Two new additions to popular TZ series: the Panasonic LUMIX TZ18 and TZ20

Panasonic has announced two new additions to its popular and award-winning TZ series of compact cameras, in the shape of the Panasonic TZ18 and Panasonic TZ20. Both of the new models boast HD movie capture, full manual control, a 24mm wide-angle Leica DC lens and 16x optical zoom. The Panasonic TZ20 differentiates itself with the addition of built in GPS and video capture at the higher 1920 x 1080 HD resolution.

The TZ18 and TZ20 feature almost identical specifications with regards to what’s packed under the bonnet. Both models feature a LEICA DC lens complete with a wide-angle of 24mm and offering a 16x optical zoom. The lens also features a Nano Surface Coating aimed at suppressing image ghoasting.

A 14.1MP MOS sensor is present in both models, with the TZ20 featuring the new Venus FHD imaging engine that allows it to shoot 10fps in full resolution with mechanical shutter and 5 fps using continuous AF, while the TZ18 utilises the alternate Venus Engine VI. Both models offer HD video capture – the TZ18 captures moving images at 720p HD, while the TZ20 captures in the alternate 1920 x 1080 ‘Full-HD’ AVCHD format.

Purchasers of the Panasonic TZ20 will also benefit from the inclusion of a built-in GPS system, allowing location data, including latitude and longitude information, to be embedded automatically in to the Exif data of the images. The information data covers over 1,000,000 landmarks of 203 countries. The TZ20 also offers an impressive touch-screen – the rear of the camera houses a 3in, 460k-dot LCD screen complete with Smart Touch technology.

The pair of new models will be on sale in March, but no news as yet on pricing. Head on over to the Panasonic website for more information.