Overview
The Panasonic Lumix DMC FS33 is a touch controlled digital camera. It has 14 megapixels and an 8x zoom lens. It is relatively compact in size for a digital camera offering so much zoom. The lens has wide angle capabilities.
Features such as High Definition movies and the ability to increase the amount of zoom to a maximum 16.9x when shooting at 3 megapixels mark the Lumix DMC FS33 out as a clear step up on a standard point and shoot camera. Despite the extra features ease of use is not compromised. In fact I think the touch controlled menus are well thought through and straightforward.
Picture quality is excellent in places, but I did detect a weakness where the sharpness of a photo can be lost towards the edges of a shot. This stops the Lumix DMC FS33 from being an outstanding digital camera.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
14
8x
3 inches
100 x 56.5 x 27.2 mm
140g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
5cm
Yes
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD / SDHC / SDXC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
On the whole my outdoor scenic shots have come out well. It is noticeable though that when a medium amount of zoom is being used there is a loss of sharpness towards the edges of the photos. The second test shot where the lens is zoomed right out and the third test shot where maximum zoom is used come out the best. The other two shots are sharp in the centre, but then shapness falls away as you move out towards the edges. Once you reach the outer edges of the photos the softness is noticeable with larger prints.
Contrast levels, brightness and colours all work well. Sun glare is also controlled. In fact if sharpness was retained better this would be a very impressive set of test shots.
Portraits
For my money Panasonic digital cameras produce the best portrait shots. All three of my portrait tests shots with the Lumix DMC FS33 are some way above average. The most impressive one of the three is my outdoor test shot. It has a level of brightness and a vivid look to the colours that other brands really struggle to match.
My portrait taken with flash is not far behind in terms of quality. The key to this picture is the evenness of the light produce by the flash. Add in the fact that the amount of light is subtle and does not overpower the shot and you have a high quality photo.
Turning the flash off and relying on available light works well too. Even so any indoor photo taken without flash will need plenty of light to enable the Lumix DMC FS33 to focus sharply.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Close up shots are another area where the Lumix DMC FS33 performs well. The only drawback is the fact that the lens unit is quite large and is highly reflective. This means that if you are photographing a shiny object there is the danger that you will see a reflection of the camera lens in your photo.
I like the colours this camera produces. The combination of colour and brightness contributes to a successful series of photos.
Noise levels are controlled well. As I have found with other digital cameras from Panasonic noise levels are kept very low in areas of light shade.
Summary
Aside from this loss of sharpness at the edges picture quality is very good indeed. The loss of sharpness is significant enough for it to be a concern for any large prints.
Style
This looks like a typical compact digital camera. It has a standard rectangular shape. Black, silver and red versions are available.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.3 seconds
11.72 seconds
0.47 seconds
15.28 seconds
Ease of Use
I found the Lumix DMC FS33 easy to use. I like the layout of the menus system.
Points I Like
Ease of use - Portrait Photos - 3 inch LCD screen - - Extra Zoom at low Resolutions - High Definition movies
Where it Could Improve
Loss of sharpness towards the edges of some photos
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC FS33 Review Panasonic DMC FS33 Specification Panasonic DMC FS33 Sample Images Panasonic DMC FS33 Features
Review Date
May 2010
