that suffered long-term effects. After we dropped the Lumix DMC-TS1 from five feet, the camera continued to produce a strange buzzing sound every time it attempted to Auto Focus. The Lumix DMC-TS1 also powered off immediately after impact while the Stylus Tough 8000 was chomping at the bit for more after its 6.6-foot drop. And that aluminum chassis was the most chewed up out of all three cameras, displaying dings and dents that exposed the bare metal. Fortunately, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 successfully withstood its time in the freezer, validating its freezeproof claim.
On the handling front, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 was comfortable to shoot with, and we liked the horizontally sliding zoom toggle because it was more responsive and easier to shift than most other models in its class. We also liked the large knurled shutter button because it was easy to press underwater. All ports were secured via thick rubber gaskets and we were fans of the Lumix DMC-TS1's exposed bolt heads, which gave the camera an industrial look. External controls consisted of the bare essentials, but we found the buttons to be hard and not fun to press. Regardless, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 was one of the better underwater compacts we've seen this year.
Interface – Good
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 also had one of the best interfaces on a rugged compact for 2009. This is a tricky realm because most of the intricate waterproofing goes into the button design. That's probably why the Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP went for a rubberized control strip containing raised bumps that functioned as buttons. The Olympus Stylus Touch 8000 was impressive, but we found the screen resolution and menu responsiveness to be lacking. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 was the only rugged compact to feature a decent overall interface and gave the best LCD performance with a sharp, crisp display.
Menus were simple, yet intuitive, and we loved the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1's Q. Menu for rapid selection. The Lumix DMC-TS1's menu structure was identical to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3's and Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1's, so we knew we weren't getting shortchanged in that department. However, we still prefer Canon's menus over all other manufacturers, and the Canon PowerShot D10 rocks the x-axis/y-axis structure that makes shooting so much easier. We were a little disappointed that the Lumix DMC-TS1 did not feature a viewfinder, being one of the larger rugged models on the market, but the LCD quality made up for it.
Features – Very Good
AVCHD Lite was the talk of the town earlier this year at the Panasonic Lumix convention in Miami, and we got a chance to get a hands-on taste of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1's HD video quality a second time around. We were highly impressed back in February, and we were highly impressed this time around as well. The Lumix DMC-TS1 matched the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 in terms of 1280 x 720 HD video quality, which is a very good thing. Even underwater the Lumix DMC-TS1 gave us a great performance, and playing the video clips back on our high-definition monitor viz HDMI reminded us of the exceptionally rendered mermaids our Lumix DMC-TS1 preproduction sample captured on South Beach.
Aside from the ability to capture impressive HD video, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1's Intelligent Auto mode performed adequately in most shooting environments, leading to improved contrasts and a better overall exposure. However, we had to watch Intelligent Auto mode's tendency to boost ISO, which made our pictures pretty darn noisy after 800 ISO. The Lumix DMC-TS1 included a slew of Scene modes for beginners and included a Starry Sky mode for shooting at low shutter speeds with a tripod.
Underwater, light was the most crucial necessity, so we really had to remain in areas with increased luminance. However, the Lumix DMC-TS1 offered a few helpful flash settings that enabled us to capture images that were not blown out, and just needed a simple fill. AF Tracking was also available, and the Lumix DMC-TS1 shared many features with the Lumix DMC-ZS3. So, in essence, this camera is the rugged version of a Lumix DMC-ZS3 when it comes to features.
Hardware - Good
Along with many compacts of 2009, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 features a 12-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD, and that's one area where the compact differw from the Lumix DMC-ZS3, which got a 10-megapixel CCD. Both models feature the latest Venus HD processing, which led to a very impressive image performance. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 has a 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4.6x optical zoom. We're not sure why Panasonic simply just didn't round it up to a 5x optical zoom, but we're sure it has to do with the size of the camera.
The Lumix DMC-TS1 has Optical Image Stabilization, which worked quite well throughout our tests, though we could hardly tell underwater because the blanket of H2O was one large image stabilizer. We could also employ the Lumix DMC-TS1's Extra Zoom feature, but images would be captured at smaller resolutions to compensate for the pixel sacrifice. Underwater, the Extra Zoom made sense, but stabilization became a real issue on land, especially at slower shutter speeds.
A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack provides the power and the Lumix DMC-TS1 records JPEG images and AVCHD video to SD/SDHC cards.
Image Quality - Good
When we tested the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 against the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP, the Lumix DMC-TS1 triumphed with the best sharpness, detail and color. We barely encountered any fringing on the Lumix DMC-TS1's behalf, but low light underwater was too much to swallow for the orange square. Fortunately, the Lumix DMC-TS1's decent flash came to the rescue, resisting a fake-looking performance and providing a mere fill rather than a giant burst of light. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 definitely showed us that it could step right into a specialized market and dominate.
Underwater Mode – Under the Bathtub
Program AE Mode – Under the Bathtub
Underwater Low Light – Under the Bathtub
We didn't attain our best performance underwater until we traveled outside of the designated Underwater Mode, which was only conducive to one type of lighting. So, Program AE fit the bill most of the time, providing the greatest level of detail and clarity without oversharpening. The second image was the best example of the Lumix DMC-TS1's underwater performance under artificial lighting, and our Miami trip proved that the camera performed optimally outdoors. Without boosting the ISO, there was not much we could do for the third image, so we recommend staying away from the dark spots of the pool.
Scene Test – Times Square
Detail Test – Books
Macro Test – Iron
As a typical point-and-shoot compact, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 produced a great array of versatile images that had low noise levels and barely any fringing. The first image displays the Lumix DMC-TS1's sharp focus in Times Square, though we do get a little out of focus noise along the bottom of the image. Contrast could be better, but we can still catch a little blue in the sky along the top. Our best detail was captured up close, and the Lumix DMC-TS1's Macro mode did not let us down as we could bury the lens right up into HST's library or examine the frightening particle that exist on a pot iron.
Low Light Test - Closet
Flash Test - Closet
Again, it was tough without that major ISO boost, but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 still achieved a decent exposure and retained a fair amount of color information in the first image. The noise is not terrible, and the Lumix DMC-TS1 actually performed better than the competition. With the flash, the image is transformed, however there are no blowouts and detail remains in tact.
Price and availability
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 is available now for $400.
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