Panasonic's 2005 budget compact — 4MP CCD, stabilised 6x 37-222mm zoom, AA-powered
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ1 opened Panasonic's budget LZ compact line in 2005 alongside the 5-megapixel LZ2. Its selling point was fitting a stabilised 6x zoom — unusually long for a pocket camera of the day — into an AA-powered body at an entry-level price.
It pairs a 4-megapixel CCD with a 6x optical zoom of 37-222mm equivalent carrying MEGA O.I.S. stabilisation. There is a 2.0in LCD, 14MB of internal memory plus SD card storage, and power comes from two AA cells, rated at about 215 shots on the bundled Oxyride batteries. The body measures 101 x 64 x 33mm and about 238g loaded.
AA power and SD cards make it one of the easier mid-2000s digicams to keep running, and the stabilised 6x reach was and remains handy for casual travel and family use. Four megapixels and a small, dim screen set the ceiling; it is a snapshot tool rather than an enthusiast compact.
Battery worries are minor since any AAs work — NiMH recommended — but check the contacts for corrosion from cells left inside. Test the zoom and stabiliser through the full range, confirm it accepts a standard SD card (it predates SDHC), and inspect the 2in LCD for fading.