Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 Digital Camera Review

Color (9.66)
One of strongest remaining reservations about digital photography is its inability to accurately reproduce colors. Some cheap digital cameras cast yellowish hues or make people’s faces look reddish due to a vast over-saturation of skin tones.

To test how well the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 reproduces color, we used an industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart and Imatest Imaging Software. We took several exposures of the color chart and compared the camera’s results to the original chart in the software. Below is a modified version of the color chart, expressing the accuracy of the FZ5’s produced tones. In the chart, the outer square of each color tile depicts the actual tone produced by the FZ5. The inner square is the color-corrected version; this is what the color would look like when altered in Photoshop or other external computer applications. The inner vertical rectangle is the original color of the GretagMacbeth chart (this is what it should be ideally).

 The same color results are showed in a more quantitative manner below. The circles represent the colors produced by the FZ5, while the squares represent the ideal colors of the GretagMacbeth chart. The closer the two, the more accurate the digital camera is.

The Panasonic FZ5 has a mean saturation score of about 106 percent, which is average for a good digital camera. Almost all digital cameras slightly over-saturate colors to compensate for the often flat or pasty appearance of skin tones.

The 9.66 overall color score is quite good for this type of camera and price point. The reds and the blues are slightly off the mark, but are still close to ideal, surpassing many digital cameras in this price range. The color reproduction of the FZ5 far exceeds its predecessor, the Panasonic Z3, which received an overall score of 6.78. This improved color reproduction should help sell the FZ5 to more performance-oriented prosumer users.

Still Life Scene
Below is an image of our awesome still life scene recorded with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5.

Click on the above image to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: The linked image is very large!)

Resolution / Sharpness (3.88)
The Lumix FZ5 comes to the market with 5.36 total megapixels on a 1/2.5-inch type CCD, coupled with a Venus Engine II LSI image processor. Panasonic advertises 5 of these megapixels to be effective. With the diluted term “megapixel” rapidly becoming a hollowed-out catchphrase, it is important to get beyond the base categorization and determine the camera’s actual resolution and sharpness.

Click to view the full resolution image

When we test resolution, we record a series of exposures of an industry standard resolution chart, then analyze the images in Imatest Imaging Software to determine exactly how many pixels are used. We then take the results and contrast them with the camera’s marketed resolution. Cameras that come within 70 percent of the advertised count receive a “good” score, while those within 80 percent are given a “very good” score. Within 90 percent is considered “excellent” and almost unheard of. When we tested the Panasonic FZ5, the camera recorded 3.88 megapixels in its images. This is about 79 percent of the advertised pixel count, so this digital camera receives a “good” – almost “very good” score. The 79% resolution score is similar to the FZ3’s 77% mark and attests to the quality of the Leica lens.

Noise Auto ISO (2.39)
When the FZ5’s automatic ISO settings were tested, the camera produced extremely noisy images. The tests were conducted in bright conditions, with the camera applying a 160 ISO rating. The camera received a 2.39 overall noise score in auto mode, which is better than the FZ3’s 1.54 score, but still certainly below expectations. The fortunate inclusion of manual ISO selection should help some users temporarily avoid noise issues, though point-and-shooters drawn to the FZ5’s ultra zoom capabilities and image stabilization will have to relegate shoots to outdoor situations in direct sunlight.

Noise Manual ISO (3.52)
To properly evaluate the Panasonic FZ5’s suppression of noise, we test for the resulting noise levels at each ISO setting. We compile the results into a regression analysis to determine an overall noise score. The graph below shows these results. The horizontal axis shows the camera’s ISO ratings and the vertical axis represents the noise produced by the Panasonic FZ5.

The FZ5 received a 3.52 overall manual noise score, which far exceeds the camera’s automatic performance, though this will not hold any weight in the eyes of prosumer users. The 3.52 score still indicates the camera’s difficulty handling noise, even when the user sets the sensitivity rating. The issue stems from the limited sensitivity ratings offered: 80, 100, 200, and 400. While the ISO 80 setting is a fortunate inclusion to ensure that crisp images are recorded with utter clarity in abundant lighting (beyond the ISO 100’s capabilities), the ISO 200 and 400 settings are completely ineffective. As is evident in the chart above, the FZ5 will provide images with adequate clarity and definition when the ISO 80 or 100 settings are used; however, once it is pushed to ISO 200 or ISO 400, the resulting images are fraught with noise and rendered virtually unusable.

Low Light (5.0)
The Panasonic Lumix FZ5 performed adequately in low light, particularly given the camera's general deficiency in suppressing noise. Below is a progression of exposures taken in a controlled studio environment, with diminishing light levels. The exposures are recorded without the assistance of a flash, using the camera's highest available ISO rating. The low light test is designed to assess the camera's responsiveness to light and the resulting noise that is present under specific light increments.

We display four exposures of our GretagMacbeth color chart, captured under light levels of 60, 30, 15, and 5 Lux. These settings aim to replicate common low light conditions; 60 Lux roughly equates to a moderately lit bedroom, 30 Lux is about a single bulb, and 15 Lux and 5 Lux are actual darkness (very minimal illumination). The sequence is arranged as a tool or reference point for potential consumers or intrigued photographers to illustrate the camera’s boundaries and eventual limitations.

The grouped progression below shows four GretagMacbeth color charts that have been run through Imatest Imaging Software. Each chart represents the camera’s performance at a different light level. The settings used to record each image were fixed; all four images were shot on the Program setting using an ISO 400 rating to isolate the camera’s capabilities. The chart breaks down in the same manner as in the previous Manual and Automatic Noise sections of the review: for each color tile, the external shade is the color produced by the camera, while the interior vertical rectangle is the ideal. The middle box is the camera’s produced hue after being digitally corrected by the software.

Low Light Noise Tests
5 Lux Noise Test	15 Lux Noise Test
30 Lux Noise Test	60 Lux Noise Test

Click on any of the above graphs for further image assessment

As you can see, the FZ5 is not designed for low light usage, though it does seem to handle marginal conditions and capture images in sparse lighting. Although the image quality is drastically compromised as the available light is reduced, images recorded at 60 and 30 Lux both hold up strong in terms of tonal reproduction. The loss of color accuracy, as well as a dramatic increase in noise, really becomes pronounced when the usable light is reduced from 30 Lux to 15 Lux. At 15 Lux, the image is consumed with noise and displays a significant decline in color reproduction. Likewise, when the available light drops from 15 Lux to the bare 5 Lux, the image is rendered virtually unidentifiable. Although most users will not shoot for detail under 5 Lux, the image speaks of the camera’s inability to record a night skyline or capture a glimpse of a facial expression under a distant street lamp.

While many users will opt for the reliable flash exposure, film enthusiasts and appreciators of subtleties in shading (chiaroscuro) can determine the limitations of the camera's imager from the charts above. All in all, the FZ5 performed adequately in low light, particularly considering the camera’s inability to control noise in profuse lighting. While noise will be a recurring issue with the FZ5, it can render strong color even in candlelight.

Speed / Timing
Startup/First shot (6.41)
While its predecessor took longer at 4.09 seconds, the Panasonic FZ5 is still slower than most digital cameras at 3.83 seconds. Definitely have this camera out and ready to go long before the action happens.

Shot to shot (9.1)
The FZ5 has three burst modes, but they all perform at exactly the same rate. Every mode brought back a 2-frame-per-second rate. Not even 0.01 more or less. Dead even. And all three modes took four images, then paused for about seven seconds before taking more pictures. In normal recording mode, the camera will capture images fairly quickly as long as the temperamental AF doesn’t get in your way.

Shutter to shot (7.7)
When the camera was already focused on its subject, there was virtually no shutter lag. However, when the shot is not yet in focus, it takes about 0.65 seconds for the Lumix to take the picture.