The Panasonic DMC LZ2 has been around for about four years and at the time it was launched was considered to be one of the best “point and shoot” digital cameras. While cameras may have moved on, there is still a great deal of interest in the earlier Panasonic Lumix digital cameras like the DMC LZ2, so here's a few key facts if you are considering picking up one of these cameras as a used bargain, on eBay or somewhere similar.

Fundamentally, the Lumix DMC LZ2 is an easy “point and shoot” digital camera. At the time it was launched, most similar cameras had a maximum of 3x optical zoom, so the LZ2 caused quite a stir with its stabilised Lumix DC Vario 6x optical zoom, which was achieved without adding great bulk or weight to the camera. The plastic, matt-silver body no doubt helps to keep the weight down to 224 grams, but some owners have commented that the plastic does feel a bit cheap, even though it all seems to be well engineered. The LZ2 measures 101 x 64 x 33 mm so it's probably too big for a shirt pocket but should be OK in a coat pocket or purse.

The lens is equivalent to a 37-222mm zoom on a 35mm camera and aperture is automatically controlled. Either f2.8 or f5.6 is possible at maximum wide angle, and either f4.5 or f9.0 at maximum zoom – not forgetting that image stabilisation is built in to help prevent camera shake and produce crisp clear results.

The Panasonic DMC LZ2 is quick to use, taking a single shot in just under 0.5 seconds. When tested, it took 10.32 seconds for five consecutive shots which is equivalent to one photo about every 2.06 seconds.

The exposure control on the DMC LZ2 is automatic, as you would probably expect for a simple digital camera, although there are several Scene modes to give users limited control over their images. The main camera modes are selected with a mode dial on the top panel. The options include Normal (similar to Auto on other cameras), Economy (similar to Normal mode, but with some adjustments to extend battery life, e.g. reducing the brightness of the 50mm LCD screen), Macro, Simple (for beginners), Scene1 and Scene 2 (with options being Portrait, Sports, Scenery, Night Scenery, Night Portrait, Fireworks, Party, and Snow), Playback and Movie.

Although there are these limited options to choose from, taking photos with the DMC LZ2 is fairly straightforward, as you typically just point and shoot nearly all the time, because in Normal mode, the camera controls everything about the exposure - except for image size and quality, flash mode, ISO sensitivity, white balance, self-timer, AF mode, and burst-mode.

Gridlines can be displayed on the screen to help with lining up shots and keeping everything level, and the brightness of the LCD screen can be adjusted for ambient lighting conditions, whether it be brilliant sunshine, or dusk.

Finally, the Panasonic has built in flash, capable up to about 4m, with the usual options for red-eye reduction, and other helpful modes. And there is a self timer when you simply can't find anybody to take the shot and want to be in the picture yourself.

Here's a list of the basic features, in summary:

• 2.0-inch colour TFT LCD monitor.
• 5.0-megapixel CCD.
• 6x, 6.1-36.6mm lens, equivalent to a 37-222mm lens on a 35mm camera.
• Built in flash with five modes
• Maximum 4x digital zoom.
• Automatic exposure control, with Long Shutter mode for longer exposures.
• Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to 8 seconds.
• Maximum aperture of f/2.8 to f/4.5, depending on lens zoom position.
• 14MB of built-in memory
• SD memory card slot for expanded storage
• Power supplied by two AA Oxyride, Alkaline or NiMH batteries, or optional AC adapter kit.
• Software CD included for both Windows and Mac platforms.

As mentioned at the beginning, this Panasonic DMC LZ2 is now a few years old – but it is still a trusted Panasonic digital camera and could well be a great used bargain if you are on a limited budget.