Review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1

Despite the murky water, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1 (inset) captured this image of a Western Springs eel. It's waterproof up to 3m but won't save your fingers from an eel bite. Photo / Alex Robertson

I broke my first digital camera when it fell off its makeshift tripod during a self-timed shot, at Gemstone Bay, Coromandel, and landed smack on its lens.

Had the DMC-FT1 been around, I might still be using it now: Panasonic claim that the camera is shockproof enough to survive a 1.5m fall, though they recommend dropping it only onto plywood and, to be honest, I wasn't game to run a test.

It's also waterproof to 3m. I know this because I stuck it in the duck pond at Western Springs to get some shots of the eels, narrowly avoiding getting my finger chomped.

This is a very clever little camera with intelligent focus and exposure and things like face recognition (in case you have one too many at a family gathering) and lots of scene modes.

But all this lessens the opportunity for creative control, making it very much a point and shoot.

The functions aim to reduce camera shake mainly by pumping up ISO, thereby increasing picture noise and reducing image quality.

That's a shame because the Leica 28mm lens with 4.6 x optical zoom is great quality, although not quite wide or fast enough to be ideal.

But the real the beauty of this camera is the fact that you can take it kayaking, sailing, to the beach or skiing and you won't have to worry about getting it wet or getting bits of sand in the workings.

In fact, it's perfect for the sort of all-action Kiwi adventure holiday that we never get pictures of for fear of breaking the camera.

And you can still take great landscape shots, if you can work out what you're doing.

Oh, and it shoots HD video, too.