Overview
The Panasonic DMC FS20 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 4x optical zoom lens. It has a wider than standard 30mm lens. There is also a large 3 inch LCD screen.
Why Buy The Panasonic DMC FS20
The DMC FS20 is just about small enough to slip into a pocket. I like the simple, but effective design of the camera. It is easy to use and picture quality is towards the top end of the market. There are also a few extra features thrown in such as widescreen movies, an intelligent automatic mode and image stabilisation. All in all it is a very impressive package.
It also has a feature that increases the amount of zoom available when you shoot at lower resolutions.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
4x
3 inches
94.9 x 57.1 x 22.9 m
132g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
10cm
No
No
Lithium ion
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
The combination of sharpness and brightness produces a pleasing photo. The camera handles glare from the sun well and the level of detail on the lighter areas of the boats is impressive. The colours have also remained true to the scene on the day.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
I like the way the colours complement each other in this picture. The blue of the sky and the water work well with the greens of the foliage. There is some noise in the picture and this stops the photo from really hitting the mark.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
This is a better effort than the second outdoor shot. It is another bright shot and demonstrates how well the DMC FS20 uses the light. Sharpness levels are good.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
With all the brickwork in this picture it makes it a good test for sharpness. This Panasonic digital cameras does well and there is only a small amount of sharpness lost as you move towards the edges of the shot.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
The outdoor portrait has a bit of an orange glow to it. This is due to me selecting the white balance setting of shady to match the shooting conditions. Without using the shady setting the picture look on the dull side, so although the warmth is a bit overdone here I prefer this result.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
This is my favourite portrait shot. The main reason is the colour in the photo. The flash unit provides plenty of even lighting without swamping the colours.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
With just natural light the DMC FS20 produces another good portrait shot. Once again the colours are about right.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
I am very happy with macro test result. It is above average and suggests that this Panasonic digital cameras should be able to produce decent quality close up shots in most situations.
Colours:
As with other cameras in this range the DMC FS20 is capable of producing strong colours. On occasion these can be a bit over the top for my own personal taste.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600:
When using higher ISO settings the current batch of Panasonic digital cameras perform fairly well. Noise inevitably kicks in, but Panasonic handles this as well as any other brand apart from perhaps Fuji.
Summary
Overall I am very happy with my test pictures. The DMC FS20 is able to take a decent shot in most situations.
Style
The rounded ends of the camera stop it from looking plain and ordinary. The DMC FS20 has an unfussy design, but a design that works well in my opinion. It just about slips into most pockets.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.48 seconds
10.49 seconds
0.55 seconds
12.38 seconds
Ease of Use
I find the menu system used by Panasonic to be one of the most straightforward of any brand. The easy zoom button on the top of the camera gives you immediate maximum zoom.
Points I Like
Ease of use - design and build quality - automatic features - overall picture quality - wide screen movies
Where it Could Improve
Shutter delay could be that little bit faster
Verdict
The Panasonic DMC FS20 is a high quality point and shoot camera. It has a few extra features included that make it a clear step up from the more basic, entry level models. I found the camera easy to use and it is well worth adding to your shortlist.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC FS20 Review Panasonic DMC FS20 Specification Panasonic DMC FS20 Sample Images Panasonic DMC FS20 Features
Review Date
May 2008
