conradb212
Registered
We did a full review of the Panasonic Lumix TS2 during our recent dive trip to the California Channel Islands. The conditions were less than optimal (cold, current, low viz) and probably presented about the most challenging setting for a small compact housingless digital camera.
The TS2, which is Panasonic's second attempt at a waterproof all-weather camera, looks almost identical to the TS1, though it's actually a little bigger and a little tougher: you can now use it in freezing weather, it has a higher drop-spec, and, of course, it can now go down to 33 feet, which makes it suitable to come along on some dives.
The specs are very much the same with just a few exceptions. You now get 14mp instead of 12, but not much else has changed. That means that some stuff that was acceptable last year now looks a bit dated (like the not-very-high res 2.7-inch screen).
Unfortunately, the tiny controls haven't changed. They are hard enough to handle without gloves; with gloves it's next to impossible. And whoever programmed the sole underwater mode probably wasn't a diver who knew that things constantly move underwater and simply resorting to really long shutter time is a bad idea.
My full review, including a good bunch of pictures, is here. The TS2 is a good camera, but I do think Panasonic, the folks who make the rugged Toughbook computers, can still do better.
The TS2, which is Panasonic's second attempt at a waterproof all-weather camera, looks almost identical to the TS1, though it's actually a little bigger and a little tougher: you can now use it in freezing weather, it has a higher drop-spec, and, of course, it can now go down to 33 feet, which makes it suitable to come along on some dives.
The specs are very much the same with just a few exceptions. You now get 14mp instead of 12, but not much else has changed. That means that some stuff that was acceptable last year now looks a bit dated (like the not-very-high res 2.7-inch screen).
Unfortunately, the tiny controls haven't changed. They are hard enough to handle without gloves; with gloves it's next to impossible. And whoever programmed the sole underwater mode probably wasn't a diver who knew that things constantly move underwater and simply resorting to really long shutter time is a bad idea.
My full review, including a good bunch of pictures, is here. The TS2 is a good camera, but I do think Panasonic, the folks who make the rugged Toughbook computers, can still do better.
