Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera is remarkable in that it contains a 10x wide-angle optical zoom lens in a compact, stylish body for the ultimate in picture performance and user convenience. With 9.0 effective megapixels of resolution for incredibly detailed images, and a wide-angle Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28 - 280mm on a 35mm film camera), this versatile camera is well suited to a broad range of shooting opportunities.
You can easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with the wide end of the zoom range, or zoom in for sports, wildlife and event photography. In addition, the Optical Image Stabilizer feature (Mega O.I.S) minimizes the jitter from shaky hands that causes many photos to look blurred, ensuring that your images are always beautifully clear.
The DMC-TZ5 is incredibly fast thanks to the Venus Engine IV processor, which provides fast consecutive shooting, and boasts outstanding response time thus enabling easy capture of spur-of-the-moment shots. The image processor also provides for efficient power consumption, contributing to the cameras ability to take 300 pictures on a single charge of the included lithium-ion battery. The camera also includes a huge, bright and high resolution 3.0" LCD display to easily frame and view your images.
- 9.0 Megapixel Resolution
- With a resolution of 9.0 Megapixels, you'll be able to produce high resolution images that can yield photo quality 24 x 36" prints. The camera also has resolution options that are available in three different aspect ratios - 16:9 for displaying on a wide screen monitor or TV, 3:2 for making standard photo album prints, and 4:3 for more traditional image dimensions common in picture frames.
- 10x Optical Zoom Lens
- The Leica DC Vario-Elmar Lens includes an ED (extra-low dispersion) lens and aspherical lenses to delivers an exceptional optical performance, and the powerful 10x optical zoom (equivalent to a big 28 to 280mm lens on a 35mm camera) provides a broad range of photo capabilities from broad landscapes and group shots to nature and sports photos. The zoom ratio can be further extended up to 16.7x in 3 megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. Furthermore, in combination with the 4x digital zoom, an incredible zoom factor of up to 66.8x can be achieved.
- Easy Zoom Button
- With the first press of the Easy Zoom button the camera immediately gives you the maximum 10x power of the optical zoom. A second press delivers the maximum 16.7x power of the Extra Optical Zoom. This lets you bring your subject right up close, easily and comfortably, and is especially useful at sporting events and other outdoor activities when fast zoom may be needed to get a shot during quick paced action.
- MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer
- The MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) feature offsets unintentional hand movement while you're taking pictures to give you clear, sharp images even when taking handheld telephoto shots or shooting at night. This system uses built-in gyrosensors to detect even tiny camera movement and then shifts a lens in the opposite direction to compensate. The system is completely optical so you get sharp, clear images with minimal degradation. It lets you reduce the shutter speed more than 3 stops below the conventionally accepted hand movement limit, greatly expanding what you can do with a handheld digital camera.
- High Sensitivity Mode
- When there's not a lot of light or you're using a slow shutter speed, hand movement isn't the only potential problem. There's also "motion blur" - the blurring that can result if your subject like children or pets move even a little in low lighting. The High Sensitivity mode allows you to shoot at up to ISO 6400 by using the pixel-mixed readout method, effectively raising the shutter speed. It not only minimizes motion blur, it also lets you take clearer, sharper shots in dim lighting without using a flash.
- Easy-to-use Scene Modes
- The DMC-TZ5 has 22 scene modes to provide the best overall image quality for common shooting situations, such as Portrait, Sports, Scenery, Night Scenery, and more. It is easy to select the best scene mode thanks to the Scene Mode list display and help screen, which shows the description of each mode on the LCD monitor.
- Face Detection for Superb Portraits
- The Face Detection function can detect individual faces in a scene then automatically adjust the camera settings to make sure faces appear well-lit and in focus. This advanced technology will even automatically readjust the settings if the positions of the subjects change while you are framing the shot.
- Reduce Blur with MEGA OIS and Intelligent ISO
- Image blur is commonly caused by either movement of the camera or movement of the subject. Camera movement is corrected with the MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) feature which uses built-in gyro-sensors to detect the smallest camera movement and instantaneously shifts a lens element in the opposite direction to compensate, giving you sharp, clear images without deterioration. Motion blur - caused when a subject moves as the shot is being taken - is minimized with Intelligent ISO Control. This system actually detects whether the subject is moving and automatically adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to minimize the motion blur effect while maintaining good exposure.
- Intelligent Scene Selector
- The Intelligent Scene Selector will sense the ambient conditions and automatically select either the Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode accordingly. With the camera choosing the settings for you, you'll get beautiful results every time you shoot, no matter what the scene or subject.
- Intelligent Auto Technology
- Just turn the dial to "iA" and say good-bye to complicated settings. The camera will not only help eliminate blurring from hand-shake or subject movement, but it will also initialize the Face Detection system and automatically select the focus, exposure and scene modes for the best results. In fact, the Intelligent Auto Mode automatically begins focusing even before you press the shutter button, so you'll never miss a great shot.
- Super-Fast Shutter Response and Consecutive Shooting
- The DMC-TZ5 is fast and responsive - thanks to the Venus Engine IV processor. The camera has an extremely fast shutter lag, so you won't miss that "perfect" moment, and it enables high ISO to minimize motion blur and take pictures under low lighting without the need for a mood-killing flash. Furthermore, the advanced processor enables the cameras high speed burst shooting at a rate of up to 10 frames per second - a superbly useful feature when shooting sports or other fast paced events.
- Record High-Definition Motion Images & View with HD Output
- The DMC-TZ5 can record motion images with sensational 1280 x 720 HD resolution at 30 or 15 frames per second, plus you can use the zoom while recording, and capture some truly dramatic shots. You can also record video in Wide VGA format at 30 fps or 10 fps with enhanced picture quality and brightness, and it can also shoot standard VGA and QVGA resolution for home use or e-mail/web applications. When you're done shooting for the day, just connect the camera to an HDTV (optional DMW-HDC2 component cable required) and you're ready to view your still shots and motion images in high-definition beauty.
- Auto Angle Detection
- Auto angle detection records whether an image was taken horizontally or vertically. This ensures that when playing back on the LCD monitor and displaying images on your TV by connecting your Lumix Digital Camera with an AV cable, vertical images are automatically displayed vertically and horizontal images are automatically displayed horizontally.
- 3.0" Intelligent LCD Display
- The DMC-TZ5 features a Huge 3.0" diagonal high-resolution Intelligent LCD monitor that makes it easy to see your subject - day or night, indoors or outdoors - because the brightness and contrast of the LCD adjusts automatically as ambient light conditions change. The High Angle Mode improves viewability from a low angle, such as when shooting over a crowd, and the display also provides many shooting assist features such as guide lines for better image framing and a histogram function to check exposure on the fly.
- Built-in and Expandable Memory
- The camera includes 27MB of built-in memory, and the memory capacity can be expanded dramatically with Secure digital (SD) or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. You can also copy images from a memory card or PC to the built-in memory, and view them on the LCD anytime you like.
- Mode Dial and Q.Menu Button
- The Q.Menu Button provides a shortcut to frequently used menu settings - this single button lets you turn consecutive shooting on/off, make white balance adjustments, set the ISO sensitivity and image size, and select the compression format, while you continue to view your subject on the LCD. The Mode Dial is combined with a unique Mode Position Display, and as you operate the dial, large animated icons are displayed on the LCD Screen, making it easy to find the mode you want.
- Special Travel Functions
- The cameras clipboard allows you to take photos of maps, timetables and other travel info, and save them in a separate folder of the built-in memory to distinguish them from normal photos. You can print titles and other characters on the photos you shoot with the Title Edit and Stamp - great for creating your own postcards from a vacation trip. You can also manage your travel photos by inputting your departure date and destination with the Travel Date Setting so later, during photo viewing, the camera will indicate on which day of the trip each shot was taken and the location.
- Print Directly From Your Camera
- You can send images directly to print, right from the DMC-TZ5 camera without the need of a PC. Simply connect the camera to a PictBridge compatible printer by using the included USB cable, and then simply select the pictures you want to print.
Go To
| Camera Type | Compact Ultra-zoom Wide-angle Point-and-shoot Digital Camera with Optical Image Stabilization |
| Image Quality | |
|---|---|
| Image Sensor | 1/2.33" 10.7 Megapixel CCD with Primary Color Filter |
| Effective Resolution | 9.0 million pixels |
| Color Depth | 24-Bit RGB |
| Color Modes | Standard, Natural, Vivid, Cool, Warm, Black & White, Sepia |
| Image File Formats | JPEG (Fine, Standard) |
| Recorded Resolution |
4:3 Aspect Ratio 3456 x 2592 3072 x 2304 2560 x 1920 2048 x 1536 1600 x 1200 1280 x 960 640 x 480 3:2 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Aspect Ratio |
| Video Recording |
QuickTime Motion JPEG with Audio HDTV (1280 x 720 @ 30 or 15 fps) Wide VGA (848 x 480 @ 30 or 10 fps) VGA (640 x 480 @ 30 or 10 fps) QVGA (320 x 240 @ 30 or 10 fps) Clip length limited only by available memory to a maximum of 2GB |
| Audio Recording |
WAV Format Up to 5 seconds record time with image, up to 10 seconds dubbing |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens Type | Leica DC Vario-Elmar Lens |
| Optical Zoom | 10x (up to 16.7x Extra Optical zoom with 3MP or smaller image) |
| Lens Focal Length | 4.6 - 46mm (28 - 280mm equivalent) |
| Digital Zoom | 4x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 2" (5cm) |
| Maximum Aperture | f/3.3-4.9 |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes (MEGA O.I.S.) |
| Accessory Lens/Filter Mount | No |
| Focus Control | |
|---|---|
| Focus Type | TTL Auto Focus System with AF Assist Lamp |
| Focus Modes | Normal (Face, 1 point, 1 point high speed, 3 points high speed, 9 points, Spot), Macro, Quick AF, Continuous AF |
| Focus Range |
Normal: 19.7" (50cm) - infinity Macro: 2" (5cm) - infinity wide |
| Exposure Control | |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity |
Auto ISO Selectable ISO (100, 200, 400, 800, 1600) High Sensitivity ISO Mode (1600-6400) |
| Shutter Type | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Shutter Speed | 8 - 1/2000 seconds (15, 30, 60 seconds in Starry Sky Mode) |
| Aperture Range | f/3.3-4.9 and f/8.0-11.0 (2 steps) |
| Exposure Metering | Intelligent Multiple, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Exposure Modes | Program AE, SCN, Intelligent Auto (w/ Backlight Compensation), Exposure Compensation (±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments), Auto Bracketing AE (±1/3EV-1EV Step, 3 Frames) |
| White Balance Modes | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set, White Balance Adjustment (10 steps) |
| Scene Modes | Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait, Food, Party, Candle Light, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Beach, Aerial Photo, Snow, High Sensitivity, Baby 1&2, Underwater, Sunset, Pet, Hi-Speed Burst, Multi-Aspect Shooting |
| Flash | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Flash | Yes (Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync. Forced On, Forced Off) |
| Effective Flash Range | 1.0' (0.3m) - 20.7' (6.3m) wide |
| External Flash Connection | No |
| External Flash Control | Not Applicable |
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Start-Up Time | 0.95 seconds |
| Shutter Lag | 0.006 seconds |
| Time Between Shots | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Burst Capability |
Continuous: 0.7 fps Standard Burst: 2.5 fps up to 7 images (standard) or 4 images (fine) High-speed Burst: 10 fps (2.5M or less resolution) |
| Self Timer | 10 seconds or 2 seconds |
| Interval Recording | No |
| Date & Time Stamp | Yes |
| Memory & Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in Memory | 27MB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Compatible Memory Cards |
Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) Card MultiMediaCard (MMC) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Recording Capacity |
Includes 27MB of Built-in Memory Still Image Capacity
Video Capacity
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery Type | CGA-S007 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (3.7V, 1000mAh) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Power Adapter | DMW-AC5 AC Adaptor (Optional) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Input/Output | |
|---|---|
| Computer Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Direct Print Capable | Yes (PictBridge) |
| Remote Control | No |
| Video Output |
NTSC & PAL HDTV Out with optional DMW-HDC2 component cable |
| Web-Cam Capable | No |
| System & Software Requirements |
Windows 2000, XP, Vista Macintosh OS X (10.1 or later) |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD Display | 3.0" Polycrystalline TFT color LCD (460,000 pixels) with Power LCD and High Angle LCD Mode |
| Language Options | English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese |
| Playback Options | Single Image Thumbnail display (12 or 30-up), Calendar Display, Zoomed Playback (16x max.), Playback of Favorite Pictures, Category Playback, Slide Show, Image Rotation, Resizing, Trimming, Protection, Aspect Conversion, DPOF Print Setting |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 2.4 x 4.1 x 1.5" (61 x 109 x 38mm) |
| Weight | 7.4 oz (209g) without battery |
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviews(based on 62 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
98%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend.
Pros
- Simple controls (54)
- Large clear LCD (53)
- Easy to setup (49)
- Strong construction (40)
- Easy to use (36)
Cons
- Long lag time (4)
- Short battery life (4)
Best Uses
- Travel (55)
- Fun (48)
- Family photos (29)
- Art (10)
- Photojournalism (9)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Casual photographer (20), Photo enthusiast (17), Enthusiast (12), Casual user (9), Semi-pro photographer (3)
Most Liked Positive Review
Less To Lug
I bought this pocket-sized, 9.1 MP camera for travel with restricted luggage, because of its low cost yet impressive range of features. Its HD video can zoom while filming, using its 10X zoom....Read complete review
I bought this pocket-sized, 9.1 MP camera for travel with restricted luggage, because of its low cost yet impressive range of features. Its HD video can zoom while filming, using its 10X zoom. I tried it out for stills and video at home and discovered that video files did not import directly into iMovie but if I opened the file first in QuickTime the .MOV files could be imported. (Note that I am a Mac user and did NOT use the software that comes with the camera.) This was an easy work-around. The camera saves a low-rez thumbnail photo plus the video. It has image stabilization, which was impressive. I hand-held the camera, indoors, yet the video was not jerky. The microphone was sensitive. I learned that when I was filming outdoors, walking, it captured my breathing, so I will note the microphone location and be careful about that.
A terrific feature is that it takes a 16 gigabyte, Class 6 (fast) card! Tip: Buy one that offers a small USB reader along with it, as my multiple-format card reader did not read this high capacity card. I was glad I bought a card that came with a small reader, half the size of a flash drive, because it made downloading easy and takes up less space than a stick of gum. I bought an extra card too, since video eats up memory. This should take me through a day of almost constant image captures. I also travel with a spare battery, but always run the current one until it has no more juice to be sure I don't shorten the life of the battery. New batteries claim this is not a problem but I play it safe.
The video quality may not prove to be as fantastic as that of a dedicated camcorder, but it will be perfect for catching that unexpected opportunity and you'll have it at hand. Word of caution: Keep the camera in a plastic sandwich bag in your pocket if traveling in hot, humid climates or damp places; it's not waterproof.
I cannot believe how versatile this camera is, particularly at this price. I will leave my camcorder at home and appreciate the size, weight, features and portability of this innovative camera.
VS
Most Liked Negative Review
Window hard to use, miss view finder
This is my first point & shoot without a viewfinder... really miss it. Was surprising difficult to use this camera in the sunlight because you could not properly judge the subject from ...Read complete review
This is my first point & shoot without a viewfinder... really miss it. Was surprising difficult to use this camera in the sunlight because you could not properly judge the subject from the lcd... especially while using zoom photographing wildlife.
REVIEWS
Reviewed by 62 customers
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Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
Super for snapshots.
10x Zoom kicks it.
EXCELLENT picture quality.
Oops - wish it was quicker to boot up to the first shot!! BUT, I can live with IT!
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
GREAT CAMERA EASY TO USE THE ONLY PROBLE I FOUND WITH IT WAS WHEN U ZOOM IN ALL THE WAY ITS A LITTLE HARD TO FOCUS.
Pros
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
Cons
- No Viewfinder
Best Uses
- Fun
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
This is my first point & shoot without a viewfinder... really miss it. Was surprising difficult to use this camera in the sunlight because you could not properly judge the subject from the lcd... especially while using zoom photographing wildlife.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- HD Movies
- Strong Construction
- Very good pictures
Cons
- Included battery not AA
Best Uses
- All kinds of ama pics
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
Best choice i could've done this year buying electronics. SUperb quality of the product for a reasonable price.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Long Battery life
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
The only two reasons I gave this camera a four-star rather than five-star rating is the newer version (ZS3) is out and I would have probably ordered that if it had not been backordered, and I do occasionally find the subject is blurry when set on the Intelligent mode. Other than that, the video is nice and you can zoom while recording, the photos are generally beautiful, the zoom is absolutely amazing (both at the wide and tele ends), the downtime between photos is relatively short, and the battery life is pretty great.
Thank you, Panasonic.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- QUICK START UP
- Short Lag Time
- Strong Construction
- Zoom
Cons
- Microphone poorly placed
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Leisure Photography
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I was convinced I wanted the Sony DSC-W290, but was told to give this Lumix a chance. Not only is it more affordable, the pictures are great and the zoom is outstanding! I am thrilled with this camera, and find myself lugging my Nikon D80 SLR around far less and still capturing great shots. This puppy does it all.
It seems bulkier, but the capabilities are well worth the size. Also, some photography die-hards might be turned off by the limited controls on the settings dial, but the auto setting is great and selects a setting far better than I would have on a moments notice. Plus, there are plenty of self controls that come easily once familiar.
All in all, with HD video, 10x zoom and all around great performance, this camera exceeded my expectations.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Too heavy
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
The pictures come out crisp and clear, and you can take several in a row very fast. My only complaint is that it's a bit heavier than I expected, but at least it's still small enough to fit in my bag.
Pros
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- The mic is in a bad place
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I use this camera for travels and family photos. I liked the high quality of the photos. The only problem I guess, is the location of the mic. It could be in another place.
Pros
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Archtectual Documentation
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
Requests for reviews usually arrive soon after the product. I've waited to respond until I had time to know the camera well. The camera has very many options that allow people of varied expertise (from the novice who will stick to "IA" automatic camera programming to the pro who will adjust white balance, etc.) to fully satisfy their expectations. The focus range, from extreme close-ups to 16X telephoto is impressive, the Zeiss lens is very good. My only regret is the lack of a viewfinder...like other cameras, daylight washes out LCD screen even when set to bright.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Great zoom
- No Lag Time
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
Using the camera for family photos is great indoors and out. The wider angle allows indoor photos with ease and the X10 zoom with image stabilization allows for face closeups from afar.
The camera is a bit on the heavy side other than that is an awesome camera.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Photojournalism
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I bought this pocket-sized, 9.1 MP camera for travel with restricted luggage, because of its low cost yet impressive range of features. Its HD video can zoom while filming, using its 10X zoom. I tried it out for stills and video at home and discovered that video files did not import directly into iMovie but if I opened the file first in QuickTime the .MOV files could be imported. (Note that I am a Mac user and did NOT use the software that comes with the camera.) This was an easy work-around. The camera saves a low-rez thumbnail photo plus the video. It has image stabilization, which was impressive. I hand-held the camera, indoors, yet the video was not jerky. The microphone was sensitive. I learned that when I was filming outdoors, walking, it captured my breathing, so I will note the microphone location and be careful about that.
A terrific feature is that it takes a 16 gigabyte, Class 6 (fast) card! Tip: Buy one that offers a small USB reader along with it, as my multiple-format card reader did not read this high capacity card. I was glad I bought a card that came with a small reader, half the size of a flash drive, because it made downloading easy and takes up less space than a stick of gum. I bought an extra card too, since video eats up memory. This should take me through a day of almost constant image captures. I also travel with a spare battery, but always run the current one until it has no more juice to be sure I don't shorten the life of the battery. New batteries claim this is not a problem but I play it safe.
The video quality may not prove to be as fantastic as that of a dedicated camcorder, but it will be perfect for catching that unexpected opportunity and you'll have it at hand. Word of caution: Keep the camera in a plastic sandwich bag in your pocket if traveling in hot, humid climates or damp places; it's not waterproof.
I cannot believe how versatile this camera is, particularly at this price. I will leave my camcorder at home and appreciate the size, weight, features and portability of this innovative camera.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Lens cover is flimsy
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Kids photos
- Outdoor photos
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I've always been a fan of the Leica camera family and when they teamed with Panasonic to produce the Lumix, I jumped at the chance to own and use something with such promise. This is my second Lumix -- other is the DMC-FX9, which takes great photos with minimal zoom and has held up well -- and I was looking for the "next generation" compact P&S camera to do super zoom and HD video. Super zoom and automatic features have been great--the lens is clearly exceptional and the various auto features have made good picture taking a breeze--the pictures have not disappointed. HD video is good as well, but sound is weak (poor mic placement is probably a cause) and, even with a 16 GB SDHC card, don't expect to capture your kid's entire game or performance (< 30 min on an empty card). I love the camera and its performance, but one thing I would change is the lens cover--flimsy plastic construction. Overall, very good camera, especially for the price.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Sound
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I recently purchased the Lumix TZ5 and have been blown away with the quality of this camera. I mainly purchased it to shoot HD video and it has performed beautifully. Shooting HD quality video out of a point and shoot camera is something I didn't know was possible. The only drawback would be the sound. But I can live with that. This camera is one that will always be in my bag.[...]Oh and this camera also takes some decent pictures too!
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy to Keep Clean
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
Easy to use and takes great pics.
10x zoom is a nice feature.
Pros
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I have had this camera for a few weeks, and my first impression has been great. It takes superb pictures. The zoom has been wonderful for taking pictures while I have been traveling, especially outdoors. The automatic feature makes it hard to mess up the picture. I love that it can fit in my pants pocket with ease, so I don't have to carry a camera bag. For this price, it is a fantastic value!
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Poor Operation in Low Light
- Short Battery Life
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I chose the TZ5 after having two Canon digital cameras. I'm happy I did. The quality is way beyond my expectations. Somewhat disappointed with indoor capabilities, but the camera makes up for it with outdoor shots. I thought I'd be at a loss without a view finder, but that is not the case. Be sure to test out and learn Manual mode. Buy an extra lithium battery.
Pros
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy To Use
Cons
Best Uses
- Fun
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
it's really easy to use and takes good pictures too. It's a really good value and I'd recommend it to anyone.
Pros
- Anti-shake
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
- Slow auto focus
Best Uses
- Art
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I bought this camera for its size to feature balance. The zoom on his camera is simply amazing. I compare it to my DSLR's 300mm lens. However please note that the you will only get a maximum of 3.5 mega pixels only at full zoom digital, but i found that the 10X optical zoom was plenty good enough and you get the full 9 mega pixels.
Pictures are amazingly clear and sharp. The video capabilities for this camera are great. 1080HD videos are clear and beautiful in outdoors. Move the camera to indoors and the video quality drops to good.
Unfortunately this camera is not perfect. The con to it is its slow to auto focus. It can take up to 1.5 - 2 seconds to focus on occasions.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Easy To Use
- Great Picture Quality
Cons
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I got this camera for my Mom, who does not like gadgets at all. I was looking for a small camera with great lenses. Between the Canon and Panasonic cameras, I opted for the Panasonic for its larger screen size and longer zoom capability and quality image stabilizing feature. She took great pictures with the iA mode in all kinds of different settings. No complaints, yet.
Pros
- Bright LCD
- Comfortable Controls
- Easy Setup
- Easy To Use
- Strong Construction
Cons
- Long Lag Time
Best Uses
- Family Photos
- Fun
- Travel
Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Digital Camera (Silver):
I've had the camera for about a month now and have taken hundreds of shots. The camera works well on its auto settings and the zoom range is awesome. However the optical image stabilization just can't control the shakes when you zoom out to the longer ranges and fuzzy pictures result. Guess it's better than no picture at all but I can't get sharp pics when at the long end of the zoom. Also don't plan on this for sports or action shots - definite lag time between pushing the shutter button and getting the pic.
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Batteries & Power
Always keep a spare battery handy so you won't get caught without power.
- Price: $29.99
- GBP 19.10
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Carry, store, and protect all your equipment with a bag or a strap.
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Card Readers
Download your pictures faster and save battery life.
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Filters & Adapters
Get the desired effect with a filter and the appropriate adapter.
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Books & Tutorials
Learn all that your new camera can do.
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- GBP 11.43
What's in the Box
- CGA-S007 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
- Battery Charger
- USB Cable
- A/V Cable
- Wrist Strap
- Software CD-ROM (PhotofunStudio viewer, ArcSoft MediaImpression, ArcSoft Panorama Maker, QuickTime, Adobe Reader, USB Driver)
- User Guide
- 1 Year Parts/90 Days Labor U.S.A. Limited Warranty
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