The Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ5 with 10X optical zoom was purchased in May 2008 from Amazon to replace my outdated 6 year old 4.1 Megapixel Canon Elph. This review is based upon 6 MONTHS of use.

I wanted more than the 3X from conventional compact digital cameras. After traveling to places such as India, Portugal, and Cancun, for example, 3X is not versatile enough to capture some of the landscapes, landmarks and distant subjects that I wanted to capture.

To be honest, resolution was not a factor in purchasing a camera but with 9.1 Megapixels, this camera was more than adequate for my purposes since I only print 4x6" photographs.

OPERATION:

This camera is great as a point and shoot camera. Shutter lag is reasonable for a camera of this class, unlike others I experimented with before buying this one.

FEATURES

Battery life indicator: You may take this feature for granted but my prior camera (Canon Digital Elph), did not have a battery life indicator. When traveling, battery life is a very important factor so that you don't miss shots. I bought 2 spare batteries with my camera.

The 27 megabytes of internal memory is inadequate for any practical purpose allowing for only about 8-10 photos at high resolution or a few seconds of video.

This camera has a user friendly menu system that is easy to navigate given the 4 directional buttons and central menu/enter button. There are two scene modes, Intelligent automatic mode, movie mode, clipboard mode and custom mode. A quick menu button is great for on-the-fly adjustments.

The intelligent auto-mode is where I keep the camera, for a majority of photographs keeping the operation simple - this is the point and shoot mode for a majority of casual users, like myself. On this mode, picture size (9 MP, 5MP, 3MP and 0.3 MP), aspect ratio (4:3, 3:2, and 16:9), burst mode, and color mode (standard, natural, vivid, black/white and sepia), can be toggled in the menu.

The custom mode allows me to change other factors such as ISO, continuous auto focus, metering mode, white balance, audio recording, and intelligent exposure, to name a few.

The glass LCD has various modes to allow you to see the settings, a 9 segmented partition and no data. I like seeing a histogram in real time to determine the color range of the photograph.

The auto-focus mode has face detection, 3 area high speed, 1 area high speed, spot, 1 area, and 9 area. I personally keep it in face detection unless I am taking a photo of a landmark or other outdoor subject.

Movie mode is versatile and I use this as a back up camcorder for times when I want to take a quick video. However, due to the small microphone, the sound quality is not optimal for say, a piano recital or speech where sound is essential. The picture quality is excellent. The aspect ratio (4:3, 16:9), picture mode (30 fps/16:9 high or low quality 15 fps/16:9 high or low quality), white balance, metering mode and auto-focus mode can be adjusted.

QUALITY

Picture quality is excellent for the purposes of casual use (i.e. parties, performances, events, stills, pets, children, outdoors. Zoom photographs is limited by low light given the built in flash.

Movie mode is a versatile feature since it records in high definition 720p. The video format is in Quicktime mode. Image quality is limited by low light.

CONSTRUCTION:

The body is made of metal and has a nice heavier weight that allows me to hold it steady. The textured grip in the front allows me to operate the camera one handed.

A toggle switch allows the user to take photos or view the photos. This is a convenient and well thought out feature since cumbersome menus (or even multifunctioned buttons) on other cameras make this reviewer/user confused. This camera, once you understand what button to use doesn't require the user/operator to have to look at all of the buttons to operate it.

There are 3 output ports, including AV out/digital, component out and DC in. The battery cover is easy to open and close. The small Lithium battery and SD card fit in the same compartment. In the past 6 months of heavy use, I have not had problems with getting the battery or card out.

There is an eccentrically placed port to allow mounting on a tripod. The location is not useful for handheld tripods but works for conventional full featured tripods.

PROS

Image quality

10X zoom for a compact camera

720p HD quality movies

Solid construction

Vivid glass LCD screen

Menu system and 5 button navigation

Excellent battery life

Battery life indicator

CONS

Poor sound quality with video

Low light limitations with zoom and video

Wheel selection feature turns 360 degrees (needs to be 'locked' to operate)

Slightly heavier than its compact counterparts

RECOMMENDATIONS:

If you want to use this camera for HD video, I highly recommend SDHC memory cards. I purchased 2 Transcend SDHC cards with this camera:

Transcend 8 GB SDHC SD Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

The biggest pitfall I found (since I do not use the USB connection to upload to my computer) is transferring my photos using a USB card reader. The high capacity SD cards, SDHC, are recognized by the card reader. I bought the following reader since it can read my SDHC card and my old memory cards:

15-1 USB 2 (XD CAPABLE)

Instead of the Panasonic battery, the follow battery, I purchased, is a more economical alternative for a mere fraction of the cost of the original OEM:

Li-Ion Battery for Panasonic CGA-S007 / CGR-S007

If you want to use this camera for HD video, I highly recommend SDHC memory cards. I purchased 2 Transcend SDHC cards with this camera:

Transcend 8 GB SDHC SD Class 6 Flash Memory Card TS8GSDHC6E [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging]

Instead of the Panasonic battery, the follow battery, I purchased, is a more economical alternative for a mere fraction of the cost of the original OEM:

Li-Ion Battery for Panasonic CGA-S007 / CGR-S007

VERDICT

For the low price, versatility for a compact point and shoot, this camera goes above and beyond for its price point and is an excellent value.

Two thumbs up.

This camera is great! I took it to Yellowstone National Park last week and used this camera to take some great shots. The E-Zoom feature is excellent in being able to quickly zoom in on something like a bear that's 100 yards away.

Pros:

- The lens range is great as it has a very usable range from 28-280mm and is easy to use

- The timer is rather quick (10 sec) but works well and is easy to activate

- The mode dial is easy to use

- The 3" LCD screen is great, but does get difficult to see in the bright sunshine

Cons:

- The battery is unique and has to be taken out to be recharged, I recommend buying a spare and keeping it with you while using the camera for long periods of time

Overall the camera is an excellent product and I would highly recommend it (even more so after seeing the latest price reduction).

My father bought this camera and I was so impressed with it during his visit that I just had to share the fact that I bought one myself. The HD video is impressive - it has almost all of the functionality of a digital camcorder because you can zoom while shooting the action! This is great for sports plays or concerts. Also... IMPORTANT update for those buying this camera... There is a firmware update to improve its auto-focus. Go to http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-electronics/support/Drivers-and-Downloads/list-75480-Lumix+Digital+Cameras and then be sure to click on the link to get the detailed instructions for how to update your camera. I stumbled upon this info by accident and wanted to share it with you.

Back before digital cameras, I had a 35mm and a bunch of lenses. I have the 55mm that came with the camera, a 35mm wide angle and a 150mm telephoto. Later on, I got a 28mm to 60mm wide angle zoom and a few years after that, I got a 135mm to 230mm telephoto zoom. I had a whole bag full os lenses. It took a while to get anything on film because it took minutes to ponder the shot, get all the hardware assembled and take it. Then, that was pretty much state of the art in amature photography...

During the digital age, I had a few Sony Mavika cameras that were horrible cameras, but had a long zoom lense on them. They were big and heavy and shot 1.3mp to 2.0mp shots. I then got a little Cannon that was a great little pocket camera but only had a 3X zoom and didn't do it. I then got a Kodak that had a 10X zoom, but it didn't have anything close to a wide angle. I still have most of that hardware and all of it put together cannot hold a candle to this new Panasonic TZ5K.

This one little Panasonic pocket camera does everything that all that bag of expensive 35mm hardware, and all those digital cameras, do and much more. I have never seen another camera, especially one that you can put in your pocket, that has such a high quality 28mm wide angle with a 10X zoom to 280mm.

It has amazing features that I have never seen on a camera before, but this is the first camera I have purhased one in a couple of years. I especially like the ability to add a 5 sec. voice clip along with the picture so you can remember what the shot was all about. Some of the reviews I have read say it has issues with some of the quality standards, but all I see is wonderful pictures...

For a full range, take every picture you will probably want, and still fit in your pocket, this is the only camera I have found that works.

To view some photos I took with the Lumix TZ5 click on this link, and make sure you view in full screen::

http://www.photoworks.com/photo-sharing/shareSignin.jsp?shareCode=ACF7F02C5F5&cp=ems_shr_alb_pml&cb=PW

To view a video of "Frisky" the dog taken with the TZ5, click on this link:

http://www.vimeo.com/1461466

You'll see mixed reviews on the quality of the photos, but I find the quality outstanding for a compact camera, or for any camera for that matter. The photos that you'll see are all taken in the easy mode, which is called "IA" for Intelligent Auto, and they were all taken without flash - even the one inside the screened porch.

What I love most about this camera is it's ability to keep the subject in focus, even when the subject and/or the photographer is moving! I shot a butterfly fluttering around, with the zoom (in IA mode) and it came out perfectly in focus. The photo of the horse & buggy was also taken effortlessly in IA mode with the zoom. Photos from the airplane, perfect, even took a few from the moving car and there was no blur (not in the samples)! Amazing. Colors are bright and clear, and you can choose how vivid you want them to be. These photos were taken in "standard" color, incidentally. It picked up all the hues of the sunrise in the harbor and sunset on the beach.

The zoom works beautifully, very smooth and quiet. Again, automatic focus in zoom (and otherwise) is the best I've seen in any camera of this size and price range.

I love the wide angle lens. It captures so much more than I'm used to and gives a really nice, almost dimensional look to the photos.

The battery life is pretty good until you use the movie mode, and that does take a lot out of it. It's a good idea to have an extra one ready just in case.

The ergonomics are excellent, easy to shoot with one hand, and easy to navigate the menu.

The LCD screen, as you know, is one of the best out there. It works well in sunlight, and if the day is very bright, you can adjust the contrast and make the screen darker if needed. Beautiful resolution when playing back your photos on the LCD screen!

The movie feature is also quite good FOR A DIGITAL PHOTO CAMERA. The zoom is slow (which it states in the manual), but the pictures are clear. HD mode does take a lot of memory and battery obviously, but it's a great feature to have. I shot some whales from the shore with zoom at 10x and they came out pretty well even though they were quite far away (contact me if you'd like to see that video). I took the movie of Frisky indoors in the evening with the regular lighting in the home and it I think it looks very good.

In conclusion, I highly recommend the Panasonic DMC-TZ5. It is not a digital SLR, but has many of the features without the bulk or the price, so it's great for travel. I have an SLR and an older 5MP compact digital, but I never expected this much photo quality out of a compact.

Bravo Panasonic!

4.5 stars. After about a thousand shots I have found that this camera has really held up to my expectations. It takes great photos, it's easy to convince the camera what you want it to do, and focusing is a breeze compared to most P&S cameras I've owned and tried lately. And the screen on the back is nothing short of utterly beautiful--high resolution and large size make for easy picture taking and reviewing.

Performance:

I get good sharp photos on at least 80% of attempts (and I rarely use flash so that's quite something considering some of the conditions I shoot in). I typically use the Auto mode (dial selection with the red camera icon) and move the camera around to lock the exposure with a half-press of the shutter button. For nine out of ten tourist shots this works great, and it is pretty good in macro mode as well. It's sometimes difficult to convince it to use a faster shutter speed without using one of the other (virtually indecipherable) scene modes. I really wish I could specify a minimum shutter speed so I could guarantee an un-blurred shot.

As for the special scene modes, unless you need something in there that you can't set yourself, I suggest ignoring these unless you want to memorize a ridiculous array of special conditions for each mode. The complexity of what it enables and disables in each mode is ludicrous, there are even modes that limit the image size selection for no apparent reason. For example, in Intellegent Auto mode you can use any size except 7 MP... Whatever.

User Interface:

The user interface on this camera is second to none, extremely convenient access to most settings, and very easy to use. This one has even figured out how to put the red-eye flash settings in the same place as the other flash settings (why everybody doesn't do that I can't imagine). I NEVER find myself fumbling around trying to find a setting, almost everything I need regularly is a one-button toggle, or an easy quick-menu accessible with a single button press. One downside is that the mode dial selector is easy to accidentally move while pocketing the camera so if you're not paying attention you may likely shoot some pics in an unintended mode (this is perhaps the most significant problem I've had with this camera). One really nice thing about this camera is that the power switch is an actual switch and no other buttons or actions will turn on any function of the camera. This means it doesn't turn on accidentally in your pocket and waste batteries or extend the lens unnecessarily (a flaw that has Canon owners ruining lens motors at an alarming rate).

Optics:

While I was wishing they'd focused their efforts on a wider aperture lens (for more light gathering capability) rather than the super wide and super zoom features, I must say the optical range of this camera is incredible. I took a four day trip to NYC and I was never left wanting for wider angle shots or more telephoto. I took everything from cityscapes and zoomed pics of building tops to self portraits and wide macro close-ups, there was so much flexibility--more than any lens I've ever owned (SLR included). The macro works great too, and can focus on subjects amazingly close, you can get a full-frame picture of a quarter from a half inch away. I snapped a shot of a flower's innards and didn't even realize until I got home that I'd also captured a caterpillar buried deep within the folds of the flower's petals. Incredible. One downside to the super-wide aspect though, you'll notice a significant distortion around the edges where the fisheye effect is quite apparent, especially in city-scapes with parallel buildings that appear to tilt toward each other. I was able to correct this somewhat by not zooming to the fully-wide setting.

Battery:

Battery life seems to be quite good. On first charge I shot over 300 pics and the battery indicator still read full. I was afraid that it would suddenly decline leaving me with little warning, but 300 pics is pretty good anyway. Now, after a four-day vacation snapping upwards of 250 photos a day, the longest day concluded with one of three battery bars depleted, two bars remaining. If that's a reasonable estimation of remaining power then I am suitably impressed. For reference, I use stabilizer mode 2 (on all the time), continuous focus mode OFF, and flash on maybe 5% of my pictures. I also turn it off between shots if it's going to be a minute or more.

One note for new buyers: The battery does not come pre-charged, so be prepared to spend two hours reading the manual while your battery charges before you can use the camera. Sorry folks, you can't bring it home from the store and start using it right away--but it does charge quickly.

The best thing about the battery though is the tiny little travel charger that comes with it--no clumsy cords, just a very compact block (smaller than a deck of cards and just a tad thicker) with flip-out prongs that plugs into the wall with the battery snapped in. It easily fits unnoticed in my travel kit.

*** A few significant details you may not see elsewhere: ***

1. Since image quality drops off quickly at ISO settings over 200 I was glad to find that it had a way to specify a max ISO in the auto ISO mode, but unfortunately the lowest option is 400, which it chooses for nearly all indoor shots. Also, some modes ignore this setting so even though you may think you'll always be under 400, you won't in certain scene modes. For example, many of the shots I took in 'sport' scene mode from a moving boat were shot at 800 despite having set the max to 400. This ISO limit appears to only apply to automatic mode (the dial setting with the red camera icon). Further hindering ISO control is the fact that it does not tell you what ISO your picture will be taken at, even after exposure lock with a half-press, even with maximum display info selected. It will show you the chosen aperture and shutter speed, but it doesn't reveal ISO until after the picture is taken.

2. I can not understand why they do this in the first place, and it's even more frustrating to not be able to turn it off or choose some options in this 'feature': This camera subdivides your photos into separate folders of pictures and as far as I can tell there's no way around it. If you don't ever mess around with the files on the card, it will take 999 pictures per folder. This is not a huge deal if your average outing/vacation is less than 999 pictures, but with today's unlimited file name length I would really rather keep sequentially counting file numbers limitlessly, and not use folders to break them up. I can not imagine why they think everyone would want this (or anyone for that matter). I could almost understand if they separated them by date or some other criterion. With other cameras I have always just had them all in the same folder, that way I don't have to go switching around looking for the photos, they're all in the same place.

3. Amazon's price on this camera fluctuates on a daily basis, both up and down. Since I started looking last week the price started at $270, went up to $296, and is now back to $284. I have no idea why, but if today's price is closer to $300 you might consider waiting a day or two to see if it gets better.

Those are the main points I wanted to share at the moment. I may be back with more info after a few thousand shots.

A brief background on my purchase... I initially started this quest to find the most compact camera with the most SLR-style features I could get. The natural choice for that pursuit is the Canon G9 which was the front runner until I played with this TZ5. It handled simple point & shoot operations so much better than the canon while inside the store that I was swayed to consider this Panasonic more seriously. The downside is that it offers virtually no SLR-like features. My first priority was to get a portable, pocketable camera, which both of these models fit, but the panasonic moreso. I wanted good point-and-shoot performance with the option to get more creative when I want. Since embracing the digital revolution eight years ago I haven't even touched my film SLR again, not once. But I miss the manual control so much. In the end this Panasonic P&S won me over, I think the Canon is not quite there yet to be what I want for manual control. It's a little clumsier in terms of user interface, and it's gone after way too many megapixels at the cost of low light capability.

In short, this Panasonic is a great camera, I would buy it again in a second.

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

I bought this camera a couple of months ago primarily because it was one of the very few still cameras that also recorded movies at 720p resolution. (A couple more have been released since.) My previous camera, a Fuji F700 had just died after a long and fruitful life and I was looking to upgrade. This camera seemed to be just the ticket. I wanted a camera with great stills, of course, but also good quality video, because I don't want to carry two pieces of equipment around. This camera delivers on both ends.

Let's start with the pros. The pictures are very good, I don't see any problems with them. The 3" screen is very sharp and really nice. The 10x zoom is terrific. The camera is a nice comfortable size.

Battery life is pretty amazing. Although I bought two backup batteries, I find that I don't have to use them at all. Also, the charger, with foldup electrical prongs, is tiny and does a great job recharging in 90 minutes or so. Easy enough to throw the charger in the suitcase as well.

The cons are not too bad, but annoying and simple to fix. After shooting a still picture, the camera, of course, shows you a still of what you've just shot. However, when you turn the camera sideways to shoot, say, a picture of the Eiffel Tower, the playback will flip the shot so that you don't have to turn the camera. Why have that gorgeous 3" screen if you're not going to use it? I'll readily admit this is a minor annoyance, to be sure. This is the default mode, and after some searching in the camera's memory, it can be changed to that the playback mode doesn't flip the picture.

When shooting video, the camera's default is to have continuous focus. Even if you're not moving the camera much, the camera will continue to go in and out of focus while shooting video, blurring everything. This is more annoying than the picture flip I mentioned. This is also correctable in the menu.

The third annoyance is the camera's memory reading ability. I have an 8 GB card, which is more than ample memory for anything. In fact, the camera can shoot about 33 minutes of video on the highest-quality setting - 720p, 30 frames/sec. However, when you go to shoot video, the camera only reads that there are 8 minutes and 30 seconds of video. This is no big deal; however, after you shoot, say, 1 minute of video, and the counter counts down to 7 minutes and thirty seconds, then you press the shutter release again to stop recording, the reading changes right back to 8 minutes and 30 seconds, the maximum amount of memory recognizable by the camera. This makes you think that the video didn't get saved.

This thinking that the video didn't get saved is reinforced when you go to play it back, leading to my final annoyance, the camera's integration with my Panasonic Viera plasma TV. I didn't buy a Panasonic camera for this purpose, but as long as I did, I figured, "what the hey?" The TV has an SD slot in back, so you can take your memory card out of the camera and stick it directly into the TV and have a slide show of your pictures. Sounds good, right? But it doesn't play back video through the card slot.

To play back the 720p video on the 720p plasma TV, you have to use cables, and connect it to one of the inputs. The problem with this is that the cables provided aren't even composite cables - they're the standard red, white, and yellow - and this degrades the video quality. This is just plain dumb, dumb, dumb. The only way you can look at the video in all its HQ glory is on your computer.

All in all, these are minor annoyances, I'll admit. But they do keep me from giving the camera a 5-star rating.

I did a great deal of research before purchasing this camera because I don't have the time or money that some people apparently have to be doing the eBay revolving door thing. What I came to realize is that, disappointingly, there isn't a clearly superior compact or ultracompact camera out there. There are only cameras with greater or lesser compromises and the trick is finding the one you can live with. The Lumix TZ5 was a good travel companion and turned out to have few flaws.

Since it irritates me when people say that they do a great deal of research and then never share it (doesn't that irritate you?), here are some of the cameras I ruled out based on my (maybe not your) criteria:

Fujifilm FinePix F100fd (difficult menu design, pink banding issue), Canon PowerShot SD890 IS (reported awful handling and poorly designed controls), Casio Exilim Card EX-S10 (No image stabilization, very slim, picture quality ok, weak zoom, tiny controls), Casio Exilim EX-S880 (No image stabilization, reported poor image quality), Olympus Stylus 850 SW (reportedly poor video shooting, poor battery life), Pentax Optio V10 (No image stabilization), Casio EX-Z1080 (Reduced pixels compared to others, 38mm starting range), Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 (Reportedly falls short on image quality, no viewfinder, larger), Ricoh Caplio R7 (No optical viewfinder, very noisy, some barrel distortion when fully extended, poor customer service?, reported quality mediocre), Pentax Optio A40 (Reportedly poor autofocus), and Canon PowerShot A470 (No viewfinder, no image stabilization, weak zoom).

Unfortunately, doing all this research meant I didn't get the Lumix TZ5 till right before my trip to Amsterdam - I was literally reading the manual on the plane. I don't recommend this, but it does serve as a good crash test for what the camera could (and could not) do out-of-the-box.

As you probably know, this isn't an ultracompact but it is not as big as some reviewers make out. Could fit in a large pocket but it is rather heavy and unprotected in that environment so I got a LowePro case for it that sat on my belt. Worked well, allowed for extra batteries and SD card, and access was quick for candid shots.

Things that worked well:

* The Intelligent Auto mode worked pretty well for most situations. I suggest studying the exposure compensation settings since I had to use these often in high contrast and full sun situations.

* One handed operation works well.

* Menu system was pretty intuitive for basic functions.

* Zoom is amazing and E.Zoom setting was very useful. Be sure to read how to use the "extended optical zoom" which lets you go out to 16.9x at reduced picture quality (I believe you have to have picture quality set at max 9MB and this is then reduced to 3MB). I didn't use the digital zoom.

* The screen is gorgeous and the playback is amazing - many people commented on this.

* Taking video is pretty easy, though I would have preferred a button rather than having to rotate a dial. Be careful on playback to distinguish between what is a still picture and what is video - I accidentally deleted some video because I thought they were poor still shots, rather than the start of the video.

* If the dial is accidentally rotated, the camera will not let you take a picture until you correctly choose an actually setting.

* Fairly quick start up - not stellar but not bad.

* Can set up something called Travel Date, which will organize pictures by 1st, 2nd, 3rd day. This was useful when sharing pictures and to help you remember the chronology of the trip.

* You can zoom while taking video, although more slowly than with still shots.

What didn't work well:

* No matter what you read, the pretty LCD screen is no replacement for a view finder even when you use the Auto Power LCD option to compensate. In daylight, even on the brightest setting, the screen washes out. Another problem I had was I had to remove my glasses to compose on the screen, which was a hassle with rapidly-moving candid shots. This was the biggest disappointment and I took off one star for this.

* Certain functions of the camera will only work in certain settings. For example, you can only set the self-timer for 10 sec in IA mode, histograms cannot be displayed in IA mode, exposure settings can only be used in normal mode, extended optical zoom cannot be used in motion picture mode, etc. It can be frustrating, and you can miss a good shot, if you don't have all that memorized. I imagine all cameras are like this, but thought I would mention it since we are discussing an out-of-the-box experience.

* The door to the sockets on the right-hand side comes open easily (does not lock closed but only snaps shut), which is a hassle at times. I am concerned that it will snap off one day.

* In my opinion, the flash is underpowered.

Overall, I am happy with the TZ5 and impressed with the pictures and video it produced - especially since I had so little experience with it. My friend, who is a film maker by trade, was also impressed with the camera. It is bigger than I would have liked, but the trade off for a 10X zoom was worth it for me.

Do get an extra battery - I went through both batteries in 4 hours of shooting, mostly stills but some video. Big hassle to run out of juice in the middle of your day. A SD Extreme III 8GB was recommended in some reviews and it worked well for me, especially with shooting video. In doing research about buying a camera, one of the most helpful websites I found was the "What Camera Should I Buy?" forum at the Digital Camera Resource Page - [...]

In looking at the reviews here on Amazon for the TZ5, be aware that they are organized by color, so check each color for information about this camera.

Ordered the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S for the convenience of having a "point & shoot" (P&S) while on vacation in San Diego. I usually shoot with my Nikon D50 and LOVE it, but the girth of a DSLR is often too much when all I'm wanting to do is preserve some memories. For several years my "P&S" was a 2001 vintage Kodak ... very basic.

I've got to say, as someone who loves to take photos and is pretty good at it, that this Lumix blows me away in how far "P&S" technology has advanced in the past several years. If you are a pure amateur, just set this rascal on a max ISO of 400 and "iA" setting and start snapping! It's virtually foolproof. The most advanced auto mode I have ever used on a "P&S".

The HD video capability is nice. It's not going to give you videos of the quality you might expect from a dedicated vidcam, but this IS a "P&S". Not having to carry around two separate cams is worth the trade-off in quality if you are just chronicling vacation stuff.

Build quality is top flight and very sturdy. The viewing screen is brilliant. The images taken with this cam are very, very good.

**Bottom line : a very high "BUY" recommendation for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5S.**