Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5

The LZ5 comes in black or silver finish, while the LZ3 is available in silver only. The cameras are so similar in layout that from the front and top, the only way to tell the difference is by reading their labels. From the back, the LZ5's larger LCD display distinguishes the more expensive camera.

Front
The LZ5 and LZ3 are covered in satiny-finished plastic. The telescoping lens assembly is brushed metal, with a rectangular window for the glass, and a lens cover made of swinging leaves of gray plastic. A small autofocus assist light is to the right of the lens, and the flash is a small, narrow rectangle in the upper right corner of the camera. How small? A nickel can cover it. In the lower right, the camera has the familiar script "L" of the Lumix line. The handgrip bulges on the left, with a two-tone metal stripe wrapping from the lens mount around to the side of the camera. The cameras are labeled "Lumix" at the upper left. Their resolution ratings are printed at lower left.

Back
The LZ5 has a 2.5-inch LCD display on the left side of the back. The LZ3's display is 2 inches. The cameras do not have optical viewfinders. The camera's 4-way controllers are made up of five separate buttons, which work together for navigation in menu and display modes. In shooting mode, the buttons have separate functions: The top button activates the exposure compensation control, the left button activates the self-timer, the center button brings up the menus, the right button sets the flash mode and the bottom button switches the camera into playback mode. Below the 4-way controller, there is a display button on the left that cycles the information displayed on the LCD in shooting mode, and puts the display into "High Angle" mode. The burst/trash button is at lower right.

There's a small ridge at the upper right to form a thumb grip, with a patch of dimples to add a little traction. The ridge is vertical, and not as comfortable as it would be if it were angled or curved a bit.

Left Side
The connectivity jacks are behind a door on the left side of the LZ5 and LZ3. This door closes flush with the surface too. The jacks are a combined USB/analog A/V jack, and a power supply port. There is no strap lug on the left side of the camera.

Right Side 
The strap lug is flush on the top of the right side, so it won't get in the user's way. It's the right size for a wrist strap. The metal decoration on the handgrip wraps about halfway across the right side of the cameras. The door for the SD media slot is also on the right side, and closes flush with the surface, not affecting the comfort of the grip.

Top
The shutter release is a small chrome button toward the right of the top. It's surrounded by a ring that activates the zoom in shooting mode and magnification in playback. The power switch is a small slider switch that's easy to use, but unlikely to be accidentally turned on. We prefer power switches like this one, because accidentally turning on a camera is pretty common, and if a camera turns on while it's in a purse or pocket, it can be damaged. At the very least, its batteries will run down.

The optical image stabilization button is small and to the right of the shutter release. It's marked with a picture of a quivering hand. The left side of the top is flat, but embellished with a bit of branding: it says "Panasonic DMC-LZ5" (or "Panasonic DMC-LZ3" depending).

A small hole toward the middle of the top admits sound to the microphone, and the mode dial slightly overhangs the back.

Bottom
The battery compartment of the LZ5 and LZ3 is inside the handgrip, and accessible through a door on the right side of the camera's bottom. The door is sturdy, and requires a firm press and slide to open, but it does not have a latch. We have found that latched doors are more secure and long-lasting. The cameras appear to have tripod sockets, but the cameras we inspected had security devices blocking them.