Customer Reviews
Easy to use, fun and best of all takes great pictures! 
2008-07-08
I love this camera. It's so easy to use. The IA (Intelligent Auto) mode really works! I was taking a picture of my son jumping up and down and it sensed movement and automatically adjusted it's settings so the shot came out crystal clear.
There are many Scene settings and it's nice that there is a Scene 1 and a a Scene 2 as a mode choice so that way you can switch quickly to saved settings that you use a lot.
Colors really turn out life-like. The only negative I can say about this camera is that sometimes, you get some wierd coloration. I'm not sure what causes this, but it does happen. There have been complaints about this on other posts, and I wouldn't be surprised if Panasonic will be coming out with a firmware update that fixes this.
The HD Movies look great on my 19inch computer screen, however I haven't been able to get them to display on my plasma TV because I don't own one of those special cables. One complaint, however is that sometimes the movies go in and out of focus.
All said, this is a great "Point and Shoot" camera because it does all the work for you. Easy to use and fantastic pictures, what else could you want in a "Point and Shoot"? Hopefully, Panasonic will come out with a firmware update to correct the couple of issues I mentioned earlier.
The Best Compact Digital Camera I Have Seen So Far 
2008-07-04
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9.1 Megapixel digital camera is truly in a class by itself. It is the best compact digital camera I have seen so far, and strongly recommended it to a relative. My relative is enjoying hers now, and I have been quite impressed with the results. This camera performs superbly under both bright and low light conditions without a flash, certainly an impressive result for a camera as small and compact as this. Pictures have ample contrast and resolution, though tending slightly to the warm side. While she hasn't tried the HD video application yet, I wouldn't be surprised if the contrast and resolution is identical with still pictures. Without question, the Leica zoom lens is a fine performer and is a primary reason why you ought to buy this camera. Without indulging too much in hype, I can say with utmost certainty that Panasonic and Leica have hit a home run with this splendid little camera.
Best Camera I've Seen. Pretty awesome. 2008-07-02
I won't bore you with lists of features and whatnot since many other reviewers have gone through this. I am by no means a camera person... in fact I know very little about photography. I just wanted a nice camera to shoot pictures next year in college. My camera arrived in the mail yesterday, and I immediately went out to play with it and shoot some pictures. It was VERY impressive. All of my pictures were very crisp and clear, and they looked like they were taken by a professional or something. They really looked THAT good, and this is coming from someone that knows jack squat about taking pictures.. ive always just been point and shoot kind of person. This camera just has a lot of things normal cameras don't have.. 10x zoom, HD VIDEO, wide lens, intelligent auto system. I think it is the ultimate point and shoot camera. My family has owned 4 digital cameras over the last 4 years or so, and this one by far is the best.
Also the HD VIDEO is incredible! I saw that its gotten a lot of negative reviews, but I was actually impressed by it. Maybe its because my camcorder at home is a little old I am more biased. But honestly, I will have no need for that camcorder anymore with the Lumix. I found the quality of the HD VIDEO to be pretty amazing and it looks really nice when watching it on the computer or camera. However, you will need to take contious focusing off because it constantly makes the video blurry then not blurry and back and forth.
OVERALL.. very pleased!!!!
The best 2008-07-02
After reading lots of reviews (including here) for a number of cameras in this price range, I decided to buy this camera. Though I haven't tried all its features yet, I know I made the right choice. It is perfect for casual photography, since this particular Lumix gives accurate colors and offers lots of simple ways to adjust light, color, focus, shutter speed, and more. The 10x zoom is also a big plus, along with the large, bright viewing screen, which provides all the technical information you could need to take decent photos. In addition to all this, it takes pretty decent movies, including HD, widescreen format. Be aware, though, that those who plan to shoot lots of HD movies will need to buy an 8GB or 16GB SDHC card (preferably class 6). For those content with normal movie setting, a 4GB card will be sufficient. If you are considering the less-expensive Lumix DMC-TZ4K, the small additional cost (on Amazon, at least) for the TZ5K is money well spent, considering the differences in the two cameras. For my money, the larger LCD screen alone seals the deal.... A note to the few who have complained about audio quality in movies: First, Panasonic placed the microphone on the top left, which is less than ideal; one has to be careful not to cover it with the left index finger. Second, a high-quality, professional microphone is more than one should expect, as it would significantly increase the price of the camera, as well as its size. In short, this camera is highly recommended
Love it!!!! 2008-07-02
Just got my camera and I've been playing with it for a couple of hours now and I just have to say I love it!!! It has a large variety of options that comes in handy if you want to take different types of pictures. It's really fast as well, start up time is super quick, before I can even turn the camera over to look at the screen it's already on. The LCD screen is gorgeous, super clear and vibrant. Video capture is great, but the mic. could be placed better, to allow for better sound, but it's still very nice. I have to say I thought the camera was thinner, but it's still quite thin. All in all I love it, I've done digital photography in the past and I have to say I've finally found a camera that is good enough to do what I want to do, without breaking the bank.
Horrible quality - not a good choice 
2008-07-01
9-megapixel effective recording * 10X optical zoom (4X digital/40X total zoom) * 3" color LCD screen with automatic 10-step brightness adjustment * optical image stabilization * wide-angle lens for shooting landscapes and large groups * 35mm equivalent focal length: 28-280mm * top JPEG resolution: 3648 x 2736 * face detection adjusts focus and exposure settings for better portraits * scene recognition identifies shooting conditions and selects optimal settings * intelligent ISO detects subject movement and adjusts camera settings to prevent blur * high sensitivity mode for better low-light and flash-free shooting * variable ISO sensitivity (film speed equivalent) settings * variable burst mode lets you select shooting resolution and speed (up to 10 frames per second) *
Nearly perfect in every way. 2008-06-30
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5K 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I've had and used my new TZ5 for a month. While I'm not entirely comfortable with using the digital view screen instead of an optical view port, my pictures haven't suffered at all. Accurate exposures, detailed images rich with natural color, all without any fussing at all has made taking pictures fun again. I'm sure the various scene choices and all the other automation do help the camera make appropriate exposure and focus decisions. But, I'd be hard pressed to prove it true or untrue. Everything simply looks great.
I'm recommending the TX5 to anyone who asks, and I do get questions because of that large cyclops-like lens and the attractive black body. It's not your average looking camera.
Outstanding camera w/excellent features 2008-06-30
Have used this little wonder for the past 6 weeks -- the wide angle lens with the 10x optical zoom are amazing, controls are easily found in the menu's-- feature rich camera in a very compact media. this is a camera I will use for quite sometime-- it has every ability to photograph that I can utilize for years to come.
Couldn't be more pleased. 2008-06-27
This camera is fantastic. The Intelligent Auto feature works very well. Though I suggest turning if off for nighttime photos and instead fiddling with whatever setting works best in your lighting environment.
The zoom is incredible for a camera of this price that doesn't require a lens. You're not going to find a better zoom. Trust me. And it comes in extremely handy.
The video records well enough. The autofocus can cause some temporary blurring, but whatever, it's a photo camera, not a video camera.
The LCD screen is very big. I've had lots of people comment on how big it is. (The LCD screen.)
The only draw back is it is bigger than other similar cameras; as a guy, this is no problem, as it still fits comfortably in my jean pocket. If you are a girl and want something that is cute & tiny, this isn't for you.
I recommend getting the 16GB Transcend card with it. There is probably a link on this page. I bought it just because I was going on a two-week vacation and didn't want to have to worry about running out of space. For the price, you can't beat the convenience of knowing that even if you are shooting lots of video on vacation you probably won't run out of memory.
Battery life is fine. I'd go out for a day with a full battery and take hundreds of pics and wouldn't have to worry about conserving battery. Just make sure you buy a spare though for if you have a day outing on a non-full battery. I bought one of the non-Panasonic spares here on Amazon and it was sufficient.
I highly recommend this product. I can't imagine a better camera in this price range. It's about as good as you'll get without going SLR.
Panasonic DMC-TZ5 2008-06-26
Great little camera, easy to use, and great feature set. Very compact for a camera with a 10X optical zoom. Operation is quite intuitive. A little larger than my compact Canon, but, a lot more lens (10X vs. 3X). Significantly smaller and easier to use than my Nikon 8800. Just about the perfect combination of lens (wide-angle to 10X Optical zoom) for me.
