Panasonic DMC FX9 Review

The Panasonic DMC FX9 is a six megapixel digital camera with a three times optical zoom lens. It is a very sleek and stylish model and is just about small enough to fit into any pocket. One of the main attractions of the DMC FX9 is its ease of use. Therefore this camera is likely to appeal to anyone who is looking for a simple point and shoot model, but is prepared to pay more for the attractive design and build quality. This camera also offers optical image stabilisation.

Overall the pictures I managed to take with the DMC FX9 are a very solid set. Although I can't say they are really outstanding they stand up well against other cameras and I would describe them as comfortably above average.

The one area where this camera does manage to outperform many others is indoors. The indoor portrait is very sharp considering the conditions. There are no areas where the camera struggled to pick out detail and the shot is well lit too. There is only the very faintest suggestion of any red eye. All in all this is definitely one of the best indoor portraits I have managed to take.

The shot of beer bottles is taken in almost complete darkness. Again the camera focuses extremely well and the lighting is very good indeed. As long as you work within the range of the flash unit and within the limitations of the AF illuminator you are likely to be able to take good quality photos in most indoor situations.

The outdoor scenic shots work well too. It is difficult to highlight any particular areas, but the photos are of a good standard. The only comment I will make is that the lens is not quite as pin sharp as on the Canon IXUS 750.

I like the outdoor portrait. Despite the time of year when the picture was taken the camera still manages to inject quite a bit of life and colour into the photo. A number of cameras I have tested recently have need a boost from the flash unit to achieve this, but the DMC FX9 manages to do this without the flash.

The test shot for colour produced a result a little less vivid than I am used to seeing. The interpretation of this result is often down to personal taste as some people like to see very deep and rich colours whereas others like a slightly more natural feel. The colours produced here are more towards the natural end of the scale.

Finally the macro shot is pleasing. It is bright and clear and although this type of camera is not recommended for any serious macro or close up photography you will still be able to take good close up shots with it.

I managed to take a single shot in 0.38 seconds. This is a slightly above average time. It took 11.80 seconds to take five consecutive shots. This works out at a rate of one photo every 2.36 seconds. Again this is an area where although not really slow it would have liked to have seen a faster time.

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

The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 35-105mm in 35mm format. The lens has an aperture range of f2.8 to f10. This is a wide range for this type of digital camera. Optical image stabilisation is built into the lens. A 4x digital zoom feature is also available. For close up photography the camera can focus from 5cms away from the subject.

For composing images there is a 2.5 inch LCD monitor. This is made up of around 207,000 pixels. There are a number of useful pieces of information you can display on the LCD screen. As well as standard details such as battery indicator and the room left on the memory card you can also display gridlines to help you line up a photo and a histogram to help you check the exposure levels. There is no viewfinder.

The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 4m. This drops down to 2.2m when the zoom lens is fully extended. The flash modes are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced On/Off.

To help you take the best possible photos in differing situations there are a number of pre programmed scene modes you can use. All you need to do is select the most appropriate scene. The scenes you can choose from are Portrait, Sports, Food, Scenery, Night Scenery, Night Portrait, Baby, Fireworks, Party, Snow, Self-portrait and Soft Skin.

For when you would like to appear in the photo there is a self timer. This can be set to a two or ten second delay. You can also add short voice memos to a photo to help you remember the moment. The voice memo can either be added when you take the picture or at a later time.

To add different effects to your photos you can choose to shoot in black and white or sepia. You can also add a warm or cool tone to your shots. You can also adjust the colour level to natural, standard or vivid.

An AF assist lamp helps the camera to focus in lowlight.

Among the more advanced features are shutter speeds ranging from 8 to 1/2000 seconds, ISO sensitivity of Auto, 80, 100, 200 and 400, White Balance (Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Halogen / White Set White Balance Adjustment ( 150K step, -1500K - +1500K) (Except for Auto Set)) and exposure compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV). Auto bracketing and backlight compensation are available too.

There is also a burst mode. This allows you to take up to eight images at a rate of three frames per second. Similar to burst mode is continuous shooting. This lets you take pictures continuously at a slower rate until the memory card is full.

You can shoot movies with sound. The duration of each movie is only limited by the capacity of the memory card. Zoom is disabled in movie mode. Movies can be of TV quality with a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 and a top speed of 30 frames per second.

Panasonic supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC FX9 to a PictBridge compatible printer, television set and a computer. There is a special setting that allows you to take still photos for playback on a wide screen television.

One of the big plus points about this camera is just how easy it is to use. Panasonic digital cameras tend to have very simple and clear menu systems and the DMC FX9 is no exception. It is very easy to find your way around. A number of key controls can be found on the top and back of the camera. These cater for zoom, flash, self timer, macro and movie mode.

You can pick up a Panasonic DMC FX9 for around £250. This compares to around £225 for a Pentax Optio S6, £225 for a Nikon Coolpix S3 and £280 for a Canon IXUS 750.

Up against other ultra compact models such as the Optio S6 and Coolpix S3 the DMC FX9 is more expensive. The style of this camera though is probably closer to cameras like the IXUS 750. Looking in this range the camera is more reasonably priced.

The DMC FX9 strikes me as an attractive camera. It has a simple, clean design that I like. Although based on its size it just squeezes into my ultra compact category in terms of design it looks more like other more stylish digital cameras such as the Canon IXUS 750 and the Olympus MJU 800. It comes in a choice of colours, silver and black. It has dimensions of 94.1 x 50.5 x 24.2mm and will fit into just about any pocket. It weighs in at 127g and has a metal body.

Power is supplied to the camera by a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 270 photos with the DMC FX9 before the battery needs to be recharged. Buying spare batteries can prove to be expensive and you may decide to simply ensure the battery is fully charged before setting off to take any important photos. To conserve batteries the camera has a special economy mode.

Images are stored on SD cards. A 16mb card is supplied as standard with the camera. I was only able to take six shots before the card was full. Therefore it is advisable to pick up a high capacity card to go with your camera. Click here to save money on xD cards..

Indoor photos
Simple, clean design
Easy to use
Optical image stabilizer

Small capacity memory card supplied

If you are looking for a stylish, easy to use digital camera then the Panasonic DMC FX9 is well worth a close look. It performs well in just about all situations and you are unlikely to find a much more straightforward camera.

Panasonic DMC FX9 Front View

Panasonic DMC FX9 Back View

Panasonic DMC FX9 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 FX9