Review on 📷 Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 14.1 MP Waterproof Camera - Orange, with Optical Image Stabilization and LCD Display by Fritz Wiest

I bought this camera mainly for travel, especially diving! I have an expensive Sony HD camcorder with an Aquatica body that I use for underwater photography and videography. However, it's very unsuitable for use out of the water unless the camera is removed from the hull, which you wouldn't want to do in a small and splashy boat. I also have a Canon S5 IS which I really like but I don't want to expose it to water, sand or bumps which is inevitable on the beach or on the boat. The LUMIX TS2 then became the perfect beach/boat companion and I can even snorkel with it in shallow water if the camcorder is too bulky. I've had it for a few months now and used it on a diving trip to San Andrés and Cartagena in Colombia and I have to admit I'm very happy with the image quality. I have to say I was a bit disappointed that Panasonic put a 14 megapixel sensor in such a small camera as the pixel size becomes really microscopic which comes with a lot of noise. So I've mostly used this camera on the 7MP setting and I can't complain: the images are very good: the zoom range is quite usable, especially the wide angle, and the autofocus and exposure level are very accurate. The pictures and videos are very good both above and below water. I took a lot of photos at night in Cartagena, which came out very well, just by pressing the camera against a wall or pole. The camera has more features than I can remember, so I have to refer to the manual every now and then just to re-evaluate everything I can do with it (even correct a slightly crooked shot in the camera or crop the image). And as a bonus, you get HD videos that you can easily play on your HDTV using the TV remote control and an HDMI cable. With this camera you can live without a PC for a long time. I definitely recommend it to people like me who want peace of mind when using a good camera near or in the water! Of course you have to be careful with seals, but I'm used to that from my diving gear. I am very happy with this camera. Only two cons so far: 1) the shutter and zoom buttons are too close and when there is a silicone case on the camera I sometimes find it difficult to move one without touching the other. On several occasions I've snapped a picture while trying to zoom in and vice versa. 2) The USB cable that came with the camera was not suitable, and since Panasonic uses a proprietary USB/analogue video connector that requires a special cable, I have to buy one if I want to connect the camera to a PC (instead of booting directly from the map). I found out after 3 months so I will not try to get it as a warranty item.