Neither waterproof nor tough - Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom is advertised by Panasonic as waterproof to a depth of 16 ft and shockproof upto 5 ft of drop. However many customers have found that their cameras started malfunctioning even though they were not subject to such extreme depths or heights. Cautionista takes a detailed look at the issues with the camera -

• Camera turns on intermittently and takes only unfocused pictures after occasionally using in a shallow pool for a few weeks. Moisture was seen inside the LCD indicating that water got in and damaged the camera.





• Flash stopped working after using the camera for around an hour in the ocean for taking snorkeling pictures. Haziness seen on the LCD screen and lens.
• Bubbles seen coming from the camera while underwater indicating leak. The Lumix TS20 stopped working soon after.
• The camera leaked when taken to around 10 feet depth during the first use.
• The Panasonic Lumix TS20 camera doesn't seem to be compatible with Mac. Unable to download pictures or videos by plugging the camera into Mac's USB port. Panasonic support unable to help.
• Camera turned on fine at first, but the very second time it kept repeating the caution screen after turning on. Panasonic support never responded.
• The LCD screen cracked after the camera was dropped in a parking lot from a height of around 4 ft.

The verdict, and alternatives

So many customers cannot be wrong. There seems to be some design flaw with the Panasonic Lumix TS20 camera that leads to water leaking into the camera even when taken to depths much less than the rated 15 ft. The device also doesn't appear to be as shockproof as advertised. We think the best option for underwater photography is to place your regular digital camera in a DicaPac Waterproof Digital Camera Case. As for the incompatibility of this camera with Mac - you could work around it by taking the SD card out of the camera and inserting it to any card reader compatible with Mac, like the Sandisk Micromate.

Black pictures - Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera

Nikon D5100 16.2MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera is one of the highly rated Digital SLR cameras by amateur and professional photographers alike. At Cautionista, we take a closer look at some of the main issues with this camera, which may cause you a lot of grief after the purchase.

• Many unhappy customers have had their Nikon D5100s taking completely black pictures after varying periods of use. They swear that their cameras were never subjected to any extreme conditions. The black pictures issue can happen at any time without warning. You maybe in the middle of an expensive foreign vacation when this happens and be left without a camera to capture the moments that you cherish. The issue is apparently due to a defective shutter and require you to send in the camera to Nikon for repair. Since this is not covered by warranty, you would have to pay for the repair which may run over $150.
• Defective pixels and dust spots seen on close and detailed inspection.
• Camera stopped working after a 2 feet drop in its padded bag.

Black pictures are scary

It's scary to think that you may become a victim of the Nikon D5100 black pictures issue in the middle of the happiest vacation. Since the D5100 is otherwise a fine camera, you may carry a backup point and shoot camera just in case. A few defective pixels and dust spots are quite common even in the most expensive cameras, so nothing to sweat about. If you would like to be completely worry-free about dropping the camera or getting it wet, especially if you have children or would be using the camera with children around, we recommend that you go in for the SquareTrade Camera/Camcorder Protection + Warranty that fully covers drops and spills for 3 years, plus extends the full warranty for the same period.

Any problems with Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP High Sensitivity MOS Digital Camera ?

Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP Digital Camera is one of the best Point-and-Shoot digital cameras around. Apart from taking pictures, it can also capture HD video. Lumix ZS20 also has a built-in GPS that allows you to store location where the pictures were taken so that you can post your pictures on internet maps. How convenient. Does this Panasonic camera live up to its brand name though?




Cautionista takes a deeper look at what other customers found after they purchased their Lumix ZS20's. Let's see if there are any major disadvantages with this camera.

• Picture becomes a bit fuzzy when zoomed to 20x. May get fixed with a firmware update from Panasonic.
• Camera locked up after 10 minutes of use. Even the Off button doesn't work. Worked fine after some time.
• The image processor is a bit slow. The lag between pictures is high even when using Class 6 SD memory cards.





• Some dust seen inside the lens. Since it's inside the lens, it can't be cleaned.
• Picture quality is good for taking 4x6 or 5x7 prints, but not so much for enlargements because the noise in the picture shows at larger sizes.
• Burst picture mode always produced blurry pictures, even in "Intelligent Auto" mode, because of movement of subject.
• Sharp picture in Macro mode, but fuzzy pics in other modes, especially when viewing on large monitors.
• Camera is very compact, which could be a disadvantage if you have large hands.
• Higher pixelation seen with low light.
• Panorama mode shows vertical lines where the camera stitches photos together.
• Minor complaints: The camera doesn't come with any memory card, need to buy separately. Battery doesn't come charged. Need to wait a few hours before you can operate the camera. Battery/Memory door is flimsy. The camera has a proprietary USB connector, hence cannot use generic USB chargers or cables while traveling.

Is the Lumix ZS20 a good camera ?

Based on our research, the complaints from customers appear to be mostly for advanced features of the camera. Besides, Panasonic is rumored to be coming up with (or already have) a firmware update to fix the fuzzy pictures. A normal user of this camera wouldn't be seeing these issues. So, go ahead and buy the  Panasonic Lumix ZS20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with confidence!

Alternatives for Panasonic Lumix ZS20

Some customers say that the older ZS models - Panasonic ZS3 or ZS7 - show no fuzziness in picture when taken with zoom. You may give those models a try, if you are still worried about the issues with ZS20.

Problems with Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with 18-55mm IS II Lens and EOS HD Movie Mode (Black Color)

Canon EOS Rebel Series cameras are one of the best DSLR cameras out there. Yet, Cautionista goes with a fine tooth comb to look for any problems or disadvantages with this camera, so that you can buy with confidence.









With a lot of labor, here are some issues that we managed to find with the EOS Rebel T3 12.2 MP Digital SLR model -

• Dead pixels in the CMOS sensor. 12.2 Million pixels are a lot, but if you a true blue photography enthusiast, you don't want any dead spots in your pictures. Some EOS Rebel T3 customers found a few dead pixels in their cameras.
• The click is too loud, might startle your subjects, specially small children and wildlife. If you are taking close-up pictures of your sleeping baby, be prepared for him or her to wake up hearing the click!
• The lens that comes with the camera is just a starter, need to upgrade the lens to get good pictures, specially with zoom.
• The camera is only slightly better than point-and-shoot cameras in terms of features, build and picture quality. It's like a starter DSLR. If you are looking for your first DSLR, it's better to pay a bit more for the Nikon D3100, so that you get a good DSLR from day one.
• What you see through the lens is not what you get in the picture. There seems to be a vertical shift for the picture, compared to what you see in the viewfinder. So, you need to pre-shift the camera before taking the picture.
• The camera controls are not very intuitive, and a bit difficult to read when compared to Nikon D3100. This is especially true for customers that were used to the ease of point-and-shoot cameras. Some difficulties faced were - unable to take pictures after using it for some time, a few seconds lag between one picture to another.
• Camera went dead after around 10 days of use.

The Verdict

Canon EOS Rebel T3 12.2MP DSLR is a good starter DSLR for savvy photographers upgrading from point-and-shoot cameras and who do not wish to pay the premium for DSLRs. However, if you are really serious about DSLR photography and wish to avoid upgrading for a few years, we recommend paying a bit more and purchasing the Nikon D3100 14.2MP DSLR instead. Due to the highly competitive nature of the DSLR market, you may find that reputed retailers like Amazon may sometimes offer both cameras at almost the same price after discounts.