Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 (ZS70) Review

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (ZS70) is Panasonic's latest update to the best-selling Travel Zoom range, which has been refreshed every year since first being introduced with the TZ1 in 2006. This latest update adds a tilting screen, and a 20-megapixel sensor to the camera, which features a 30x optical zoom lens.  

Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (ZS70) Features

As well as the Leica branded 30x optical zoom lens, it now offers a new 20-megapixel sensor and a tilting 3inch touch-screen. The tilting screen has resulted in a slightly larger camera size, and increased weight, compared to the TZ80. On the back, there's an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with eye-detection and dioptre correction. 

Macro focus lets you focus on subjects 3cm away from the front of the lens, and hybrid 5-axis image stabilisation helps keep shots and video steady in low light or when using a lot of optical zoom. The ISO range extends from ISO80 up to ISO6400, and the camera can shoot at 10fps at the full resolution of 20 megapixels.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ90 is known as the ZS70 in America and some other countries. 

4K video lets you record 3840x2160 (UHD) resolution video, four times the resolution of FullHD video, and the camera has stereo microphones built-in. 4K photo lets you shoot at 30fps, and then select which photos to save as 8-megapixel images. There are a number of burst modes to help you get the best out of this mode, and there's a 4K photo button on the camera to give quick access. Post focus using the 4K photo technology to let you set the focus point after taking the photo, and focus stacking will combine all images to create images with more of the photo in focus. 

Compared to the nearest competition, the Canon Powershot SX730 HS, the Nikon Coolpix A900 and Sony Cyber-shot HX90.

* ECO mode extends this to 355 shots

Key Features

• 20megapixel BSI CMOS sensor
• 30x optical zoom lens
• 5-axis Hybrid image stabilisation 
• 3inch tilting touch-screen
• EVF: with eye-detection
• 10fps continuous shooting speed
• 4K photo - shoots 8mp photos at 30fps
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• 4K video
• ISO80 to ISO6400
• 3cm macro focus
• Available in black, or silver

Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (ZS70) Handling

With the addition of the tilting screen, the TZ90 is quite bulky now, and whilst it will fit into jeans pockets, the camera will be much happier in a jacket pocket. Of the three cameras below, it's the thickest, at just over 40mm, with the Nikon and Canon slightly under 40mm.

Canon Powershot SX730 HS Vs Nikon Coolpix A900 Vs Panasonic Lumix TZ90 - TZ90 offers an EVF

The Panasonic features a metal front, and plastic rear and top. There's a good sized rubber grip on the front of the camera to assist in holding the camera steady. The camera feels well-built, with a solid hinge on the screen. 

The Fn / Function buttons can be customised, with another 2 physical Fn buttons available on the back of the camera. With the touch-screen you can setup another 5 function buttons, giving a total of 9 customisable function buttons. 

The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is quite small but fairly clear, with a decent resolution. When using the EVF you can use the touchscreen to move the focus position, although if you are using your left eye you need to be careful that your nose doesn't touch the screen and change the focus position. You can switch this feature off if you want. 

Screen quality is excellent with a gapless design, with good colour and a clear display. It's also possible to view the screen outdoors in bright sunlight. You can use the touchscreen to set the focus point, right into the very corners of the frame. Face/eye detection is particularly useful when taking photos of people, with the camera correctly focusing on the subject's eyes.

Menus – The Panasonic Lumix menus are clear and well laid out with built in help to make it easier to understand what the options are for without having to look at the manual. You can also browse the menus with the touch screen and the camera is very responsive and quick when you use the touchscreen. 

Using Wi-Fi you can connect your smartphone to the camera, and with the Panasonic Image App which is available for Android and iOS, you can remotely control and shoot with the camera, transfer images, add geotag GPS location data to shots, record a snap movie as well as create a photo collage. When shooting using the app, you can use the touchscreen of your smartphone to set the focus point, and you can change a wide number of options and settings without having to reach for the camera. 

Battery life - Battery life is rated at 380 shots according to Panasonic / CIPA test results when using the rear screen, or 250 shots when using the EVF. The camera's battery can be charged using a standard MicroUSB cable, and a wall to USB charger is included in the box. The camera uses the same battery as the previous model.

Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (ZS70) Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Focus and shutter response are both very quick. Continuous shooting is quick and lets you take a good number of shots before slowing down. 

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Exposure is reliable, and detail is quite good, however, colour reproduction may not be to everyone's tastes, with quite muted colours compared to the competition. Noise is visible, even when shooting at the lowest ISO speeds when viewing images at 100%. Results were better when shooting in sunny conditions. Photos with flash show no signs of red-eye. Dynamic range is quite good, with the camera avoiding over-exposure where possible. You can use the iDynamic option or HDR option to record extended dynamic range in images. 

Post Focus - You can select the frame you want in camera, and use the touch-screen to choose the focus point, saving the individual frame as a JPEG image. This feature works better on cameras with a larger sensor such as the Panasonic Lumix GX8 that has a shallower depth of field. 4K Photo - shoots at 30fps, you can then select the frame you want in camera later and save the individual frame as a JPEG image.

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Images show quite good sharpness into the corners, when using zoom, but become slightly softer in the far corners when shooting wide-angle shots. The lens is quite resistant to flare, and there is only slight purple fringing visible when shooting images with high levels of contrast. Distortion is taken care of in-camera, with this being automatically corrected in JPEG images. Focus is reliable, and image stabilisation helps keep images steady and sharp when using a lot of optical zoom or when shooting in darker conditions. Macro focus lets you get close to your subject. 

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 features a 20-megapixel sensor, an increase compared to the TZ80, which has an 18-megapixel sensor. As a result, noise levels are slightly higher on the TZ90. Images look best when using lower ISO speeds (under ISO400). At ISO800, images show a loss of colour saturation and detail. This increases at ISO1600, and noise increases further. ISO3200 and above are best avoided. 

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 has an updated auto white balance (AWB) system compared to the TZ80, using the same system as the Lumix G cameras, which gives warmer results, keeping the original scenes colour. If you want more accurate results, then you will need to use manual white balance, or adjust the WB temperature in the menus. It would be great if there was an option for "AWB: Cool" as found on the Panasonic Lumix GH5. AWB gives good results under fluorescent lighting, and there is no fluorescent preset available.

Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ90 Digital filters

Digital Filters - There are 22 creative effects available, and we've shown examples of most of these above. There are 24 scene modes. You can adjust the colours, using the colour presets, and there are options to set the contrast, sharpness, noise reduction, and saturation. The HDR shooting mode is found in the menus but isn't available if you're shooting raw. The camera features an automatic panoramic mode, where you simply press the shutter release button and pan the camera from one side to the other.

Video - The camera features 5-Axis Hybrid Optical Image Stabilisation - a combination of electronic and optical image stabilisation. This is not available when recording 4K video, with only optical image stabilisation available at this resolution. However, the 5-axis IS helps make FullHD video very stable. Video quality is very good, with great audio quality as well. 

4K Live Cropping - This lets you record a cropped FullHD video from an area of the 4K frame. So, for example, you could use 30x optical zoom, then use this cropping feature to effectively double the zoom, or you can set the start position and end position and the camera would pan from one area to the finish point. You can adjust the size of the crop.

Value For Money

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 is available for around £369 which makes it one of the more expensive options. Alternatives to look at, include the following cameras, all of them include Wi-Fi connectivity. We've included the TZ90 as a reference:

Canon Powershot SX730 HS, 40x zoom, 3inch tilting screen, 5.9fps continuous shooting, FullHD video, £349
Nikon Coolpix A900, 35x zoom, 3inch tilting screen (up and down), 7fps continuous shooting, 4K video, £329
Sony Cyber-shot HX90, 30x zoom, 3inch tilting screen, 10fps continuous shooting, FullHD video, EVF, £329
Panasonic Lumix TZ90, 30x zoom, 3inch tilting touch-screen, 10fps continuous shooting, 4K video, EVF, £369

Have a look at more travel zoom cameras in our Top 10 Best Pocket Zoom Cameras. You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Panasonic Lumix TZ90 (ZS70) Verdict

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 offers 4K UHD video, and video quality is excellent, with the camera also capable of recording high audio quality. The TZ90 is one of only a few with an electronic viewfinder, and this new version features a tilting touchscreen that makes the camera bigger but allows self-portraits to be taken more easily. The TZ90 does not have as much optical zoom as some of the competition, but the 30x optical zoom lens continues to deliver good results, with good levels of detail for this class of camera.

With a 20 megapixel sensor, noise has increased, compared to the 18 megapixel TZ80, and we preferred the colour and white balance performance of the TZ80. You'll also save money by going for the previous version, as long as you can cope without the tilting screen. One of the improvements made with the TZ90, is an increase in battery life, with the camera offering up to 380 shots.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ90 offers 4K video and numerous shooting modes.

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