Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5S 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver)

by Panasonic

Product Details

Product Manual [8.33mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 5 inches ; 10.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0007OV46S
• Item model number: DMC-FZ5PP-S
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,820 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 8, 2005

Product Description

Color: Silver

From the Manufacturer

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the 5.0-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 with a Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) that compensates the handshake, plus a newly developed 12x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm in a 35mm film camera). The DMC-FZ5 is heir to the 3.1-megapixel DMC-FZ3, but enhances its excellence not only through an increase in the total number of captured pixels, but also with other innovative technical improvements such as faster AF and various design development on the grip and position of the shutter button, to encourage higher-level shooting with comfortable operation. The DMC-FZ5 is distinct in its body size and usability, allowing users to enjoy an expanded world of photography.

The remarkable 12x optical zoom can capture large frames of photo subjects even a long distance away. Furthermore, Panasonic's Mega O.I.S. assures stability of the magnified image and resolves the problem of blurring when the zoom photography is operated by hand without the assistance of a tripod. The camera is equipped with a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens for high resolution imaging with very little distortion. Moreover, the combination of 3 aspherical lenses preserves an astonishingly compact body size even for a 12x optical zoom digital still camera.

The engine, or the brain, driving high picture quality and quick response of the camera is once again the leading-edge image processing LSI Venus Engine II, which boasts excellent resolution in the horizontal and the vertical, in addition to the diagonal. An industry-leading release time lag of 0.008 second and a shutter interval of approximately 0.4 seconds (not including time for AF) allows you to precisely capture your target subject. What's more, consecutive shooting performance boasts the capability of sequential shots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution. An unlimited consecutive shooting function allows you to take photos in succession until the memory card or built-in memory is full.

Remarkable 12x Optical Zoom in a Compact Body
The Lumix DMC-FZ5 digital camera is equipped with a 5.0-megapixel CCD and newly developed Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens offering 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film camera) with aperture of f2.8 to f3.3. The combination of 3 aspherical lenses, the crystallization of Panasonic's optics technology, generates high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The zoom range can be totally extended to 48x when combined with 4x digital zoom.

Mega O.I.S.--The Essential Feature for Digital Cameras
Mega O.I.S., which Panasonic strongly believes is indispensable for a high-magnification model, is subsumed with two selectable modes. In Mode 1, the O.I.S. lens continuously compensates the vibration, and in all Panasonic's own Mode 2, the O.I.S. lens suppresses hand-shake only at the moment the shutter button is pressed. In this mode, the lens can move in all directions at the moment to maximize its effect, and higher-resolution image can be taken by capturing the image as close as to the center of the lens. Venus Engine II also encourages this advantageous performance in the point of enhancing the accuracy of hand-shake detection; consequently, even without using a tripod, it allows you to reduce the shutter speed more than three steps compared to the conventional cameras without O.I.S., while assuring clear images. It is difficult to capture crisp and clear images in shootings with high-powered zoom or with macro mode without using a tripod. The shutter speed tends to slow when shooting in low-lit indoor conditions or taking pictures of nighttime scenery. However, Mega O.I.S. enables you to easily take clear, beautiful pictures in such situations.

The Venus Engine ll Leads the Industry for Its Quick Response
The Venus Engine ll engine is the brain of digital camera, driving high picture quality and quick camera response. Panasonic has achieved great improvements in both resolution and response compared with the performance of previous Venus Engine. In the previous Venus Engine, the luminance signal was extracted from all RGB pixels to improve the diagonal resolution by 50%. In addition to that, the Venus Engine II gains a new imaging process that adds the luminance signal extracted only from the G pixels upon detecting the horizontal/vertical lines in the image. This results in the improvement of the horizontal and vertical resolution by more than 10% compared with the former Venus Engine, while maintaining the 50% improvement in the diagonal resolution.

The multitask image-processing LSI realizes outstanding response with an industry-leading shutter-release time lag of 0.008 seconds minimum and a shutter interval of approximately 0.4 seconds (not including time for AF), achieving more stress-free operation. It also boasts high consecutive shooting performance, providing shooting at 3 frames per second at full resolution. The Unlimited Consecutive Shooting function allows limit-free consecutive shooting up to the capacity of the memory card or built-in memory. The number of recordable picture depends on the memory card size, battery life, picture size, and compression.

The Industry-Leading Short AF Time for a High-Zoom Model
An AF method can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high-speed, 1-point high-speed, 1-point normal-speed, and Spot. In the newly incorporated 1-point high-speed AF, the shutter time lag (including AF speed, i.e. the time from full shutter realease to image capture) has dramatically been reduced to one-third the level of the previous DMC-FZ3 model, and has resulted in achievement of industry-leading short shutter time lag for a high zoom model.

Although screen-freeze in high-speed AF is now minimized, if you take the picture of a subject with fast movement, you can select 1-point normal-speed AF, which does not have any screen-freeze while focusing. In addition, an AF assist lamp expands the AF ability even at night or under the low-light conditions.

A Variety of Settings with Mode Dial and Scene Modes
Convenientyly select from 9 scene modes that meet most any shooting situation thanks to the newly installed Scene Mode Help screen. This shows the description of each mode on the LCD monitor and makes it easier to select the mode that best fits the shooting conditions.

Manual functions such as aperture-priority AE, shutter-priority AE, or manual exposure are selectable directly by the mode dial, which offers smooth control. It also offers easy shooting even to entry-level users by providing a Simple Mode in which most settings are determined automatically. You just aim at the subject, zoom in or out, and press the shutter button.

High-End Usability Satisfies a Wide Range of Photographers
A 1.8-inch LCD monitor provides immediate visual image confirmation, and an extended battery life of 300 images (CIPA) gives the FZ5 more staying power than its predecessor.

Auto-angle detection, another new feature, 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 with an AV cable, vertical images are automatically displayed vertically and horizontal images are automatically displayed horizontally.

Product Description

MD) CL) PAN DMC-FZ5 DIGITAL CAM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

319 of 322 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tale of 3 Cameras, July 14, 2005

By 

William Balsam "Ursus" (Taos, NM) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5S 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Silver) (Electronics)

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.

175 of 185 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pansonic Got It Right!, May 20, 2005

By 

pizzaman - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5K 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

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.....

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All-Around Winner, June 29, 2005

By 

Joseph Madden - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5K 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Image Stabilized Optical Zoom (Black) (Electronics)

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.

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