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Panasonic LS5

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 front
 
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 26-130mm (F2.8-6.5) lens
  • 126g - 97 x 62 x 27mm
  • Launched July 2011
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
94
Imaging
37
Features
25
Overall
32

Panasonic LS5 overview

Panasonic LS5 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Compact digital camera first launched on July of 2011. It includes a 14 MegaPixel, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The LS5 ranks at #140 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & all around #1038 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to check our Smart camera search to find camera listings based on your customized factors.

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Below is a diagram of various criteria used in the scoring system.

Panasonic LS5 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of benefits and drawbacks of the Panasonic LS5 based on aspects that are often viewed as crucial in a digital camera.

has built in flash
image stabilization (Optical)
in built lens has zoom (26-130mm 5.0 x zoom)
lighter than competition (126g)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
pretty wide (26mm)
supports face detection autofocus
very good min ISO (100)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
doesn't have RAW files
doesn't have selfie friendly screen
external flash not possible
lack of aperture priority mode
lack of external microphone port
lack of HDMI port
lack of headphone port
lack of shutter priority mode
lack of Timelapse recording
lens is fixed (fixed lens mount)
no manual focus
no manual mode
not so great battery (160 per charge)
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dot)
screen is fixed
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
sluggish at full zoom (f6.5)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
small screen (2.7 inch)
very slow continuous shooting (1.0 frames per second)
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pxls)
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Panasonic LS5 Sensor features

The size of the sensor on the Panasonic LS5 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the ability to resolve 4320 x 3240 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization since the latter can lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 14MP and features a standard ISO range of 100 to 6400. Sadly, RAW photos are not supported therefore you have less room to maneuver in post.

The image below displays the LS5's sensor size in comparison to other popular sizes. The LS5 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is highlighted in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 sensor size TikTok Developing Photo App to Challenge Instagram's Dominance

To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic LS5 dimensions

Panasonic LS5 weighs 0.28 lbs (126 grams / 4.44 ounces) & has external size of 97mm x 62mm x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams and the Panasonic LS5 is lighter as compared with other competitors.

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Below is a photo of the Panasonic LS5 beside a soda to help you get a feel for its size.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show you the button design on the LS5.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5 topview buttons dials

Panasonic LS5 Lens features

The LS5 features a fixed lens having a focal range of 26-130mm giving it a 5.0 x zoom which isn't really very good but it will surely be very helpful in some cases.

At it's widest 26mm, it comes with an aperture of f2.8 and that is rather sluggish and not very good for low light circumstances and you might struggle to get good bokeh. You will probably also have to up your ISO setting which results in noisy photos. For the long end, 130mm comes to f6.5 making it quite sluggish and you might have to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Panasonic LS5 Connectivity

The LS5 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras which have NFC or Bluetooth support are able to be used wirelessly through smartphones. You are able to send images and in some cases change settings without connecting directly with the camera.

Several apps also allow a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't close to the camera. If the camera comes with a HDMI port, it can easily be attached to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to charge the battery using the USB port.

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Panasonic LS5 Video features

The maximum video resolution on the Panasonic LS5 is 1280 x 720 and you can record in Motion JPEG file format. 720p is awful for today's standards. You should target a minimum FUll HD resolution for video. The body doesn't feature a microphone or headphone port which means that you have absolutely no control over the sound. It is probably a better idea to purchase an alternative camera if you want decent sound for your videos.

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Panasonic LS5 Weather Sealing

Panasonic LS5 doesn't have weather proofing so damp conditions could ruin the camera.

Panasonic LS5 Screen and Viewfinder

The Panasonic LS5 includes a 2.7 inch fixed display having a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Sadly the display isn't a touch screen.

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The View Finder details for Panasonic LS5 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders can be really beneficial in bright outdoor situations which can easily make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to see.

Panasonic LS5 Shutter features

Panasonic LS5 continuous shooting speed is 1.0 frames per second. The highest shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Panasonic LS5 Flash and Hot shoe features

Panasonic LS5 comes with just built-in flash with missing external flash ability.

Panasonic LS5 Autofocusing features

Panasonic LS5 comes with only Contrast Based Auto Focus & lacks Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot faster & exact as compared with Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera includes Face detection which can be valuable for portrait photography.

The AF system includes 9 focus points to pick from. Panasonic LS5 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing can be good in low light occasions or you require more accurate control on depth of field.

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Panasonic LS5 Battery life

The battery (2 x AA) for the Panasonic LS5 is fashioned to last for 160 shots with respect to the CIPA measurements making it lower when compared with it's rivals. The general Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 offers the highest possible (470) battery life in this group of cameras.

Here is a list of Small Sensor Compact cameras with the best battery life:

Panasonic LS5 for various kinds of photography

The following diagram provides a analysis of the Panasonic LS5 for various kinds of photography. To view more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Panasonic LS5 Portrait photography details

The Panasonic LS5 receives a rating of 33 which is really bad, meaning that it is just not very good to use for portrait photos. Shooting portraits leans heavily to sensor dimension, support for RAW photos and option to use off-camera lighting.

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resolution is good (14MP)
features face detect autofocus
focusing manually not possible
manual exposure not possible
no external flash support
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW files

Panasonic LS5 Street photography advice

Getting a nice score of 62, the Panasonic LS5 is a respectable choice to use in street photography. A good street photography camera gives a good balance of image quality plus portability.

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image stabilization (Optical)
lighter than competition in class (126 grams)
screen is fixed
small sensor (1/2.3")
does not have RAW format

Panasonic LS5 Sports photography highlights

A really bad sports photography score of 32 means the Panasonic LS5 is just not very good for taking pictures of sports. A camera must have great autofocus plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
continuous shooting slow (1.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
sensor is very small (1/2.3")
low battery life (160 per charge)
does not have phase detect autofocus

Panasonic LS5 Travel photography highlights

Weight is super important when buying a camera for travel. Overall, the Panasonic LS5 gets a very good 65 as a travelling camera which is a good choice to purchase for your holidays.

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lighter than competition (126 grams)
MP count decent (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
reasonably wide (26mm)
lack of Timelapse function
low battery pack (160 CIPA)
does not contain selfie friendly screen
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)

Panasonic LS5 Landscape photography factors

When you are planning to pick a camera for landscape photography, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Panasonic LS5 at it's really bad score of 36 for a landscape camera is just not very good among its competition.

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relatively wide (26mm)
has image stabilization (Optical)
good megapixels (14MP)
no manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow max aperture (f2.8)
screen is small (2.7 inch)
lack of manual mode
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
has no RAW support
bad battery power (160 shots)
no Time Lapse recording

Panasonic LS5 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera ought to offer a moving display screen, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Panasonic LS5 is just not very good as a vlog camera as it gets a really bad rating of 32.

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rather wide (26mm)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
provides face detection focus
lighter than others in class (126g)
sluggish maximum aperture (f2.8)
screen isn't selfie friendly
low res video (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external microphone socket

Panasonic LS5 Alternatives

If you are looking for replacements to the LS5, below is a selection of the top scored cameras which fall in to the class of Small Sensor Compact.

The chart followed below will give you a summary of the LS5 compared to it's top ranking rivals suggested above.

These are various other cameras you might check out as alternatives. To look at a thorough comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Panasonic
Model type
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS5
Type
Small Sensor Compact
Launched
2011-07-21
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
14MP
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3 and 16:9
Maximum resolution
4320 x 3240
RAW format
Maximum native ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
AF tracking
AF selectice
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
26-130mm (5.0x)
Highest aperture
f/2.8-6.5
Focal length multiplier
5.9
Screen
Range of screen
Fixed Type
Screen diagonal
2.7 inch
Resolution of screen
230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen tech
TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
8 secs
Maximum shutter speed
1/2000 secs
Continuous shooting speed
1.0 frames per second
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
4.60 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye reduction
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Maximum video resolution
1280x720
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Microphone jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
126 gr (0.28 pounds)
Dimensions
97 x 62 x 27mm (3.8" x 2.4" x 1.1")
Other
Battery life
160 pictures
Battery form
AA
Battery ID
2 x AA
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots
Single
Launch pricing
$294