Panasonic TZ40 review

Travel compact camera gets an upgrade - but how does it fare?

Panasonic TZ40 review
We take a closer look at Panasonic's latest long zoom compact

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The Panasonic TZ40 is the jazzier version of the Panasonic TZ35, with very similar image quality but the addition of some valuable extras, most notably the touchscreen.

If you're not bothered by having a touch-sensitive LCD display, or prefer to use physical buttons, then the Panasonic TZ35 is worthy of consideration - especially if you're equally unbothered about GPS and Wi-Fi functionality.

We liked

As with the Panasonic TZ35, it's fairly remarkable that a 20x optical zoom can fit into a body of this pocket-friendly size. It's an extremely flexible option for holidaying photographers, with the GPS functionality proving a valuable addition for plotting the exact locations of your shots.

We disliked

There's not too much to dislike about the Panasonic TZ40. Although Wi-Fi is a useful addition, it could be better implemented, perhaps by giving you the ability to email a picture, rather than sharing only via the Lumix network.

Final verdict

Like with the Panasonic TZ35, Panasonic has made some small, but useful, changes to the Panasonic TZ40 that elevate it above its predecessor. Although it's a little more expensive than the Panasonic TZ35, those extras will no doubt appeal to a good number of people.

If you're a novice photographer looking for an all-round good performer with a flexible zoom length for your trips away, this is an excellent choice. Equally, it's also good for those a little more experienced, as the fully manual and semi-automatic modes attest to.

It's a little bit of a shame that it can't be even more advanced, perhaps with the addition of raw format shooting or a more premium optic, to elevate it even further from the likes of the Panasonic TZ35 - although of course the price would also be elevated further.

Overall, this is an excellent camera, which should be one of the highest considerations for those looking for the ideal travel compact that offers more than some of the standard options on the market.

First published 5 August 2013

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.