Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ25 review

Both cameras’ lenses start at a wide-angle 24mm (equivalent) focal length, but the TZ25’s 16x zoom isn’t quite a match for the TZ30’s 20x zoom. Along with the TZ30’s higher resolution, it had the edge for capturing details in distant subjects.

Extremely sharp focus means the TZ25 holds it own against cameras with even bigger zoom ranges – click to enlarge

However, the TZ25’s lower resolution gave it an advantage for noise levels, which not only delivered smoother colours in low light, it also helped to resolve details in dense textures, such as foliage, in bright conditions. For us, this was more significant than the TZ30’s extra resolution and zoom range, and on balance we prefer the TZ25’s photos.

There’s quite a lot of noise reduction being used here, but image quality holds together in low light – click to enlarge

If they were the same price we’d probably be tempted by the TZ30’s GPS radio, touchscreen and bigger memory buffer for longer-lasting burst shooting. The TZ25 is £50 cheaper, though. It takes gorgeous photos and videos, it’s fast and it’s easy to use. It’s an obvious Best Buy.