Customer Reviews
Much better than TZ3 
2008-08-20
There is a very good improvement compare to the TZ3, with a new backlight tool, less possiblities on the rotating button (too much in the TZ3), more natural colors, and finally with the maximum digital zoom, we still have a good picture (3M).
Ok but not perfect 2008-08-19
The good:
- 10X zoom
- HD movies with zoom
- 10MP
- compact and light
The bad:
- lens not as good as my previous 5MP Canon
- photos blurrier than previous 5MP Canon
- AI feature works only now and then
- must use camera at 200 ISO to get quality pictures
- autofocus feature in HD movies works badly
A fantastic buy for the money 
2008-08-17
The quality of the camera makes this a purchase on which you can't go wrong.
Great camera! Great seller! 2008-08-17
Received camera on time, good seller to do business with.
Camera is just great so far. Some people complain about the audio sounding muffled but might not realize the microphone is on the top left where many people automatically place their finger. Just be careful for this spot. Great camera, in love with the video quality for the price!
Excellent Point & Shoot 2008-08-15
As a REALTOR, this camera allows me to take any shot of any room or house whether or not there is adequate lighting. The 28mm wide angle is certainly noticeable when standing at a doorway of a 10x10 room. The Zoom is wonderful when standing on a corner of a 5 acre lot.
Simply put, an outstanding camera! 2008-08-15
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). f=4.6-46mm (35mm equiv - 28-280mm) Focal Length 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 (High Sensitivity Mode - Auto(1600 - 6400) ) ISO 27MB Internal Memory (additional memory recommended to store more photos and video) Built-in Microphone and Speaker SD/SDHC, MultiMedia Card Slot Built-in Flash with Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off modes DC Input, AV Output (NTSC/PAL), HD AV Output (Component), USB Connections PictBridge Compatible Approximate Battery Life - 300 Shots (CIPA Standard) Approximate Unit Weight - 0.507 lbs
You (and your kids) deserve a better camera than this one 
2008-08-14
After reviewing my first set of prints, I decided to return this camera. I really wanted to love this camera. Compact body (fits in pocket nicely), 10X zoom, and intelligent auto focus. What's not to love? However, the picture quality and color were only so-so, and were especially worse in low light and indoor shots. Intelligent auto focus did not seem to work particularly well for me and was inconsistent (I could shoot the same shot multiple times and get different results). The deal breaker for me: Long first shot delay...which means you will miss a shot of your kids if it needs to be taken quicky (ex. kid on swing or kid petting animal). Also, many of the zoom shots were difficult to focus. A big dissapointment for me.
It's The Lens... 2008-08-13
Back before digital cameras, I had a 35mm and a bunch of lenses. I have the 55mm that came with the camera, a 35mm wide angle and a 150mm telephoto. Later on, I got a 28mm to 60mm wide angle zoom and a few years after that, I got a 135mm to 230mm telephoto zoom. I had a whole bag full os lenses. It took a while to get anything on film because it took minutes to ponder the shot, get all the hardware assembled and take it. Then, that was pretty much state of the art in amature photography...
During the digital age, I had a few Sony Mavika cameras that were horrible cameras, but had a long zoom lense on them. They were big and heavy and shot 1.3mp to 2.0mp shots. I then got a little Cannon that was a great little pocket camera but only had a 3X zoom and didn't do it. I then got a Kodak that had a 10X zoom, but it didn't have anything close to a wide angle. I still have most of that hardware and all of it put together cannot hold a candle to this new Panasonic TZ5K.
This one little Panasonic pocket camera does everything that all that bag of expensive 35mm hardware, and all those digital cameras, do and much more. I have never seen another camera, especially one that you can put in your pocket, that has such a high quality 28mm wide angle with a 10X zoom to 280mm.
It has amazing features that I have never seen on a camera before, but this is the first camera I have purhased one in a couple of years. I especially like the ability to add a 5 sec. voice clip along with the picture so you can remember what the shot was all about. Some of the reviews I have read say it has issues with some of the quality standards, but all I see is wonderful pictures...
For a full range, take every picture you will probably want, and still fit in your pocket, this is the only camera I have found that works.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A 2008-08-12
As a Home Inspector, I really like this Lumix camera. I only hope it lasts longer then the TZ1 (1.5 yrs old)before it just froze up, and then when I pulled the battery and reinserted it the TZ1 would not turn on ever again.
Wonderful camera 2008-08-12
I did extensive research before purchasing a digital camera. I wanted a well-known brand with all the features that I could possibly get at a reasonable price. This camera satisfied that exactly. While it is pricier than some of the other new cameras coming into play recently, you certainly get what you pay for. I was much impressed at the tremendous zoom power that this camera offers. I took a few sample photos in my backyard just to test out the camera and play around a bit. I was truly amazed that I could zoom in and see every fiber/hair on some of the plants in my yard. The clear, distinct picture taken certainly looked professional grade, and the clarity of the picture was unbelievable. The pictures taken were so crystal clear that they almost didn't look real! I am very impressed with the performance of this camera and look forward to preserving all of my memories in beautifully captured pictures.
On a side note, one thing that kind of stinks about the camera is while it provides a large digital screen to view the pictures, it is so large that there really isn't very much space around it to put your fingers to hold the camera, so it always seems that I am touching the screen and leaving fingerprints all over it (and I have TINY sized hands, too). Easy fix, I can simply wipe off the fingerprints, but it can get annoying at times having to do it so often.
