Panasonic DMC FZ5 Review

The Panasonic DMC FZ5 is a five megapixel digital camera. Its stand out feature is its 12x optical zoom lens. The lens is supported by a range of features similar to those you would expect to see on a traditional 35mm SLR camera. These include manual exposure controls.

The DMC FZ5 has a fully automatic mode and can be used as a simple point and shoot camera. Therefore this model will appeal to many people who enjoy taking photos and are attracted by the options the long lens gives them. On the whole though I feel this camera is aimed more at someone who sees photography as a hobby and is prepared to spend time experimenting and getting to know the camera so they can take advantage of all its controls and settings.

One feature that is very useful on a camera with such a long lens is the optical image stabiliser that is built into the lens. This type of camera comes in very handy for photo opportunities where the action tends to take place some way from the photographer, such as sports and wildlife photography.

What can I say? It is not often that I am this impressed by a set of test shots from a digital camera. The DMC FZ5 produced an outstanding set of results. In fact it is difficult for me to say which pictures really stand out.

Starting with the outdoor photos the feature that really stood out for me was the resolution and clarity of each shot. Most digital cameras lose detail either in very dark or very light areas of the photo. This camera was not quite perfect, but it is as good as any camera I have tested. I was especially pleased with the level of detail that appeared in the dark areas of the photos. Usually it is hard to make out leaves in shady areas under trees, but this time there is a very high level of detail showing. The colours look natural and are not overdone. Each shot is a very good reflection of how the scenes looked when the photographs are taken.

As with all digital cameras I have tested with this length of zoom lens purple fringing does appear when the lens is extended a long way. Purple fringing is a purple line that shows up at the edge of light objects.

Indoors I would say this camera has outperformed every other camera I have tested. The test shot of bottles is taken in almost complete blackness, yet in the result produced here you can almost read every word on the bottle's label. That is no mean feat. The photo is well lit and the camera focuses exceptionally well. Likewise the indoor portrait is a real winner. Again the photo is well lit, well focused and the level of detail in the shot is also worth commenting on. I also like the warm colour the photo has. There is no hint of red eye. The pop up flash, taking the light away from the lens plays a major part in this.

The dedicated test shots for colours and close up come out well too. In fact the macro shot is up there with the best I have produced.

It is rare that I am this impressed with the images produced by a digital camera. The key point for me is that the DMC FZ5 managed to excel in so many different areas.

The DMC FZ5 managed to take a single shot in 0.26 seconds. That is a relatively fast time. It took 6.64 seconds to take five consecutive shots. This works out at a rate of one photo more or less every 1.37 seconds. This is a very fast time when compared to other digital cameras.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

The 12x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 36 - 432mm in 35mm format. A 4x digital zoom feature gives a combined zoom capacity of 48x. For close up focusing there is a macro mode that lets you focus from 5cms away from the subject.

For composing images you can choose between a viewfinder and LCD screen. The viewfinder is electronic rather than optical, but it does have dioptre correction to help focus the viewfinder to suit your own eyesight. The LCD monitor is 1.8" and is made up of around 130,000 pixels.

To add something different to a photo you can adjust the colours to natural, standard or vivid. You can also use cool, warm, sepia and black and white colour effects. When you want to appear in a photo yourself there is a self timer with a delay that can be set to either two or ten seconds.

The built in flash unit pops up. It has a maximum range of 4.5m. This drops down to 3.8m when the zoom lens is on use. The following flash modes are available Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On/Off. To help the camera focus in poor light there is an Auto Focus (AF) assist light.

You can shoot movies at a maximum resolution of 320x240. Movies have a top speed of thirty frames per second. The duration of each movie is only limited by the capacity of the memory card. Sound is recorded with the movie.

When you first start using the DMC FZ5 you may wish to reel off a number of shots in automatic mode. The next step up from this level is to use the preset scene modes. These are pre programmed settings that help the camera to take the best possible shot in a variety of different photographic conditions. All you need to do is select the most appropriate scene. The scene modes available to use are: Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Night Landscape, Panning, Night Portrait, Fireworks, Party and Snow.

In addition to automatic mode and scene modes you can also select manual exposure. As well as fully manual exposure shutter priority and aperture priority settings are available. Shutter speeds can be set in the range of eight seconds to 1/2000 seconds. Apertures can be set between F2.8 - F8 (wide) and F3.3 - F8 (tele).

Other more advanced settings include Intelligent Multiple/ Center Weighted/ Spot metering, exposure compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV), auto (AE) bracketing (+/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames) and ISO sensitivities of Auto, 80, 100, 200 and 400. You can control white balance through the following settings: Auto/Daylight/Cloudy/Halogen/Flash/White Set, White Balance Adjustment (150K step, -1500 - +1500 K) (Except for Auto set).

There is a burst mode that lets you shoot up to seven images at a rate of three frames per second in standard mode. Unlimited consecutive shooting is available too. Unlimited consecutive shooting will keep taking photos all the time the shutter button is pressed down. It will do this until the memory card is full. Photos are taken at a slower rate than in burst mode.

Panasonic provides all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC FZ5 to a computer, television set and PictBridge compatible printer.

Panasonic do a very good job in designing their digital cameras so they are easy to use. I found the DMC FZ5 to be very intuitive and it didn't take me long at all to find my way around the camera and start to use all the features. Key buttons are placed on the back of the camera controlling flash mode, macro, exposure compensation etc. There is a control dial on the top of the camera. This allows you to select the shooting mode.

The one very small gripe I had was when I was working in manual mode after I had taken a picture I had to press the exposure button before I could access the shutter speed and aperture settings again. A minor point, but if you had made an error in calculating the exposure time can be critical when taking the next shot.

You can pick up a Panasonic DMC FZ5 for around £265. This compares to around £320 for a Sony DSC H1, £265 for a Konica Minolta Dimage Z5 and £330 for a Canon Powershot S2 IS. All in all I would say that out of all the extended zoom models that I have reviewed the DMC FZ5 offers easily the best value for money. At this price it is a bit of a bargain.

Not surprisingly the DMC FZ5 will remind you of a traditional 35mm camera when you see it. This is mainly because of the lens. The camera comes in silver and black. One point worth mentioning is that it is noticeably smaller and lighter then other extended zoom cameras such as the Canon Powershot S2 IS and the Sony DSC H1. It weighs in at 290g and has dimensions of 108 x 68.4 x 84.8 mm. This camera feels good in the hand.

Power is supplied to the camera by a lithium ion battery. A battery and charger is supplied with the camera. The only drawback with this type of battery is the fact spares are expensive. Therefore you need to ensure it is charged up before you set off to take any important shots. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 300 shots with the DMC FZ5 before needing to recharge the battery.

Images are recorded to SD cards. A 16 mb card is supplied with the camera. I was only able to take seven shots before the memory became full. You will need to buy a high capacity card to go with the camera. Click here to save money on SD cards.

Excellent value for money
Picture quality
More compact than similar models

Small memory card supplied with the camera
Small LCD screen

There is a lot to like about the Panasonic DMC FZ5. Picture quality is outstanding for this type of digital camera and it is also smaller and more lightweight than other extended zoom cameras. In terms of value for money I think it is up there with the best of them. It may not offer quite the range of features the Canon Powershot S2 IS does, but it is definitely one for your shortlist. This camera is highly recommended.

Panasonic DMC FZ5 Front View

Panasonic DMC FZ5 Back View

Panasonic DMC FZ5 Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Panasonic DMC FZ5