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Panasonic DMC FX60 Review

Panasonic DMC FX60

The Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60 is a high quality pocket camera. It has 12 megapixels and an extra wide 5x optical zoom lens. Extra flexibility is offered by Panasonic as you can reduce the amount of megapixels you shoot at in order to increase the amount of zoom available. When shooting at 3 megapixels the Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60 can increase zoom to 9.8x.

Other features include High Definition movies, image stabilisation and a 2.7 inch LCD screen.

Why Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60?

This camera offers a great combination of picture quality, ease of use and rapid response times.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
With the low sun at the time of year this photo was taken it is not surprising that sun glare just takes the edge away from the level of detail displayed on the boats. Away from the boats detail levels and the sharpness of the shot is impressive. There is minimal fall off in sharpness as you move towards the edge of the photo.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
For a camera with such a wide angle lens the Lumix DMC FX60 produces a top quality effort. Focusing is some way above what I usually see from cameras with a similar specification. It is also an improvement on recent models in this part of the Panasonic range.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Here we have another effort that is comfortably above average when it comes to focusing. I also like the contrast of colours on display.

Outdoor 4 (Building)
Out of all the cameras I tested on the same day the Lumix DMC FX60 stands out for producing sharp, clear images. Again this picture is some way above standard.

Outdoor Portrait
I like all three of my portrait test shots. Starting off with my outdoor shot the colours produced by the Lumix DMC FX60 gives the shot a pleasant warm feel. This is impressive when you take into account that the picture was taken on a chilly, late autumn day.

Indoor Portrait with Flash
Smaller compact digital cameras often have problems in getting flash levels right. In this instance I would say the camera has managed to get the amount of light and also the spread of light across the picture just about perfect. Even the darker areas in the hair are well lit.

Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is another good effort. Noise levels are controlled well. You will need lighting levels to be good if you are taking a shot indoors without flash, but with this picture you should be able to take the occasional window light portrait.

Colours
I would describe the colours produced by Panasonic digital cameras in general as being more vivid then standard. Even so I think the colours produced by the Lumix DMC FX60 stay well within reasonable limits and do not overpower the scenes.

Macro
You should have no problems producing good quality close up pictures with this camera. It manages to bring out plenty of detail when placed in macro mode.

Noise
Panasonic manages to keep noise levels controlled in shady areas of photos. An example of this can be seen on the first picture where the definition remains good in the shady areas such as around the names of the boats.

Overall
Overall I am delighted with the quality of the photographs produced by the Lumix DMC FX60.

Shutter Lag and Recycling Times

The turn on time and shutter lag times were all faster than standard. The time for a single shot was 0.23 seconds. For five shots it was 8.32 seconds. With flash turned on the times were 0.52 seconds for a single shot and 11.69 seconds for five photos.

To turn the camera on and take the first shot took 2.21 seconds.

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

Style

To my eyes this is a simple, unfussy pocket camera. It is available in blue, red wine, black and silver.

Dimensions

97.2 x 54.1 x 19.4mm

Weight

126g

Batteries

Lithium ion.

Memory Cards

I was able to take 8 shots before the built in memory was full. The Lumix DMC FX60 is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.

Click here to save money on SD cards..

Ease of Use Rating

Very good. The menu system used by Panasonic is straightforward and easy to use.

Points I Like

Picture quality - simple design - value for money

Where it Could Improve

There is little that I can come up with.

Alternatives

The Lumix DMC FX60 is up there with the best pocket cameras. You may also like to consider the Canon IXUS 120 IS.

Verdict

In my opinion the Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60 is one of the very best pocket cameras on the market. Picture quality compares with the best digital cameras in this category. The camera is also easy to use and has good response times.

Front View Front View

Back View Back View

Top View Top View

Sample Menu
menu 1 menu 2

menu 3 menu 4

Panasonic DMC FX60 Summary
Description:12 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom
Ease of Use:8
Features:8
Colour:9
Macro:9
Indoors:9
Value for Money:9
Style:8
Movie Mode:9
Image Quality:9
Build Quality:8
Total:86
Verdict:This is an excellent pocket camera. I was very impressed by the picture quality. I also found the camera easy to use and I like the feature set. This includes High Definition movies and image stabilisation. Recommended.
Review Date:November 2009
Related Pages:Panasonic DMC FX60 Specification
Panasonic DMC FX60 Sample Images
Panasonic DMC FX60 Features
Comparisons:Canon IXUS 120 IS vs Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60
Comparisons:Nikon Coolpix S640 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC FX60
WHERE TO BUY THE Panasonic DMC FX60?
GBP 174 Click to visit store
GBP 194.78 Click to visit store
GBP 198.58 Click to visit store
GBP 198.99 Click to visit store
GBP 209.42 Click to visit store
GBP 219 Click to visit store
GBP 219.99 Click to visit store
GBP 229.99 Click to visit store
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SIMILAR DIGITAL CAMERAS YOU MAY LIKE TO SEE
Camera Rating
Panasonic DMC FX60 86
Canon IXUS 120 IS 86
Sony DSC TX1 86
Canon IXUS 110 IS 86
Canon IXUS 100 IS 86
Panasonic DMC FS62 85
Samsung ST550 85
Nikon Coolpix S570 85

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 FX60