Panasonic DMC FX50 Review

The Panasonic DMC FX50 is a stylish seven megapixel digital camera. There are a number of features that catch the eye. These include image stabilisation (especially useful in lowlight), a wide angle lens (handy for landscape shots and groups of people) and an extra large 3" LCD screen.

In terms of more standard features the DMC FX50 is similar to many other point and shoot models. It is also easy to use. When it comes to size the camera is just a little on the large size to fit into a small pocket, but you should have no problems slipping it into a jacket pocket or small handbag.

Looking through my test shots from the DMC FX50 I have very few complaints. On the whole picture quality is very good and there are some specific plus points to be found as well.

As ever with Panasonic digital cameras colours are strong. This is especially true for blue skies. In the past I have reviewed one or two Panasonic models where the strength of colour has been a bit overdone. In the case of the DMC FX50 the depth of colour is kept within reasonable bounds and is likely to attract people who like to see plenty of punch in a picture.

One of the most important aspects of any photo is how sharp it is. Sharpness levels are above average with this camera. It is only in the second test photo where the zoom lens is not being used where there is any noticeable slippage. This is a common problem with this type of digital camera. Otherwise focusing levels are to a high standard and there is not a significant drop off in focusing as you move towards the edges of the photos.

At this time of the year the glare produced by the sun as it gets lower in the sky has proved to be a problem to many of the cameras I have tested. This is an area where the DMC FX50 has done very well and there is very little loss of detail. This is an area where the camera outperforms almost all its rivals.

Another shot I like is the outdoor portrait. It has a natural look to it. In this picture the colours are just about right and the camera handles any light falling on the face well. This avoids any areas of the face being too light and blown out.

Indoor photos in lowlight are also impressive. Both the portrait shot and test for extreme lowlight conditions produced more than acceptable results. As with any typical digital camera you need to accept its limitations in these conditions the DMC FX50 appears to be as good as any camera of this size in lowlight. The two photos are both as sharp as you can expect and are also well lit. The portrait shot shows only minimal amounts of red eye.

The macro shot is about average. In fact I am struggling to find much to say about it. It is bright and clear and you should be able to take decent close up shots.

One area where I feel this camera has an edge over other Panasonic cameras is when it comes to shooting at higher ISO ratings. At ISO 400 the picture produced is better than I am used to seeing. You can adjust this setting all the way to 1250. By the time you get there picture quality has really fallen away as I would expect it to.

I was able to take a single photo in 0.42 seconds and five photos in 5.58 seconds. The time to take a single photo is slightly above average. The time taken to take five photos is a fast time.

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

The wide angle lens has 3.6x optical zoom. Also available is a feature called extra optical zoom. This boosts the zoom available when you take photos at a lower resolution (less megapixels). This has a focal length equivalent to 28-102mm in 35mm format. The aperture is controlled automatically by the camera and works in the range Wide: F2.8 / F8.0 (2 steps) Tele: F5.0 / F16 (2 steps). Digital zoom up to a maximum of 4x is also available. For close up shots the DMC FX50 can focus from 5cm away from the subject.

Panasonic have put a lot of thought into the LCD screen. It is very large at 3" in size. The screen is made up of around 230,000 pixels. I found the screen to be one of the best I has used in bright sunlight. It also has a special high angle mode. This helps you to see the screen when you need to hold it above your head to take a picture. There is no room for a viewfinder.

To help you take the best possible photos there is a set of scene modes to choose from. These are Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-portrait, Food, Party, Candle, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Baby1, Baby2, Snow, High Sensitivity, Aerial photo and Beach. When you select a scene mode the camera will use what it considers to be the optimum settings for the shot.

The built in flash unit has a maximum range of 4m. This falls to 2m when the zoom lens is in use. Flash modes are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction and Forced On/Off.

A common problem with printing photos is that some of the photo needs to be trimmed to fit on the paper. To get round this problem with 6 x 4" prints Panasonic have built in a special 3:2 aspect ratio. This is the perfect size for creating 6 x 4" prints. There is also a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is the one to use if you are planning to view your photos on a widescreen television.

To add some variety to your shots there are a small number of filters you can work with. These are natural, vivid, cool, warm, black and white and sepia.

When you take a picture you can switch sound on. This records up to five seconds of sound as the picture is taken. After a picture is taken you can add up to 10 seconds of commentary. To appear in a picture yourself there is a self timer. The delay period can be set to either two or ten seconds. A histogram is available too.

Among the more advanced features are ISO sensitivity (100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1250), white balance (Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set, White Balance Adjustment ( 150K step, -1500 - +1500 K) (except for auto set)), exposure compensation (1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV) and bracketing (+/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames). Backlight compensation is also available when you use the camera in simple mode.

A burst mode is available. This allows you to take a maximum of eight shots at a top speed of three frames per second. There is also a continuous shooting option. This lets you keep taking photos until the memory card is full at a slower speed than burst mode.

Shutter speeds are controlled by the camera. These work in the range 8 seconds to 1/2000 seconds in normal shooting modes. In Starry Sky mode the shutter time can be increased to a maximum of 60 seconds.

Movies can be captured up to a maximum size of 2GB. Sound can be recorded, but zoom can only be applied before you start shooting the movie. It is not available while the movie is in progress. The maximum resolution is 848 x 480 pixels. This is ideal for playback on a widescreen television. The top recording speed is 30 frames per second.

Panasonic supplies all the necessary cables and software to connect the DMC FX50 to a computer, PictBridge compatible printer and a television set.

Panasonic digital camera score highly when it comes to ease of use. The DMC FX50 upholds this reputation. The menu system is straightforward and follows a logical sequence. The bright, clear screen also helps to make the menu easy to read. There is a small joystick control on the back of the camera that also helps towards a smooth operation.

You can pick up a Panasonic DMC FX50 for around £215. This compares to around £250 for a Canon IXUS 850 IS, £195 for a Sony DSC W100 and £205 for a Olympus MJU 750.

If you are looking for a slightly cheaper alternative to the Canon IXUS 850 IS then I would say the DMC FX50 offers good value for money.

When it comes to looks the DMC FX50 falls short of having its own distinctive style. Apart from a curve at one end the DMC FX50 is roughly similar to a number of other cameras. That is not to say it is unattractive in any way. It just does not have enough different about itself to stand out from the crowd. You can choose between silver and black versions.

The camera has dimensions of 97.7 x 57.1 x 25.1mm and weighs 179g.

Power is supplied by a rechargeable lithium ion battery. Panasonic supplies both a battery and charger as standard with the DMC FX50. They estimate you should be able to take around 300 photos before the battery needs to be recharged.

The camera is compatible with SD and SDHC cards. A 16MB card is supplied as standard. I was only able to take four photos before the memory card was full. Therefore you will need to pick up a higher capacity card before you can really use the camera.

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Wide angle lens
Image stabilisation
Aspect ratios
Widescreen movies
Clear LCD screen in the sun
Vivid colours
Build quality
Ease of use

Small capacity memory card supplied

As you can see the plus points far outweigh any negatives when it comes to the Panasonic DMC FX50. The camera also has a few features that are not always easy to find on digital cameras of this type. I would be more than happy to own this camera. Recommended.

Front View

Back View

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 FX50