Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5

Before buying I had researched in detail into buying a camera which was from a well known brand, had a lot of function and options, affordable, light weight and provided the best photo quality for its price. Sony had some beautiful choices but its price was more than what I was willing to invest in a digital cam. This is what I ended up buying.

Panasonic Lumix had everything I was looking for. Its easy to use and relatively simple for first time users as a point and shoot with its iA intelligent setting. I like to get the most out of the cam so I read the manual a bit and the rest I figured on my own which says a lot for its friendly usability.

I have used it for scenery settings and its pictures are crisp and clear. What about in a night club or a museum? To take pictures of paintings you can easily shut the flash off as they will not allow you to take the picture otherwise, and its party mode allows for capture of images in low light settings in the colour that you originally anticipate and not excessive flash that brightens everything too much. The camera is easily customizable once you get used to playing around with backlight, contrast etc. The best part about this cam is that it allows you to record motion videos without a set time limit and only depends on the amount of storage capacity in the memory stick. I haven't really used this feature much though. The aspect ratio of the pics can be customized from 4:3, 16:9. What I love about this cam is the zoom. 4x normal and when you press the E.zoom (extra optical zoom)goes upto 7.1x. Turn on the digital zoom feature and goes to 16x but with the iA on it wont allow you to go beyond 7x. The closer you zoom the more stability you will need as the image stabilizer can only do so much. I needed to take some moving shots but getting the right timing can be a pain especially at a Zoo where the animal dosent always comply. So I put on the burst mode and got the perfect pic (takes 10 shots).

Overall its features to price is unbeatable. Try getting a Sony or Nikon with the same functions for the price. You probably would have to cough up another $50 min. And it comes with a seperate wall charger and Li-ion battery. Hated those cams where you'd have to use pen torch batt. and get maybe 25 shots before the battery ran out. The battery lasts a real long time. I had taken a lot of shots (>50) with flash on the battery still had 2 bars left. It also includes an AV cord to connect directly to the TV and a standard USB to computer wire. Software CD has Photo fun studio. works well on my Vista OS.

Deleting pics can be a pain if its one by one on the cam, or connect it to your comp. and remove the unwanted pics. But not on this cam so click on delete, select the multi option and choose which all pics you want to remove in one shot.

Used it for 2 months now and have no complaints. Fits in my pocket real easy as its small. The lettering on the menu is large enough not to have to strain to read and is in Black lettering and White background so is easily readable. Planning to get one for my Dad as he has trouble seeing the menu especially if its small.

This camera is fantastic for a pocket size point and shoot. I am a previous Canon elf and Nikon CoolPix owner. Side by side, the Panasonic blows the Canon and Nikon away. A friendly suggestion, Google ¨Canon Powershot lens error¨ & see what you find. I AM SOLD on Panasonic's QUALITY. Photos are excellent, although image quality does suffer some in low light. That being said, this is a problem common to all pocket sized point and shoots. The battery life is very good. I can get 300+ shots on a card before the battery needs a charge. This is assuming you don't keep reviewing your shots every 5 minutes. The more you review your shots, obvously the more battery life you consume. The screen is crisp and clear, controls are well placed and the lens is very good quality. If you are looking at the 3¨ screen model (FS20), check the images of the BACK SIDE of the cameras. You will notice with the 3¨screen there is very little room for your fingers. The FS5's 2 1/2¨screen allows ample room for your fingers without touching the LCD, so if you are thinking the 2 1/2¨ screen is a deal breaker for you, reconsider that decision before you pay the extra $ for a larger screen model (FS20). The 2 1/2¨ screen is MORE THAN AMPLE to view your shots. Image stabilization works very well, especially when using the 4x zoom. The wide angle also allows for good panoramic shot. The camera build is SOLID and feels so in your hand, however is still light enough that you don't feel like you are carrying a brick in your pocket or on your belt. Some other reviews complain about the menu. If you are new to Panasonic, a quick review of the manual and after playing with the controls for 10-15 minutes, you should have no problems understanding the menu's and function settings. At it's current price point of $140.00, this unit is a steal. So much so that I ordered 3 for Christmas gifts. Two in Black and one in Silver. If you don't need the wider angle lens or 10 MP, then look at the FS3, that is the sister camera to the FS5 and is about $30.00 less.

I bought this camera for my uncle. He doesn't know anything about photography so basically I was looking for a point-and-shoot camera that does everything automatically. The picture quality is great under good light conditions, the wide angle is a nice feature too, and its reduced size allow to carry it easily in your pocket. It has a big display, and this is also a good point. The thing I like most is the battery life, with one charge you can take 150+ pictures.

No complaints. It should be emphasized that its internal memory will hold only about 10 pictures; the additional memory will cost about $16. It's a good camera.

This camera is the perfect size to slip in your pocket and its built quality means no problems. Video is fantastic for a subcompact. Works best in normal mode for snapshots. Like other tiny sensor 10mp compacts, its only on par with about a 4mp DSLR due to sensor grain. But should be good up to 11x14 for enlargements. Sharp lens and perfect zoom range, A good deal.