LCD and Viewfinder
Panasonic ZS5 has a Fixed Type 2.7″ LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. At only 2.7″, the screen is on the smaller side and 230kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.
ZS5 doesn't have a viewfinder and no option for external viewfinder. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Compact camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS70 (Lumix DC-TZ90) (Compare) or Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS60 (Lumix DMC-TZ80) (Compare). If the price is not an issue, take a look at our Top Rated Cameras with Viewfinders.
Max Shutter speed
Panasonic ZS5 can shoot continuously at max speed of 2 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/1300 sec.
Flash
Unfortunately ZS5 doesn't have an external flash shoe so you are limited with the built-in flash.
Focusing
Panasonic ZS5 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 11 points to choose from.
Video Features
With Panasonic ZS5, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1280 x 720 at 30 fps and save in and Motion JPEG formats. 1280 x 720 is a low video resolution by todays standards. If video quality is important for you, we recommend you to look at cameras with Full HD, even better 4K / Ultra-HD resolution .
ZS5 has a built-in Mono microphone but no speaker.
Panasonic ZS5 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Olympus XZ-2 iHS or Nikon Coolpix P7000 in a similar price range.
Connectivity and Storage
Panasonic ZS5 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.
Panasonic ZS5 Features Compared to Main Competitors
Lowest Price
Current Lowest price for Panasonic ZS5 is $299.99