In a year when 20-megapixel compacts are becoming the norm, Panasonic made a bold decision to reduce the sensor resolution of its latest pocket superzoom, the Lumix DMC-ZS50 ($399.99).

Compact; 30x zoom lens; Integrated EVF; Raw shooting support; Excellent high-ISO images; 10fps burst shooting; Snappy autofocus; Lens control ring; Wi-Fi; Excellent 1080p60 video

External charger not included; Omits in-camera GPS; Pricey

Panasonic has always taken the high-ground with its flagship travel-zoom, and it's a trend that's continued with the latest Lumix TZ70 / ZS50. Despite sharing a great deal with its predecessor and actually losing one major feature, Panasonic has made a number of improvements that genuinely enhance...

Huge 30x zoom range with decent stabilisation, Built-in electronic viewfinder with eye sensor, 12 Megapixel sensor a little cleaner at high ISOs, Support for RAW files, focus peaking and panoramas, 1080 / 50p / 60p video; also 720 / 100p and VGA / 200p, Built-in Wifi with NFC.

Viewfinder image is quite small; Control dials often perform same function; Screen still not touch-sensitive; RAW files won't deliver a boost in quality; GPS receiver of earlier models removed

Panasonic Lumix TZ70 Review - The TZ70 is the latest in a long line of successful travel compacts, looking to build on the performance of its predecessor with several key upgrades

Solid image stabilisation performance; Presence of a control ring; Reduction in resolution of sensor; EVF upgrade

Lack of touchscreen control; EVF could be physically larger; Mode dial a touch soft; Some performance issues

Since Panasonic started the trend for travel cameras, plenty of other manufacturers have produced their own versions and there are now quite a few cameras which compete with the TZ70 – a 30x optical zoom is not the rarity it once was.

30x zoom range; Wi-Fi and NFC; Manual control

No touchscreen; Can't use some features with raw shooting

I initially liked this camera in spite of its poor image quality and lack of low-light performance. But after one year of ownership I now regret my purchase. After fewer than (an estimated) 1,000 shutter activations the viewfinder is broken. It's as if it's misaligned.

When you go for the used ones be careful. I bought one that said used like new tested and fully functional. Looked great but flash never worked. Plus WOW. I have been using a Nikon dslr for years and decided to buy a point and shoot for a concert. I played with this thing allll day.

I've had my ZS50 for about eight months now, and I'm up over 8,000 shutter releases. It will fit into the front pockets on my shorts, but it usually lives in the handlebar bag on my bicycle, or the center console of the car. It's easy to always have it at hand.

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There are a growing number of pocketable do-it-all compact cameras on the market vying for attention, with the Panasonic Lumix TZ70 aiming to be cream of the crop. This pocketable travel compact squeezes an electronic viewfinder and 30x optical zoom lens into its relatively slender frame, promising...

30x zoom in pocketable body; excellent image stabilisation; mode dial and lens control ring for added functionality; speedy autofocus; Wi-Fi performance boost

No touchscreen or tilt-angle mechanism; can opt for excessively slow shutter speeds; 30x zoom pushes its luck at full extension; viewfinder is small scale

For the 2015 version of its Travel Zoom camera, the Lumix DMC-TZ70, Panasonic has done something a bit different. Rather than boosting the megapixel count of the sensor, it has actually reduced it, but made the individual pixels bigger.

Pocket-sized camera with a 30x optical zoom; Built-in EVF; Capable auto mode

Chromatic abberation can be noticeable; EVF sensor too sensitive; Function buttons could offer more shortcut choices