Panasonic has announced an update to its popular travel camera, resulting in the Lumix TZ200.

The new model keeps to this line's style with a compact body, but packing an impressive 15x optical zoom Leica lens onto the front. This lens is 24mm at the wide end and sits in front of a 1-inch MOS sensor.

It's packed into an attractive pressed aluminium body with an elegant design, with the hand grip getting a discreet highlight in red. We've long been fan of the TZ line and with many manufacturers scaling back compact cameras, Panasonic's commitment to TZ makes us happy.

Like the Lumix TZ100, this camera's predecessor, the idea is to give you a big sensor in a compact body enabling you to get better quality photos on your travels.

The lens offers 5-axis hybrid optical stabilisation, so those big zoom photos should remain nice and clear, letting you get right in on the action. The TZ200 will also focus at down to 3cm for those important macro shots.

There's an integrated viewfinder in the top left corner with a detailed 2330K-dot resolution display inside meaning that composition in bright conditions isn't limited. 

The rear display is 3-inches and supports touch, with a 1240K-dot resolution.

Aside from zoom shooting, there's Panasonic's 4K Photo function, letting you grab 8MP stills in bursts so you can pick out that perfect shot. There's support for 4K video too, 120fps full HD capture, as well as time lapse and stop motion animation options.

There are a full range of creative filter options, as well as support for RAW processing in the camera so you can edit on the move. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth mean you can share without your PC too, thanks to the companion smartphone app.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ200 will be available in early-March for a lofty £729.