Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Review
Review Date: May 12th 2008
Author: Mark Goldstein
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Conclusion
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Ratings
(out of 5) |
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| Design |
4.5 |
| Features |
5 |
| Ease-of-Use |
5 |
| Image Quality |
4.5 |
| Value for Money |
4.5 |
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 represents an incremental evolution of an already winning blueprint, retaining the fundamental design of the hugely successful TZ3 model, whilst adding a smattering of new features. Current owners of the TZ3 won't be clamouring to upgrade, and if you can still find one at a bargain price, it remains a fantastic purchase, but for everyone else the new DMC-TZ5 is a very appealing camera in a saturated market, thanks to its combination of 10x ultra-zoom lens and relatively compact dimensions. Using such a small camera with such a large zoom range opens up lots of photographic opportunities that you just won't get with similar sized models, and the ability to zoom from 28mm up to 280mm and still get sharp results thanks to Panasonic's Mega O.I.S system is a revelation. Everything from wide-angle scenics to distant close-ups is possible, all from a camera that you can just about squeeze into a (large) pocket.
The move from a 7 to 9 megapixel sensor thankfully hasn't come at the expense of image quality, which has actually been slightly improved since the last generation of Lumix models. ISO 800 on the DMC-TZ5 is comparable to ISO 400 on the older TZ3, despite the increase in megapixels, with much less aggressive noise-reduction techniques. I'd be happy to use ISO 100-400 for most photos, with ISO 800 reserved for low-light situations, a marked improvement on the TZ3. ISO 100-400 isn't a particularly versatile range, but the usual excellent optical image stabilisation system means that the DMC-TZ5 is still an adaptable camera, as you can take a photo at a faster ISO speed and therefore a slower shutter speed, and still get sharp results, without adversely affecting the battery life too much. The High Sensitivity mode provides a fastest ISO speed of 6400, but the image resolution is automatically reduced to 3 megapixels and there's far too much noise and blurring of detail at that speed.
The two main new features offered by the DMC-TZ5 are a higher-resolution LCD screen and HD video mode. The 460K pixel screen is an excellent addition, especially evident in playback when you can still make out fine detail in 30 tiny thumbnails. This screen is well worth the extra cost when comparing the TZ5 with the TZ4 model, which only has a 230K pixel screen. HD video is less of a success. While it sounds great on paper and fits in well with Panasonic's vision of an HD-enabled home, the DMC-TZ5 is no match for an entry-level dedicated video camcorder, and also suffers from some glitches including slow and inconsistent continuous auto-focus, occasional vertical white lines during shooting and playback, muffled sound-quality and huge file sizes that quickly fill your memory card. 720p HD video in a pocketable camera is still a nice-to-have feature, but don't buy the DMC-TZ5 solely because of this headline-grabbing feature.
In summary the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 is a marginally better camera than the TZ3, with improved image quality, an excellent LCD screen, useful Intelligent Auto mode for beginners, and the attraction of HD video. It's a shame that Panasonic haven't added any manual exposure modes, as with the recent DMC-LZ10 model, which is the only Panasonic compact camera to offer any control over aperture and shutter speed (apart from the ageing DMC-LX2). If you don't mind sacrificing half the focal length, the 5x zoom DMC-LZ10 is an excellent alternative. But if you're happy to accept the purely point-and-shoot nature of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5, that unchanged combination of huge focal range and compact dimensions is still too liberating to ignore.
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