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The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ5 ($279) is a midsize point-and-shoot camera with two standout features. The first is its lens; where most cameras in this class have 3X or 4X lenses, the LZ5's is 6X. The second feature is one found on all of Panasonic's cameras, and that's image stabilization. This very handy feature lets you take sharp photos at shutter speeds that would be blurry on other cameras.
The DMC-LZ5 uses two AA batteries, and Panasonic includes two of their Oxyride batteries in the box. While those batteries do last a while, they will ultimately end up in the trash. So, make it your mission to get a set or two of NiMH rechargeable batteries (2500 mAh recommended) and a fast charger along with the camera.
The DMC-LZ5 looks a lot like its predecessors, the DMC-LZ1 and LZ2. The camera is midsize -- too big for your small pockets, but it'll still go into a your jacket with ease. The body is made of a nice mix of metal and plastic, and it feels very solid in the hand. The controls are well-placed, and e"button clutters" is kept to a minimum.
The high sensitivity mode is new to Panasonic's 2006 lineup. In this mode, the camera can boost the ISO as high as 1600, which lets it use faster shutter speeds, which result in less blurring. Unfortunately the results are not good, with the results looking more like watercolor paintings than photographs (example). I should also mention that the high ISO sensitivities cannot be manually selected on the LZ5 like they can on the DMC-FZ7 -- it's automatic.
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