Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5 review

Photo quality was generally up to scratch, but the FT5’s premium price doesn’t equate to premium image quality. There was some evidence of detail-smearing noise reduction even in brightly lit shots, although it thankfully wasn’t as pervasive as on the Panasonic SZ9. Dense textures such as foliage had a mushy quality on close inspection, especially in shady conditions where the ISO speed was pushed up a little.

There’s not much wrong with this shot, with plenty of texture in the skin and grass – click to enlarge

There was enough light here for the camera to be able to shoot at ISO 100 for best quality. Subtle details are a little vague but overall we’re happy with the results here – click to enlarge

As the light fades, the camera has raised the sensitivity to ISO 250 to capture enough light – the resulting noise reduction has smeared details – click to enlarge

This shady spot has pushed the ISO speed up to 800 – there’s not much fine detail as a result but image quality is fine for sharing online – click to enlarge

Indoor photographs suffered from noise too, especially on skin tones and hair textures where problems are easier to spot. These photos might be good enough for sharing online, but we’d be inclined to use the flash when shooting indoors. That’s not unusual for a compact camera but it’s a little disappointing at this price.

Ambient sunlight coming through the window was just bright enough to capture a respectable portrait photo, although it doesn’t stand up to close scrutiny – click to enlarge

Skin tones under household artificial light are a tougher test, and the FT5 is struggling here – details look smudged even after resizing the photo to modest dimensions – click to enlarge

It’s a tough call choosing between the FT5 and the Canon PowerShot D20. The D20 exhibits less noise than the FT5, giving better handling of subtle textures. The difference isn’t huge, though. The FT5’s much faster performance means you can have more shots to choose from, which may make a bigger difference to the overall quality of photos. Both have capable video modes and GPS. The D20 lacks Wi-Fi but it also costs less – it’s currently available for £255 including VAT from www.currys.co.uk. The FT5’s price is bound to come down soon, but maybe not all the way to £255.

On balance we’d pick the D20, but if the Wi-Fi functions appeal, the FT5 is a worthy alternative.