Anyone who camps and canoes regularly knows the importance of owning a waterproof camera that’s reliable, sturdy, and capable of taking great photos. Recently, I took a look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2, a great little camera that’s surprisingly affordable considering its feature set and build quality. I’d never considered a Panasonic digital waterproof camera before, mainly because I was unfamiliar with the brand and had been using the same camera for the past few years. I decided to give a Panasonic underwater camera a closer look.
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The first thing I noticed about the Lumix DMC-TS2 was it’s 2.7″ LCD, which compared to the size of the camera itself, seems massive. It’s crystal clear and works great for framing a shot without having to squint at a tiny screen. To the right of the screen are the majority of the control buttons, which are well-spaced and convenient to reach. The overall design of the outer case is very clean, and it comes in four colors: orange, yellow, blue, and a classic silver.
As for features, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 did not disappoint. Besides being waterproof, it’s also shockproof, dustproof, and even freezeproof. It also features an LED light that’s great for shooting in the dark or in murkier underwater conditions. You can turn it on manually or set it to auto mode, which will switch it on only when needed. The photo resolution is great at 14.1 megapixels. The lens features a 4.6x optical zoom with built-in image stabilization. The image stabilization technology here is called POWER O.I.S., and it works twice as well as the older MEGA O.I.S. still found in other models. One of my favorite features is the HD video mode, which not only shoots in motion JPEG, but also AVCHD Lite format which only takes up about half as much storage space.
Overall, I found the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 to be an impressive camera. I’d feel great bringing it on my next canoeing trip, knowing I’m going to get great photos while not having to worry about breaking it on a hiking or damaging it by dropping it in a river. If you’re looking for a sturdy camera that can withstand some pretty brutal conditions, I’d give the Lumix DMC-TS2 a try!
This article was submitted by a reader on 3/8/11.
