Viewfinder (5.0)
The 0.33-inch color electronic viewfinder is in the top left corner of the camera and is surrounded by a softer (but not too soft) plastic eyepiece. The viewfinder is all the way to the left side, which is nice for people with large noses or even small noses with facial oils (to avoid those unflattering smears all over the LCD screen). With 110,000 pixels and 100 percent field of view, the viewfinder is a nice option to have. However, it is still difficult to change menu settings with your eye in the viewfinder and your fingers where you can’t see them. There is a diopter adjustment available for users with less than perfect eyesight.
LCD Screen (6.0)
The new FZ5 improves from its predecessor, the Lumix FZ3, with its 130,000-pixel 1.8-inch LCD screen. The older model had a 1.5-inch LCD screen. While the newer version is slightly larger than this, it still hasn’t caught up with other digital cameras being released this year. The trend with LCD screens this year seems to be bigger is better. Most cameras are packing at least 2 inches of display screen this year. The Panasonic FZ5’s LCD screen does have some good qualities. With a 100 percent field of view, the screen is accurate and reliable if discernible by the user. There is also a real-time histogram display available for evaluating lighting conditions in live view.
Flash (7.0)
The Panasonic FZ5 contains a fixed flash that pops up just above the lens. The flash cannot pop up on its own, even in the Simple mode, and must always be opened by the button on the flash’s back. There are several modes available when users press the right side of the navigational dial: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync, Red-eye Reduction, On, and Off. This list is shortened in Simple mode to On or Auto. The tiny flash can reach from 0.98-13.78 feet when the lens is zoomed out and 1.64-8.53 feet when the telephoto setting is being used. As far as pure illumination is concerned, the range of the FZ5 marginally exceeds other typical compact digital cameras currently on the market in the FZ5’s general price range.
Zoom Lens (9.25)
Obviously, one of the strongest features of the Panasonic Lumix FZ5 is the Leica 12x optical zoom lens. Measuring from 6-72mm (equivalent to 36-432mm in 35mm format), the lens is constructed from 11 elements in 8 groups with 3 aspherical lenses. The lens is extremely versatile; it can focus within two inches of the lens and still zoom closely on subjects that are far away. Two optical image stabilization modes are the icing on the cake; their effects can be seen live on the LCD screen. The only drawback: the zoom is loud. It’s not a freight train, but would certainly be noticeable in a silent theater when you’re trying to zoom in on your child’s onstage performance. As this zooming element will likely be the primary appeal of the FZ5 to many consumers, it should be noted that as far as still capture goes, the lens is one of the most impressive fixed glass units on the market; however, the FZ5 is lacking in movie mode. While traditional digital cameras could not zoom in movie mode, that has begun to change. Now, many of the recent “ultra zoom” releases are beginning to include variable focal length options during video capture to extend further into the “hybrid” market and maximize the opportunity granted from the extended lens.
