Build and Handling
Those familiar with the TZ10 will be hard-pressed to distinguish changes to the exterior of the TZ20. General build quality is good, if not fairly standard for a small compact camera at this price.
Apart from the more contoured handgrip, it is virtually the same compact size with a depth of 33mm, which is impressive given the increase in optical zoom.
Interestingly, despite using a touchscreen, the button layout is largely unchanged but for the movie record button being moved to the top of the body and the new 3D mode included on the shooting dial.
A CMOS sensor is cheaper to manufacture than a CCD sensor, and this is perhaps why the company is able to offer other features, such as the new touchscreen, without an increase in price from last time round.
Touch-focusing is achieved by touching the part of the frame the user wants to be in focus. The screen adjusts its power automatically by detecting the brightness of the location, which means it will be brighter in direct sunlight but dimmer in evening light.
I find a compromise with touchscreens is that they have a tendency to be slightly less bright than similarly specified LCD screens, and the TZ20 is true to form.
Offering manual and autoexposure controls as well as several scene modes means that photographers of any skill level should feel at home using the TZ20. Its exposure control is not without its limits, however, as the aperture range is rather restricted.
At its widest focal length, the TZ20 offers a range of f/3.3-6.3, while at its telephoto end f/5.9 or f/6.3 is available. Autobracketing and exposure compensation is easily achieved and available up to ±1 and ±2 respectively in 1⁄3EV steps.
Exposure in any of the PASM modes is adjusted using the exposure button on the back of the camera.
The quick menu displays white balance, ISO, image size and record quality, GPS and burst modes. The 30 scene modes are accessed via the main menu. This is a camera that gives simple access to shooting modes, exposure and focusing controls, and is easy to navigate for a variety of skill levels.
