Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 535
 If you know what you're getting into, you'll be thrilled April 24, 2008
New Englander (Massachusetts)
278 out of 281 found this review helpful
I already wrote a review on the little sister, the TZ4, which is a phenomenal camera; I am however returning it because the price differential with the TZ5 is so low at this point it made more sense for me to spring for the few extra bucks on the TZ5 .
If you read any professional reviews, you already know that this is not the camera for poster size enlargements, even at low ISO values. While the noise reduction has been turned down, there is still some NR smudging and noise. Thankfully, the noise at least can be removed to the point where I was able to doctor a sample ISO 1600 picture to look just fine in 4 x 6 size (thanks to NeatImage). And I've had no problems with 8 x 10's at ISO 100 and 200.
And guess what? That is THE ONLY issue with this camera, and it is one that all other compact cameras also share to various extents. The difference here is that many other compacts also add lots of other "negatives" to the mix, such as severe wide angle distortion, wild and wooly purple fringing, reduced zoom range, and corner blurriness . The TZ 4 and 5 do nothing of the kind.
For what you're getting, a compact, POCKETABLE 28 - 280 Leica lens with IS, there simply is nothing like it out there. And that's before even looking at the HD movie mode, the surprisingly accurate intelligent scene selection feature, the brilliant LCD and the jewel-like workmanship.
This is the ultimate vacation camera if you plan to leave your DSLR home and travel lightly, and aren't spending all day in museums shooting w/o flash. I highly recommend this camera, especially if you lock in the highest possible ISO value at 400, turn the dial to iA, and then give the camera to a complete newbie to shoot pictures with. I think he/she AND you will be very pleasantly surprised with the excellent results.
The best compact digicam money can buy today April 2, 2008
Izak Kapilevich
356 out of 362 found this review helpful
As an advanced photographer with two pro DSLRs and an array of lenses I was looking for a light compact camera that will still have some of the features I am so used to from my DSLRs. This camera has the best lens in the industry bar none. Leica is superior to any other compact point and shoot lens out there (except other Lumix cameras that all use a Leica Lens). The camera is fast wt start up and can take 3 FPS in sports mode. It packs a 10X optical zoom and on the TZ5 can go up o 17X with some resolution loss. I never use Digital zoom as I do not consider it a zoom.
The Camera ergonomics is great, may of the features photographers need are easily accessible and well though of. I have been using the TZ3 for 2 years and took more than 10000 pictures with amazing results. I take many night shots and this is really where this camera excels. It can take 15, 30 and 60 seconds exposures which no other compact can do.
Battery life es very acceptable. A second battery is a recommended inexpensive accessory. The camera build quality is good, durable materials and high quality. I have evaluated a huge number of cameras and the Lumix comes on top by far based on its image quality, image stabilization, optical zoom, Leica superior lens, form factor and overall value. The closest camera you can get with similar performance is the Canon SX 100 IS. It is bigger, bulkier, heavier, much much slower and costs about the same. When it comes to compact point and shoot with advanced features and a hefty zoom nothing beats the Lumix.
Great Small Camera! April 7, 2008
ryecats (Central CA)
91 out of 93 found this review helpful
I have a Pansonic DMC-FZ7 that takes excellent photos, but is a bit bulky when you don't want to look like a tourist. I've grown jealous of a friend's Panasonic DMC-TZ3 which he keeps on his belt loop in a Lowepro Rezo 30 case. It also has a wide angle lens which I don't have on the FZ7. I've purchased the TZ5 as a second camera for when I want to be a more discreet tourist without a camera bag. This may become my primary camera.
I am not a fan of small cameras as a rule. Some of them (e.g., Canon Elph) have screens and icons so small, I can't see them. But this camera has a lot of features, most also available on the TZ3 & new TZ4. (The TZ3/TZ4/TZ5 fit into the Lowepro Rezo 30 case, but no room to spare.)
The choice of which model to buy depends on your need for Megapixels and what you are willing to spend. I have used my friend's TZ3 and don't really notice any significant improvements in the workings of the TZ5 that would justify the price for routine point-and-shoot photos. However, the TZ5 has a 3 inch LCD while the TZ3 & TZ4 only have 2.5 inch. That was a deciding factor for me.
If you need a camera where you look through a traditional view finder to frame your photos, this is not the right camera for you. I prefer using the LCD screen, so I don't miss this feature.
I find the Panasonic menus easy to use to access all of the varied features. If you just want to use it as a point-and-shoot, it's easy to do. If you want to experiment, the features are there for you to play with...
There is another feature on Panasonic that is an absolute MUST for me. It is possible to set the flash "off" so it doesn't go off when you don't want it to (i.e., in places that restrict flash photography). Some of my friends have cameras where they have to turn the flash off each time. And they forget...
Another reason I opted for the Pansonic FZ/TZ series is the easy to use battery charger/rechargeable battery. The batteries that hold their charge for 1-3 days, but I do carry a spare. I'm not a fan of carrying around AA or AAA batteries.
Nice upgrade over my TZ3 March 28, 2008
D. Hentze (United States)
102 out of 107 found this review helpful
I received my TZ5 today, and so far I'm impressed. While some of the improvements over my TZ3 are minor, some are significant. Most people will enjoy the return of zooming ability while taking video, and the introduction of HD video. The TZ5's LCD screen is the nicest I've ever seen on a camera. I've taken several dozen test pictures under different circumstances, and the results were for the most part very good. Under perfect conditions, the results weren't much different than the TZ3. Under low light conditions, the Venus IV engine seems to do a little better with noise at ISO 400 and above. I wouldn't call it a dramatic improvement though. I'm going to do a little "pixel peeping" in the near future to see how the TZ5's small sensor handles the increase in megapixels. All in all, the TZ5 is just a great camera that is loaded with features. Is it a DSLR? No, but it's not supposed to be. If you already own a TZ3, you may want to weigh whether the TZ5 has enough new features and improvements. For myself, I'm happy with the upgrade, and will give my TZ3 to my wife. The only thing I wish that I had done was get a black TZ5 instead of the silver one.
Honestly, nine out of ten or 95 out of 100. It's just short of perfect. April 8, 2008
Christopher Wanko (Nutley, NJ USA)
138 out of 147 found this review helpful
I love this camera. I really do. I'm so happy with its performance and feature-set, I'm willing to forgive the lack of manual controls and the price drop I just saw.
I pre-ordered and also bought a 16Gb SDHC card. I plan on having this device replace my current Canon Powershot A75 and my Sony TRV-608 camcorder. I can plan this way because... this camera shoots 720p high-definition video. My big-screen LCD will really allow the captured video to shine. In my preliminary tests on a 22" LCD, the output is gorgeous, so much clearer and vibrant than the Hi-8 video I would shoot using the old Sony.
It's a wonderful progression of technology. My Sony camcorder can shoot in zero light, zooms to some ridiculous level, but I hardly ever use it because it's yet-another-device you need to carry. My Canon worked well for three years, then decided to stop running. I loved the manual controls and ability to bracket shots, but with 3x optical zoom, I was missing something. Plus, it was a family camera, and The Wife could not care less about manual controls.
The Lumix TZ5 is a perfect blend of features and performance for me. It will allow me to grab high-definition camcorder video in the same device I can just hand to The Wife and say, "Press the button". It has a removable Li-On battery with separate charger, so I can buy a spare and keep them charged and ready to travel. It does a lot, for a fair price.
I will miss the manual controls, especially for low-light shots, but in my testing I've already seen how well it can handle low-light with no flash. Pictures look remarkable, shutter lag is less than the A75, and flash recharge is not too bad. The LCD screen is huge compared to the A75, almost the size of a PDA screen. That'll take some getting used to, especially since there's no optical viewfinder. In all, I'm really happy with it, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a new point-and-shoot who needs the ability to grab quality video every now and then. With two kids, that'll be every day for me.
-C
Showing reviews 1-5 of 535
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