List Price: $399.00
Sale Price: $199.00
Today's Bonus: 50% Off
I have just purchased the Orange DMC TS4. It is a vast improvement over the TS3 in many respects. I appreciate the full manual mode in particular. I like to take shots of the night sky, the stars in particular... the option to set the shutter speed up to 60 seconds is amazing.
The time lapse is also a marked bonus as well. I am a bit worried when leaving the camera in one spot for so long as it may be stolen, but so far I have made some amazing short films.
The overall picture quality seems to have improved as well.
The only MAJOR PROBLEM is that the manufacturer suggests that the watertight seals be replaced to maintain the water-proof integrity of the camera. They have not established what I consider a reasonable pricing structure for this maintenance procedure. To replace the seal you need to unscrew two screws on the door and replace the seal. Yet the service department for Panasonic now charges $180 plus shipping costs (both ways) to do this. I have spoken with the service department and they have assured me new pricing is being considered..so BEWARE!
One minor limitation I see with the camera is, beside the repair issue, the menu is a bit quirky and takes a little while to get used to. Another is to keep your finger off the lens, and keep your finger off the mike. If you cover the mike even a little while recording you will record both your subject but also the internal whizzing and other sounds of the camera.
I have included some of my shots in the customer images section of the product page.
5/8/2012 UPDATE.. Panasonic parts department says you can buy the "water packing" kit for about $32. Part number VUMG 1978.. call 1-800-833-9626 to buy this part. They say this is the part that needs to be replaced each year to keep the watertight integrity of the camera.
6/17/2012 UPDATE... I have just come back from a trip to Japan. A nice Panasonic repair person told me that the lens is prone to come loose and rattle when off. This is weird but normal so he says. The rattle stops when you power up the camera.
**I also discovered a neat feature of the panorama function. When you play back panorama pictures on the camera, when you push the up button, same as when you playback movies, on the camera it makes a movie out of the panorama. It is like you are there. Amazing!!
6/26/2012 UPDATE... Just spoke with Panasonic repair person in TX, USA and they have confirmed that they now charge only $50 to change all of the waterproof seals. (down from $180)
***be warned however, they said they will also look for other things to repair and if they find something the price for those repairs (not covered by any existing warranty) will be $180+.
**8/10/2012NEW REPAIR POLICY. I just spoke with Panasonic repair person in TX again, a new policy has been initiated regarding ts models. They no longer will question camera leaks if under warranty. They told me, at least for now, that they will be replacing them with new, not refurbished, cameras of the same model and color. Good news!! It looks like Panasonic has listened to all the negative comments and decided to do something about it!!!
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