Panasonic DMC-LZ5-S 6.0 Megapixel Lumix Digital Camera

Functional And Fun

Panasonic has packed a lot of terrific features into the handy little DMCLZ5S. The 6 megapixel camera features a 6x optical zoom lens in an extremely compact body. The Venus Engine Plus is a more energy efficient version of the Venus Engine II. It features outstanding high-speed response to help you capture beautiful shots instantly and efficiently. This small camera boasts a large, easy-to-see LCD monitor, and it runs on two AA batteries, so you can pick up spares just about anywhere. A mode dial makes it easy to take beautiful shots in almost any situation. Or choose Simple Mode and just aim and shoot. Even first-time users can take great photos. A variety of Scene Mode settings optimize baby portraits, night scenes, and more. A Widescreen 16:9 modes lets you shoot in widescreen (16:9 aspect ratio), so that you can achieve bold, panoramic images that are perfect for dramatic, wide prints. Plus, you can view photos as full screen images on your widescreen TV. Advanced functions such as white balance fine adjustment, exposure compensation and High Speed AF for quicker, easier focusing give you more shooting flexibility and fun.

MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer

Jitter from shaky hands is one of the main reasons why cameras produce blurry images. You can't expect everyone to have hands of stone when taking pictures -- that's why the DMCLZ5S helps solve the problem of unsteady hands with advanced MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer technology. The camera has a built-in gyrosensor that detects any hand movement and relays a signal to a tiny microcomputer inside the camera, which instantly calculates the compensation needed. A linear motor then shifts the Optical Image Stabilizer lens as necessary to guide incoming light from the image straight to the CCD. You won't even notice it working -- all you see are the outstanding results.

High Sensitivity Mode

In most situations Mega Optical Image Stabilization is all you need for crisp, sharp shots. But sometimes, in a dark setting or when the subject is moving, shooting at a faster speed is required for truly great results. That's why the DMCLZ5S offers a High Sensitivity Mode. When combined with OIS, this remarkable shooting mode allows you to shoot at up to ISO 1600. And that means stop-action clarity in nearly any situation.

Consecutive Shooting

The DMCLZ5S's consecutive shooting feature lets you take up to 5 images in Standard Mode and 3 images in Fine Mode with full resolution. In addition, the Unlimited Consecutive Shooting function lets you continue shooting until the memory card or built-in memory is full. All this is made possible by the Venus Engine Plus, which reduces power consumption by about 50 percent compared with the previous Venus Engine. The multi-task image processing in the Venus Engine Plus LSI has accelerated response speed, giving you more comfortable shooting with a release time lag of 0.008 second minimum.

Two Convenient Power Sources

The DMCLZ5S can be powered by two AA alkaline or two rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries. Two Panasonic Oxyride batteries that allow you to take up to 235 photos are included in the package. Alkaline batteries let you take about 175 photos and nickel-metal hydride batteries allow up to 390 photos.

Built-In Memory

Sometime, you may be caught with a full SD memory card, but you want to keep shooting pictures. Luckily, the DMCLZ5S has built-in memory. The built-in memory holds up to 14 MB of image data, which you can later load to an SD Memory Card or PC. You can also download images from a memory card or PC to the built-in memory, and view them on the LCD anytime you like.

Included With Purchase

Two AA Oxyride batteries, USB cable, AV cable, strap, ArcSoft PhotoImpression, AcrSoft PhotoBase software, USB driver, Lumix Simple Viewer software.

Write A Review

6mp Panasonic (October 03, 2006)

Ease of Use		(5/5.0)
Value		(5/5.0)
Performance		(4/5.0)
Overall Rating		(4/5.0)

Reviewed By: Aaron P. - Fort Lauderdale, Florida

This was my second digital camera purchase and I wanted an upgrade from my small 2mp Minolta Dimage. I wanted to be able to take quality pictures and my wife and I decided that photo quality was more important than size. This camera is larger than some competitors, but does have a great Leica lens. On our first trip we took over 300 pictures and were very happy with the photo results. It is fortunate that the photos turn out better than the LCD image otherwise it would have been returned immediately. I expected Leica to provide the optics, which they did, and Panasonic to provide the electronics and LCD. The LCD is a grainy picture on the large 2.5 LCD and I think Panasonic needs to improve their contribution to the camera. The camera does operate slower than I would like between pictures, especially when using the flash. Battery life with 2AA bateries seems adequate over 100 photos and I try to keep rechargeable spares. I accidentally tested the durability by dropping the camera from waist height onto the pavement in front of the Washington Monument and came away with small scracthes to the plastic body.

The 6x optical zoom is excellent, photos are good even when zooming in with the digital zoom. I was able to zoom in on some wildlife that was around 100 yards away and get a good photo. Weve enlarged some scenery photos to 12x18 inch size and were pleased enough with the results to frame them. I havent mastered the different settings on the camera, but it appears to have features that I can use to expand my knowledge of photography.

I would eventually like to purchase a larger camera with more zoom and resolution for wildlife photography. Panasonic makes models that would fit that need. Ill definitely consider them for the next purchase due to the quality of lens, the sell will depend on how the improve the electronics.

In summary my wife and I wanted a portable camera small enough to fit in a purse, maybe not a pocket, with an extended zoom, high resolution, take quality pictures, and be less than $250. I think the Lumix does a good job meeting those needs.
Positive
- Leica lens
- optical zoom
- ease of use
- cost

Negative
- delay between photos
- LCD display
- not impressed with the photo software provided

Great camera (April 28, 2006)

Ease of Use		(4/5.0)
Value		(5/5.0)
Performance		(3/5.0)
Overall Rating		(4/5.0)

Reviewed By: Chang L. - Sunnyvale, CA

Got this camera to replace my aging Kodak camera just before we went on vacation. I am really please with this camera.
My requirements for a new camera were a good optical zoom, anti-shake, video and voice recording. We took about 700 pictures and there were very few blur less than 10 pictures! The zoom x6 is sufficient for most situation and works hand in hand with the anti-shake feature. The video recording was handy too.
One complain that I have is the recharge cycle takes a couple of seconds and the display is blank for that duration. Also the LCD display resolution is on the low side. Overall, I am very happy with this camera.

Comparison Specifications

6.0 Megapixels (Effective)
Recording Media: 14MB Internal Memory, SD Memory Card, Multimedia Card
6x Optical Zoom, 4x Digital Zoom
Shoots 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 Aspect Ratios, Motion JPEG
Built-In Flash: Auto, Auto/Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-Eye Reduction, Forced On/Off
Motion JPEG Mode (4:3 Aspect Ratio Mode): 640 x 480, 320 x 240 Pixel Sizes
2.5" Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD Display
USB Connection, DC Input, A/V Output (NTSC/PAL)

Additional Specifications

Lumix DC Vario Lens: 8 Elements in 7 Groups
MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer with 2 Modes
AF Metering: 1 Point, 1 Point High Speed, 3 Point High Speed, 5 Points, Spot
Auto Focus System: Normal/Macro (Dial), AF Assist Lamp
10 Second/2 Second Self Timer, Scene Mode Help Screen, Auto Angle Detection
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400 (High Sensitivity Mode: 800 - 1600)
White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Halogen, White Set, White Balance Adjustment
Exposure Compensation: 1/3 EV Steps, +/- 2 EV
Auto Bracketing (AE): +/- 3EV-1EV Step, 3 Frames
Intelligent Multiple Light Metering

Manufacturer Specifications

Mega Burst Shooting Mode, Unlimited Consecutive Shooting
Still Image Recording with Audio (5 Seconds)
Audio Dubbing (Maximum of 10 Seconds)
Real-Time Histograms, Composition Guide Lines
PictBridge Direct Print Compatible
Image Sizes Ranging from 2816 x 2112 to 640 x 480
Playback Modes: Thumbnail (3), Zoom, Rotation, Slide Show, Favorites, Resize, Trim, Copy
Includes 2 Oxyride AA Batteries, Also Uses AA Ni-MH Rechargeables and Alkaline Batteries
Scene Modes: Simple, Normal, Economy, Macro, 17 Scene Modes, Moving Image, Playback
Color Effect Modes: Cool, Warm, B&W, Sepia, Picture Adjustment: Natural, Standard, Vivid