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Camera Tested
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The Panasonic Lumix DMC FS7 is a mid priced, pocket sized digital camera. In terms of main features it has 10 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens. As with other Panasonic cameras in this series you can trade off some of the megapixels and increase the amount of zoom. For example when shooting at below 3 megapixels the maximum zoom available is 7.1x magnification or at 5 megapixels you can increase the zoom to 5.7x magnification. This makes the Lumix DMC FS7 quite a flexible camera. Shooting at 5 megapixels still gives you scope to produce prints of around 8 x 11 inches in size. Most people find this plenty for holiday snapshots etc.

It is this type of feature that gives the Lumix DMC FS7 a small edge over other similarly priced digital cameras. Other little extras include a LCD screen with a special setting that makes the screen a lot easier to see if you need to hold the camera above your head to take a photo. This may come in useful if you are in a crowd and would like to take a shot of events unfolding in front of you. Likewise I think it is a good idea to give you an option to increase the size of the text used in the menu system. Most people would not want to use this feature, but for anyone whose eyesight is not what it was this can help to make the Lumix DMC FS7 that bit easier to use. The LCD screen is a good size at 2.7 inches. This is now becoming the standard screen size.

Other features worth a mention include a starry sky mode. This mode allows you much greater control over shutter speeds and can help you to take much better photos. If you are going to use slower shutter speeds then the fact the camera has image stabilisation built in will also be of interest. This feature is not a necessity on cameras with fairly short zoom lenses, but every little helps when it comes to taking sharp photos.

You may also notice the camera has an Intelligent Auto setting. This is said to help the camera recognise certain scenes and to detect when a subject is moving or the camera is not completely still. Again I would not say any of this is a necessity, but it may help improve your photos a notch or two.

We have now reached the stage in the evolution of digital cameras where the majority are able to take a decent snapshot. This is especially true if you are not looking to enlarge picture size outrageously. Even so I felt the Lumix DMC FS7 had a slight edge over a number of similarly priced cameras I have tested recently. A lot of this is down to the sharpness of the photos and also the level of detail the camera is able to bring out in light shade. In some of my tests the level of contrast in the shot is high and I felt the camera handled these tricky scenes better than most cameras do.

In terms of looks and design there is not a great deal to report. The camera has a simple design and to be honest it looks roughly similar to so many other digital cameras. That is not to say the camera is unattractive. You also have a selection of colours available. Panasonic state the Lumix DMC FS7 is available in silver, pink and black, but I have also seen pictures of the camera in green and blue, so these colours must be available somewhere.

If you are looking for this type of camera then you are spoilt for choice. There are even four similar models, including the Lumix DMC FS7 that Panasonic alone has introduced in the spring of 2009. This camera offers good vale for money and stands up well against other models.

Andy writes and reviews digital cameras for Cameras.co.uk. See his test shots and ratings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC FS7

Panasonic Dmc Fx500 Digital Camera Review

The Panasonic DMC FX500 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 5x optical zoom lens. It has more features than any other pocket sized camera I have reviewed.

Why Buy the Panasonic DMC FX500?
If you are looking for a feature rich pocket camera then you will be delighted by the DMC FX500. It has manual exposure controls, a wide angle lens, high definition movies and a large 3 inch screen. A number of options are touch screen controlled.

On top of these headline features there is also image stabilisation, a setting to make it easy to see the LCD screen when the camera is help above eye level and bracketing. You can also increase the amount of zoom available when shooting at lower resolutions.

Image Quality Panasonic DMC FX500 test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The DMC FX500 does especially well when handling the lighter colours in the shot. This camera is able to show more detail on the boats than the majority of digital cameras manage. When it comes to colours the blues and greens have a natural feel to them. Focusing is sharp without hitting the same levels as the very best compacts manage.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This scene is a stern test for a camera with a lens as wide as this one. In terms of focusing the camera does well, although there is a small amount of drop off in light and brightness as you move towards the edges.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
With the lens fully zoomed in the DMC FX500 does well enough when it comes to focusing, but does not earn itself a place in the top quarter of pocket sized digital cameras.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
My final outdoor test is another that tests out how well the camera is able to focus. Based on this set of tests the DMC FX500 does well enough without matching up to the very best. I would give it 7.5 out of 10 for focusing at distance.

Outdoor Portrait
No problems here. Focusing is good with the camera being that much closer to its subject. The extra colour in the shot helps to create a warmer portrait. I think the DMC FX500 does well to find detail in the darker areas of the shot.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
Even with the flash on the DMC FX500 manages to retain colour in the shot. On the whole this photo works well for me. Again there is no problem with the sharpness of the shot.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
I would like to have seen more brightness and definition in this photo. Owing to the DMC FX500 not being able to pull enough light into the shot noise starts to creep in. This takes the edge off the definition of the shot. Although it is not a bad effort I prefer the indoor portrait with flash.

Colours
Over time I feel that Panasonic digital cameras have toned down the colours they produce a notch or two. I think this is a good thing as the colours now have a more natural look to them.

Macro
This is a decent macro shot. I would say it places the DMC FX500 in the top 25 percent of compact digital cameras for close up shots.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600
There is nothing out of the ordinary for my higher ISO tests. There is noise even in the lighter areas of the ISO 400 shot. Noise levels increase in the darker areas of the shot. At ISO 1600 noise is a problem in all areas.

Overall
Perhaps not up there with the very best pocket digital cameras, but a worthy effort none the less.

Shutter Lag
The DMC FX500 produced a set of shutter lag times that were on the slow side of average. The times produced were 0.44 seconds for a single photo and 15.48 seconds for five photos. With flash turned on times increased to 0.54 seconds for a single photo and 17.5 seconds for five photos.

It took 3.08 seconds to turn the camera on and take a picture.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: Looks wise the DMC FX500 is a fairly regular pocket sized digital camera. It is available in black and silver.

Dimensions: 94.9 x 57.1 x 22.9mm

Weight: 155g

Batteries: Lithium ion. Panasonic supplies both a battery and a charger with the DMC FX500 as standard. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 280 shots in between charges.

Memory cards: 50MB of storage have been built into the camera. I was able to take 16 photos before this was full. The DMC FX500 is also compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards.

Ease of use rating: Very Good. Considering all the features packed into the DMC FX500 Panasonic have done a very good job of making the camera as easy to use as possible.

Points I like:
Ease of use - high definition movies - high angle LCD screen - design - manual exposure controls - touch screen controls

Where it could improve:
A touch more brightness in some of the photos

Alternatives
As the DMC FX500 stands out on its own when it comes to features it is impossible to pick another pocket sized camera that is a true alternative. Another more basic, pocket camera worth taking a look at is the Canon IXUS 90 IS.

Verdict:
There is no doubt that the Panasonic DMC FX500 is an impressive camera when it comes to the number of features packed into its compact body. Picture quality is good too and all in all Panasonic have produced a very good digital camera.

 

Front View

 

Back View

 

Top View

 

Sample Menus

 

About the Author

Panasonic Digital Camera Reviews

Cameras.co.uk

Why? When a person is looking to buy a new car they actually go on test drives, but when looking for a camera?

they come here and ask for suggestions.

Why is it not common sense to go out and try out, or test drive, the cameras to find the one that you like?
I don't disagree with any of these points in particular.

It is true that in most of the chains of camera stores and in electronics stores the employees tend to know very little about the cameras.

people have no common sense

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