Overview
The Panasoinic DMC FX37 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 5x optical zoom lens. It has a 25mm wide angle lens and fits into a pocket.
Why Buy The Panasonic DMC FX37
The DMC FX37 gives you that bit more zoom than a standard pocket camera. The wide angle lens is useful for squeezing in wide shots such as landscapes, groups of people and buildings. The camera scores will for ease of use. You may also be tempted by HD quality movies.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
5x
2.5 inches
94.7 x 51.9 x 22.9mm
125g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
5cm
Yes
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
Although I like the colour combination of the blue sky and the darker green leaves on the trees I am a little disappointed overall by this photo. At this time of the year the glare from the sun can cause a loss of detail in the lighter areas of the photo, but here the dark areas lack definition too.
The overall sharpness of the photo is a step down from what I am used to seeing from Panasonic digital cameras and noise also shows in the shady areas on the boats.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
This photo shows just how much width you can squeeze into a shot with the wide angle lens with the DMC FX37. I wonder though if Panasonic have been too ambitious with the lens. This picture is another that could be sharper. The corners of the shot show darkness creeping in and there is also noise in some areas of the photo.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
Out of my three scenic shots this is the best one. Even so I think the shot lacks clarity. Many of the pixels have a jagged look to them and I wonder if the 10 million pixels are too small to produce high quality photos.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
The centre of this picture is sharp, but focusing falls away as you move out towards the edges. When it comes to sharpness and definition in the photos I am disappointed with the DMC FX37.
Portraits
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
This is a better effort from the DMC FX37 when it comes to sharpness. Even so there is a loss of detail when light is falling on the face. The photo was taken in the shade, so the camera should have coped a bit better than it does.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
There are some very dark areas in this photo. Areas of the hair have not been lit up by the flash at all. Overall the photo is darker than I would like to see.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
This shot could have done with some extra light. The photo was taken indoors and although the light levels were bright enough the camera has been unable to come up with a really strong effort.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
I have no complaints about my macro shot. It is the best test photo I managed to take. The photo is bright, clear and shows a good level of detail.
Colours:
One positive about this camera are the colours. As mentioned near the start of the review, blue sky and dark foliage combine well.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600:
My two test photos for higher ISO are in line with expectations. Noise levels are visible at ISO 400, especially in darker areas of the photo. At ISO 1600 even the brightest areas of the shot show plenty of noise.
Summary
Over time I have given great reviews to many Panasonic digital cameras and I am sure I will do so again. For whatever reason I have not got on with the DMC FX37 and I am disappointed with the quality of my test shots. I ran some of the tests again using just 5 megapixels. The results were much better. This leads me to believe Panasonic has tried to squeeze too many megapixels on to the sensor and picture quality has suffered.
Style
The DMC FX37 has a simple design. It is a typically rectangular digital camera, but the rounded ends keep it interesting. It will slip into a pocket and is available in black, silver and blue.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.35 seconds
16.64 seconds
1.5 seconds
18.39 seconds
3.99 seconds
Ease of Use
Although there are one or two extra features when compared to some other pocket cameras it shouldn"t take you long to find your way around.
Points I Like
HD movies - ease of use
Where it Could Improve
Picture quality
Verdict
It is rare that I end up disappointed with a digital camera from Panasonic. That is the case with the DMC FX37. Although I like the features the camera offers I just couldn't get a decent set of photos with my test shots.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC FX37 Review Panasonic DMC FX37 Specification Panasonic DMC FX37 Sample Images Panasonic DMC FX37 Features
Review Date
December 2008
