Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5

I have a dSLR and wanted a point and shoot to carry with me at all times and one that would be easy and fun to use for my husband - one that wouldn't have too many intimidating settings but that would… produce good results. I LOVE this little camera. He can set it on IA (Intelligent Auto) and get good pictures 95% of the time. (Panasonic has since come out with an updated version with very similar features and I imagine I would love that one too.) What I particularly like about this camera: True wide angle: What does that mean? It means you can get a full group of people in a shot without having to back up so far that they look like ants or you can't really see their faces. It also means that you can get closer to buildings, if you like to take architectural shots, and get more of the building in from closer = better view of the building and its details. Basically you can get closer to whatever you are shooting, get more of the item in the photo and still see it. Very nice for sweeping landscapes on vacation too! Great zoom Combine the fabulous zoom with the awesome wide-angle and you get a fantastic range in one small camera body Zoom with video!! No one talks about this but most small cameras don't give you the ability to zoom while you are using the video. (check it out) This one does a great job and I really, really like/need this feature. It's much smoother to zoom from the camera than to walk closer once the video is running. So, let me repeat - ZOOM WITH VIDEO :)) Very nice image quality. It's not a dSLR but I didn't expect that. I can get very nice images straight out of the camera and I can give it to my mom, my husband, a complete stranger, set it to IA or whatever setting I want and get a nice picture. Tons of settings The menu gives you the ability to choose from tons of pre-sets like landscape, macro, pets, snow, fast burst, etc. It has two menu selections to you can set them to the two you use most frequently and it makes it even faster and more convenient to change if you want to. Great IA Use the Intelligent Auto setting and the camera will even change to macro mode for you! It works fabulously. Relatively fast first click and next click Very acceptable (meaning low) delay from start up to first click and from one click to the next. Plus, you can set it to the fast burst setting if you want to shoot several pictures in a row very quickly. Other: Leica lens with a Panasonic affordable price! Image stabilization! I love this little camera and would buy it (or the newer version) again!

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I bought this camera for a couple a months and i loved it. Took it to a coldplay concert and took few shots. really great zoom and nice quality.The battery life is good and the lcd screen in the back is big… and clear. The camera is great but i have one feature that i didn't like.The microphone is right on top of the camera, so when you take videos or sound you have to make sure you're not covering it up.I keep forgeting that microphone is up top i to stabilize the camera for videos i usually use to hands an most everytime i cover the microphone.Besides that the camera is really good i was suprised.

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There are smaller, more portable cameras out there. None of them can compete with this one for glass quality. That is why I pack this thing in my small 'safari bag' (okay, Man Purse) that goes everywhere… with me. I can't fit my G10 in there, and there are too many opportunities for good shots that I'd miss without a very compact camera with good glass. Canon makes some very nice ultracompacts, and they make nice photographs. I find this one makes better pics for me than any of the tiny PowerShots I've ever had. If I'm planning to do shooting, I have a little Lowepro bag that holds my G10, and images from that camera blow this thing into the weeds. But you try carrying that thing around all day. This little camera is last year's tech, I got it insanely cheap (under $50) and for that price it has given me some wonderful shots--not just family shots but actual fun photography. If you want to "daily carry" a little more photographic firepower than a Digital Elph and don't mind the slight added bulk that Leica zoom lens adds, this little guy is a really good buy. There are plenty of shots it won't get. Hell, the G10 is limited too. But I WILL NOT lug an SLR kit around the countryside. Who wants to spend their leisure hours worrying about what to do with a couple thousand dollars worth of camera and lenses when they should be enjoying themselves? By being small enough for constant purse or pocket carry, you will gain many more shots than you miss for lack of capability.

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I bought this camera after playing with an older version and I have been using this little gem a lot for over 2 years. I compared and researched a lot and the promises were high enough to warrant buying… it. Performance: The pictures are really good and the ISO settings allow a lot of flexibility. The video is 720P and seems to have no limit on how long you can shoot. It plays really smooth and the sound is really good as long as you remember to keep your left index finger off the mic. You can even zoom in and out while you are shooting but the focus can sometimes go in and out rarely. I put in a 16GB card and it will use all of it no sweat so I have no idea what the memory size limit is. I purchased an extra battery and they perform pretty well. The camera comes with a recharger and battery that easily pop in and out. Everything seems to be very well built including the standard tripod mount. I am currently upgrading to a professional level camera but I will never part with this reliable compact gem. [...].

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