panasonic dmc-tz5 review

• 9-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-sized prints
• 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens; Face Detection
• New Panasonic Venus Engine IV improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects
• 3.0-inch LCD; Mega O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO
• Captures images to SD memory cards (not included)

Dream of a camera that is fully automatic for simple use. Think of a camera that offers a wide scope of features to capture virtually all you want. Consider a camera that takes superb stills yet also offers a movie mode that matches HDTV quality. Imagine combining precise Leica optics in a finely tuned compact device that opens new vistas for creativity and enjoyment. Realize the Panasonic DMC-TZ5S Lumix 9.1 Megapixel Digital Camera. Now you can fit sweeping landscapes into a single frame with the 28mm wide-angle setting. Pull in subjects from far away to capture even subtle facial expressions with the dynamic 280mm telephoto setting. Ideal for traveling, the DMC-TZ5 Lumix 9.1-megapixel digital camera combines a wide-ranging LEICA DC Vario-Elmar lens with a handy, compact body. The Extra Optical Zoom function also extends the zoom to as much as 16.9x, giving you even greater telephoto power. Set the TZ5 to iA mode and let the five Intelligent Auto functions team up to help prevent shooting errors. Intelligent Exposure corrects lighting differences, so images come out just the way you see them; Intelligent Scene Selector chooses the mode that best fits the situation; MEGA Optical Image Stabilization helps prevent blurring from hand-shake; Intelligent ISO Control helps prevent motion blur; and Face Detection helps produce clear portraits by optimizing the focus and exposure settings. The TZ5 can record motion images with sensational 1280 x 720 HD resolution at 30 frames per second (fps) to fill your new widescreen HDTV sets. You've found your perfect camera. Use it now. Up to 4x Digital Zoom enhancement 3.0 Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display (460K dots) Focusing Area Normal - Wide 50cm/Tele 200cm - infinity, Macro/Intelligent AUTO / Clipboard - Wide 5cm / Max 200cm / Tele 100cm - infinity 8 - 1/2,000 sec. Starry Sky Mode - 15, 30, 60sec. Shutter Speed Auto /100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600

CUSTOMER REVIEW -

The zoom died on our camera today despite the fact that we haven't used it that much.

CUSTOMER REVIEW -

I recently bought this camera and I love it. It is a little bigger than our last camera, but it's totally portable and it takes great pictures. Great for a mom with two active boys.

CUSTOMER REVIEW -

I have had this camera over 2 years and has been repaired once and is now unusable. While still under warranty, the lens would not close and a message of turn camera on and off again kept appearing. A grain of sand had gotten stuck in between the lens. Ok, lesson learned, kept it in a case. Second time a year later and no longer under warranty, same thing happened, a single speck of something is stuck in there and no longer works. I called customer service to see what it would cost to repair and it's about $150. If I decide to send it in, I will not get my repaired camera back, but a refurb. No thanks. Other than the sensitivity to dirt (I am a pro photographer and treat all my equipment with utmost care), this is a great camera. Clear sharp photos, and love the fact you can zoom while using the video with no limitations as to video length while recording. Would think about another one, but don't want to be frustrated if a speck of dirt gets in the lens mechanisms again.

CUSTOMER REVIEW -

got it as a gift, first, i prefer a peep hole to frame my pictures, which this camera doesnt have, making any camera with a peep hole better. Second, many times i have seen the camera act up. sometimes it switches off and does some kind of thing where it zooms in then zooms in and shuts off, sometimes i delete pictures and it leaves black boxes on my memory cards that say "error" when i look at them, didnt read the 500 reviews but my experience with this particular camera has been that problems exist, it is not perfect, look elsewhere if you want a product that doesnt suck

CUSTOMER REVIEW -

I was very excited to purchase this camera based on all the excellent reviews. However, the camera performed much worse than our old digital Cannon purchased 5 years before. Cannon always took sharp images and recording movies was not a problem. Lumix constantly underperformed; it was very hard to take a sharp image--the majority of them would come out grainy, no matter what was the lighting. I've tried to adjust the settings but nothing worked. Could not figure out how to record movies either--they came out as a still photo. Maybe I've missed something, but it shouldn't be so difficult and require you to look into the manual. On Cannon you just switched to the movie mode and voila, everything worked. Here, although it would appear that the movie was being recorded, no movie was actually recorded. I am actually happy that it finally broke and now we have to buy a new one. I would never go for Panasonic Lumix again.