The Panasonic DMC FX50 is an impressive digital camera. Although it is a compact model you will need a good sized pocket at the very least to carry it around in. In fact it is probably more suited to a small handbag or special carrying case.
Key features include a wide angle lens, images stabilisation and the DMC FX50 also has a larger than standard LCD screen.
A 3.6x wide angle lens is a big help if you plan to take a number of landscape type photographs or groups of people. In fact anything where you are looking to squeeze a wide scene into a photo will benefit from having a wide angle lens.
Although image stabilisation really comes into its own with longer lenses you are still likely to find a it useful to have this feature. One area where it may help you is when you are taking photos in lowlight. In these conditions it may help to make your photos a shade or two sharper.
The LCD screen is 3" in size. This is about as large as you are likely to find. Not surprisingly with an LCD screen of this size there is no room for a viewfinder. Another point of interest with the screen is that it has a special high angle mode. This allows you to see the screen more easily if you are holding the camera above head height. This could happen when you are in a crowd. The screen is one of the few I have tested to work well in bright sunlight.
Standard features for the DMC FX50 include seven megapixels, red eye reduction, a self timer and a macro mode. The macro mode allows the camera to focus from 5cm away from the subject when you wish to take a close up shot.
I found the DMC FX50 easy to use compared to other digital cameras. Key controls for flash, shooting mode, picture review and zoom are all handled by buttons, rings and dials on the back or top of the camera. This puts them at your fingertips. The menu system is also straightforward. It is divided into two sections. One is for features such as white balance, metering and ISO. The other is the setup area of the menu. This covers more basic settings such as the date and time. I found the menu system easy to read as well with good levels of contrast.
The camera has a metal body and it gives the feel of a fairly solid construction. In terms of looks it has a fairly standard appearance and I like the inclusion of a small grip on the front of the camera. This makes it easier to hold the camera that bit steadier when you are taking a picture. This helps you to produce sharper shots.
For the more style conscious Panasonic has produced silver and black versions of the DMC FX50.
The camera performed well in my tests. For sample images and further comment please see my review.
