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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 / DMC-ZS5

Based on 27 reviews

Excellent:

11
Good:

11
Average:

3
Bad:

2

Pros

Easy to use, clearly marked controls, Very good image stabilization, Metal tripod socket is wellcentered.
Impressive 12x zoom lens, Very good outdoor performance, Good color reproduction, 25mm wide angle lens, Useful manual controls, Simple to operate, Very good battery life
Fully manual PASM exposure modes, Effective optical image stabilization, Quiet 12x optical video zoom, 340 shots from a fully charged battery.
Lots of features to experiment with; manual, semimanual controls; 25mm-equivalent wide-angle lens with a 12x zoom.
Build quality, creative control, costeffective
Compact and attractive body design, 12x Leica Elmar zoom with 25-300mm range, Power Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) (supposedly better than previous generation), Extensive autofocus modes, include face recognition, Aspect ratios include 4:3, 3:2, ...
Ease of use, broader than average focal range, reliability, sharp and colourful results on almost every occasion

Cons

No optical viewfinder, No support for RAW file format, Mediocre picture quality in low light
Indoor images look slightly soft, Mono audio for video recording, Priced much higher than competition
'Fixed' playback mode, No direct movie button, Limited continuous shooting, Mono mic susceptible to wind noise.
Disappointing low-light photos.
Slightly chunky, limited upgrade over the TZ7
Sometimes has trouble with extreme macro shots, Images often look underexposed, Maximum aperture is f3.3, Bottom Line, The Lumix DMC-ZS5 brushes aside most fancy extras and gets down to brass tacks. Its manual controls and fast-focusing 12X-optical-zoom l
Flash may be too close to grip for some hands, Motion JPEG movies only (no AVCHD Lite option), No dedicated movie button, Sprawling Menu system, Tends to clip highlights, but that's not unusual for digicams, Yellows are noticeably undersaturated and h
No dedicated video record button, playback needs a separate button

By PC Mag on January 31, 2011

A 12.1 megapixel point-and-shoot camera like the Lumix DMC-FH20K ($179 list), the Lumix DMC-ZS5 ($179.95 list) features a 25 millimeter wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens with 12x optical zoom. This shooter also sports a 2.7-inch LCD display along...

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By ConsumerSearch on January 01, 2011

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 (aka DMC-TZ8 outside of the U.S.) continues the well-received ZS series. The 12.1 megapixel, 12x zoom ZS5 is a pared-down version of the DMC-ZS7 which includes some additional features, such as GPS to identify the location...

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By PCWorld India on October 19, 2010

Pocketable zoom camera the TZ8 has impressive lens and very good image quality especially on outdoors. With full manual controls, sets of advanced features and good overall performance, it is one of the best compact zoom cameras we've seen. Its...

80
By eTech Reviews on August 01, 2010

A lot manufacturers have brought in two compact megazoom cameras for the 2010 line up, one is feature rich while the other is just barebones system. Panasonic has done the same – they have got Lumix DMC-ZS5 and DMC-ZS7. The former is the lower end...

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By Camera Labs on July 30, 2010

Panasonic may no longer be the only player in this market niche, but the TZ8 / ZS5 remains a very attractive proposition. Fundamentally, travel zooms are about packing the biggest zoom range into the most compact body. While the competition may have...

85
By cnet on July 22, 2010

If you just want a decent compact megazoom, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5 is one of the better options thanks to a well-rounded feature set and very good photo quality at lower...

75
By DigitalVersus on June 22, 2010

Multi-aspect sensor Unlike the TZ6, the TZ8 features the same sensor as its high-end counterpart, the TZ10. In fact, the TZ8 has the same multi-aspect sensor that was first seen in the TZ7.Although the 14-Megapixel sensor is 1/2.33" in size, the lens...

80
By Expert Reviews on June 22, 2010

Not as luxurious as the TZ10, but delivers high quality photos and videos, a big zoom and a pocket-friendly design at an extremely attractive price...

100
By Trusted Reviews on June 18, 2010

Panasonic's TZ range of compacts has been producing compact cameras with impressive zoom lengths for a fair few years now, of which the TZ8 is one of the latest additions. This slim camera somehow manages to contain a 12x optical zoom, making...

90
By What Digital Camera on June 18, 2010

Panasonic TZ8 review - FeaturesThe TZ8 is a 12.1MP compact with a 25mm wideangle 12x optical zoom lens tucked into a relatively small body when considering the zoom potential of up to 300mm (equivalent). New Power OIS (optical image stabilisation)...

89