Panasonic's 2010 budget travel zoom — 12.1MP CCD, 25-300mm equiv 12x Leica lens, manual modes; ZS5 in North America.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ8 was a Travel Zoom compact announced in January 2010 as the junior partner to the TZ10, dropping that model's GPS and larger screen to hit a lower price. In North America it was sold as the Lumix DMC-ZS5.
It combines a 12.1-megapixel 1/2.33in CCD with the same Leica DC Vario-Elmar 12x zoom as the TZ10, equivalent to 25-300mm, stabilised by Panasonic's optical image stabiliser. Unusually for the class it offers full A, S and M exposure modes alongside Intelligent Auto and scene modes. Video is 720p HD in Motion JPEG, framed on a 2.7in 230k-dot LCD, with SD-family card storage.
It suits travellers who want the TZ10's wide 25mm-to-300mm range and manual control but do not need GPS tagging or AVCHD video. The smaller, lower-resolution screen is the main day-to-day compromise; image output is essentially the same as its dearer sibling.
Check used examples for a working proprietary battery and genuine charger, smooth operation across the full 12x zoom, and a clean, bright LCD. As with all CCD compacts of this age, run a long-exposure test for hot pixels. SD/SDHC storage keeps media cheap; verify video records without artefacts.