Customer Reviews

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5K 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the last few months three new extended zoom cameras have appeared on the market - the Canon PowerShot S2, Sony DSC-H1 and Panasonic DMC-FZ5. They are remarkably similar in many of their specifications. All are 5 mp, all are 12 X zoom, all are image stabilized, all have a maximum ISO of 400, all are larger than your average point and shoot digital and all have a list price of about $500. Despite these similarities, there are differences that lead me to decide on the Panasonic.

My first concern with a camera is image quality. Several web site have photos taken of identical subjects that allows the user to compare image quality. It was difficult to decide which camera produced the best images after downloading and printing pictures from the three cameras. The images are all so similar that the differences could have resulted from time of day, lighting conditions, temperature (increases sensor noise), etc. Comments from the pro's who reviewed these cameras indicates some differences. All the cameras have noise problems at higher ISO's, especially at 400 and perhaps at 200 for the Canon. The Sony may have slightly better noise control but chromatic aberration or purple fringing was a problem. So in terms of image quality, none of them is perfect, but all are very good. If you constantly shoot at low light levels the Sony may be the best choice as it is the only one of the three that has moderate noise levels at ISO 400.

Batteries are another major concern. Both the Canon and Sony use AA batteries which are widely available anywhere in the world, inexpensive and can be bought as rechargeable NiMH AA batteries. The Canon uses 4 AA's and gets ~500 shots per set of NIMH whereas the Sony uses 2 AA's and gets ~250 shots per set of NiMH. The Panasonic uses a proprietary Li ion battery and gets about 240 shots per charge. Although rechargeable NiMH AA's have the advantage of being inexpensive and widely available, they also have some disadvantages. Their charge decreases with time, reportedly about 1% of their charge per day. NiMH batteries also tend to have poor performance in cold weather and are subject to a "memory effect". Li ion batteries, on the other hand, have a number of advantages. They are lighter in weight, retain a significant amount of their charge when being stored, have reasonable cold weather performance, virtually no memory effect and are relatively small. From the point of view of batteries, I would down rate the Canon because it forces one to carry a set of 4 AA's as a backup as opposed to a small Li ion battery (Panasonic) or just 2 AA's (Sony). But, these are matters of personal preferences.

In terms of size and weight there are differences. The Panasonic is smaller (although none of these cameras is small) and weighs about 1/3 less than the Canon or Sony (with batteries installed). So if size and weight are important consider the Panasonic.

There are also major differences in movies. The Panasonic only has a low quality (320 x 240) mode for movies whereas both the Canon and Sony have a higher quality (640 x 480) movie mode. Having never used the movie mode in previous digital cameras I've owned, this was not a major consideration for me.

Based primarily on size and weight I bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ5 which can be found on the net for about $375. I've taken over 300 pictures with it and I am generally pleased with the performance. The focus is quick and accurate (the Canon is reported to hunt a bit) and image quality is very good, better than my 5 mp Sony DSCP-92. On one close-up of a bee in a flower the hairs on the bee's legs and pollen grains covering its face were sharp and clear. The image stabilization (anti-shake) works well, but has its limits. Those limits are clearly seen at low light levels and at maximum telephoto. If you are moderately steady, clear images can be obtained at about 1/30 of a second or even a little less, assuming the lens hasn't been zoomed too far and the subject isn't moving. As the zoom increases higher and higher shutter speeds are required to get clear images and the camera provides appropriate warning when shake could be a problem. In moderate sunlight and holding the camera in your hand it is possible to get good images zoomed to 12X (432 mm lens equivalent for a 35 mm camera). Without image stabilization this would be impossible without a tripod.

I was concerned about the digital viewfinder on this camera (as on all extended zoom cameras). Some users have reported trouble seeing clearly with these viewfinders and following moving objects. I actually like the digital viewfinder. Not only does it seem to work instantly, but when the sun is bright and it is difficult to see the LCD screen on the back of the camera, you can change menu settings looking into the viewfinder. The menus are clear, logically arranged and easy to use. There are many choices, but few surprises. I was. however, disappointed with two things. First, the 15 mb TIFF images didn't seem to be of any higher quality than the ~2.5 mb fine jpg's. Second, the camera does not automatically shift to ISO 400 to permit shooting at higher speeds at low light levels. This is not unique to Panasonic; I am not aware of any recent digital camera that will automatically shift to a high ISO, presumably to protect the user from noisy images. Personally, I would rather have noisy images than blurry images from shooting at too low a shutter speed. In general the Program setting works well both outside and indoors. The manual mode is extremely easy to use; it reminds me of an old 35 mm SLR. Put it in manual, press the exposure button and use the jog wheel to adjust f stop (up and down) and shutter speed (right and left). Press the shutter button half way and a scale appears showing the correct exposure and you can watch the indicator change as you change speed and f stop. The only thing that can't be operated manually is focus and the camera does a good job of that.

The reason to buy this camera is the lens, and it doesn't disappoint. The 12X Leica lens is great. But with this camera and I suspect with all 12X zoom cameras, the extended zoom is both a benefit and a curse. The benefit is the ability to zoom in close on subjects and the curse is shake. Because of shake problems when the lens is extended one has to be constantly aware of the shutter speed and the amount of zoom to get good images at low light levels (this is not a problem with flash). Fortunately, the Manual and Shutter Priority modes allow this to be done with minimal problems. Nevertheless, more thought is required with this camera indoors than with the average point and shoot camera.

My one major concern with this camera is ruggedness. The body is made of high quality plastic and seems fairly sturdy with well designed doors for the ports and battery. Time will tell.

So is the DMC-FZ5 an upgrade from my Sony DSC-P92? Without a doubt this is a better camera. Having said that, if you are looking for a camera that does everything for you; where all you have to do is press a button, neither the Panasonic nor any other extended zoom camera is for you. Stick with a 3X point and shoot model. Would I still buy this camera instead of the Canon or Sony? Yes, because it is smaller and lighter and has comparable image quality.

This camera has far exceeded my expectations. I am one of those geeks that research everything on the market before making a purchase. There are plenty of cameras that looked like they would meet my needs, but as I researched and tested, too many had glaring flaws or fell short on critical features.

I'm not going to waste your time and mine repeating all the details of every feature from the earlier reviewers. They did a great job of listing its strengths and weaknesses. Instead, I will waste our time sharing my personal impressions on the use and results of this fine camera.

The image stabilizer is like magic. I have been able to take indoor, hand held shots that would have been impossible with an un-stabilized camera. I cannot overstate the value of this feature. In well lit pictures the stabilization makes for a crispness I haven't seen in a point and shoot type camera (perhaps the massive Leica lens may have had something to do with this too). The flash has impressed me as well. It seems to meter very well compared to my Cannon A70. No more flash blown out shots on close up groups. Rarely did it get it wrong.

I spent yesterday at the Point Defiance Zoo in Seattle, running the FZ5 through its paces. The resulting pictures blew me away. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face looking at the pics on my computer afterwards. I'm no pro, but some of the pics were. It was a bit humorous to hear comments all day long by other Point and Shoot photographers "I wish I had more zoom", all the while I am taking crisp 12x close-ups of all the fuzzy critters in cages.

Also, I like a camera that looks and handles like a camera, not some kind of Star Trek shuttle craft with a lens on the front. The Minoltas look goofy and handle goofy. Scotty, beam me up.

Is it perfect? Nope, but so close I'm still smirking with smug satisfaction. After the zoo trip, I would like a manual focus option. There were times that glass or chain link fence made focusing a chore. Would I trade for a bigger, heavier camera that had manual focusing? Not for my uses. You can keep your bloated and clunky DSLRs. This camera carries like a Point and Shoot, but functions like a much bigger beast. Toting it around was barely noticeable (that is a key feature for me). This is a camera that you can carry easily and it excels at 95% of any use I may deem for it. The size is perfect. A gargantuan 12x stabilized lens on a camera this small is unreal (somebody pinch me).

Of course, please upgrade the included SD card. I get annoyed when reviews gripe about the small included memory cards in today's cameras. I don't want the camera company deciding for me which high capacity card to use (and jacking up the price of the camera). I say put in a tiny inexpensive card to allow camera testing, then let the end user pick their favorite card. This camera is already speed demon compared to my Canon A70. Imagine my surprise after plugging in a SanDisk Ultra II card and watching the write speeds cut in half. It was dramatic. Get a fast 10mb SD card and snap pictures at will.

As far as the review by "jjmmdd" I have to say "Either you don't know how to hold a camera still, or the camera is defective" If it is the former, spend more time on your technique. If it is the latter, then for heaven sakes, get the camera fixed or replaced. Across the board Panasonic puts out some of the most consistently reliable consumer products available. "jjmmdd", you were so very right. Every positive review written for Panasonic products is written by a Panasonic employee. Dude, put on your aluminum foil hat, check yourself for alien implants, and "buy a vowel".

Regarding the review by "D. Rosenfeld", as far as I am concerned, any "movie mode" in a "still camera" is a defect, not a feature. If you need a video camera, buy a video camera. Anyone buying a still camera for its video features is looped. It is consumers like you that make me fear the camera companies will start putting cell phones in digital cameras. D'oh! Oh another thing "D".... The stabilizer "ROCKS!!!"

It has been a while since I purchased a toy that lived up to my expectations after I lived with it for a while. The Panasonic FZ5 did just that. I'm now dreaming of this same camera with manual focus and a magnesium chassis......mmmmmm, magnesium. Wake up man!!! In the category of "Stellar, Point, and Shoot, Mega-Zoom, Cameras" This baby is getting all 5 stars from me.

(Subliminal message to follow)

Panasonic, please release the DMC-FX8 in the US market..... Panasonic, please release the DMC-FX8 in the US market..... Panasonic, please release the DMC-FX8 in the US market.....

Well, after over a month of research (and a brief but annoyingly unfortunate episode with a defective Casio EX-Z750), I decided to buy the FZ5. I have been very, very pleased thus far. I've spent my first week with the camera doing a lot of shooting, particularly indoors, to see if the camera could get the job done, especially since some reviewers here are alleging poor low-light performance.

Here are some impressions, followed by some tips for new owners.

The Good (not an exhaustive list)

1) The Leica lens-No noticeable barrel distortion, crisp results, F3.3 at full telephoto, love the 12x zoom.
2) Image Stabilization-This is a terrific feature. As has already been discussed here, image stabilization does NOT address moving subjects, but it does a wonderful job compensating for camera shake. A shot I took at full telephoto at 1/30 second shutter speed came out bright, clear, and sharp.
3) Included adapter for attaching filters. This is a HUGE plus, in my opinion. To avoid scratching that lens, I HIGHLY recommend spending $20 and purchasing a 55 mm UV filter and leaving it permanently attached. You won't have to worry about damaging your lens, and you can also avoid a lot of fussing with the lens cap since nothing irreplaceable will be damaged if you leave it off.
4) Nice LCD. Not enormous (at 1.8") but large enough, very clear, and very bright. Good refresh rate.
5) Impressive shot-to-shot speed.
6) Very quick flash recycling.
7) Very quick and generally accurate focus (particularly quick in one of the two high-speed modes, accessible through the menus). Sure, occasionally the focus misses in low light and at extreme telephoto, but this is a problem common to all of these ultrazoom cameras. And the FZ5 is faster at focusing than its competitors.
8) Very true (to my eyes) color reproduction. (My camera is set to "Standard" colors, not natural (a little dull for me) or vivid (too extreme)).
9) Good indoor performance! I'm not quite sure what all the complaints are about. Nice colors, good exposure, everything seems fine.
10) Build quality/size and weight. The plastic that the body is made of has a tough, high-impact feel. It looks nice, and the doors to the battery compartment and the USB port feel sturdy and durable. But what I really love is how light this camera is. It's far lighter than comparable ultrazooms-a real pleasure both to use and to carry.
11) Good battery life.

Problems

1) Image noise, while common to higher-resolution compact cameras due to their smaller sensors, is a little bit worse than average. You will certainly notice it if you examine your pictures at 100%. However, even scaled to fill the screen on my 17" monitor, I just don't notice noise in most shots.
2) The interface, while generally excellent, requires the user to press the "Exposure" button in order to change aperture and shutter speed in the manual modes. Not a big problem at all (and I have spent some time in the manual modes), but a problem nonetheless.


Some tips:

The FZ5, unlike your average Point-and-Shoot, has somewhat of a learning curve. It requires a modest investment of time and experimentation, but it pays off big-time with beautiful images that simply cannot be captured with simpler cameras. Here are some things that I've learned during my first week.

1) If the camera is having trouble autofocusing, point the AF target at a higher-contrast area, lock the focus, then recompose! Only a minimal effort is required to achieve focus lock and avoid out-of-focus shots. Also, try using Spot Focus (this is the very last AF mode listed in the menu system, the icon is a tiny dot inside a box). It helps the AF "drill" through branches or cage bars to achieve a focus lock on the subject behind these obstructions. Also, Mode 1 on the image stabilizer will help the camera focus at long focal lengths. (Mode 1 is continuous image stabilization. This gives the AF a more stable image to analyze. Mode 2 is a bit more effective, but it is only activated when the shutter is pressed).
2) Set the camera to ISO-80 instead of AUTO. This really keeps noise under control. Remember to use the option of the higher ISOs if necessary, though. Noise reduction software such as NeatImage (there is a free demo that does not expire; it fulfills all my needs) can help you out here.
3) Experiment with the white-balance. If you desire warmer colors (particularly for outdoor shots), set the white balance to "cloudy". This can work wonders.
4) Consider buying a 55 mm polarizer if you plan on doing a lot of scenery or building shots. This is a filter that screws on to the UV filter you've hopefully attached already. Used correctly, it can cut glare out of outdoor shots in harsh sunlight, resulting in deeper colors. (Definitely don't try to use it indoors though!)
5) Use the 2-second self-timer to avoid camera shake when using a tripod for long-exposure night shots. And even for these shots, since you already have the tripod, just leave the camera on ISO-80 to keep noise down.
6) Be sure to purchase a high-speed SD card. The camera takes advantage of that speed.
7) This is a bit esoteric, but when you're in the menu system, confronted with three pages worth of options, remember that the zoom lever will let you jump from one page to the next without hitting the four-way pad five or six times.


In conclusion, then, I've been really happy with this Panasonic. A few of my humble efforts are viewable at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/joeybear25186955/album?.dir=2c79&.src=ph Sorry they are not higher-res, I'm just beginning to experiment with hosting services. These are just a small sample of the results of my fooling around this week. Others are able to do much more with the FZ5. I would give the camera 4.75 stars if I could, but I am comfortable awarding five stars, since this camera pretty much dominates the ultrazoom category, the way I see it. I am far more concerned with image quality, light weight, and accurate color reproduction than I am with having an advanced movie mode and other, more gadgety features. Hence, I much prefer the FZ5 over the Canon S2.



Anyway, I've been very, very pleased with the FZ5 and would highly recommend it to anyone willing to spend a little bit of time learning the ins and outs of the camera in order to use its advanced capabilities to capture some truly excellent images.

I wanted a camera to take on a wildlife safari. I'm a novice photographer so I was looking for a lightweight camera that was simple, very easy to use and had excellent zoom. I wasn't ready to spring for an SLR camera and this Panasonic seemed like a great compromise; I bought it because of other reviews.

The camera FAR exceeded my expectations. It is very easy to use and the photo quality is outstanding. I was able to get incredible close up shots (the camera has 12x optical zoom and also has digital zoom so you can take shots which are 48x zoom). The image stabilization works wonderfully.

As a beginner I was very pleased with how intuitive and easy to operate the camera is, and the variety of features it offers. With very minimal time investment (5-10 minutes of familiarizing yourself with the camera) you can take great photos. I quickly found simple mode to be too simple and preferred photo mode, which has auto-focus but allows for a lot more zoom and other options.

The playback features are also excellent. You can view up to 9 images at a time, there's a multi-delete and an all-delete feature, and you can zoom in on the pictures to focus on a certain area and/or make sure you got the shot you wanted.

The battery life is also excellent. I was taking around 800 photos a day, as well as reviewing and deleting shots, and each battery charge lasted more than one full day. At night I copied the contents of the SD cards onto a Wolverine and then deleted all photos. With two batteries and two SD cards I was able to go 4-5 days without electricity or recharging.

If you don't want to spend a fortune but you want a camera that offers great zoom and is still light and small, this camera is a great choice. I was also impressed that it stood up to very tough travel conditions - very, very bouncy roads, dust, heat, humidity, etc. It never faltered. It comes with a lens hood which helps in bright conditions, and for about $30 you can buy a clear lens protector as an accessory (which I recommend if you are travelling to a dusty location and planning on lots of photos).

Another perk: you don't need a converter to charge the battery internationally - just a plug adapter for the country you are going to. It is built to handle voltages both in the US and abroad.

I've had this camera for about 3 mos. now. Several of the good things you've probably already heard about it are absolutely true; it is light for an ultra-zoom, the image stabilization makes hand-held low-light or long zoom shots possible, the optics are excellent, it's got a full range of options, and the price/performance ratio is excellent.

Several of the bad things you may have heard are also true; it's got more noise in low-light conditions than some other cameras, the 'easy' mode is oversimplified and not too useful, and there's some barrel distortion at the wide end of the range.

My initial experience with this camera (my third digital) was poor. Out of the box, with the battery barely charged, it was erratic. Close-ups and mid-range pictures were sharp and colors were accurate, I was using the 'easy' mode and it seemed OK. I could get into portrait range easily (about 2x 'normal' magnification; a very useful range to get good pictures of people's faces, carved objects, and other things with irregular surfaces) and results were crisp, etc. At about 8x or more, though, the stabilizer didn't seem to be working reliably; and the autofocus was easily fooled by anything -- even grass -- with strongly parallel lines.

After a few failure pictures (and filling up the teeny-tiny memory card with pictures) I sat down to review my work. I wasn't happy with the camera. I reviewed the manual, and switched several of my defaults; choosing a smaller focus area and 'type B' stabilization. The results were hugely different; now my pictures were stabilized and generally not mis-focused. (With a small focus area, you need to aim to the center of what you want to focus on and 'lock' the focus, then re-frame the image, then complete pressing the shutter.) At this point, with relatively little customization, I had a camera that worked the way I work. I wiped the memory and took some more pictures, and was satisfied.

The next day I got a larger memory card. Now I could take a picture in TIFF format (this is a non-lossy format -- you can edit a picture repeatedly and it never loses its crispness or color accuracy unless you tamper with those two settings, but the image files are quite large). I compared a TIFF of an outdoor scene with a JPEG of the same scene. The JPEG mode is actually quite good, but in the darkest areas, it had a tiny bit more noise.

Later that evening I took some outdoor shots. The noise problem was striking; I went to my defaults again and switched myself to 80 ISO. At this level, even under the most extreme of conditions, the noise level fell below the level of awareness (that is, you had to really look for it to find it).

I borrowed a Canon S1IS and took some comparison shots. The S1IS costs less than the Panasonic (the S2IS costs considerably more) and has only a 3 Meg imager. Side-by-side, the Canon had less noise at ISO 200, and produced smoother images in general, but was overall less crisp, even when I zoomed the Panasonic in closer so that the pixel-representation was essentially identical. The Canon seemed to have a more tolerant stabilizer; I didn't have to tweak it at all, but under high magnification it looked like it didn't stabilize quite as well. The Panasonic seemed to have brighter colors, the Canon seemed to have a slightly warmer cast. With an image magnified in printing, though, the real difference was sharpness, and at all ranges the Panasonic was sharper.

My impression is that the on-board software makes the difference here. Canon strives for smootheness, and gets it. Panasonic went for sharpness, and got there.

Summary -- out of the box, the camera's sort of a solution to no problem -- the 'easy' mode is too easy, it's best for moderate zoom indoors, at which point you might as well get a 2 or 3 meg 3x zoom camera and take your snapshots; it'll be cheaper. If you want to go the extra distance and properly customize the camera for your own use, you'll find it leaps ahead in capacity. It borders on excellence. It's not there.

This review should really be 4.7 stars. The only 'flaws' I have found are the absence of manual focusing (if you need that, get the Panasonic FZ20) and spot focus being potentially aimed outside of the little focus box (test where yours is).

I knew about the lack of manual focus going in, and weighed against the larger (3/4 inch wider, 1/2 inch taller, and 1 inch deeper), more expensive 20 oz. FZ20, the smaller 11 oz. FZ5 wins easily. I already own the FZ10 which is very similar to its replacement the FZ20, and its sheer size and weight prevented carrying it regularly. Its bulk is the reason I replaced it.

I'm not certain yet if my spot focus is aimed correctly, but others have had problems, and a few of my pictures have been out of focus. Many of those seem due to hand shake with a slow shutter speed. When zoomed even image stabilization/antishake technology won't compensate for slow shutter speeds - use the flash or a higher ISO.

You have the flexibility to do that because other than manual focus, you have endless options. At least 4 ISOs, shutter priority mode, aperture priority mode, manual mode, and a variety of pre-programmed shot settings if you don't want to mess with the details. Fireworks, party, night landscape, night protrait, sports, macro and on, it's all there. The exposure system is the most accurate I've seen in not over-exposing and losing white tones and highlights. The white balance is actually accurate enough that you may need to adjust it, although 'auto' does pretty well. Focusing can be whole screen, spot, high-speed spot, etc. It also has two image stabilization modes, one that gives you the greatest accuracy stabilizing, another that makes focusing easier.

An often ignored consideration in picking a camera is whether it has a focus assist light. Inside, especially at night under incandescent light, many cameras may have trouble getting enough light to focus correctly. You won't notice this in a well-lit store or outside, but when you need a picture of a birthday party or other event, half your shots will be out of focus. This has the light. I believe only Canons also have this feature consistently.

If you've made it to this camera, you are probably already aware of the benefits of an extended zoom. It's wonderful to be in total control and able to get as close as you want to your subject. Since I'm unable to hand-hold even at 6x zoom, image stabilization is vital in an ultrazoom model.

There are cameras available with more megapixels. While more pixels may give you the ability to capture more detail, that must be weighed against the file sizes created by more megapixels. You'd need extra or larger memory cards to hold those files, or compress them and lose resolution in order to fit in a smaller size. If you're only printing 4x6s or even 5x7s, it's too small to see that detail. Most web images are less than 1 MP, and a standard 1024x768 screen is also less than 1MP. If you are sending images by email, larger images and files only making it harder to send those to people with dial-up. Don't buy a camera on megapixels alone - it may be more trouble than it's worth.

Other than the FZ20, only the Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 is comparable to this model. The Dimage is heavier and larger, making the Panasonic the best option for me so that I carry it as often as possible and get the most from my investment. Other than hard-core photography afficionados who need the manual focus (or a hot shoe which this also lacks), I doubt anyone would be disappointed.

I've had a Panasonic FZ5 camera since May and have taken it all over the world (Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, China, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand). It takes great pics under virtually all conditions. I've probably taken 8,000 pics with it and am VERY pleased. This is my third digital camera and first ultrazoom model.

The 12x optical zoom lens with OIS is fantastic for getting a broad range of shots under nearly all conditions. The biggest gripes I hear from most of my traveling companions are how they can't get close enough to the subject with their 3x point and shoot cameras or that their pictures with movement in them come out blurry. They see what I shoot with the FZ5, and how small it is, and they're amazed. Even my friends with $1000+ digital SLRs are amazed at the FZ5 as they lug around their bigger, heavier camera and its extra lenses.

Yes, in low light it has sometimes has problems focusing. But I've also taken some low light pictures without tripod (indoors in natural light and outdoors at dusk) that came out quite good. In sunlight and cloudy conditions outdoors, its pictures are incredibly good quality for most amateur photographers. And if the pictures aren't perfect, I use Picasa and/or Photoshop Elements to make them better.

Yes, you need to make occasional adjustments for white balance, saturation, contrast, and exposure to get a perfect shot. That's what photography is all about. I found that if you read the manual and practice a bit with the camera's many features, it can handle almost any scene.

The compact size and light weight make it ideal for travel photography. I carry the camera, an extra battery, a polarizing filter, and a skylight filter all in a small belt pack.

I use the LCD Monitor in a lot of situations to review recorded pictures, but have come to find the LCD Viewfinder to be my preferred method of framing a shot. In tricky situations, the histogram and auto-bracket features are extremely useful for capturing the best shot. Finally, the layout and indicators on the screen display are intuitive and easy to read.

My only knock on this camera is its lens hood adapter - the threads are so shallow that it's tricky to screw on a filter. A few photo websites and forums give hints on making modifications, but I wish someone would make a replacement adapter that was better than what comes with the FZ5.

When I was shopping, the only other camera I found that I liked that was comparable to the FZ5 was the Canon S2IS (wasn't yet shipping when I bought the FZ5 for a trip). I think it's a tossup between the two, but I expect the FZ5 can be found at a lower price. If you want a small, lightweight, ultrazoom camera with a superb lens, I recommend the FZ5.

My First impression of the FZ5 was that it was smaller and certainly much lighter than I expected. It is of course not a pocket camera, but it is compact enough and so light that you can in theory slip it into a large pants or coat pocket. This is why I choose the FZ5 over the FZ20, but at this point I'm not sure if I will grow to appreciate the class leading portability of the FZ5, or wish for a camera that has more to grab onto. I am getting use to it, but I find myself wanting a thicker, longer grip, so I can better wrap my fingers and have a place for my pinky to go.

The camera can certainly come off as a toy until you take a few pictures. Once you do, you quickly come to appreciate the fast focus and fast shutter release of this camera. The level of flexibility and control offered by the cameras buttons and menu system was intuitive and easy to master. I am no pro, but I knew right away that this camera would make me a better photographer. I love how quick and easy it is to set auto bracketing, adjust EV exposure and flash strength. White balance and ISO settings, are easy to access as the first two options on the menu system. I would have liked the auto focus options and metering modes on the first menu screen also, but it's not that hard to toggle through the screens. The number of AF modes including the high speed choices are very helpful. The burst mode is cool and very fast and easy to select by a separate button. Too bad the burst modes and the auto bracketing feature don't work with the flash on. I guess they figure the flash takes too long to regenerate, but I wouldn't mind waiting until the flash is ready for the next shot. I did quickly bumped up against the FZ5's lack of a manual focus option, because of it's low light focusing limitations. There is an AF light, but it only works to maybe 8 feet away. The LCD or EVF don't show much of anything in low light. The onboard flash has very respectable performance when you let the Auto ISO setting move up to 400. Noise is noticeable on the computer screen with images taken at 400 ISO, but 4x6 prints turn out just fine. If you force the ISO to 80 or 100 the range of the onboard flash is fairly limited. Here than you bump up against the FZ5's other major weakness ... The lack of a flash shoe or even a sync connection

I have taken picture indoors, outdoors with & without flash over the past few days. I have used the cameras excellent macro capabilities and I have given the imaging stabilization on the 12x zoom a run for it's money. I moved up from a 3 mega pixel camera that is almost 4 years old, so I may be a pushover for the 5 mega pixel images of the FZ5. They are tack sharp with good contrast and natural well saturated colors. The images look nice on the computer screen and print out even nicer. The movie mode on the camera works fine. The resulting movies are relatively low resolution compared to some other super zooms on the market. Not a big issue for me as I also have a Panasonic Digital 3CCD video camera.

The Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) in tandem with the 36-432mm lens is of coarse the real defining feature of the FZ5, and the half a dozen other cameras on the market that have it. As someone who knows what it's like to try to take a steady picture using a 35mm camera with a 300mm F5.6 lens .... I really appreciate the performance of this camera's 432mm F3.3 Lens. With a steady hand I have been able to take pictures that I could never have taken with my old 35. I can't wait to try this camera for wildlife photography! The O.I.S. technology greatly extends what was once possible with a conventional lens of these gigantic focal lengths, but it too eventually runs up against the limitations of the available light. I suspect that is why a few reviewers here on Amazon have complained about blurry picture. They are probably use to point & shoot cameras and assume you can handhold the same shoots at 12x that they use to at 3x. The other issue is that these super zoom cameras can't focus at full zoom on really close objects. Even in Macro mode I believe the limit is around 5 feet. That isn't to say this camera can't be used by a beginner. The program AE mode is easy to use and though I didn't use it there is also a "Simple" mode. All the auto settings seem to work very well. Exposures, white balance, ISO and flash intensity seem well chosen 95+% of the time.

I would say that I am happy with my decision to buy the FZ5. I looked at the comparable: Canon S2, Sony H1, Kodak P850, Minolta Z6 models and also the Panasonic FZ20 and FZ30. I bought the FZ5 because it is the smallest and lightest camera in this class and about $50 to $150 cheaper than any of the other super zoom (except the Minolta). I couldn't justify the price tag of the FZ30, so my second choice was the FZ20. It offers a constant F2.8 lens, flash hot shoe and manual focus. I was a little put off by the FZ20's size and weight, but as I have come to learn this may not be all bad when it comes to getting a grip. The FZ20 is also suppose to be a little slower at auto focusing. My third choice would have been the Canon S2. Based on my research the Canon's image quality is just a hair behind the Panasonics, but the full feature set offered by the S2 including the VGA movie mode made it a close call.

The plummeting prices of the Digital SLR's made me stop and take a look. While they have far superior low light capability they still cost twice what the FZ5 cost and you don't get a O.I.S. 12X zoom. The bottom line is that all the "Super Zoom" camera's on the market with an O.I.S. 12x zoom lens represent a tremendous value. They are so close in overall performance that it really comes down to your band preferences and maybe the trade off of a couple features. I would recommend the FZ5, but there aren't really any bad choices.

I am not a great photographer, but I have an eye for great photos. They are hard to take. I have taken over 400 photos with this camera.
Outdoor photos: I took one set of 60 with my 14 year old daughter outside in 3 settings, and came up with a dozen great shots. Reflected light is a bit of a problem. But get your settings right, the camera will deliver. Photos were for head shot type enlargements of 8x10. I will definitely be able to do this. I also messed up a lot of pictures with reflected light from my pool cover. I did not realize it was there in a 4th set a week later. With better light though, I got some incredible shot of kids in the pool, with dead still water motion caught in the images.
Almost all this was in Program Mode, and the smallest autofocus area. Faces were gorgeous.


Indoor photos: As others have mentioned, it can be a problem. We have an old 4 bulb standing candlebra, that had 60 watt bulbs. I got my distances right with some juggling of the chair and tripod distance, and came up with many outstanding photos.
I then replaced the 60 watt bulbs with the same type 75 watt bulbs, and got a variable output switch for more control. What a mistake ! I could not get the yellow right at any, what I thought, light intensity. That was Program Mode, that I thougth I knew how to use.

Then I took pictures of my fair skinned blonde wife in a different room, low light, automatic portrait mode with flash. HUH ???! Great photo !! Went back to the other room, dimmed the lights and forced the flash the same. Great photo, great color !!

I have not tried all the settings. I inadvertently proved indoor light sources vary a lot, and can easily ruin photos that you might blame on the camera. A fellow at work works a 2nd gig nights and weekends doing photography. He still relys on film, since it very true on color, and not so light sensitive. I think I agree with him that a comparably priced film camera is more capable with a skilled photographer. But with the costs of film and develoment to find out how you did add up, and not till days later. With instant review, you keep shooting, make an adjustment, and shoot some more. You get great photos.
With patience, time to learn the camera, and a steady hand, this camera can and will deliver great pictures. Being digital, you save on film and development. Even more just printing those you want, and put the rest on CD or on your computer.

For those folks who don't like the flash of the FZ5, they need true white bulbs for their house, or have semi-gloss paint that is tinging color in the room, or something other problem the camera is revealing. Years ago I painted my living room in a light beige (California Sand) color semi-gloss. Every picture came out looking sepia-toned from reflected light off the walls and ceiling. That was a different camera, and film.

Back to the FZ5. My nephew took about 60 pictures as if it was in instant camera. Most came out terrible. He did not hold it steady, did not check light sources, did not catch good looks on people. But most cameras can't fix the issues a user of the camera who does not know what he is doing.

If you can hold a camera steady, wait for a beautiful shot in the viewfinder, or LCD, the camera will capture it. You will also be able to have outstanding enlargements. Oh. I also knocked over the tripod, and the camera hit the concrete pool deck putting slight scrapes near the viewfinder. !@#$%^. Nope, camera still works fine.

I bought the FZ5 for:
12X OPTICAL Zoom for good home distance shots and great portraits NOT standing in someone's face.
Image Stabilization for help with blurred images.
5 MP for film quality enlargements. Combining this with the zoom works really well.
Very good shutter speed for the price range and feature set.
Very good color accuracy for the price range and feature set.
Trying to stay near $500.
Added plus, a nice little lens hood.


I selected based on cameras of similar features I reviewed on both Amazon.com (somewhat helpful) and www.imaging-resource.com (very helpful). The latter includes nearly identical pictures of the same items with each camera and extensive, and identical reviewing standards. Sample lighting seems to vary just a little bit from camera to camera, but the reviewer I'm sure at least used consistent lighting.

I will get a 2nd battery, an A/C Adapter, and a basic set of lens filters. But no external flash. If you want that, the FZ20 should be your pick. Buy with the idea of using it heavily in the trial period. For me, I think the FZ5 is a keeper.

After a lot of research on digital mega-zoom cameras (particularly 5MP), and having gone through expert & user reviews, I finally zeroed down on 2 cameras - the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ5, and the Canon Powershot S2 IS. And then I decided on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5K. The lower cost of the FZ5 and smaller size in comparison to the S2 IS with equally good features if not less, were the primary drivers in tilting my decision towards the FZ5.

I must say, after using this camera for just a few hours now, I feel that the decision has been a good one. The photographs are stunning, and this is just the beginning of my long detailed experiment with the FZ5.

Things I like about the FZ5:

* Great Looks & small size for a 12X zoom
* Good quality photos
* Feature rich camera

Features present in S2 and not present in FZ5:
* Larger Video size
* Flip-panel LCD
* Vivid colors/settings

In conclusion, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 is a good buy, and should be able to satisfy every photo enthusiasts' needs!