A compare of the low light abilities of these two cameras in extreme lo light conditions.
versus                  

Reviews available here: TZ70 and F900EXR

Here is a compare of a horrible motive. A pile of mixed ‘crap’ severely shadowed.

This is the least bad the F900EXR can do in the automatic EXR S/N mode (signal noise  priority, automatically reducing the image to 8MPixels)

(As usual, click to see enlarged)

[EXIF: F900EXR, 8MP, F3.5 1/8s ISO3200, Brightness –3.15, full Wide] – Note the minus in the brightness…

 

And here is what the TZ70 does on the same. Fully automatic iA+ mode, 12MP

[EXIF: TZ70, F3.3 1/4s ISO1250, full Wide]

Unfortunately the automatic chooses twice as slow shutter speed, so comparing that is not quite fair…

So it is not as easy a win for the TZ70 as it could look at first.

 

Here is how the TZ70 looks in 5MP, 8MP and 12MP and iso 1600, 3200 and 6400 (P-mode)

[EXIF: TZ70, F3.3 1/3s ISO1600, full Wide] P-Mode, 12MP, 8MP and 5MP

(An after an unfortunate repositioning of the camera these)

[EXIF: TZ70, F3.3 1/6s ISO3200, full Wide] P-Mode, 12MP, 8MP and 5MP

[EXIF: TZ70, F3.3 1/13s ISO6400, full Wide] P-Mode, 12MP, 8MP and 5MP

As can be seen absolutely NOTHING is won on the TZ70 by using the lower  resolutions – other than saving space of course – Unfortunately there are no advanced pixel-binning 😥

 

The TZ70 does a iso3200 shot 25% times slower (1/6s  rather than 1/8s), so no surprise it clearly looks better.
So they do not quite agree on the iso-levels.

I would claim that the quality of the F900EXR’s [iso3200 1/8] is between TZ70’s [iso3200 1/6] and [iso6400 1/13]

 

So I redone the test with the TZ70 in S-mode forced to same shutter speed 1/4s, a few hours later – and in even less light:

[EXIF: F900EXR, 8MP, F3.5 1/4s ISO3200, Brightness –4.32, full Wide] – Note the minus in the brightness…

[EXIF: TZ70, F3.3 1/4s ISO3200, full Wide]

So viewed at 8MPixel or less, this is very close to a tie.
Remember that the TZ70 is spot metered and focused, so not a bug that the cords to the left are ‘overexposed’, that is due to my forced settings.
But as the settings are the same, this means the TZ70 is a bit more light sensitive.

If you look at the box of the LED-bulb towards the orange cord, the noise on the TZ70 is perhaps a bit less, but it is clearly more homogeneous and thus feels less, when both is viewed at their (different) full resolution. So in same resolution the TZ70 wins again.

It is quite difficult to tell on the detail level off the complex motive, as it it not easy to see where the exact focus planes are.

 

Conclusion

Viewed at 8Mpixels it is very close to a tie. But the TZ70 got more details due to the 12MPixels, and is also a bit more light sensible, and with slightly more ‘pleasant’ noise.

But it is more in the line of ‘slightly better’ than a ‘crushing defeat’.

Personally I’m very happy that it is not worse, despite the larger zoom offered, so I can pass on the F900EXR to new owners without any remorse – less the pocketability.