Panasonic travel compacts

[belgiumreporter]

These panasonic Lumix compacts will be my "new" travelcameras for 2023. They will replace the Nikon Coolpix 9900 and the P600. The white one on the left is the DMC-LF1 it is tiny and light the f2 max aperture will help in those low light situations and the 28 to 200mm (equivalent 35mm) lens has just enough range to cover most of the subjects.

In the middle is the DMC-TZ60 with a 30x zoom range starting at 24mm at f3.3. The build in GPS will help me remind where I shot which photo and the long end of the zoom gives enough distance between me and shy (or dangerous!) animals or insects. The same goes for the all black DMC-TZ90 on the right, this one's got the advantage of a flip screen, higher pixel count (20Mp) but hasn't got build in GPS  it can be coupled to a cell phone wich will then transfer the GPS data to the camera. The TC90 isn't as pocketable as the other 2 because it is somewhat heavier and larger.

All of them have wi-fi, blue tooth and nfc, but what is more of interest to me is they all got eyelevel finders wich solves the problem of not being able to see the screen in bright daylight, this was one of the main reasons I didn't like compact cameras. Allmost forgot, all of them got 5 axis image stabilisation and very fast AF. I'll stil be carrying the coolpix AW-110 and the keymission 170 along for those underwater and extreme wideangle shots but all this will weigh a lot less than a dslr with some lenses, with the endless possibilities of these compacts there will be very few shots I won't be able to take. Yes a full frame dslr will give better results but for now I am travelling for leisure and not for national geographic.

[belgiumreporter]

And here's the complete set, depending on where I go I can pick one or just take 'em all 

[julio1fer]

You are well fitted for travel! I use a Canon G7X, enough for me.

[yashica1943]

I use a Lumix TZ 70 for general & street photgraphy, it is with me all the time because its goes int almost any pocket. Capable of almost macro to long telephoto.
I also have an Olympus waterproof camera. (TG82?)I bought it very cheaply because the memory card was stuck in the body. I now only get about 5 images from its internal memory but I like some of the special effects it provides.

[belgiumreporter]

Well I've just put the panasonic TZ60, coolpix W130 and Keymission through the test in an ice cold Iceland. The minus 7°c and wind speeds of 120Kmph Didn't seem to bother them. The main problems I've encountered are the front elements of the lenses of these cameras can't be sheilded of from the elements so there were allways droplets on the lens (the retracting lens on the TZ60 made me worry of getting moisture in to the body). It was futile trying to wipe them off in a snow storm as the lens got wet again the moment it was wiped.

Second problem:despite having wide apertures, these compacts really need a certain amount of light to perform well, if I had known conditions in Iceland (this time) were that bad I would have taken one of the dslr's along.

Then there was the problem that 24mm wide was in many cases not wide enough, this problem could be countered somewhat by using the panorama function or the keymission170, but this doesn't work in all situations.

Here's a few shots i took, the good the bad and the ugly.

[julio1fer]

Very interesting landscapes. You should be decorated for shooting in that weather!

Thanks for sharing these!

[paulhofseth]

I will soon be travelling to Holland where I have not been for years. I never check in luggage and use a small rucksack to carry essentials. Hence the choice of potoequipment is problematic. My bulky multipixel stuff will not fit and I have to choose between my two small P&S things, one with an excellently sharp 28mm and one with a serviceable zoom (reasonably sharp but dim), plus a smaller sensor. Both tend to focus on their own and not always on what I wish to be sharp. Both cameras lack a sunshade so I have to use a hand as shade and both have the useless rear screen which is impossible to use in fulll sunshine.

Conclusion; for really good snaps smaller cameras are an emergency solution, but necessary until the makers start shrinking their biggest products

p.