Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5

The basics

The LumixDMC-TZ5 is a nine-megapixel compact camera from Panasonic with a three-inch LCD, 10x optical and 4x digital zoom. The Lumix may measure just 59x103x37mm and weighs 259g, but it has a 28mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens.

The good

In these days of fuel and baggage surcharges, gadgets have to earn their place in your hand luggage. The TZ5 goes straight to business class, boasting a 10x (28-280mm) zoom lens that has the width to capture wide-open landscapes and the legroom to snap telephoto details. Your in-flight entertainment is impressive too, with pin-sharp HD (720p) movies and a glorious 3-inch screen that has twice as many pixels as most compacts. Worried about turbulence? An efficient optical stabiliser smoothes out the bumps, even after a G&T or two.

The bad

There’s always another cabin slightly closer to the front of the plane. While colourful and well-exposed, the 10MP images from the Lumix aren’t quite as sharp as those from Canon’s PowerShot S5 IS, for instance. Grainy digital noise is also an issue if you venture much beyond ISO 400.

The bottom line

The TZ5 costs a chunk more than an economy class camera but the upgrade is well worth it. This all-in-one camera has a superb lens, great ease of use and one of the best LCDs you’ll find on any compact.