Panasonic DMC-TZ40 video capabilities review

I already have a Panasonic DMC-FZ200, so why bothering to buy another camera? Well, first of all, it is for my wife to take pictures when we are on holiday. And secondly, if we are not on holiday (which unfortunately is still most of the time), then I like to have a very small camera which I can easily take with me to my professional occupations (after all, I have to earn money to spend it on camera's). Then, why this Panasonic? Because I am quite happy with my FZ200. The 2.8 aperture over the whole range of the lens (25 - 600mm equivalent on a 35mm camera) is a very good start. The 24x optical zoom is not the best but really good. But what I am really fond off is the optical stabilization in this FZ200 camera.
So, what is in it for the TZ40? It is very small, so I can take it with me in my coat. Still a 20x optical zoom. Not bad for such a small camera. 1080P - 50fps. But what I really hoped for is an optical stabilization as good as in the FZ200. Well, I am certainly not disappointed. This good optical stabilization means that it gets a lot harder for my wife to take a worthless picture. And for me? I still like to record video. Everywhere.

Does it help? Sure it does. For taking video it works incredibly well. For instance, filming from inside a moving car will introduce a constant moving of the camera. Will it make the footage shaky? No. What you will see is that the foreground (you car's dashboard and window) is moving up and down, but the outside world is not. Amazing to see. Just take a look at the video I took during my flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport to London Heathrow, just going over the centre of The City. You will notice that the window and especially the dirt on the window will move constantly while the subject, the outside world, is reasonably shock free and far from shaky. However, be careful with a horizontal pan. Because of the optical stabilization the camera tries to prevent this, causing small jumps in the panning.

Buying a camera depends on what you like to spend on it, but equally important on what you like to achieve with it. I can now record quit good video. Always. Everywhere.

Flight KL1006 over The City (of London)

Emirates Airbus A380-800 flight from Amsterdam to Dubai

Flying with Emirates from Amsterdam to Dubai in a brand-new Airbus A380-800 is an experience. A pleasant experience.
All luxury on board: shower spa, lounges and even a private suite!
Ok, ok. The Economy class is not bad either. With more space for your legs and less noise than other commercial aircrafts, travelling with this A380 is much more relaxed. The inflight entertainment system is comprehensive and the seat in front of you contains connection points for a headphone, USB and even 110V, enabling me to load the battery of my tablet (not possible via USB).
This A380 is equipped with three outside video
cameras from which you can select the view on your own monitor screen: a view from the front, from the bottom and from the tail. The downwards view is interesting, particularly during take off and landing. The front view is like the view from the cockpit. Looking at the view from the tail of this aircraft you get a feeling of how huge this aircraft is, especially when taxying towards the terminal building.
Despite its size and powerful engines, the noise level of the A380 meets the strict new ICAO Stage Four noise level standards (meaning less noise) and the A380 burns up to 20% less fuel per seat than its nearest competitor, given the seat capacity for between 489 and 517 passengers. A very impressive and, above all, convenient aircraft.

See Emirates A380 for more information.

Watch the video of the take off from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the ascending over Amsterdam city: