Panasonic TS30 Review

Name: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
Brand: Panasonic

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Main Features

16MP - 1/2.33 CCD Sensor

ISO 100 - 1600( expands to 6400)

25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

2.70" Fixed Type Screen

1.3fps continuous shooting

and HD at 30fps Video Recording

142g. 104 x 58 x 20 mm

Weather-sealed Body

Also known as Lumix DMC-FT30

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Panasonic TS30 Overview

First introduced in January 2015 , Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 is a 16.0MP Waterproof camera with a 1/2.33 (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor, built-in Image Stabilization, weather-sealed body and 4.0x zoom 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 lens. TS30 is also sold as Lumix DMC-FT30 in some countries.

Panasonic TS30 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Lens
Photography Type Scores
Recommended Accessories
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Panasonic TS30 is a member of Panasonic's Waterproof class cameras. Below you can see the latest models in this class and how their main specs have changed with each new model.

Panasonic Waterproof Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Panasonic TS6 Compare	January 2015	16.0MP - 1/2.33'	10.0 fps	110 x 67 x 29mm	214g
Panasonic TS30	January 2015	16.0MP - 1/2.33	1.3 fps	104 x 58 x 20mm	142g
Panasonic TS5 Compare	July 2013	16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	10.0 fps	110 x 67 x 29mm	214g
Panasonic TS25 Compare	January 2013	16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	1.0 fps	104 x 58 x 20mm	144g
Panasonic TS20 Compare	January 2012	16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	1.0 fps	101 x 58 x 19mm	142g

Check the link below to compare specs of the latest cameras in this series side-by-side:
Panasonic TS6 vs TS30 vs TS5 vs TS25 vs TS20

**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Panasonic TS30 PROs and CONs Review

Now let's get in to more details of our Panasonic TS30 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Water Proof down to 8m

Shock Proof up to 1.5m

Freeze Proof down to -10C

Image Stabilization

Face Detection Focusing

23 Focus Points

142g Light Body

Environmental Sealing

220MB Internal Storage

Timelapse Recording

25mm Wide Angle Lens

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CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Articulating Screen

No External Flash Shoe

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

No Built-in Viewfinder

No RAW Shooting

Max Sensitivity only ISO 1.600

Small LCD Screen ( 2.70")

Low Screen Resolution ( 230kdots )

1/1300s Low Max Shutter Speed

Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.3fps

Low Battery Life: 250 shots

No Manual Focusing

No Manual Exposure

Slow Lens at Wide: f3.90

Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70

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Panasonic TS30 Physical Specs

Panasonic TS30 weighs 142 g (0.31 lb / 5.01 oz) and has external dimensions of 104 x 58 x 20 mm (4.09 x 2.28 x 0.79″). Considering that the average weight of Compact type cameras is 188g, Panasonic TS30 is a remarkably light camera for its class. Even better, with a thickness of only 20mm, it is also quite small, 8mm thinner than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

Compact Cameras

Panasonic TS30

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Compact Cameras

Panasonic TS30

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Panasonic TS30 with the dimensions:

Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Panasonic TS30 Camera Body

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Panasonic TS30, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Physical size of the Panasonic TS30 Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

Below you can find the comparison of the weight and thickness of Panasonic TS30 with its main competitors:

Panasonic TS30 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs TS30	Thickness	vs TS30
Nikon W300 Compare	231g	89g heavier	29mm	9mm thicker
Olympus TG-830 iHS Compare	214g	72g heavier	28mm	8mm thicker
Nikon AW100 Compare	178g	36g heavier	23mm	3mm thicker
Canon SX740 HS Compare	299g	157g heavier	40mm	20mm thicker
Panasonic LX100 II Compare	392g	250g heavier	64mm	44mm thicker
Panasonic TS4 Compare	197g	55g heavier	27mm	7mm thicker
Panasonic TS25 Compare	144g	2g heavier	20mm	equal thickness
Canon 70D Compare	755g	613g heavier	79mm	59mm thicker

Panasonic TS30 Size Comparison Video

Weather Sealing

Panasonic TS30 has environmental sealings (waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof)

Panasonic TS30 Lens

Panasonic TS30 features a 25-100 mm F3.9-5.7 4x zoom lens. Lens has a good wide angle capability starting at 25mm, and 100mm on the tele end means that the medium telephoto angle is also well covered, only lacking the reach for wildlife and sports.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TS30

Widest - Olympus TG-850 iHS

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TS30

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

With a max aperture of f3.90 at 25mm, we can not consider this lens fast on wide end, and it is slow at the tele end with its max aperture of f5.70.

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TS30

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TS30

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

TS30 is equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds.

Panasonic TS30 Sensor and Photography Features

Panasonic TS30 has a 16.0MP 1/2.33 (6.08 x 4.56 mm ) sized CCD sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. TS30 has a native ISO range of 100 - 1600 which can be boosted to 6400 but unfortunately, Panasonic TS30 doesn't have RAW file support. If you need a Compact camera with a RAW support, consider Nikon Coolpix P7100 or Nikon Coolpix P7000 in the same price range.

Panasonic TS30 is not the highest resolution Small Sensor camera. Canon SX740 HS with its 21.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Panasonic TS30 vs Canon SX740 HS or take a look at Highest resolution Waterproof cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Panasonic TS30's 1/2.33 sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Comparison image of Panasonic TS30 Sensor Size with other standard sensors

Panasonic TS30 LCD

Panasonic TS30 has a Fixed Type 2.70-inch LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. At only 2.70", the screen is on the smaller side and 230kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

Unfortunately Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 doesn't have a Selfie friendly screen. If this feature is important for your shooting style, check here the list of Best Waterproof Cameras with Selfie Friendly LCD screen.

TS30 doesn't have a viewfinder and no option for external viewfinder.

Panasonic TS30 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Panasonic TS30 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Panasonic TS30 Battery

Panasonic TS30 is powered by a proprietary battery which provides a battery life of 250 shots according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Compact type cameras is 256 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Waterproof Cameras

Panasonic TS30

Min

Average

Max

Olympus TG-4 with its 380 shots is the model with longest battery life among Waterproof cameras. Check the comparison of Panasonic TS30 vs Olympus TG-4 or take a look at Longest Battery Life Waterproof cameras list.

Panasonic TS30 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Nikon W300 Compare	3840 x 2160	280shots	Yes	Yes	No
Olympus TG-830 iHS Compare	1920 x 1080	300shots	No	No	No
Nikon AW100 Compare	1920 x 1080	shots	No	No	No
Canon SX740 HS Compare	3840 x 2160	265shots	Yes	Yes	Yes
Panasonic LX100 II Compare	3840 x 2160	340shots	Yes	Yes	No
Panasonic TS4 Compare	1920 x 1080	310shots	No	No	No
Panasonic TS25 Compare	1280 x 720	250shots	No	No	No
Canon 70D Compare	1920 x 1080	920shots	Yes	No	No

Panasonic TS30 Video Features

With Panasonic TS30, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1280 x 720 at 30 fps and save in and MPEG-4 formats. 1280 x 720 is a low video resolution by todays standards. If video quality is important for you, we recommend you to look at cameras with Full HD, even better 4K / Ultra-HD resolution .

Microphones, Speaker and Headphone Connections

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 has a built-in Mono microphone and a Mono speaker. On the other hand, Panasonic TS30 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Nikon Coolpix P7100 or Nikon Coolpix P7000 in a similar price range.

Panasonic TS30 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Panasonic TS30 can shoot continuously at max speed of 1.3 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/1300 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately TS30 doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.

Focusing

Panasonic TS30 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 23 points to choose from.

Panasonic TS30 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Panasonic TS30 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Panasonic TS30 in 5 different photography areas.

Panasonic TS30 for Portrait Photography

Panasonic TS30 has a score of 22 for Portrait Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait We strongly recommend you to check our Top Waterproof Cameras for Portrait Photography list and consider these alternatives over theTS30.

Image Stabilization
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
Small 1/2.33 sensor
No RAW shooting capability
No External Flash Shoe

No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Panasonic TS30 for Portrait Photography

Panasonic TS30 for Street Photography

Panasonic TS30 has a score of 54 for Street Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Street is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Waterproof Cameras for Street Photography list.

Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Image Stabilization
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small Body

No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Focus Mode
Slow Lens at Wide: f3.90
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.33 sensor

Read the details of how we scored Panasonic TS30 for Street Photography

Panasonic TS30 for Sports Photography

Panasonic TS30 has a score of 17 for Sports Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Sports We strongly recommend you to check our Top Waterproof Cameras for Sports Photography list and consider these alternatives over theTS30.

Environmental Sealings
23 Focus Points
Image Stabilization
Slow Continuous Shooting: 1.3fps
Slow Max shutter speed: 1/1300s
Poor Battery Life: 250 shots
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

No Manual Exposure Mode
No Manual Focus Mode
No Built-in Viewfinder
No External Flash Shoe
100 mm Tele Lens
Slow Lens at Tele: f5.70
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Panasonic TS30 for Sports Photography

Panasonic TS30 for Daily Photography

Panasonic TS30 has a score of 63 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Waterproof Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Compact Body
142g
Body Thickness 20mm
Environmental Sealings

4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.33 sensor
No RAW shooting capability

Read the details of how we scored Panasonic TS30 for Daily Photography

Panasonic TS30 for Landscape Photography

Panasonic TS30 has a score of 22 for Landscape Photography which makes it a POOR candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape We strongly recommend you to check our Top Waterproof Cameras for Landscape Photography list and consider these alternatives over theTS30.

25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
No Manual Exposure Mode

No Manual Focus Mode
No RAW shooting capability
Small 1/2.33 sensor

Read the details of how we scored Panasonic TS30 for Landscape Photography

Panasonic TS30 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Panasonic TS30 compares with other Compact cameras within a similar price range.

Read a more detailed analysis of Panasonic TS30 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Panasonic TS30

Here are the eight most popular comparisons of the Panasonic TS30 amongst Camera Decision readers.

Panasonic TS30 Alternatives in Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare the Panasonic TS30 with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Panasonic TS30's price range.

Panasonic TS30 Conclusion and Scores

Currently, Panasonic TS30 has an Overall Score of 41/100 which is based on our evaluation of 69 different technical parameters. Our scores are dynamically updated whenever a new camera is added to our database or when we change our ranking algorithm and the maximum score is always 100. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 is ranked #199 out of 632 in Compact cameras (Top 20 Waterproof), and ranked #778 out of 1275 in all Cameras (Top 20 Overall).

#778 out of 1275 in Top Ranking Cameras
#199 out of 632 in Top Ranking Waterproof Cameras
#51 out of 77 in Top Ranking Waterproof Cameras
#269 out of 741 in Top Ranking Small Sensor Sensor Cameras
#6 out of 77 in Lightest Waterproof Cameras with Small Sensor sensor(142g)
#444 out of 920 in Top Ranking Cameras with Fixed Type Screen
Geek Score: 0

Panasonic TS30

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Main Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Frequently Asked Questions about Panasonic TS30

Does the Panasonic TS30 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Panasonic TS30 have RAW support?
Does the Panasonic TS30 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Panasonic TS30 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Panasonic TS30?
What is the Sensor Size of Panasonic TS30?
is the Panasonic TS30 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Panasonic TS30 have Touch Screen?
Does the Panasonic TS30 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Panasonic TS30?
What is the Weight of Panasonic TS30?
What are the Dimensions of Panasonic TS30?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Panasonic
Model	Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS30
Also known as	Lumix DMC-FT30
Announced	2015-01-06
Body Type	Compact
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Number of Lenses
Lens Focal Range	25-100 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	F3.9-5.7
Macro Focus Range	5cm
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	2.70"
Screen Resolution	230k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	n/a
Viewfinder Magnification	n/a
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	8s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/1300s
Max Continuous Shooting	1.3 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	n/a
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	4.40 m
Flash Modes	Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, on, slow sync w/redeye reduction, off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
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Sensor
Sensor Type	CCD
Sensor Size	1/2.33
Sensor Dimensions	6.08 x 4.56 mm
Sensor Area	27.72mm²
Sensor Resolution	16 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4608 x 3456
Max Native ISO	1,600
Max Boosted ISO	6400
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	23
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max Video Resolution	1280 x 720
Video Formats	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	142g
Physical Dimensions	104 x 58 x 20mm
Battery Life	250 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage Slots	1
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