Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Review

Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification



The Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 is an entry-level compact camera which features a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor, 5x optical zoom and 720p HD video recording. The F5 was released in February 2013 and costs around £70.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Features

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 has a 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor and a 5x optical zoom lens, which is a 35mm equivalent of 28-140mm. When shooting there is an Auto Scene Selector which automatically adjusts the camera settings for the detected scene, such as macro, portrait, landscape, night portrait, night landscape and sunset. The F5 also includes a panorama shot mode, which creates panoramas by overlaying images.

Videos are recorded in 720p HD at 30 fps.

Key Features

• 14.1 megapixel CCD sensor
• 5x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 28-140mm)
• 2.7 inch, 230k dot LCD screen
• 720p HD video recording
• ISO 100 - 1600 (High Sensitivity mode ISO 1600-6400)
• 10cm minimum focusing distance
• Panorama shot
• 0.5 fps continuous shooting

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Handling

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 has a pocketable and lightweight metal body. There are a number of buttons on the rear such as mode, movie record, playback and delete. There is also two buttons to adjust the zoom and a d-pad which used to access and navigate the menus. The d-pad also gives access to exposure compensation, self-timer and flash.

The 2.7 inch screen has a 230k dot resolution, which is typical of a budget compact camera. The menu system is easy to navigate, although it's not a quick task to change settings such as ISO and white balance as you need to press the menu button and opt for the rec option.

Battery life is rated at 250 shots according to CIPA test results, which is plenty for a day or night out. We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

Shutter Response		0.35 secs
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response		0.9 secs
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response		0.9 secs
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo		3.2 secs
Shot to Shot without Flash		2.4 secs
Shot to Shot with Flash		4.0 secs
Continuous Shooting		0.6 fps
Continuous Shooting - Flash 3m		0.6 fps

The F5 tends to be slugglish whether starting up or focusing. The continuous shooting with flash mode limits image size to just 3 megapixels.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Performance

Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Images have decent colour and are well exposed. Skin tones are OK and we did manage some good shots with the flash, although results certainly varied.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Lens test images

Lens Performance - Detail is OK when shooting wide, particularly in the centre of the images, but worsens as you zoom in, with purple fringing proving to be an issue throughout. The lens is stated as having a minimum focusing distance of 10cm, we found you could get a little closer, which certainly resulted in a better than expected macro shot.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO 100, with a little appearing at ISO 200 and images becoming soft at ISO 400. Lots of detail is lost at ISO 800 with dreadful image quality at ISO 1600.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Under the incandescent lights, the Auto White Balance (AWB) and incandescent preset both perform well, each producing a similar result. The AWB also performs well under the fluorescent lights, there isn't a fluorescent preset available.


Panorama | 1/500 sec | f/9.1 | 5.0 mm | ISO 400

Panorama mode - Details is OK and panoramas are generally well stitched together, although there is a little ghosting if you look closely enough.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Digital filters

Digital Filters - There aren't many digital filters to choose from. There are colour modes which includes standard, sepia and black & white, with examples of each above.

Video - Below is a video recorded in 720p HD. Quality is OK, there's no optical zoom available during recording and due to the lack of image stabilisation, videos tend to be shaky when shot handheld.

Value For Money

You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Verdict

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 lacks in features and doesn't score highly in any of the other categories either. It is cheap, which is a bonus, meaning its an ideal camera for a child, perhaps as a gift. Image quality may suit those who share on Facebook, but when you view images larger, there are clearly issue with quality. With this camera from Panasonic, you get what you pay for!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Pros

Small, lightweight body
Produces decent panoramas
Decent battery life
Very cheap

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Cons

Doesn't have many features
Sluggish focusing speeds
Image quality is poor

FEATURES
HANDLING
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
VERDICT

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F5 Specifications

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