Manual Controls
To access the manual controls, users will utilize two buttons: the Exposure button and the Menu button. The shutter speed and aperture are controlled by pushing the Exposure button and scrolling with the navigational dial. The white balance and ISO can be changed within the recording menu. The exposure compensation can be adjusted by pushing the top portion of the navigational dial when the menu is not engaged.
Focus
Auto Focus (6.0)
The Panasonic Lumix FZ5 has several auto focus modes available within the recording menu. They are represented by vague icons, so a briefing with the owner’s manual before shooting would benefit users greatly. The following modes are available: 9-area focusing, 3-area focusing (high speed), 1-area focusing (high speed), 1-area focusing (regular), and spot focusing. Even in the “high speed” modes, the FZ5 takes too long to focus. All too often, the camera focuses in and out and in again before finding the best focus. The Continuous AF can be turned on and off in the recording menu also. It works fairly well and quietly. In most modes, the lens focuses as close as 0.98 feet in the wide setting and 6.56 feet in telephoto. In the Simple, Priority, Manual, and Macro modes, the lens can focus with less distance between the glass and subject at 0.16 feet.
Manual Focus (0.0)
There is no manual focus on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5.
Metering (7.5)
There are three metering modes available within the recording menu. They are represented by icons which mean the following: Multiple, Center-weighted, and Spot. The camera’s default is set to the Multiple metering mode, which judges lighting conditions from the whole screen. The Center-weighted option is used to determine settings with the center of the frame and measure the whole screen evenly. The Spot metering mode measures the lighting on the subject; this can be used for backlit shots.
Exposure (8.0)
The following exposure modes are available on the Lumix FZ5: Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Macro, and Simple, as well as several automatic scene modes. All of these options can easily be found on the mode dial. Once the exposure mode is chosen, users can either point and shoot or toy with the manual settings. Exposure compensation can be adjusted in the typical +/- 2 EV range, moving in 1/3-stop steps.
White Balance (8.5)
The white balance menu shows icon options on an overlay of the live scene, so users can see what effect their white balance choice will have on the image. The following options are available: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Halogen, Flash, White Set, and Manual White Balance. The White Set isn’t really an option, but an easy way to control what is white within the scene. Once White Set is selected, a small square frame appears where the user must take a picture of a “true white” object. The white balance menu is easy to find in the recording menu, since it is the first option at the top of the list. When users are shooting and intuitively know that their colors are off, they can push the top portion of the navigational dial and adjust the white balance from red to blue hues.
A prosumer feature carried over from the FZ3 and a fortunate inclusion for any color purist is the ability to fine-tune white balance by color temperature. Ranging from -1500 to +1500 degrees Kelvin, alterations are available in 150 degree increments in all white balance settings except auto.
ISO (7.0)
The camera’s ISO sensitivity can be set to automatically adjust or can be manually set to 80, 100, 200, or 400 ISO settings. Unlike the white balance menu, there is no live view, so users cannot see the difference between ISO 80 and ISO 400 unless they capture a photo and check it out on the LCD afterwards; there is however an exposure bar in more manual modes which is impacted by alterations in sensitivity, thus helping users make proper aperture and shutter speed adjustments.
Shutter Speed (7.5)
The shutter speed is controlled by pressing the Exposure button and then using the navigational dial to scroll right and left for the shutter speed options. The Panasonic FZ3 offers a range from 8 seconds to 1/2000th of a second, although the range is shortened with larger apertures. For example, when the aperture is set to f/2.8, the camera can only shoot as fast as 1/1000th of a second. Despite the stumped range, it shouldn’t slow any FZ5 photographers down. Most cameras can shoot around 30 seconds at longest, so the FZ5 is a bit shortened at that end anyway. Consumers who are looking for a camera to record night photography or time lapse photography should look elsewhere.
Aperture (8.0)
The Panasonic FZ5 has an aperture range from f/2.8-8 in its wide setting and f/3.3-8 in the telephoto setting. The aperture can be changed by pressing the Exposure button and scrolling up and down with the four-way dial. There is no live view, so users cannot tell how their photo is being exposed until it is taken.
