The Panasonic DMC FX07 is a seven megapixel digital camera with a 3.6x optical zoom lens. The lens is in fact the feature that makes the DMC FX07 different to the vast majority of digital cameras. This is because it is a wide angle lens. A wide angle lens is ideal if you are planning to take a large number of landscape, architectural, interior or group shots. This is because the wide angle allows you to squeeze more width into each photo.
The camera also offers image stabilisation. This is also quite rare in a camera with a standard length zoom lens.
Image Quality
On the whole I like the test photos taken with the DMC FX07. As with other cameras in this part of the Panasonic range colours are strong. This is highlighted in the outdoor scenic type shots where the skies and greenery show very vivid colours.
In most of my test shots focusing is sharp, but there one or two exceptions to this. Looking at the first outdoor scenic shot the zoom lens is used without being fully extended. In this situation not only does the camera manage to focus sharply in the centre of the picture, but it is also able to retain focusing levels towards the edges of each shot. For example the names on the boats can be seen more clearly than with some other cameras I have tested.
It should be pointed out though that when the zoom lens is not used at all or if it is used to its maximum capacity the DMC FX07 does have a tendency to lose sharpness as you move away from the centre of the shot. This is noticeable in both the second and third outdoor shots. The second shot where the zoom is not used at all loses a fair amount of focus towards the corners of each shot. How important this is likely to be will depend on just how large you are planning to print your photos. Trying to be fair to the DMC FX07 this issues are likely to be accentuated in my tests by the wide angle lens. This means that the camera is unable to get in quite as close as the majority of other digital cameras can for focusing purposes.
The DMC FX07 performs quite well in lighter and darker areas of each shot. In the first test picture there is a loss of detail showing in the white wooden beams under the roof of the building, but in general the camera manages to minimize this fairly regular problem.
Another point worth mentioning is that areas of a single colour, such as the sky, are not completely smooth as a degree of noise creeps into the picture. Again the size of prints you make will determine just how much a problem this becomes. Larger prints will magnify any imperfections in a picture.
I like to see plenty of colour in the outdoor portrait, but in this test shot I feel the colours are overdone. In my view this stops the photo from looking natural. It is also a shade darker then I like to see too.
The indoor shots taken in lowlight are both winners. Both test photos are sharply focused when taking the conditions into account. I also think the lighting levels in each photo are about as good as you are likely to find in this type of situation as well. The indoor portrait also manages to more or less completely avoid any problems with red eye.
For close up photography the macro shot is about average. Again I would like to have seen the picture a degree or so brighter, but in terms of clarity and sharpness the camera does a good job.
The dedicated test for colour highlights the depth of colours the camera is able to portray. No single colour dominates. Whether or not you like the depth of colour shown by the DMC FX07 is likely to be a question of personal taste.
Shooting at higher ISO settings causes the DMC FX07 a problem. You can shoot at settings up to ISO 1250. I found that even at ISO 400 noise is a problem, especially in one colour areas such as a wall or a sky. Without going into a detailed technical explanation noise causes a loss of picture quality.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
I was able to take a single shot in 0.35 seconds and five shots in 7.07 seconds. The time taken to take a single photo is an average time. The time taken to take five photos is faster than avearge.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
The 3.6x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 28-102mm in 35mm format. The lens aperture works in a range of Wide: F2.8/F8 (2 steps) and Tele: F5 - F16 (2 steps). 4x digital zoom is also available. Another feature is called extra optical zoom. This is available at lower resolutions (megapixels) and increases the capacity of the zoom lens. For close up shots the macro mode can focus from 5cm.
To help you take the best possible photos there are a range of pre programmed scene modes available. These are Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-portrait, Food, Party, Candle, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Baby1, Baby2, Snow, High Sensitivity, Underwater, Aerial photo and Beach. When selecting a scene mode the camera will select what it believes to be the most appropriate settings for the scene.
To add a different affect to your photos you can adjust the colour before the photo is taken. The colour settings you can choose from are: Cool, Warm, Black and White and Sepia.
Sound can be recorded to go with a still image. Up to five seconds of sound can be recorded when the image is being taken or ten seconds of commentary can be added later. For when you would like to appear in a photo there is a self timer with a two or ten second delay. A histogram can be used to check exposure levels.
The DMC FX07 offers a wider selection of aspect ratios than most digital cameras. As well as the standard 4:3 ratio there is a 3:2 ratio and a 16:9 ratio. The 3:2 ratio ensures that a picture will fit onto the paper used for a 6 x 4" print without the need for trimming. The 16:9 ratio is ideal for showing photos on a widescreen television or making panoramic prints.
For composing images there is a 2.5" LCD screen. This is made up of around 207,000 pixels. I found the screen much easier to see than most when sunlight was shining directly onto it. There is no viewfinder.
The flash modes available to you are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, and Forced On/Off.
After a picture has been taken you can create smaller copies and also trim (crop) the photo.
Among the more advanced features are ISO sensitivity (Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1250), White Balance (Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set White Balance Adjustment ( 150K step, -1500 - +1500 K) (except for auto set)), Auto Focus Metering (1-point/ 1-point high speed/ 3-point high speed/ 9-point/ Spot), Exposure Compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV) and Bracketing (+/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames).
Shutter speeds are controlled automatically by the DMC FX07. These work in the range 8 seconds to 1/2000 seconds. When using starry sky mode the shutter speed time can be increased to a maximum of sixty seconds.
Burst shooting and continuous shooting are available as well. In burst mode you can take up to eight photos at a rate of three frames per second. Continuous shooting lets you keep firing off shots until the memory card is full. This is at a slower rate to burst mode.
Movies can be recorded at a maximum resolution of 848 x 480. This is ideal for playing back on a widescreen television. The top recording speed is 30 frames per second. You can zoom in and out before you start recording, but not while recording is in progress. Sound can be captured with the movie.
Panasonic supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC FX07 to a computer, television set and a PictBridge compatible printer.
Ease of Use
I find cameras in the Panasonic range to be some of the easiest to use. The menu system is well presented and it is also easy to read. For anyone looking to simplify picture taking further there is also a simple mode. This reduces the menu choices to an absolute minimum.
Cost
You can pick up a Panasonic DMC FX07 for around £210. This compares to around £255 for a Canon IXUS 850 IS, £200 for a Sony DSC W100 and £210 for a Olympus MJU 740.
There are not that many similar digital cameras to choose from, especially when you take into account the wide angle lens and optical image stabilisation. I would describe the DMC FX07 as offering good value for money.
Style
The DMC FX07 just about scrapes into my pocket sized category with dimensions of 94.1 x 51.1 x 24.2 mm. It will need to be a good sized pocket for it to fit comfortably. The camera is available in four colours: blue, red, silver and black. It weighs 160g. I think the camera looks stylish. It has rounded edges that stop it from looking stark and a small grip on the front to help you to hold the camera steady.
Batteries and Memory Card
Power is supplied to the camera by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Panasonic supplies both a battery and charger with the DMC FX07. Panasonic estimate you should be able to take around 320 pictures with the camera before the batteries need to be recharged.
A 16mb SD card is supplied with the camera as standard. I was able to take only three shots before the card was full. This is not even enough to give the camera a good test. Therefore you will need to pick up a high capacity card to go with the camera. It is also compatible with the new SDHC (SD high capacity) cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards..
Points I like:
Wide angle lens
Image stabilisation
Aspect ratios
Widescreen movies
Clear LCD screen in the sun
Vivid colours
Build quality
Ease of use
Where it is not so hot:
High ISO levels
Small capacity memory card supplied
Summary
The Panasonic DMC FX07 has a lot going for it. Offering a wide angle lens, image stabilisation and ease of use puts it ahead of a lot of its rivals. I have one or two reservations about some areas in terms of picture quality, but all in all it is well worth considering.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Panasonic DMC FX07 Summary |
| Description: | 7 megapixels with a 3.6x optical zoom lenes |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 82 |
| Verdict: | "With a wide angle lens, images stabilisation and a variety of aspect ratios the Panasonic DMC FX07 offers something different to the majority of smaller digital cameras. Picture quality is good without being exceptional. Well worth a close look." |
| Review Date: | October 2006 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images |
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