Last update 14 April’09 – Review and Sample Photos by DevHardware
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 is a 10.1 megapixel digital camera that features a 3 inch touch screen LCD, 5x optical zoom, 25mm wide angle, and an ISO range of 100 to 1600.
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Read More Reviews – (updated 14 April’09)
DevHardware
“Overall, it seems that thePanasonic Lumix DMC-FX500is a very capable little camera. People who love the idea of a touch screen compact digital camera will love this little shooter.”
CNET
“Noise levels were average for its class and as usual, the higher the ISO setting, the more noise you’ll get. But again the suppression keeps things in check without significant detail loss through ISO 400. Colors were not exceptionally accurate, but photos both indoors and outside were fairly natural looking.”
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Trusted Reviews
“It appears as though Panasonic poured so much of their time and effort into the design of the Lumix DMC-FX500’s interface that image quality was left on the back burner.”
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Trusted Reviews
“Arguably the best implementation of touch-screen technology on any current compact camera. It looks great, performs well, and produces superior image quality. It may be expensive, but there’s no doubt it’s worth every penny.”
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ePhotozine
“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.”
ImgingResource
“The Panasonic FX500 has a very nice build, a good control system, and some very interesting features. It also has some features that are just simply unnecessary, especially the touch screen.”
T3
“The Panasonic is a sexy compact bursting with tech, sporting an attractive yet slightly pointless touchscreen and a little too pricey.”
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LapTopMag
“As far as touchscreen cameras go, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 is the most intuitive we’ve seen yet. But it loses points for its less-than-spectacular image quality. Although far from terrible, we were disappointed with our underexposed pictures, particularly given the top-notch technical specs.”
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Cameras.co.uk
“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.”
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PhotographyBlog
“Despite the poor performance at higher ISO speeds, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 is a fantastic compact camera that’s equally at home in point-and-shoot mode, or a more creative shooting mode. The wide-angle lens, intuitive interface and great image quality will appeal to the family snapper and more experienced photographer alike. It’s a compelling alternative to the likes of the DMC-TZ5, which offers a longer 10x zoom but no touchscreen functionality or manual controls.”
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PCWorld
“The camera’s responsiveness was excellent, with almost no lag time between when I pressed the shutter and when pictures wrote to the card, even at the highest quality setting. This characteristic, combined with the FX500’s quick, accurate autofocus and exposure, makes the camera very satisfying to shoot with.”
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CNET.co.uk
“If looks are the most important criteria in your decision, the rather plain FX500 can’t hold a candle to the comely likes of the Canon Digital IXUS 90 IS. But in just about every other area, the FX500 knocks its competitors into a cocked hat. The Casio Exilim EX-Z200 is another wide-angle option, but you really can’t go wrong with the excellent FX500.”
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CameraLabs
“The Panasonic Lumix FX500 is certainly a classy and feature-packed compact. The zoom range with unusually wide angle and decent telephoto capabilities is very flexible and the optical stabilisation is effective. The touch screen is fun and useful without becoming a novelty or slowing you down. The manual control is a welcome addition for enthusiasts and the Intelligent Auto is sufficiently good for many to trust it for most day-to-day shots. And finally the HD Movies are a step-up from the SD modes on most compacts.”
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DigitalCameraReview
“All in all, it’s hard to say whether the novelty of a touch screen adds to or detracts from the FX500’s appeal. Serious shooters who find the FX500’s range of user control alluring may also be ambivalent about the slightly strange interface. Equally, gadget fans drawn in by the touch screen may not, on the whole, care much one way or another about exposure and processing options. In spite of all it does well, then, the FX500 seemed a little confused in who it was aiming for, and with its class-leading price tag, it simply didn’t win me over the way some previous FX cameras have.”
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Actual Owner Feedback
]Videos
[Video Tour of Touch Screen Focus Function]
Sample Photos
[Sample Photos at Trusted Reviews]
[Sample Photos at ImagingResource]
[Sample Photos at Cameras.co.uk]
[Sample Photos at PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos at CameraLabs]
Specifications & Camera Profile
Press Excerpt
Panasonic is pleased to announce a new flagship model for its Lumix slim and stylish FX series. The new 10.1-megapixel DMC-FX500 features a 25mm ultra-wide angle Leica DC lens with 5x optical zoom. Standing out from the crowd, the new FX500 features a touch-screen operation on a large, 3.0-inch LCD, bringing new enjoyment to the digital photography and enabling easy manual operation. A variety of advanced functions, including advanced Intelligent Auto mode, HD motion picture recording and HD component output, and slideshows complete with music, also enrich the camera’s appeal.
The newly developed Leica DC lens with 5x optical zoom boasts an 25mm ultra-wide angle of view that captures almost double the recording area at the same shooting distance compared with a conventional 35mm lens. This advanced lens system includes 4 aspherical lenses with 6 aspherical surfaces, and a newly developed, unevenly thick concave meniscus Extra High Refractive Index Aspherical (EA) lens. Fitting an unprecedented level of wide-angle performance into a slim camera assuring minimal distortion even at its 25mm wide end, resulting in high picture quality.
For more intuitive operation, the DMC-FX500 has a hybrid control system that combines joystick control with touch-screen operation. Basic settings can be directly controlled by the joystick, and other extensive ones are finely adjusted by touch or by moving a slider on the screen with the finger or an included stylus-pen. Users can set the auto focus and exposure at the desired part of the frame by simply touching the subject at that part while recording. In manual exposure mode, aperture and shutter speed can be adjusted by moving the slider. In playback mode, a new Easy Organisation menu is provided to simplify image sorting. The user can quickly select an image to view by scrolling the thumbnails located below the main window, and then edit the image using the same touch menu interface.
Auto focus (AF) tracking is also new with the DMC-FX500. It continues tracking the subject even if it moves after the AF is set, which is especially helpful for catching active children or pets.
The iA (Intelligent Auto) mode is a helpful shooting assist function that lets the user leave all the settings to the camera. Taking maximum advantage of this iA mode, users can go a step further to set auto focus and exposure on the desired subject by simply touching it on the screen. This kind of quick, easy rational operation is enabled by the new touch-screen interface.
The advanced DMC-FX500 combines a futuristic control system with a host of specifications and even manual control to please a wide range of users. Dressed in aluminum panels having a hairline curve on the front, the new model is available in silver and black.
