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 enlarge | Brand: Panasonic
Category: Photography
List Price: $349.95
Buy New: $226.95
You Save: $123.00 (35%)
New (42)
Avg. Customer Rating:  290 reviews
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Includes Software: Yes
Optical Zoom: 10
Digital Zoom: 4
Connectivity: AV
Display Size: 3
Maximum Focal Length: 47
Minimum Focal Length: 4.7
Maximum Resolution: 9.1
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 2.3 x 1.4 x 4.1
MPN: DMC-TZ5K
Model: DMC-TZ5K
UPC: 037988987665
EAN: 0037988987665
Release Date: March 7, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Customer Reviews:
 Great camera for features and size!!! April 30, 2008
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
I did research for about two months before deciding to purchase this camera. I was originally going to buy the TZ3 for $249.99 and the day I was going to buy it I read an article that Panasonic was going to come out with the TZ5.
I decided to wait a few weeks and read what I could regarding the quality of the new TZ5. It took a few weeks but reviews started popping up online and I was able to see the features of the new camera verses the TZ3. I decided to go ahead and spend the extra $50 dollars and purchase this camera.
I am very pleased with the features of this camera. I was looking for a small compact camera that was easy to use for my wife, but a large zoom for me. Most point and shoot digital cameras have 3x or 4x zoom, this camera has a monster 10x zoom, which is great for my needs. The camera stays relatively small so my wife can carry it around and with the Ai settings it makes it a very easy camera to use, which meets her needs. I am also impressed with the photo quality of this camera. There was one hang up though and I expected this so I knew what I was getting into - right out of the box I had to begin reading the instruction manual and adjusting the cameras settings to get the best picture quality.
Pros.
+ Small compact point and shoot with large 10x zoom
+ HD video resolution (720p capture with component cable playback)
+ Zoom while capturing video (option was not available in TZ3)
+ Ai setting makes the camera easy for beginners, just turn it on and shoot.
+ Large 3.0" LCD display screen makes reviewing pictures easy (the TZ5 also has a higher resolution screen then the TZ3)
+ 9.1 megapixel
+ Able to take pictures in different aspect ratio's 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9
Cons.
- Picture review button has changed from the TZ3 model. Now instead of easily hitting down on the 4 way directional pad you have to push a switch down to go into "review mode" to see the last picture you just took. I found this a little slower than the TZ3 and one more moving part that can break. For reference see the back of the TZ5 and notice the toggle switch from "capture to review" in the upper right hand corner.
- If the camera is not set to Ai then taking a good picture straight out of the box might not be perfect. You will want to spend a little time reading the manual and adjusting some settings to get a great photo.
- Will only us SDHC memory cards. Since I did not have a memory card this was not a problem for me, but if you are upgrading from an older camera you cannot use the old standard memory card. The new SDHC cards are faster and it is suggested that you get a high speed card (transfer rate) in order to capture HD video.
- ISO Images above 800 do have artifacts (static) in the image. This does not make the photo horrible or bad looking just noticeable if you blow up the image to a large size such as an 8x10. I knew this going in and most digital cameras have this problem, some worse.
After owning this camera for over a month I am very pleased with it and couldn't be happier. I hope this review helps and if you still need information or possibly some sample photos, then go to Google and type in "review Panasonic TZ5". You will see a few great websites that can help you decide what the best camera is for your needs.
 Panasonic TZ5 June 9, 2008
22 out of 35 found this review helpful
I bought and returned this camera within 29 days from Amazon, they were great about the return and it was easy to do online. The reason I made the purchase in the first place was to replace my old Canon SD200, which still works great, it's just old and the water housing was getting beat. I figured I would buy the Panasonic based on specs and the fact there would be an available water housing for it. When I did make the purchase, I was not able to get the water housing for it yet, I expected to wait a little while, but took the camera to the beach and took great surf shots from a distance using the 10X optical zoom. The pictures turned out just OK, when zoomed in on them, I noticed they were a little grainy, (first gripe). I next took the camera to my kids school play which was in a dimly lit auditorium, suffice to say, this camera does not do well in low light and I didn't get some of the shots I wanted. I played with the settings but could not get this thing to cooperate. (second gripe) Finally, after having a couple of opportunities to try this out, HD Video included, I was not impressed and began to miss my little SD200. My three or four year old Canon was a lot faster, smaller, and took better pictures, so I decided that I didn't need 10X optical zoom (I wanted small to begin with) and that I sacrificed to many things to have 10X optical zoom and HD video and returned it, promptly going out and buying a Canon SD870 and a water housing the same day from my favorite little mom and pop camera shop down in Encinitas. My Canon blows the Panasonic away in all aspects. I also want to say, the Panasonic required a proprietary cable to hook up to the computer instead of your standard mini usb cable, which I found annoying. I will never buy another Panasonic camera again and instead stick with what I know and has never failed me, my Canon.
An Awesome Camera with an Awesome Feature Set April 29, 2008
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
I have used this camera for about a week now and there is NOTHING I could really complain about. The pictures come out super sharp with really accurate colors. The stabilizer is really reliable, and the zoom is fast. The screen is OUTSTANDING....haven't seen anything clearer. I do like the quick zoom function, just press it and it maxes out the zoom for you. The lens is really useful, and the fact that it's still small enough to fit in my jeans pocket makes it a real winner.
There are tons of scenic modes that are cool but I haven't gone through many of them. The face detection works like a champ, and the intelligent auto mode is the most smartest feature that could ever be put in a camera. I hate when I have a stranger take a picture for me (like when I want to get in the picture with a group of people at a restaurant and I have our waitress take the shot) and the pic doesn't come out great. I have to always change settings or scenic modes to get a good shot. Here the camera does it for you. The intelligent auto mode makes the camera a real POINT AND SHOOT for those who don't know how to use it.
As others have mentioned the workmanship is solid, the camera feels really solid in your hand. The camera is Made in Japan so you can't go wrong. (I know some manufacturers start making stuff in Japan and later in the product's life they make it elsewhere, probably to still make a profit after price drops, so don't hold me to it if your's isn't made in Japan.)
The issues that some bring up about noise in the photos I think are overly particular and picky. If you aren't one of those kind, you gotta get this camera. Go to various review sites to see sample photos, thats how I made up my mind.
 Great stills but awful video May 6, 2008
20 out of 28 found this review helpful
I found the still images to be excellent, as good as any other small camera. I shot about 90 images over two days and all but 3 were mis-exposed or out of focus. Color, sharness and exposure were consistently good under a wide range of lighting conditions. One setting identifies the kind of scene being shot and adjusts appropriately. It worked well, focusing on faces in portrait shots and identifying backlit conditions.
But, I'm sorry to report, the video performance was very disappointing. I found the videos to go in and out of focus when shooting a subject under bright cloudy skies, even while the subject was at a fixed distance, and I did no zooming.
I reread the user manual and it said to turn off the continuous focus setting when taking movies. Could that be correct? Apparently it is, based on other reports of owners that talked with Panasonic tech support. But what happens when someone moves closer or further away? Isn't that what movies are all about? Moving subjects with action and some activity?
So I did some checking reading dozens of on-line comments and reviews, and while most reviewers mentioned the issue, none classified it as a deal breaker. The most interesting discussion was on the Panasonic Forum on DPReview where many reported they contacted Panasonic, only to be told "What problem?, This is the first I've heard."
Clearly if the camera has to revert to a fixed focus mode to take movies, this is a huge defect. While much about the camera is very good, this is a deal breaker for me. I did try making a number of videos in the fixed-focus fixed and they were slightly better, but, unfortunately a lot worse than my Canon Elph 900 that's several years old. As a result I have returned the Panasonic camera to Amazon and will wait for this either to be corrected or the next model that hopefully will not have this defect.
I would only recommend this camera to those that don't want to take movies. For stills it's hard to beat, but for movies it's unacceptable by any reasonable standard.
4.5 stars, great camera, see sample pictures uploaded. May 18, 2008
19 out of 20 found this review helpful
I saw some pictures taken with the Sony DSC bridge camera and I thought the pictures, while good, weren't as crisp as I'd like so I decided to look at the Lumix cameras. Both Lumix cameras, the TZ5 and FZ18 (bridge model) Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18K 8.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) are great. I wanted a camera with more zoom than the 3x or 4x on most point & shoot cameras. I owned a Leica point & shoot when film was still the way to go and always loved the great pictures I got from that camera so the Leica lens was a great draw. You may have to use a tripod or monopod to steady your camera at full zoom to get a nice shot--if you don't care for this consider sticking with more MPs with less zoom and crop--you should be able to crop quite a bit and still get a decent shot. I don't recommend using full optical and digital zoom with any camera as the pictures get more "grainy", but if you have to get that tight shot you have that option.
Pros for TZ5: Ready to go out of the box in iA (intelligent autofocus) mode--goes automatically from landscape to macro and mega OIS stabilization is very good. Has 10x zoom and can go to full zoom using optical & digital zoom (I believe this gives you 28x). Has an E.Zoom button that will take you to full optical and/or extended zoom using optical and digital zoom without having to use the zoom lever. Amazed at how well the macro mode worked and loved the options to switch to wider panorama type shots. There are 2 other scene modes you can program & save with your preferences so you can quickly & easily shift to your pre-adjusted modes using the camera dial. Large LCD screen. Menus were relatively easy to learn and can easily switch to different camera options. Pictures were crisp and clean. You can also be creative using B&W, sepia, and vivid and other camera options. Burst mode and bracketing options available. Small size you can fit in your purse or pocket. If you prefer to have some options but don't want to fuss a lot with a camera this is a great point & shoot camera.
Cons for TZ5: The FZ18 shot better with lower light and overall the shots had noise, but still not bad for a point & shoot and not a big issue unless you do a lot of low light shooting. You can also try high sensitivity and sport scene options to as well as focusing options to get better indoor or low light shots. Details in dark colored models were not as easily seen on LCD--I couldn't see the details clearly on some skinny red orchids and just pressed the shutter on faith--I still got some nice detailed shots. Also, autofocus didn't do as well on dark colored objects and in dim light. Pale yellow didn't photograph as well in iA--at least not close up--I had to step back to get better color rendition on a pale yellow hibiscus. LCD has clear, shiny "window" over it that helps brighten and sharpen the image, but gets "fingerprinty" and may scratch--I use a microfiber eyeglass cloth to keep it clean.
I uploaded photos, mostly of flowers and plants I photographed in my yard so you can judge--the photos are un-retouched and not cropped. The day was bright & hazy, a breeze blowing so the flowers were not always sitting still. All were taken handheld. There is one handheld, indoors in dim light of my laptop screen.
I have not used the video function so can't comment on it. I also haven't used all the scene options so I can't say if all work well. Backlight function worked pretty well.
I notice the silver TZ5 camera is cheaper than the black for some reason--if you don't mind silver and want to save a few bucks, that may be the way to go. I will leave some comments on the FZ18 for those that want some info on that camera.
Verdict: A KEEPER. Much better than the previous Canon Power Shot I owned, which was slow and clunky.
Thanks to everyone for posting their pictures and comments on Amazon, I appreciate the assistance and I hope I have been of some help to other consumers in return.
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