Panasonic's DMC-FX5 is one of the firm's latest 4-megapixel cameras to hit the market. Will its optically stabilised 3x optics be enough to distinguish itself from the competition?
Panasonic's Lumix line has been fairly uninspiring for the most part of yesteryear. While the firm's FZ1 drew some acclaim for its stabilised 12x Leica optics, most users were hesitant to jump aboard due to the rather low pixel count (2 megapixels). The firm's latest range of Lumix aims to change just that. Incorporating a stylish compact design, the manufacturer has not only endowed the FX5 with the same 4-megapixel sensor as the higher-end FZ10, but it's also incorporated its proprietary MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) technology that's sure to please most point-and-shoot users.
Unusual for a 3x camera with a telephoto reach of just 105mm (35mm equivalent) is image stabilisation. Although such stabilisation systems are useful and good to have, typically, manufacturers employ such systems on only long telephoto cameras to reduce cost. Incredibly, Panasonic not only imports its lens-shift system from the FZ series, it also does so without tying a large price tag to it hitting retail stands at AU$879.
For the fashion-conscious, the FX5 arrives in a choice of three different colours (silver, red and blue) as well as a sleek, boxy exterior reminiscent of the firm's older F1 and Nikon's more recent Coolpix 3700.
In the hands, the Lumix feels comfortable and much more fitting than the larger and heavier FZ10. However, we did find the mode dial too light, rotating with little provocation. Located just beside the thumb rest, this problem is far worse for users with large digits.
In terms of menu layout, piloting around is straightforward and the four-way navigation pad is responsive, making light work of setting the various options. What could have made things better, though, was a larger LCD monitor. The FX5 comes with a minimalist 1.5-inch screen that, while sharp, just won't help framing and playback all that much. If you think you're the kind to use the optical viewfinder more -- in order to save battery life -- you'll scream just as bad. The cramped viewfinder is excruciating to use and we hazard that the problem will get worse when you're under the glare of a hot sun.
Expectedly, the FX5 comes with a pretty complete feature set to complement point-and-shoot photography. Besides sporting the standard scene modes, the unit also sparingly provides some manual functions. These include two metering modes (multi and spot), exposure compensation, selectable ISO settings and white balance controls.
There's also the fun Flip Animation mode which allows users to create 10-second animated clips from discrete shots that run at either 5 or 10fps. If that's not your idea of a clip, the Lumix also allows the capturing of 320 x 240 MOV clips with audio that's limited by the size of your Secure Digital card.
When shooting stills the unit is able to save JPEGs at five resolutions and only two compression settings. Like many shooters in its class, there're no provisions for uncompressed file formats such as TIFF or RAW.
In our tests, we found the FX5 to perform averagely. It sprang to life in under 3 seconds when the power switch was flicked, while shot-to-shot runs took about 2 to 3 seconds with the flash disabled. Surprisingly, those timings hardly dropped when the camera's built-in flash was forced on, clocking in at about 3 seconds.
For continuous shooting, the FX5 performed just as well as the FZ10, snapping seven shots per burst at a rate of 4fps.
The smooth, quiet lens zoomed quickly and precisely while the autofocus (AF) system was decent, often taking about a second for situations with adequate lighting. Under dim or bad lighting, the AF took a little longer, about 2 to 3 seconds. We should also mention that the AF was sometimes pokey and had the slight tendency to get confused under various lighting.
Because the FX5 sports the same 4-megapixel sensor as the FZ10, image quality from the two cameras were similar. This meant that our exposures were generally acceptable but nothing to shout home about. This is strange as Panasonic touts that its new CCD employs a better microlens design that's gapless and sports an inner-layer lens to better increase the optical fill factor.
As with most ultracompacts, the pictures have been optimised for point-and-shoot photography, offering little in terms of dynamic range. Therefore, our outdoor shots had clippings in the highlights and shadows. The colours captured, on the other hand, were pleasing. Like the FZ10, the Lumix, too, showed demosaicing artifacts.
In all, the FX5 is a perfectly capable point-and-shoot ultracompact. It produces generally acceptable images and the resolution should be good for prints larger than A4 in size. The biggest selling points for the camera would be its optical stabilising system as well as its affordable price tag. For users who do not intend to print larger than A4-size photos, Panasonic also ships the AU$110 cheaper 3-megapixel FX1, which sports similar specifications and offers a choice of five colours.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX5
Company: Panasonic
Price: AU$879
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 13 26 00
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