Purchasing FZ5

[timk99]

I am thinking of buying this camera from Pixmania (in the UK). Does anyone have any experience of buying from them ? I know they are a French company and the manual is supplied in French but will the charger come with a UK plug ?

Also, when it lists the accessories supplied it does not mention the lens hood. Can anyone confirm that it does come with it.

Also, can anyone recommend a case that will fit the camera, extra battery, extra mem card and the lens hood ?

Thanks.

[jh4x]

Hi

I have not bought from Pixmania, but have heard of some poor Customer Ratings.
Why would you want French Manual anyway, I purchased mine from Prestons in the UK
http://www.videokit.co.uk/cgi-bin/store1/commerce.cgi?cart_id=1125671491.31571&product=DIGITAL_STILL_CAMERAS&pid=689
£259 + £10 nextday delivery.
I got a Panasonic bag from Ebay £10, which allows the extension/protector and a Sky filter to be used all the time.

Job Done

Any further details, happy to help

jh

PS If you do decide to go with Pixmania, you can download at Panny FZ5 manual from the Panasonic Austrailia site... don't ask why

[timk99]

Thanks.

What is the FZ5 like in low light situations ? I've heard that it isn't that great.

[genece]

Thanks.

What is the FZ5 like in low light situations ? I've heard that it isn't that great.

Believe me it has a lot to do with your definition of low light.
But at a zoom the same as a different camera ( say 3X and a similar Fstop say F2.8) The FZ5 is as good as most any non DSLR. Now it will not be the same at 12 X as a camera at 1X.
In fact there are not many cameras that have F2.8 at 3X.
And the Fstop (along with ISO)is the main consideration in low light.

And there are not many that can hold a candle to it in the Daylight

[jh4x]

Hi

I have not had the FZ5 long enough to make a judgement on the Low light performance, that said, the FZ5 does not have the "Gain Up" function on the LCD display (Automatically makes the display Lighter in dark situations) which is what some competitors do ie: Canon S2 etc, my previous unit was a Canon A95 which did have GU and was useful but only to a point.
The FZ5 does have Focus Assist which is a big plus.
The Leica Lumix 12x IS Lens more than makes for any minor imperfections, I'm happy I made the switch from my Canon to the Fz5.

Cheers

[timk99]

Which is best - the black or silver model ? I cannot find it in the shops so can only go by pictures on the internet. From those, I cannot really decide which is best.

Also, anyone know any good online UK shops to buy from ? I am going off buying it from Pixmania and I have heard bad things about Prestons (taking money off your card immediately but then not despatching for 2 weeks)

[jh4x]

I recieved mine next day, must admit their Web Ordering system was a bit "ropey", I just called the store. The important thing is to ensure they have a New unit in stock before you commit.
As to the colour, I simply thought Black looked better and would more durable.
At least there is a choice

I tried the Low light capabilities in the Pub yesterday (not the best place to evaluate kit I know), I would say that from the point of view framing the image, it is not the one of the FZ5's strong points simply because in very low light conditions the subject is difficult to see via the LCD, that said all the pics came out as expected.
In a normally (evening) lit room it's fine.

Regards

[timk99]

Thanks for the help but I am now probably looking elsewhere. Don't think the Panasonic FZ5 is the camera for me. I like it's size and weight but from what I have read, it's low light and flash photography is mediocre at best.

[timk99]

Well, as I often do, I changed my mind and ordered the FZ5 today online from a highly recommended company. Already received an email to say it has been despatched and will be with me tomorrow.

Love to hear any recommendations for cases and or any other useful accessories.

Although I hear that indoor, low light and flash photography are pretty poor with the FZ5, the "better" options in this regard were quite a bit heavier and I preferred the idea of having a lighter camera. The company I bought it from offer a 30 day money back guarantee so I will have 30 days to experiment with it and check that I can live with its low light performance.

Afterall, my current Canon Digital Ixus V3 isn't exactly great in low light and I have lived with that for 3 years.

[tim11]

Although I hear that indoor, low light and flash photography are pretty poor with the FZ5, the "better" options in this regard were quite a bit heavier and I preferred the idea of having a lighter camera.
Timk99,
Can I benefit from your research? :)
Not that I need to buy another camera in a hurry but it pays to keep informed. What are your "better" options in lowlight?
And for Panasonic FZ5, Canon S2 or Sony H1 you considered at the beginning, which one perform better in lowlight? Or are they all just the same, having max ISO of 400?
Thanks.
I'm sure you will be happy with your FZ5.

[timk99]

Well, the Panasonic FZ20 performs better in low light from the point of view that you can attach an external flash via the hot shoe. That would make it better for flash photography.

The Sony H1 supposedly has a stronger built in flash so again should be better for flash photography.

The Minolta Dimage Z5 has a hotshoe so again you can add an external flash.

Now I know a flash is not the solution to all low light situations but it helps with some of them.

And half of me was tempted to wait for the Fuji S5200/S5600 (iso up to 1600) but it didn't seem to have a proper IS system which is a must for me as I won't be carrying a tripod with me. Again, I know IS doesn't solve everything but it helps in some situations.

In the end, I felt that weight had become a serious aspect of my buying decision. I didn't want to carry around a 500g+ camera + accessories. The Fuji S5200/5600 is about the same weight as the FZ5 - I just hope I don't regret not waiting to see some reviews of it.

Mad as it might be, I actually got 600g bag of sugar, put it on a small bag with a strap and wore it round the house for a few hours (to simulate 500g+ camera and accessories). This helped me decide that I would want something as light as possible.

[Donato777]

After months of research, I also chose the FZ5 and I love it. It is one of the best cameras I have ever owned. Mine is in silver - just personal preference - and the photo quality is excellent. It is easy to use and most of my shots are in P mode. Battery life is superb too, and the Leica lens alone is worth the price of the camera. As for a bag, I purchased a Casio Logic bag on eBay for about $10.00 US. Let us know how you like your new camera.

[stuchapman]

Tim... Which company did you purchase from in the end? I've been looking at cameras2u.com (UK based, no grey imports) but they don't have the FZ5 in stock (do have A200 and FZ20 which I am also considering). I've heard bad stuff about pixmania and would be interested to know which company you went for...

Cheers,

Stuart

[timk99]

I went for a company called LetsGoDigital (www.letsgodigital.co.uk) and cannot recommend them highly enough. Great customer service - I phoned them and they helped me make my decision and were very willing to help too. Next day delivery. 30 day money back guarantee (not that I see myself using it) as long as camera is returned in as new condition.

I had never heard of them before but they got great reviews on Pricerunner and I can now fully echo those sentiments. Would not hesitate to use them again.

[timk99]

Well I decided to keep my FZ5 but a little reluctantly. It came down to the fact that it was either that or get a dSLR which are too big, too heavy and too expensive for me.

I will have to get used to it's poor performance in low light. At the end of the day, I decided it was the best compromise between price, size and weight, and having that 12x zoom.

[desertcanuck]

To improve low light shots you may want to look into using a slave flash. I personally don't have one but others swear by them.

Take a look. http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=13952827

Brian

[runamonk]

Thanks.

What is the FZ5 like in low light situations ? I've heard that it isn't that great.

It does okay. The pictures are good the evf and lcd aren't so good though as they don't gain up, so you can't see if you're in focus. ;-)