Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic DMCTZ5 Digital Camera - Black (9.1MP, 10x Optical Zoom) 3.0" LCD

After years of owning a Minolta compact point and shoot(13yrs and wasn't cheap either!) I decided it was time to upgrade to a digital compact. I was put off before because photos that I had seen were grainy, but now technology has improved I decided to do some research, It took me about a month of research and bought the TZ5. Absolutely no disapointments!! You do have to take a little time to make sure your subject is in focus before you take the shot, by doing this you will get incredibly sharp pictures. I was amazed at the zoom range and could not believe how close I was able to get to a daisy flower in the grass and the photo came out crystal clear on A4 print out. Overall the camera is so easy and quick to use, even a complete amatuer would not have problems. When printing out your pics it is important you have a decent printer. I purchased a canon pixma MX850 from amazon (again after a month of research)and I have to say the picture print out quality is superb. The colours are vibrant and true to the photo taken on the camera. This is a great camera with a fantastic 3 inch LCD screen which is clear and even in sunlight you can view the screen easily. It is a fun camera to use with so many different options like the scene settings but it is also great even for the serious photographer. I've had the camera since Nov 08 and I was only an ameteur but now I'm starting to get more serious and am thinking about upgrading to an SLR in a years time, for now I'm having lots of fun. If I do upgrade, my TZ5 will always be my baby!!
My Dad purchased the TZ7, I was gutted at first because I thought I should have waited. I will say that after taking lots of shots using both cameras and taking the same photos in various zoom modes, scene settings and lighting, there really is not much to compare. The only real difference being the extra 2 zoom, but again there isn't much difference in the photos with the 10 zoom or 12 zoom. I am still happy with the TZ5 and I don't feel that I'm missing out by not having the TZ7. If you are thinking about buying a digital camera then seriously consider the TZ5 or the TZ7, I on the otherhand prefer the TZ5 because the TZ7 seemed to have a few added features that I didn't feel necessary. The TZ5 really does have everything you need for a compact.

The sunlight reflects off the screen. You can see your face when you are taking a picture. They are not designed to hold the camera to your eye.

I changed from a Fuji V10 to this one after my wife bought an FX35. The results are truly excellent, especially as I like to make macro/close-up prints. The lens allows me to get within 5cm of the subject and then I can trim in the camera(losing pixels in the process) to enlarge the image further. Pity there's no way to use aperture priority to get greater depth of field, but to get that I'd want a Canon G10 (too expensive for me) or an SLR and after carting a Pentax Spotmatic and three lenses around the Norwegian countryside, I've had enough of weight and bulk.

Great camera. The intelligent ISO is great for taking point and shoot pictures indoors without a flash - the results are amazing. The camera has weight, looks and feels good and packs a lot of features for a pocket size compact. My only disappointments, and they're the reason I haven't given it top marks, are (1) you have to remove the battery to charge it. (2) the lens cover is flimsy plastic and looks fragile (3) the movie clips are saved in Quicktime format and I'm a fan of WMV (4) the siting of the microphone is at the top left of the camera exactly where I put my left index finger when I hold the camera. It took me a while to work out why all my movie clips were accompanied by a high pitched whistling noise until I realised I was covering the Mic.

I bought this camera for my honeymoon last year, for the extra zoom capabilities, and to ensure we had some great pictures. My previous camera was a Sony DSC L1, a very small and versatile camera, which I thought was excellent. However this camera really shows what excellence is.

The zoom lens is fantastic, and allows you to get shots you would otherwise miss with a 3x zoom as my previous camera. The other key feature for me is that the 'Auto' mode is hard to fault. It chooses the picture mode and focus just perfectly, and the resulting images are stunning. I am not a great photographer, but this camera makes it look like I am! There are a whole array of feature on the camera, if you want to take time to set up your shots, and take it more seriously, but if like me you want to get easy good quality shots, I find it hard to believe this can be bettered.

Battery life is excellent. I only changed the battery once during a 2 week holiday. I bought a spare battery (which can be found quite cheaply), and changing them over is easy.

It will also record great video. I have some excellent quality videos taken with this camera, which has great sound too.

The quality of the casing is really good and sturdy, and a few people have passed comment that it looks like a very expensive camera.

If you want a compact camera, buy this. You won't be disappointed. I have not seen any other cameras that can do more than this, or a better job than this.