Panasonic DMC FX01 Review

The Panasonic DMC FX01 is a six megapixel digital camera with a 3.6x optical zoom lens. There are a number of features on the DMC FX01 that mark it out as a bit different to the competition. The most noticeable of these is the fact it is one of the few digital cameras to offer an ultra wide angle lens. This type of lens is perfect for squeezing in more of the scene when you are taking photos of landscapes, buildings, interiors and groups of people.

The camera is very easy to use and will suit anyone looking for a well made, straightforward digital camera. It also offers optical image stabilisation.

If you like strong, powerful colours then the DMC FX01 is likely to appeal to you in a big way. The strength of the colours is the most striking feature of the sample images I took with the camera.

This is immediately evident when looking at the scenic shots. The skies are certainly a deeper blue than I am used to seeing. This helps to give all the outdoor shots a warmer feel. I like this effect, but it is possible that some people would prefer to see the colours toned down a bit.

The sharpness of the photos is very good too. I can make out all the individual bricks on the building in the first outdoor shot. These show a clarity that is well above average. The pictures also retain their level of focus up to the edge of each photo. The DMC FX01 also copes with the reflective areas in the picture and manages to bring out a good level of detail in the shot.

You can see the difference a wide angle lens can make by looking at the second scenic shot. A much wider view than normal is packed into the picture.

As you would expect the dedicated test for colours shows a set of vivid colours. Again blue makes a strong showing, but all the other colours are not far behind. This will have an impact on just about every photo you take, not just landscape style shots.

This is underlined in the outdoor portrait shot. The skin tones show a healthier look than most cameras manage. There are increased levels of pink in the face. Again the camera handles the lighting levels well. The picture was taken on an overcast day and the cloudy white balance setting was used to add a greater feeling of warmth to the shot.

Moving indoor the portrait shot again confirms just how sharply the camera can focus. The lowlight conditions are not a big handicap to the camera and the shot is well lit with high levels of detail showing. As with many digital cameras there is a higher degree of red eye in the shot than I would like to see.

The indoor shot of beer bottles again proves the focusing system of the DMC FX01 is up to the job. Despite the extreme levels of lowlight the camera has no problem producing a sharp photo. Once again the camera also does well with lighting levels.

Next up is the macro shot. Here I would describe the photo as just below the highest levels. The picture is again sharp and clear, but I would say that if you intended to use a digital camera for regular macro photography then there are better alternatives available.

The final test is for how the camera performs at high ISO levels. Although this is an area where the majority of consumer level digital cameras tend to struggle the DMC FX01 is below par. There are high levels of deterioration in the photo I took using ISO 400. Higher ISO levels are normally used in lowlight situations where the flash cannot be used or is outside its effective range. It is quite possible that you would never need to use a high ISO setting.

I was able to take a single shot in 0.32 seconds and five shots in 9.40 seconds. These are average times.

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

For composing images there is a 2.5" LCD screen. This is made up of around 207,000 pixels. Testing the screen out in bright conditions I found it to be very good indeed. Where other digital camera screens were struggling I could still read this screen with ease. There is no room for a viewfinder.

The 3.6x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 28 - 102mm in 35mm format. There are two other types of zoom available. The first is a 4x digital zoom function. The second is something called extended zoom. This offers the same quality as optical zoom, but is only available at lower resolutions. This increases the total optical zoom to 5x extended zoom is available.

You can choose between a number of different auto focusing methods. These are 1 point, 1-point high speed, 3-point high speed, 5-point and spot. For close up work in macro mode the camera can focus from 5cm away from the subject.

To help you take the best possible shots there are a variety of predefined scene modes you can choose from. By selecting a scene mode you indicate to the camera the type of photo you are about to take. The camera will then decide on the optimum settings for the shot. Help text is also available to help you get the most use from this feature. The scene modes available are Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-portrait, Food,Party, Candle, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Snow, Baby1, Baby2, High Sensitivity and Underwater.

The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 4m. This falls to nearer 2m when the zoom lens is in use. The flash settings available are Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction and Forced On/Off

If you would like to appear in the picture yourself you can use the self timer. The delay time can be set to either two or ten seconds. Another useful feature allows you to record up to five seconds of sound when a still photo is being taken.

After a picture has been taken you can create a smaller copy and also trim the photo. In addition you can add ten seconds of commentary to each shot.

To add something different to your photos you can use a small number of colour filters. These are Cool, Warm, Black and White and Sepia. There is also a picture adjustment feature that you can set to natural, vivid or standard.

Panasonic have covered just about all angles with the aspect ratios on offer. The standard 4:3 ratio is fine for viewing images on a computer monitor. 16:9 is perfect for viewing on a widescreen television while 3:2 matches 6 x 4" prints without the need to trim the image to fit onto the paper.

Amongst the more advanced features are ISO sensitivity (Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400), white balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Halogen, White Set White Balance Adjustment ( 150K step, -1500 - +1500 K) (Except for Auto set)), exposure compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV) and auto bracketing (+/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames). In high sensitivity mode ISO 800 and 1600 are available. Backlight compensation is available in simple mode.

Shutter speeds work in a range between 8 - 1/2000 seconds. Slower speeds of 15, 30 and sixty seconds are available in starry sky mode. The apertures available are Wide: F2.8/F5.6 (2 steps) and Tele: F5.6 - F11 (2 steps). Both aperture size and shutter speeds are set automatically by the camera.

There are three types of burst mode available. The first allows you to shoot up to eight rapid images in standard mode. The next allows you to shoot six rapid images in fine mode. The third allows you to shoot continuously until the card is full. This third method records at a slower speed than the first two options.

You can shoot TV quality movies with the DMC FX01. The maximum resolution is 848 x 480 pixels. This resolution is ideal for widescreen televisions. A more standard 640 x 480 resolution is available too. You can zoom in before a movie is recorded, but not while the recording is in progress. Sound can be captured with the movie. The duration is only limited by the capacity of the memory card.

Panasonic supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC FX01 to a computer, television set and a PictBridge compatible printer.

Another strength of the DMC FX01 is ease of use. The menu system employed by Panasonic is one of the most straightforward you will find. Even then if you are still confused you can switch the camera into Simple mode and use a menu with the absolute basic options you will need.

All the major controls are to be found on the back and top of the camera. Zoom is controlled by a ring around the shutter button. There is also a control dial that allows you to choose the shooting mode you wish to use. Buttons on the back of the camera control flash, macro, self timer, reviewing images and accessing the menu.

You can pick up a Panasonic DMC FX01 for around £210. This compares to around £270 for a Canon IXUS 800 IS, £235 for a Sony DSC W100 and £215 for a Olympus MJU 810.

In my view the DMC FX01 is a bit of a bargain. With a number of well thought out features including image stabilisation and a wide angle lens it really is a bit of a steal.

The DMC FX01 has a simple, unfussy design. The edges of the camera are rounded and this helps to stop the camera from looking stark and also makes it look a little different to other models. There is a small grip on the front of the camera to help you hold it steady when you are taking a shot. The camera is available in black, silver, pink and white, although the pink and white models are not currently widely available. I also like the build quaility of the camera.

With dimensions of 94.1 x 51.1 x 24.2 mm the camera just squeezes into a pocket. It weighs 132g.

A lithium ion battery is used to provide power to the camera. Panasonic supplies both a battery and a charger with the DMC FX01 as standard. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 320 shots between battery charges. To save battery power you can choose economy mode.

Images are stored on SD cards. A 16mb card is supplied with the camera. I was able to take just four photos before the card was full. This is an area where Panasonic could be more generous. It is therefore advisable to pick up a high capacity card to go with the camera.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Wide angle lens
Image stabilisation
Aspect ratios
Widescreen movies
Clear LCD screen in the sun
Vivid colours
Sharp images
Build quality
Ease of use

Red eye
High ISO levels
Small capacity memory card supplied

I have never found so many points I like about any digital camera as I have with the Panasonic DMC FX01. Full marks must go to Panasonic for adding so many useful and helpful features. Further good news is that the picture quality of the camera is of a very high standard and the camera is also exceptionally easy to use.

Panasonic DMC FX01 Front View

Panasonic DMC FX01 Back View

Panasonic DMC FX01 Top View

Sample Menus

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on this site, please make sure you double check the feature set and specification at the point of purchase.

Panasonic DMC FX01