Model Design / Appearance (8.0)
The Panasonic FZ5 is offered in either a solid black or traditional silver shell. The housing is almost entirely composed of plastic, which feels slightly frail and cheap, though it still offers a sharp look. The lightweight body may make this camera appealing to travelers, but the overall feeling of quality is lost. Falling into an odd middle ground as far as appearance goes, the FZ5 contains a general look and overall aesthetic that appears elegant and sleek for a compact model but is instantly distinguishable from a more professional body. The low-slung design motif applies a visual edge to the camera’s form but it's certainly is not the type of camera to take out on the town or make an appearance at a dance club. The curved right hand grip has been enlarged and is rounder than its predecessor's, the FZ3. The FZ5 will likely appeal to users who are seeking performance first and who are pleased with a logical form that is not overly gawky. The FZ5 seems ideal for vacations and family events when a quality image is sought but mobility and some independence from camera responsibilities are necessary.
Size / Portability (6.5)
The Panasonic DMC-FZ5 is appropriately sized, lying between DSLRs and pocket-sized designs. Decidedly larger than point-and-shoots, the FZ5 spans 4.3 x 2.7 x 3.3 inches and weighs 10.2 ounces without the card and battery; with those inclusions, it weighs 11.5 ounces. The camera’s right-hand grip protrudes considerably on one side of the frame, while the lens protrudes on the other side. This positioning works to evenly distribute the camera’s weight and provide a balanced grip for handling, though it does create an awkward hurdle for transport. It’s more than likely that users of the FZ5 will opt for a neck strap or carrying case, be it a small pouch or bag.
Handling Ability (7.5)
The DMC-FZ5 has a body similar in form to a compact 35mm camera; however, it does not contain the feel nor handling ability of one. Unfortunately, the FZ5 is bit too compact for a nice, comfortable shot. In its attempt to be sleek, the camera is compact yet long to balance the added extension of the zoom lens. With the shortened right-hand grip, users holding the camera like an SLR will notice there is no place to put their pinky finger – it will likely dangle awkwardly from the bottom.
The protruding right hand grip has been significantly expanded from the FZ3 and provides a more comfortable griping platform as well as added control. The front and side of the protrusion is coated in a textured material, minimizing slippage. On the back right side, there is a subtle lip to keep the thumb in its proper place. Frequently used buttons are easily accessible, though they may at times require two hands for use. The camera features a compass button which is used for menu navigation, quick adjustments to exposure compensation and flash modes, and access to a view of the last shot taken. This will ease frustration caused in other models by tedious methods of accessing frequently used controls. Panasonic has also made good use of the space surrounding the capture button on top of the camera. Included in this space are buttons for continuous shooting options and image stabilization; these are quickly accessible by the index finger and a great aid to the shooter.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (7.5)
The main control button on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 is the navigational dial located on the back of the camera. This button is used for most manual control adjustments, including those buried in the menu system and those accessed by external buttons. Other buttons are scattered around this main control in a relatively easy-to-use configuration. Depending on which mode the user is recording in, the exposure button located above the 
LCD can be used to access manual settings. One of the better button placement decisions on the DMC-FZ5 is the addition of buttons for image stabilization and continuous shooting modes in close proximity to the record button. On a camera with such a heavy reliance on extended telephoto range, quick access to these features is a must. The buttons are all logically aligned and arranged, though some are a bit on the small side. In particular, the three buttons above the LCD screen are all small enough to present potential problems if two are accidentally pressed simultaneously with big fingers.
Menu (7.5)
The DMC-FZ5’s menu system is accessed using the Menu button on the back of the camera. Navigation is possible by using the camera’s compass button located directly underneath the menu control. The menu is easy enough to navigate, though not as aesthetically pleasing as some other menus out there (i.e. Casio). Most of the menus are displayed in text, but some have options only represented by vague icons. The white balance menu has such icons; however, it does have a live view. This live view is not available for all adjustments though, so some options must simply be referenced in the owner’s manual.
The Setup menu offers the following options: Monitor, Auto Review, Play On LCD, Power Save, Beep, Shutter, Volume, Clock Set, No. Set, Reset, USB Mode, Highlight, Video Out, Scene Menu, and Language. The Monitor option lets the user adjust the brightness of the LCD screen. Auto Review lets the user choose how long pictures appear on the screen after they are taken: 1 second, 3 seconds, zoom, or off. The zoom is pretty useless because the camera simply zooms very briefly in on the center of the image. If subjects aren’t exactly centered, the quick view is pointless. The Play On LCD option lets users put the Playback mode on the LCD screen at all times, even when the electronic viewfinder is selected for recording. The power save mode can be turned off or set to activate after 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes. The Beep selection offers two volume controls and a mute option. The Shutter noise can be turned off or selected to make two volume levels of clicking sounds. The general Volume control is used for movie playback and such. Clock Set works just like any other digital camera, letting the user decide what day it is. The No. Reset option lets users begin the image file numbers starting at one. Reset restores the camera to its factory default settings. The USB Mode can be set to PC or PictBridge. The Highlight option shows users what areas are overexposed in photographs with flashing black. Video Out has NTSC or PAL connectivity. The Scene Menu lets users choose whether they want the menu to appear automatically when they select the Scene Mode, or if they want to press the Menu button to access it. The Language option has the following selections: English, Deutsch, Francais, Espanol, Italiano, Japanese, and Chinese (the last two are in Kanji and characters, respectively).
When the Playback mode is selected on the mode dial and the Menu button is pressed, the following options appear: Rotate Display, Rotate, Protect, DPOF Print, Slide Show, Audio Dubbing, Resize, Trimming, and Format. The Rotate Display automatically rotates pictures in playback mode when activated. The next option simply overrides that feature or manually rotates images. Protect keeps users from accidentally deleting precious files. The DPOF Print option lets users print either a single picture or multiple prints. Slide shows can be played; the user can adjust how long each picture is displayed and whether or no audio will be played with it. The Audio Dubbing option allows users to add their comments with an image file. The Resize option lets users shrink their photographs, perhaps useful if they want to fit more on the tiny memory card. Trimming is a nice in-camera editing feature to have for those users who will print directly from their Lumix FZ5. The Format option deletes all of the pictures from the memory.
The Recording menu is just as extensive with the following options: White Balance, Sensitivity, Picture Size, Quality, Audio Recording, Metering Mode, AF Mode, Continuous AF, AF Trigger, AF Assist Lamp, Digital Zoom, Color Effect, Picture Adjust, and Flip Animation. These features will be discussed in greater detail in the coming paragraphs.
Ease of Use (7.0)
Initially, the Panasonic FZ5 is not very easy to use. When menu features are selected, vague icons sometimes appear. Users are supposed to intuitively know the difference between the two image stabilization modes and the two fluorescent white balance modes. Users are also apparently expected to know how to play movies back; there are no directions in the playback menu. A help feature would have been handy on this digital camera. In the menu, some options have live views to aid selection; others don’t. While all of this may sound awful, users can usually breeze through this brief get-to-know-you period in a few hours with the camera and manual.
Once users are comfortable with the icons and such, handling the camera is much easier. The navigational dial is easy to use and scrolling is certainly not difficult. As far as physical handling goes, the FZ5 does well with its logical layout of buttons and gripping features.
