SINGAPORE — The Panasonic TZ40 continues a long tradition of high-spec travel compacts from the Japanese giant. Long-zoom compacts are a popular choice with photographers who like to travel, but with more people turning to their smartphones to capture memories, manufacturers must offer something more than impressive specs to appeal to the masses.

The TZ40 features a newly-developed high-sensitivity MOS sensor with a resolution of 18.1 megapixels, making it the highest-resolution sensor found on any TZ model thus far. The physical size of the sensor remains the same, but Panasonic’s new Wavelet noise reduction technology, in conjunction with the Venus image processor, gets noise issues under control.

The TZ40’s 3-inch touchscreen features a resolution of 920k dots, as opposed to the 460k dots on its predecessor, the TZ30.

It also comes with a wide range of shooting modes. Amateurs and casual photographers will be pleased with the point-and-shoot intelligent auto mode, while the more seasoned professionals can opt for semi- or full manual controls. Scene modes and creative filters can be added on for even more outstanding pictures.

It also has Wi-Fi and near field communication (NFC) capabilities — a first for the TZ-series — which mean shots can be sent online directly from the camera and shared via a single touch with compatible NFC devices.

Panasonic has been on top when it comes to autofocus speed for a while now, and the TZ40 does not disappoint. Autofocus at the wider angle settings is almost instant.

While the speediness of the focus decreases as the zoom extends, I was impressed with the TZ40’s speed in locking on to a subject. The AF tracking option also does a great job of recognising and following moving objects.

Overall, the Panasonic TZ40 is an excellent camera, and highly suitable for those who want a travel compact that offers more than some of the standard options on the market.