Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 Concise Review, April 2008
Lars Rehm

Panasonic launched the original 'Travel Zoom' TZ1 back in February 2006. In 2007 came the TZ3 and now, almost exactly one year later, Panasonic brings us the third generation of this popular series in the shape of the TZ5 (The TZ2 and TZ4 are the smaller sister models of the TZ3 and TZ5 respectively). Like its predecessors it offers a stabilized big zoom lens in a very compact package.

With the new model Panasonic has stuck to the tried and tested TZ formula and only implemented a relatively small number of modifications. As one would expect sensor resolution was increased (from 7.2 to 9.1MP on a marginally larger sensor) and so was the resolution of the 3.0" screen (from 230K to 460K pixels). Additionally the in-camera computing is now powered by Panasonic's latest generation imaging engine - the Venus IV. However, the most interesting new feature is the HD video capability. The TZ5 can now capture video in a resolution of 1280x720 at 30fps in a 16:9 format.

In the digital age a product cycle of 12 months almost seems like an eternity. Has Panasonic made good use of the time and managed to iron out some some of the image quality issues that let the otherwise superb previous TZ generations down? Let's find out, starting as usual with the headline specification:

• 9.1 million effective pixel / 10.7 million pixels total 1/2.33" CCD
• 10x (28-280mm equiv.) Leica DC Vario-Elmarit optical zoom
• MEGA OIS image stabilization
• 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 aspect ratios
• Venus IV Engine processor
• High Resolution (460,000 pixel) 3.0-inch LCD
• Movies up to 1280 x 720 pixels (HD) @ 30 fps
• 22 scene modes plus a 'clipboard' mode for travelers

Note: While we working on this review Panasonic has launched the Lumix TZ50 which is essentially a TZ5 with Wi-Fi capability which allows users to upload images directly to their Picasa Web Albums. The TZ50 comes with a year's free use of T-Mobile's Hotspot service in the US. There is no word yet on a similar package for European customers.

DMC-TZ5 specifications

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

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