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Panasonic 12.1 Megapixels Lumix DMC-ZS5 (aka TZ8) Review by PB With Rating 4/5

2010-03-02 08:45 | Tag:  Panasonic  Rating  Lumix  Megapixels  Review  | Source
Average Camera Review Rating [6 reviews]
On February 11 2010, Panasonic announced the 4 new cameras - the Lumix TS2 (aka FT2), ZS7 (aka TZ10), ZS5 (aka TZ8), and ZR3 (aka ZX3). Panasonic also announces today that all of the models will begin shipping in mid-March.

Successor to the hugely popular DMC-ZS1 (aka TZ6), Panasonic's new DMC-ZS5 (aka TZ8) comes with an optically stabilised 25-300mm lens in a compact body that offers 12.1 megapixels of resolution and manual exposure control. Comprising 10 elements in 8 groups, including 2 ED lenses and 2 aspherical lenses with 3 aspherical surfaces, and utilising new lens material in its design, this advanced lens unit realizes the outstandingly slim and compact body while passing Leica's stringent standards to deliver exceptional optical performance, the company claims. The new model has a 14.5-megapixel CCD and shoots with up to 12.1-megapixel resolution. The ZS5 features A, S and M exposure modes for creative photographers. 720p HD movie recording and SDXC support round off the features list. Availability is slated for mid March and will be priced at $299.95. Here is the summary of a recent review by PhotographyBLOG, giving the camera a rating of 4 out of 5:

"
The Lumix DMC-TZ8 is a solid addition to Panasonic's travel-zoom camera lineup, but we'd rather save up some extra pennies for its more accomplished bigger brother, the TZ10, which additionally offers GPS tracking, a better LCD screen and AVCHD movies with stereo sound. 
Every manufacturer now offers a camera that has a big zoom range but is still small enough to fit into your pocket, so Panasonic no longer has this particular market to itself. Several rivals have also recently introduced manual controls, so Panasonic have inevitably responded in kind with the very welcome addition of A, S and M shooting modes, by far the biggest reason to upgrade to this new model. Creative photographers will love the extra flexibility, although sadly there's no RAW mode to really sweeten the deal. Beginners shouldn't be scared off the TZ8, as Panasonic's excellent hand-holding Intelligent Auto mode is present and correct.

The TZ8's 12x zoom lens in particular is a real attraction, providing both an ultra-wide 25mm angle of view and a 300mm telephoto setting that really will cover virtually every photographic situation that you'll encounter. The icing on the cake is the apparent lack of distortion at ether end of the range, no mean feat for such a small folded optic. The inevitable increase from a 10 to 12 megapixel sensor doesn't make too much real-world difference and thankfully hasn't come at the expense of image quality, with the TZ8 maintaining similar noise performance as the TZ6 at comparable ISO speeds. I'd be happy to use ISO 100-400 for most photos, with ISO 800 reserved for low-light situations, on a par with most of its main competitors.

The most obvious signs of cost-cutting on the TZ8 are the LCD screen, with a rather average 2.7 inch size and 230k resolution, and most notably the HD video mode. Whilst the TZ8 does offer a 720p, 1280x720 pixel video mode, it doesn't compare well to either the TZ10 or even the older TZ7 model. The Motion JPEG files become very large very quickly, there's no dedicated Movie button, Intelligent Auto mode for movies, stereo sound or HDMI port, and the zoom is still slower than for still images. THe TZ7 has a better screen and video mode than the newer TZ8, so it's still well worth tracking down if you don't need the extra bells and whistles of the range-topping TZ10. 
Which leaves the TZ8 caught a little stranded between the best models of the previous range and the new 2010 lineup, especially if you're more interested in shooting video than getting creative with the new A/S/M modes. Add in a price increase on launch from the comparable TZ6, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 is a likeable if not spectacular travel-zoom that's till worth a look.
"

Panasonic DMC-ZS5 Sample Photos on Flickr





Panasonic DMC-ZS5 Camera Reviews Roundup

TrustedReviews: "When the camera does decide the conditions are at optimum levels the images returned are superbly sharp, putting a number of similarly specified cameras to shame. With a multi-zone focusing system the frame quickly becomes filled with green squares, making it clear which portion will be concentrated on. When in manual mode a half press of the shutter also gives an exposure preview, which is a handy way of determinin..." - Jun 24 2010 More »
CNET: "The TZ10 comes with a choice of recording movies in AVCHD Lite or regular Motion JPEG formats, whereas the TZ8 only shoots Motion JPEG. The key point here is that both cameras can shoot standard 1,280x720-pixel HD movies, and many users will opt for the Motion JPEG format anyway. AVCHD Lite is more efficient, but it comes with a complex file structure and demands compatible software and hardware. The Motion JPEG for..." - Jun 03 2010 More »
MacWorld: "A camera's digital zoom is rarely worth mentioning, but the DMC-ZS5's enhanced digital zoom feature is an exception. Thanks to some refined in-camera trickery, the Intelligent Zoom and Intelligent Resolution features of the DMC-ZS5 expand the zoom range to a simulated 16X, boosting the telephoto end to a virtual 400mm. Normally, a camera's digital zoom will simply crop an image and blow it up, pixelating the mess in..." - May 28 2010 More »
TechRadar: "If you're looking for a neat compact with reliable auto exposure and AF performance, a quality lens and an easy-to-use HD movie mode, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 is a good choice, and reasonable value at £250.We liked: The Leica 25-300mm lens is a beauty, delivering good wide angle performance. The intelligent exposure and AF widgets make it very hard to take a bad picture with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8..." - Mar 13 2010 More »
Pocket-lint: "The TZ8 is a pleasure to use overall. The size and the range of features on offer in this package are backed up by good overall performance. Manual controls are on the fiddly side compared with something like the Canon PowerShot S90, but we'd rather have them than not. The chances are, however, that most will be drawn to the TZ8 by its impressive zoom and use it in auto mode. There is plenty of detail in shots..." - Mar 12 2010 More »
InfoSync: "After an extensive jaunt with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5, it became apparent that this camera was a Manual control performer. With a shutter speed that descended to 60-seconds, we could actually shoot into the pitch-black night sky and achieve a fairly decent exposure, as highlighted in our final image sample. Although we had a tight aperture range to play with (f/3.3 - f/6.3), and ISO only reached 1600 (outside of..." - Mar 07 2010 More »
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