Lab Test: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5

	Click photo to see more images of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5.

Ever since we got our first glimpses and sneak preview of Panasonic's newest Travel Zoom pocket camera, the 9.1 megapixel, Lumix DMC-TZ5 (street: $349) with the 10x optically stabilized 28-280mm f/3.3-4.9 DC Leica Vario-Elmarit retracting zoom, we've been waiting impatiently for a testable unit to arrive in the Pop Photo lab. Well, that day has finally arrived. We've already discussed the feature set, build, and shooting experience in our First Look, so this is a bare-bones camera test report, with just a handful of new observations on performance and in-the-field experience thrown in.

But for those who hate to link-jump, here's the lowdown on Panasonic's newest 10x pocket rocket bullet-point style:

• 9.1 Megapixels on a larger sensor than the 7.1 megapixel Lumix DMC-TZ3 it replaces as the flagship of the TZ lineup.
• New Venus IV processing engine.

• 720p HD video capture in 16:9 aspect ratio, with optical zoom plus audio during capture.
• Mega Optical Image Stabilization in both still and video modes.
• No RAW, no Manual controls -- not even an either/or Aperture or Shutter Option.
• Dedicated playback/capture switch on rear of camera, instead of having playback on mode dial.
• Intelligent ISO setting analyzes 3000 quadrants in the image and can tweak ISOs in different cells to optimize exposure and image quality, so explains Panasonic.
• 460,000-dot high-resolution 3 inch LCD.
• Macro to normal focus is automatic and doesn't require changing any settings.
• HDMI output via optional component cable.
• 2 frames per second unlimited burst at full resolution or 6 frames per second 100-frame burst at up to 2.5 megapixels.
• Dedicated one-touch wide-tele zoom button behind the shutter button.

Quite a feature set, isn't it? But how'd it do in the lab you ask?

On the Test Bench

Resolution is Excellent at from ISOs 100 (1930) through 800 (1780), but drops to Extremely High (1575) at ISO 1600, the top ISO on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. Color Accuracy is Excellent at ISO 100 (Average Delta E: 7.9 Auto White Balanced), dropping to Extremely High at ISO 1600 (Average Delta E: 8.9 Auto White Balance.) Like its predecessor the TZ3, the TZ5 shows Slight Barrel Distortion (.15%) at its widest 28mm (equivalent) setting, and shows Slight Punchion Distortion at both 140mm half-zoomed (.14%), and at 280mm full zoom (.16%). Panasonic is doing a lot of things right in both Optical Design and image processing to present such impressive distortion control at the widest setting. That it performs virtually identical to the TZ3 despite holding a slightly bigger sensor is commendable.

Noise Numbers and Curious Curves

Panasonic has been touting the performance of the new Venus IV processing engine since announcing the TZ5 in late January. And we'll tell you this: They've thrown some interesting curveballs into the mix of in-camera image processing with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. DxO 3.0 analysis shows that noise is Low at ISO 100 (1.7) Very Low at ISO 200 (1.45), Low at ISO 400 (1.75) Moderately Low at ISO 800 (2.0), and just Moderate at ISO 1600 (2.6).

Channel analysis in DxO 3.0 at all ISOs shows that shadow and highlight values are nearly perfectly linearly aligned, while the middle tone values open up and spread out a bit. We believe this manifests itself in the images as less chromatic problems at both ends of the spectrum: less rainbowed noise in deep shadows, and minimized chromatic aberration in the highlights, based on our observations.

Combine the Noise curves with the smooth grain symmetry and you've got an interesting departure from the scorched-earth resolution-sapping noise-eradicating algorithms some other compacts employ. Simply put, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5 handles noise well at all ISOs, without sacrificing much resolution. It's less than a 5% decline in rez between ISO 100 and 800, and less than a 20% drop between ISO 100 and 1600. We' d recommend setting ISOMax at 800 under most conditions (and use EV compensation to gain an extra stop or two), and only jump up to ISO 1600 when absolutely necessary.

Shake it, baby!

Due to the lack of manual controls on the TZ5, we were unable to fully test the Optical Image Stabilization in the lab. But it looks pretty effective -- gaining a stop or two in still capture, and handling jitters reasonably well throughout the focal range during video capture. For observational evidence, please check out the video shown here, captured handheld from a moving helicopter while zooming from 28-280mm. This was with an early production model during PMA 2008, and we observe the same characteristics and level of effectiveness with the fully testable unit. It's just that aerials of the Grand Canyon are much more visually intriguing than a similar motion test out the window of a NJ Transit commuter train! We compressed the clip to web-streaming quality, so pay more attention to the stabilization, and less to the compression quality.