Another camera thread… Panasonic TS4?

[Gabriel Pramuk]

How is it? I haven't seen any posts about the TS4.

I have been going back and forth on which camera I want. I was looking at the Panasonic TS3, TS4, and Nikon AW100. All "waterproof" I have read reviews that the Nikon isn't waterproof. But I'm not diving with it… This is for more adventure youtube clips and such. Waterproof just because I get lazy about having my camera out in the rain. Limit the carrying case. And they have 1080 video these days.

I also read that the TS4 is barely an upgrade from the TS3… but they seem to be similarly priced…

I saw some great looking shots on a FT3 which I think is the TS3 in the trip reports room. Norway… Looked snazzy… Wanna go there… Anyway. Photo quality is fine on all three I am sure. The Nikon might have a leg up, but 16 meg pictures on a point and shoot is silly with the small sensor and limited manual controls. I think 12 is plenty. I like the time lapse option on the TS4, and the long exposure. I am hoping for 1080p but 1080i would be OK I suppose. Any compatibility problems with a Mac? Any reviews? Anyone have one? General vague feedback?

-Gabriel

[CW]

IMO, the TS4 is the best "life-proof" option out at the moment but the new Oly TG1 is supposed to be out next month. The Oly is F 2.0 on the wide end and has some other nice features.

[Franco Darioli]

The Pana TS3/4 is I still top dog for picture quality , however I posted about that new Olympus yesterday because on paper it looks really promising.
I love to use a 24mm lens , the Oly at 25 is close enough and , again on paper, the F2 lens should work well for low light shots and maybe just enough shallower depth of field to get some different effects.
The problem with that is that it is only F2 at the wide end where everything appears to be in focus anyway so cancelling that bit out..
but , take a look..
An immediate downside with the Oly is the 4sec max shutter speed. The Pana can do 60 sec and works well for night shots in that mode .
BTW, not discrediting Nikon but there is very litle in common between their Pro cameras and the AW100.
(in other words, look at the product not the brand…)
Franco

[CW]

I'm reading that the TG-1 has a bulb mode.

[Joseph Reeves]

My LX3 took a salt bath this past weekend. A wave outmaneuvered my decades old protocols for deploying a camera from the cockpit of a kayak. It was a good run using the LX3 outside in a rainforest and on kayaking trips for the past three years, but all that is behind me now. I really want to buy a crappy point and shoot that costs a bundle and has a battery sucking gps and electronic compass so I can drop it in the ocean and not be disappointed.

Or, do I? There has to be some alternative to f3.9 lenses with no aperture or shutter control. The upcoming Olympus has an f2.0 lens, but still its a point and shoot. Of course I am drawn to the TS4, but really shouldn't there be something better than what we have as options. I finished the trip this weekend using my iPhone 4gs inside its LifeProof case, it takes as decent an image as most of the waterproof point and shoot cameras.

I have a GF1 that rocks, but my wife will give me that "look" if I pull it out of the drybag on the water. I need ideas or at least rationalizations for using a decent camera. Help!

The final LX3 image, may it rest in peace.

[Franco Darioli]

Joseph
I don't see a good alternative in the immediate future.
Pana, Canon,Fuji,Nikon , Pentax (Ricoh) and now Olympus have a new or newish version out so the next model will be this fall but most probably next spring .
At this point I would wait to see some pics from the Olympus but the Pana (Ts) is more than capable of taking a decent shot.
Franco

[Mike M]

can someone explain what gps features the Panasonic and new to be released Olympus are? guess what I'm getting at, is it possible to get accurate readings (utm or otherwise) of where you're at?

I like the idea of weatherproof camera, I'd really like the idea if I could leave my small Garmin at home :)

danke

[Rakesh Malik]

The GPS features on cameras aren't made for navigation; they're for geo-tagging pictures in post, by putting them on maps. It is a nice feature, just don't expect a camera to replace your navigation tools, at least not yet. :)

I should take better advantage of it… my Sony SLR has GPS, but I haven't done much with it yet. :-/

Compatibility with the mac shouldn't be a problem. It might take a little while for the newer cameras' RAW formats to get supported, but usually it's not that long. With my Sony it was around a month from when the camera came on the market, and I think that's pretty typical for most new cameras. If you're not shooting RAW, it's a non-issue anyway, since that means you're shooting either TIFF or JPG which are standard formats.

[Mike M]

thanks- I guess I was being a little optimistic :)

[Yuri R]

I'm also eyeing both of the cameras and was about to buy TS4 for my upcoming trip to Russia, but decided to wait and see if i can find Oly before departure.

On paper Olympus seems VERY nice and I would love to try it, BUT …Panasonic has a proven track record of making very solid "tough" cameras. TS3 was excellent from what i gather (At least for the size and price) and TS4 only adds more goodies without introducing any serious downsides.

My issues with oly are: limited zoom, lower number of shots per battery charge, price of accessories(?) and possibly video codec (will need to see output). Would be nice to have RAW on it, but JPEG is OK by me.

My issues with Panasonic: slow lens, battery drain due to extra features (mostly GPS related), price of the new seal (supposedly around $180).

Now that Oly has been announced – i'm on the fence until both are available for purchase and reviews are out.

[Gabriel Pramuk]

is there a way to turn the gps off?? Sort of a airplane mode of sorts? It might be nice at times, but I could see that being just a gimmicky trendy kinda thing. Not exactly needed on a three day trip in the Uintas…

[joe newton]

I've been using my FT3 for a couple of months now but not coming from a 'photography' background you will have to excuse my lack of knowledge when it comes to the technical aspects. I bought it as a replacement for my other Panny point-and-shoot, the TZ4. With a packraft I wanted something waterproof but also I wanted something I could take out and shoot pictures when it was pouring with rain without worrying about it. The FT3 also appealed to me as it could shoot full HD movies.

Yes, the GPS function can be switched off. I've never used it.

On battery life: My trip at the weekend was a 24 hour packrafting trip. I shot 40mins of HD video and a couple of dozen stills and the battery died on the bus home while chimping my weekend's footage! I have ordered two spare batteries.

Picture quality? I'm in no way competent enough to comment beyond my observation that the tiny lens obviously makes shooting in low light less desirable but also that I am so far happy with the results that this tiny, tough point-and-shoot produces. I'm just about to buy a GH2 to expand my photo and video horizons but the ruggedness and simplicity of the FT3 means it wil still find it's way on many trips, especially where packrafts and rain are involved (which is a lot in western Norway…)

Those interested in the photos I have shot on the FT3 can look here: http://thunderinthenight.blogspot.com/

And here: https://picasaweb.google.com/112307819916350072414/ThunderInTheNightIV

Those who want to see video shot on the FT3 can look here: https://vimeo.com/39860619

And here: https://vimeo.com/41791592

[Dion Dixon]

I can attest that the TS3 is a quality camera. We just purchased one for our upcoming AT SOBO trip and it has performed very well. The picture quality seems exceptional to me. Granted, I'm no photography expert, but I feel that the the TS3 was money well spent. Plus, it takes pictures faster than any other digital camera I've owned. All in all I've been very pleased with it.

And, I'd have to check to be certain, but I think I remember that there is a way to turn off the GPS feature.

[Gabriel Pramuk]

I am pretty set on the Panasonic now… Lots of good reviews. Good looking photos, video. I am not the sort of person who will have a one camera quiver. I have 9 pairs of skis… so soon enough, I'll get a big DSLR to round out my collection. Just can't afford it now.

I could wait for the Olympus, but I don't see too much improvement other than the f2. Pany has lotsa features too… Longer exposure, though possible bulb mode on the Oly is appealing… Also the Pany has time lapse, 1080p 60fps video… now. no wait, cheaper. Name I trust. I've had some encounters with Olympus and wasn't that impressed…

If I want a camera that takes great night shots and has more depth of field and bigger sensor, I'll steal my cousin's GH2 with its f1.7 lens! TS4 will be perfect for adventure/backpacking/climbing/paddling photography/video.

And! This is BPL after all… 212 grams for the Olympus! blasphemy!

[Rakesh Malik]

You won't get any value out of a bulb mode without a tripod anyway. For that, btw, if you're serious I'd recommend having a look at Really Right Stuff… they have a new tiny tripod that looks like something designed for ultralight 'packers, but that's robust enough for even 4×5 and big, honkin' lenses. :)

Don't bother with a big dSLR… look instead to the Nex and micro 4/3 platforms. You can get Leica and Olympus lenses for the micro 4/3, and Sony (both new and re-badged Minolta) lenses as well as Zeiss lenses for the Nex, plus the growing bevy of Sigma, Tamron, and Tokina lenses…

I think you're probably making a good choice, Panasonic stuff is pretty solid. :)

[Chris Scala]

Just want to chime in. I just got a used Panasonic GF-1 to replace my big SLR camera. I'm a photographer by trade, so my hiking trips become projects… The GF-1 weighs around 10 oz, with SLR quality images. I combine this with a Gorilla Pod Hybrid, which weighs 6 oz. It is $40, as opposed to $400, and is so dang versatile I really don't know how I'd bring anything else. Even has a ball head so you can slap it on some uneven surface and then level up your shot from the camera, not the tripod. It's awesome, highly recommend.

[f b]

IMO it's worth to wait for some Oly reviews. Also I like the JPEG Olympus color much better than panasonic, one of the reasons why I might get an XZ-1 to replace my beloved LX3, which by the way fell so many times and got wet from rain but still manages to work just fine.

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