Panasonic has created some quality cameras in its time, and the have reached a new peak with the Lumix series. One of the newest in the Lumix line is the DMC-TZ4. This camera sports 8.1 Megapixels, has a 28mm Wide-Angle Lens, and a 10x Optical Zoom. While we’re on the subject of specs, there is a 2.5 LCD with that can access all of the functions and modes.

The camera works out of the box. All you need to do is stick the tiny battery that is the size of a 9 volt onto the charger. The charger just plugs into the wall and the battery is charged within a few hours on the first charge. The battery can then be stuck in the camera in the same location as the SD memory card.

From there, all a user has to do is turn it to iA mode (Intelligent Auto Mode) and point and shoot. I was surprised that there is enough internal memory to store a few pictures, even some video footage. Most digital cameras will not even run without an SD card of some type.

This iA mode features five Intelligent Auto functions. It can correct lighting differences in Intelligent Exposure mode, so images can come out just as they are seen. The Intelligent Scene Selector allows the person to find a mode that best fits the situation. MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) helps prevent blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control prevents motion blur. There is also some Face Detection tech that will help make clear portraits by optimizing the focus and exposure settings.

The Panasonic DMC-TZ4 has a wide-ranging LEICA DC Vario-Elmar lens that gives a 15.9x at the touch of a button. All you have to do is push it, and it automatically focuses in or out. You can also automatically adjust the zoom.

The camera is ideal for travelers as it can take pictures of maps, timetables, and other travel information saved into a separate folder for the built-in memory. It even allows for print titles and other characters with a Time Edit and Stamp. That way, when you look at the photos later, you will know the day and time that it happened.

The camera is also pretty easy to use. I found that I could toggle modes from still shots to video quite easily, and retrieval was just as simple. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ4 is available on the Panasonic website for about $299.95.