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I purchased this camera used on eBay about two months ago. Since then, I've had the opportunity to challenge it in a variety of situations. It has come through with shining colors(?). First of all, I was amazed at the size. I never imagined you could have so many features in such a compact package, I can't begin to list them all, and it excels in every one of them. I suggest you go on an eBay sale site to check it out, as well as the other offerings from Panasonic & eBay. The 'full range' zoom capabilities are incredible, with 4x optical, 12x digital & 5MP. If you like simplicity, you'll love the 'heart' on the selector wheel. It's fully automatic, just point & shoot. I like the rechargeable battery option over double A's, as well as, the ease of access & rapid recharge. It's one sweet package & they can be picked up quite reasonable on eBay. Some even come with all the original accessories in the box! I don't believe you can go wrong for a "beginners" camera. I have my eye on a Panasonic upgrade, I can only imagine the capabilities stepping up to a more advanced camera. I was introduced to the Panasonic line of cameras from the advice of a friend. I've discovered that there is a huge difference in the performance quality of 'real camera' technologies over the claims(?) of other inferior brands. I've always trusted in the Panasonic name for many years & it's quite obvious that they're still putting great products out there at very competitive prices.Read full review
like -- light, easy to use, quick on, battery lasts forever, nice ability to take videos, photo quality is great dislikes - it occasionally, (actually rarely, about 5 times in 1500 pictures) does not focus on the image it is taking. -it has a max capacity for only 1Gig SD cards, which is kind of small these days (but available pretty cheap.) However, in several outings with my kids, I have taken hundreds of photos and not filled it up. (take a 30 minute video might do it though.)
A true digital SLR, unlike the newer Panasonics. The image quality is superb; and yes, you can use additional lenses with it with an extra attachment between them and the camera as a spacer. I have closeup, wide angle, and a telephoto that work with this camera. If you are after still photos, this is as good or better than any newer camera on the market. If I want video I use a video camera rather than try to use my still camera for both, and that's where most of the improvements in the newer cameras are at. For the price, this one can't be beat, and the newer panasonics are all mirror technology and not SLR. There are reasons why the pros aren't using the mirror cameras.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ5 is an older digital camera that occupies a middle ground between entry level point & shoots(P&S)and much more expensive digital single lens reflex (DSLR) cameras. These are often generically referred to as 'bridge' cameras or 'super zooms' because of their long maximum focal lengths. At a glance, the DMC-FZ5 looks like a mini DSLR, but make no mistake. It's design has much more in common with lower end p&s cameras than higher end DSLRs in that it has a fixed lens (albeit a pretty nice one) and does not use a pentaprism or pentamirror system in its viewfinder. Instead, the user can choose between the 1.8-inch LCD screen or a small electronic viewfinder. The positioning of said viewfinder at the extreme upper left corner of the camera's rear is a little counter-intuitive at first glance, but it does put the right hand in a comfortable position relative to one's nose. This is actually a good thing, once you get used to it, because the camera overall feels a bit cramped in my hands, which are not terribly large. But then, I'm more accustomed to shooting with a full size SLR. One thing that seems oversize, relative to the camera body, is the lens, which is about the size of a full size SLR lens. The lens is excellent by p&S standards. The 12x zoom has a focal length of 6-72mm, which the manufacturer states is equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm SLR. The lens also boasts a decent speed of 1:2.8-3.3. These numbers are fairly close to those for my Minolta Dimage Z1. The other point of interest about this lens is that it sports the venerable Leica name, but don't be overly impressed by it. This lens has never seen the inside of a Leica factory and any resemblance to a true Leica product is purely coincidental. Panasonic merely licensed the name and Leica, which in turn approves the design of the lens. This is actually a fairly common practice. Sony licenses the Carl Zeiss brand for some of its lenses and Samsung bundles Pentax lenses rebadged as Schneider-Kreutznach with its Pentax-made DSLRs. It should also noted here that Leica's own lenses typically carry the name of its parent company, Leitz. Despite the name game, the lens really is pretty decent. Included with the camera is a tulip-petal lens shade, which snaps onto the end of the included filter adapter, which accepts standard 52mm filters. A polarizing filter to help reduce unwanted glare and reflections in brightly lit conditions and a UV haze filter and to protect the lens from damage are must-have accessories. One welcome feature the FZ5 borrows from DSLR cameras is that it uses buttons, switches, and dials, strategically positioned on the back and top of the camera, to access the most frequently used controls. This avoids unnecessary menu diving. The menus themselves are relatively well laid out once you grow accustomed to the four-way multifunction button on the back, which lacks an 'ok' button in the middle. Instead, the menus prompt the user to press the right side of the button to accept a menu choice. The camera uses a proprietary 7.2v lithium ion battery that takes up less than half the space of four AA batteries. The camera stores data on an SD card. The literature states a maximum capacity is 1GB, but 2GB cards work just fine and will store about 700 images at full 5 megapixel resolution, which is sufficient for up to an 8x10 enlargement with minimal cropping. With realistic expectations, this highly capable, advanced p&s camera will not disappoint.Read full review
Was just looking to replace my rain damaged Nikon 4800 which has very similar specs. Buy, was I surprised. Better Lens, Better focus, much better screen, and BETTER SHARPER PHOTOS! Biggest surprise..It takes really good photos with or without the flash indoors so that I cannot see any difference between the shots. Also I took a picture in semi dark living room 20 feet away with flash and the result was a clear good photo with nice rendition of colors. My wife said "Scary" when she saw to shot. Worth every penny
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