OK, my first time posting here in the photo section, so be gentle!

I'm interested in upgrading my pocket sized Minolta Dimage (3MP, 3X optical) to a lightweight but not necessarily pocket sized camera with some MEGA optical zoom capabilities because I'm always up in the mountans and can't get decent long range photos with the dinky camera I have. (Although I love it's small size!)

Anyway, I found the TZ-1 and thought it might just fit the bill. Your thoughts???

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06021405panasonictz1.asp

Edited by Hoosierdaddy on 04/11/2006 11:21:05 MDT.

First, I'd wait to read some complete reviews before plunking down my hard-earned cash. I've got a few quickie pros and cons, based only on the provided specs and descriptions.

Pros

Surprisingly light and compact for a "big zoom" camera.
Leica lens promises good optical performance.
Image stabilization to go with the long tele range.
Three focus modes and three metering modes.
Focus assist.
ISO 800-1600 low-light mode (if it proves useable).
High-definition display.
Loads of scene modes, including snow.
Looks cool!

Things I don't like:

No viewfinder, and the display isn't articulated.
Mediocre maximum wide angle, despite the lofty 10x zoom range.
No RAW of TIFF formats.
Proprietary battery.

Things I can't determine:

Any moisture or dust resistance?
Is it USB 2 capable?
Accessory lenses available for less than a king's ransom?

In balance, it's not a camera I'd be able to live with, mostly because of the lack of a viewfinder and the zoom range. The lack of RAW mode would keep away "serious" photographers, and would bother me as well. Still, I'll bet it delivers very good results and if you're set on having a 350mm equivalent tele, you'd definitely have fun with it.

But don't buy one without trying to compose and fine-focus a variety of shots with the sun shining directly on the display screen.

Hi
The TZ1 has arrived. Will give it a quick test drive today and maybe this week end.
Franco
(nice cosmentic and feel)

We have performed a few tests.Rick's concerns are very valid, the main one is the lack of manual control and lack of Tiff or Raw.
To most, the JPEG /Auto settings will be fine, the keen amateur that is familiar with Photoshop and the like, will know that a cleaner image could be squizzed out from a RAW file.
The pictures we took were sharp, with a slightly higher contrast than usual ( for Pana) , well exposed and with a good white balance (on Auto), however we felt that a manual contrast and sharpness control would help.
Overall, I am happy with it because it does offer a great usable optical range ( relatively distortion free wide and tele ends), the stabilizer works as it does with their bigger models.
Not for the keen amateur/enthusiast, but definitely the one to get if you still want a long zoom range in a compact package.
Rick asked :
Any moisture or dust resistance?
No
Is it USB 2 capable?
Yes
Accessory lenses available for less than a king's ransom?
Not at the moment

I agree that a wider wide angle would be welcomed, but at a starting point equivalent to 35mm, it is the widest in its class. Most 10 or 12x zoom lenses start at 38mm.
We sold the first 15 in two days.
Franco