Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5K 6MP with advanced MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology. A built-in gyrosensor detects any hand movement and relays a signal to a tiny microcomputer inside the camera, which instantly calculates the compensation needed. In a dark setting or when the subject is moving, shooting at a faster shutter speed is required for truly great results. That’s why this digital camera offers a High Sensitivity Mode. When combined with OIS, this remarkable shooting mode allows you to shoot at up to ISO1600. And that means stop-action clarity in nearly any situation. Lumix DC Vario Lens – 8 elements in 7 groups (2 Aspherical lenses / 3 Aspherical surfaces ) LCD Monitor – 2.5 inch Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT LCD display (85k pixels) Recording Media – 14MB Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, MMC Multimedia Card Included Accessories – Two AA Oxyride batteries, A/V & USB cables, strap Dimensions (WxHxD) – 3.94 x 2.44 x 1.77 inches.
Helpful consumer’s review
This proves to be a great all around casual camera for most people who shoot everyday photos, home photos, vacation photos and such thing, print them out on a 4×6 up to 8×11 size for their albums.
For a camera of this price and size, there are several unbeatable features that simply cannot be ignored. First is the image stablizer which does work and worked well. Second is the 6x optical zoom when most cameras like this only come in 3x. Finally the ease of use where most people with some prior experience with a digital can probably used this camera without reading the instructions and those with no experiences can used this camera within a hour.
One element of this camera which have been slammed dunk by many of the on-line and magazine critics is the “high sensitivity” mode which artifically boost up the ISO up to 1600 if needed. This allowed the photo to be taken with little light. What they say is true, if you blow up these images taken with that mode, there will be a lot of noise and almost unuseable. However, you really have to blow it up, poster size almost for that to happened. I took a nighttime shot of Hooter Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas in a moving car without a flash with that mode and it came out looking perfect. For most users like myself who will only print it out at most, in 8×11 size, this mode works perfectly and its a highly useful feature, perhaps the most useful feature in the entire camera. People who will buy this camera will not buy it to take professional photos. So we don’t have to judge the “high sensitivity” mode as a professional but as a casual shooter and its works just fine for us.
For casual photographs, this camera shoot just fine and results are quite remarkable. It may not passed the muster for high demanding photographer who happened to be a perfectionist but for the rest of the casual world, this camera take great images.
The battery power is pretty good. If you used their special Panasonic batteries, its better but you probably want to use the rechargable sooner or later. LCD screen is 2.5 inches large of small amount of pixal. Its clear and colorful but not definite. I thought this was the only major weakness of the camera. Its uses SD card, it got enough scene modes to satisfied most users and flash proves to be more intelligent then most of its competitors. The camera is lightweight, compact and easy to use and hold. Image stablizer works just fine although it there to help with the hand shaking and not the blur of the target moving very fast. Many of the senior citizens may find this most helpful. Nervous photographers may find this most helpful.
