Front (8.0)
The Leica Vario-Elmarit lens dominates the front of the DMC-FZ5. Around the rim of the lens are the words, “Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 1:2.8-3.3/ 6-72 Asph.” The rim of the lens is constructed from aluminum, while the rest of the body is built from plastic. On the left side of the front is a simple handgrip covered with rubber. On the top right hand corner of the Panasonic DMC-FZ5 is a self-timer indicator/AF assist lamp with a microphone to its left. In the bottom right corner is a square-shaped gold plate with the Lumix “L” on it. Directly above the protruding lens is the Lumix series name with the pop-up flash on top.

Back (7.5)
The back of the DMC-FZ5 features the camera’s centrally located 1.8-inch LCD screen. The screen is bordered in black, with the Panasonic brand name visible in gray lettering at the bottom. In the upper left corner of the back is the camera’s electronic viewfinder, which has a slightly softer plastic eyepiece. On the left side of the viewfinder is a circular diopter adjustment with notches on its edge for easy rotation. Above the LCD are three buttons, labeled (left to right) EVF/LCD, Display, and Exposure. To the right of these are the power switch and its LED.

To the right of the LCD screen is a cluster of buttons with the frequently used Menu button at the top, the navigational dial in the center, and the Focus/Delete button at the bottom. The navigational dial has several icons on it for certain features that can be activated when the menu is not being accessed. The top of the dial adjusts exposure compensation; the bottom is clearly labeled Review for quickly pulling up the last shot captured. The right side of the dial has a flash icon on it; the left side has the recognizable self-timer icon.

Left Side (8.0)
On the left side of the DMC-FZ5, the camera’s USB, A/V out, and DC input ports are covered with a tightly hinged port door. Towards the top of the camera’s left side is a metal strap loop. From this side, the viewfinder’s diopter adjustment is clearly visible. Some writing on the side of the protruding lens is visible also: “12x Optical Zoom 35mm Equiv. 36-432 Mega O.I.S.”

Right Side (8.0)
The right side of the DMC-FZ5 is covered with a rubber grip. The right side is thicker than the left, so users can hang onto the camera easily, with maximum control. At the top of the right side is a metal neck strap loop.

Top (8.0)
The top of the DMC-FZ5 houses many of the camera’s most pertinent controls. On the tip of the right-hand grip is the shutter release button, surrounded by the zoom toggle. Behind this control is the image stabilization button, symbolized by an icon that looks like a shaking hand. Behind that is another circular button with the continuous shooting icon next to it. To the left of these controls is the mode dial. Using this control, the user can switch between Manual (M), Shutter Speed Priority (S), Aperture Priority (A), Program Mode (P), Playback mode (triangle within rectangle icon), Auto (heart icon), Scene (SCN), Movie (film frame icon), and Macro (flower icon) modes. To the left of the mode dial is a raised panel which houses the pop-up flash. To its left is the Panasonic DMC-FZ5 label.

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Testing / Performance	Page 3 of 12		Components
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance	Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes	Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions	Conclusion	Specs