My First Stroll with the TZ1 (6 pics)

Having seen folks' TZ1 postings, especially those by John, Harlan and LaRee, made further resistance futile so on Friday I went online to Circuit City and picked up a TZ1 the next day for $323 including tax. Having had the "Big Fluzis" since the FZ10, how could ignore a 350mm that I can fit in a pocket of my REI hiking pants? But my main worry was the infamous Panasonic "learning curve" that LaRee mentioned as I still find myself missing shots due to pushing too many buttons (usually the wrong ones) or just an addled brain. So today I took the Tizzy to my local park. First thoughts...Using the LCD as the viewer takes a little getting used to; I'm used to sighting through the EVF on my Fluzis. Even using the histogram, I found it somewhat difficult to get the correct exposure, especially in bright sunlight. And while gripping the camera my thumb kept on hitting the "flash" button, probably because I'm not used to a small camera after the Fluzi "monsters". I had to use the EV function a lot to compensate for what I thought was overexposure on the TZ1's part--- even though it was a somewhat cloudy day.

But if I can remember these tweaks and idiosyncracies --- BOY, what a camera! The contrast/saturation/sharpness settings are all normal in these pics---

3MP, no cropping, just resized, sharpened and a little fill flash; ISO 80, 1/160 sec, f4.1, 286mm, EV -1.33 ---



0.3MP setting, straight from the camera with just a touch of sharpening, ISO 80, 1/50 sec, f4.2, 438mm, EV-1.33 ---



5MP, again straight from the camera, just resized, ISO 80, 1/400 sec, f7.1, 311mm, EV -1.66 ---



Now I don't know how I got this hummer as I thought the settings were all wrong. 5MP, cropped 40%, resized and sharpened, ISO 80, 1/80 sec (!), f4.2, 350mm, EV -1 ---



5MP, cropped, resized, ISO 80, 1/500 sec, f3.2, 44mm, EV -1.33 ---



5MP, just resized, ISO 80, 1/100 sec, f4.2, 350mm, EV -1 ---



Only the first day out and I'm well,, astonished with the results. I've rarely taken a pic with ANY of the Fluzis where I didn't have to do some adjustments in my picture program. So thanks John, Harlan, LaRee et al! Looks like Panasonic has another winner...

Steve
http://trailhiker.smugmug.com

These really look great Steve. Maybe I need to try pushing the ev down a bunch. Which I did do this evening. I went down to the bay and took the fz30 and the tz1. Took a bunch of shots. I haven't even uploaded them from the cards to my computer yet. I am just not experiencing the wow that the rest of the tz1 users are. I haven't had a whole lot of time to take pics with the tz1, so I'm still finding my way.
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LaRee

Hi Steve. These are VERY impressive! Love the clarity, colour and sharpness on all of them! Is this going to mean cobwebs on the 30???LOL! I haven't seen this camera but it sure sounds like the thing to have when out and about or climbing mountains! I notice that these are all at iso80 and some seem to be in relatively low light. Did you try higher iso's?
Thanks for sharing
Marcia

Pretty durn amazing. I wish the wind would die down here for five minutes so I could get some nice reflective shots like that. Seems like every time I go out lately I'm in gail-force winds.

Otherwise my pics turn out overexposed. These were in partial sun, and later in the day when it cleared I was pushing it down to 1 & 2/3. My main problem is sighting with the LCD; I use the power boost but it's still a tossup whether the pics are exposed right or not. And the histogram almost always says they're underexposed (orangey-yellow) but when I replay the shot back the exposure is fine. I'm sure there's an answer to it but I have yet to figure it out. I'll e-mail you with any new tips that I may discover. I think it's just a matter of figuring out its quirks, right? )
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Steve

I'm still only at the learning stage but these 6 photo's are all excellent to me. If it isn't a rude question how many photos in total did you take on the stroll to end up with these 6 ?

Obviously the setting is very beautiful but then there is a large amount of skill shown in composing these photos with the final icing on the cake being the cameras ability to capture the image.

Seriously for us beginners I would really appreciate knowing how many you took in total to end up with the "best of" compilation of these 6 photos - even if it is a low number.

Richard

PS The humming bird photo is very beautiful but there are a few purple dots on it - is this a result of "lens flare" or similar or a processing issue?

In fact Marcia, I just BOUGHT another FZ30. The internal screws attaching the flash hot shoe to the '30 came, well, slightly unscrewed, probably from all that RDS usage, so it moves around a bit and I can't center the dot on a target with any accuracy anymore. Weird, isn't it? So be careful the way you take your RDS off and on. Anyway, I sold it to a friend for $300 (such a deal, and it won't interfere with mounting an external flash) and should get the new one this week. I CAN'T be without it, especially for my RDSing. And yes, I did try higher ISOs (200 and 800) with the TZ1 and while I wouldn't want to print them at 8 x 10s they're ok for the Web. I think you'd like it, but there is that Panasonic "learning curve" to overcome. But just think of all those evening owls you can get with its higher ISOs! )

Best Wishes,
Steve
http://trailhiker.smugmug.com

What ARE those little blobs in the hummingbird photo? Other than that, man, your BCNH shots are really exquisite. A lotta pop on these photos considering you didn't do much to them. Good job! We'll see how well you can keep the Tizzy in the Fluzi's back seat! My scenery for the past week has been rather monotonous - the Century City mall, the Sun America building, and the Hyatt Hotel, all in L.A. near Santa Monica Blvd. Working late hours every night including weekends, but I think they're freeing me tomorrow or Tuesday. Thanks for posting your great results. What learning curve?
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Hey guys, stick around, i'm just getting started!



EffZeeOneVeeTwo, EffZeeThirty, TizzyOne

Yesyesyes yesyesyes.
This camera rocks. It's insanely good.
It's like riding a young horse in the spring that hasn't been out all winter.

Like Obewan said
"Trust in the Force Luke"

Kudos to the photograper as well
Harlan

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http://www.pbase.com/harlanjs

What impresses me the most about the TZ1 is how good the images are straight out of the camera. It's a completely different mindset with the Tizzy as opposed to the Fluzi; with the latter I always adjusted the shutter and aperture and frankly I was a little leery about not having such control with the TZ1. I still have to get used to using the higher ISOs (I pretty much stick with ISO80 on my FZ30 to avoid the noise issues as I print out my pics at 8 x 10 or larger) and having no EVF to sight through; I found it difficult to pinpoint tiny birds in masses of foliage, for instance. I like having my eye right up to the viewfinder to block out the light. But I'm impressed with what the TZ1 does in such a small package.

Best Wishes,
Steve

Emma
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Blessed are the cracked, for it is they who let in the light.

Visit my galleries @ http://www.pbase.com/fluzichik

Very impressive. Scary to think what your shots will be like when you're past the struggle of the early learning curve.
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Tim
S5200

And I haven't read the manual yet so I was pretty much applying what I know about the FZs I've owned (FZ10, '20 and '30) to this camera. I'm also used to having manual control of shutter and aperture so this is essentially the first point-and-shoot that I've had for a few years. So saying all that, I took about 100 pics at this park and while these are the best of the bunch, I'd say about 20 are worth keeping. But as shooting digitally is "free" there is no reason why, as with film, you want every shot to be a good one. And I was using auto bracketing a lot (taking 3 pics in burst mode with slightly different exposure to get the right lighting effect) and the sun kept going in and out of clouds AND I was taking pics of these moving Herons so a lot of pics turned out blurry due to a slow shutter speed (I was using ISO 80 by habit and have to learn to use the higher ones). I'm an OK photographer; my strong point is in photo composition but as far as the technical aspects of shutter, aperture etc John, Harlan et al are way beyond me (I really should take a photography class). Saying that, the TZ1 has to be adjusted a bit (yes, there is a learning curve; LaRee is having some trouble getting the right settings) but practice should work things out. And to be honest, I don't know what those dots are from in the hummer pic. I was just happy to get the shot in such a low shutter speed (1/80 sec).

Best Wishes,
Steve

I was just so excited that I got a hummer shot at 1/80 sec that everything else was secondary. What blows me away is how little I have to tweak things post-process. The issues I've come across so far stem mostly from me and not the Tizzy so I'm pretty sure I can figure things out --- heck, I've only had it 2 days and haven't even read the manual yet. I'll probably end up using the Fluzi mostly for RDSing --- but it looks like you've had good luck with the TZ1 even in that category. I'm having a bit of difficulty sighting birds with the LCD even when using the "power LCD" in bright sun. But it seems to beat the Fluzi for landscapes and you're right, there's a lot of "pop" in those pics and it's all done in-camera. Hope they free you up so you can get some LaLa-land shots before you have to head back. The Ballona Creek wetlands are fairly close by you; perhaps you can do a spot of birding there. They're near Dockweiler State Beach; here's a map --
http://www.ballona-wetlands.org/pages/restore_map.html

Best Wishes,
Steve

These are awesome!! You don't need a stinkin' dslr lol It's not the equipment but the person behind the camera. Great work.
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Cindy
http://photobucket.com/albums/y105/BaylorBear/

you already know this cam. Very nice pics. Thanks for taking us along. I had a good time. Only thing holding me back is no viewfider but ..........please panny make another announcement on a 40 or NOT......

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Later gater,
CJ

these images are downright beautiful.....your keen eye for light and the little Tizzy will impress a lot of naysayers(actually everyone) about the little wonder.

Gorgeous!!
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Dave in NW Louisiana
‹(•¿•)›
FZee30, Nikon TC-E17ED & 4T, Elpro 2 &4, Sunpak 3eight3

But the Fluzi plus Tizzy will get me through to that point. And heck, why not a point-and-shoot, a digicam, AND a DSLR? That way, I can increase my photographic choices. Seems like lots of folks here are becoming at least 2-camera owners just like you. And while you're learning your D70s, you still have your FZ20 to fall back on. I think I'll end up using the TZ1 for landscapes and the FZ30 for the RDS stuff. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement!

Best Wishes,
Steve

And it's exactly how I feel about it, too. It's sort of like the old days when we all had the FZ10 and thought it was capable of doing pretty much anything. That feeling of empowerment has returned. I've only had it since Saturday but I think it's superior to the FZ30 at least in landscapes and perhaps even macros. And in such a small package, too. It's definitely going with me on my hiking trips and heck, just about anywhere I go. Thanks for your posts with your TZ1; they were a big reason why bought it.

Best Wishes,
Steve

It's almost like our exciting early days with our FZ10s. And with less functions, there's less of a learning curve...now I have to go read the manual. Hope you're having as much fun with your Tizzy as I (and John and Harlan) am!

Best Wishes,
Steve