Panasonic's second wave of hybrid touch-screen action may look tasty, but is it a major improvement for 2009? Read our exclusive Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 review to find out.
Review summary of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580:
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 Panasonic's second attempt at a hybrid touch-screen style compact was not radical enough to warrant a parade in celebration. In fact, we couldn't even tell the difference between the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 until we dove into the interface. Even there, we were greeted with the same menus and functionality, just a fresh set of graphics to shroud the obvious. The Lumix DMC-FX580 does have more megapixels and enhanced processing, but we experienced an image performance tantamount to the Lumix DMC-FX500's. If you want a performance compact that will rival a Canon PowerShot G10 or Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, we'd shoot for the Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR. Otherwise, the Lumix DMC-FX500 is still available online for much cheaper than its latest sibling. Release: June 2009. Price: $400.
Pros: Bountiful shooting features. Great Playback mode. 25mm wide-angle lens allowed us to fit more in our shots.
Cons: Inconsistent image quality. Touch-screen still has a few kinks to iron out. Minimal improvements upon Lumix DMC-FX500.
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Full Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 Review:
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Design – Good
Panasonic is one of the few manufacturers to remain chained to the rectangular box design, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580's brushed aluminum chassis looks identical to last year's Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500. In fact, few architectural changes have taken place since the introduction of the company's first hybrid touch-screen compact. While Canon has structurally revamped its entire PowerShot compact lineup, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580's plain-Jane appearance just seems outdated in the year 2009.
We do get a shutter button zoom toggle out of the deal, but Panasonic shifted from a Joystick to a four-way directional pad this time around. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 features a sleek glossy black backside with a textured dot thumb grip and minimal external controls. We still get the classic Mode switch, a control that takes a while to grow accustomed to because we're so used to cameras that engage Photo mode via a single tap of the shutter button.
Weight and dimensions have also remained the same, for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 was easily pocketed during our shoot. It's also surprisingly light, given its burly metal housing, so portability was never an issue. The only spot of weakness could be attributed to the Lumix DMC-FX580's flimsy battery/SD card door, which flexed with even a minor application of pressure. We like the design of the Lumix DMC-FX580, but Panasonic could have pulled out some new pieces of artillery this time around and all we got was a four-way directional pad, not even a lousy T-shirt.
Interface – Good
Cue the drumroll. Wait for it. Keep waiting. Oh man! That was it? New graphics? Yes, not much has changed as far as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580's interface is concerned. We're still subjected to the same hybrid touch-screen functionality and menu systems as we were with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500. In a way it makes sense. The Lumix DMC-FX500 was Panasonic's first incarnation of the touch-screen hybrid ilk, so we weren't expecting fireworks in the interface department, and don't expect to for a few more generations. Honda never fiddled with the guts of their enduro bikes for decades, aside from new plastic fenders and tank graphics, which meant Honda was content with the way their bikes were performing. Panasonic must be happy enough with the Lumix DMC-FX580's interface, but we felt a little differently.
Although the BNGs (Bold New Graphics) are nice to look at, we still experienced difficulty fine-tuning the slider bars in Manual, Shutter Priority and Aperture Priority modes. Grown-up size fingers just don't play well with tiny little rectangular notches that move horizontally in a spastic nature. On-screen button pressing was great for the most part because buttons were large enough to access. We also achieved success with the Lumix DMC-FX580's Auto Touch Focus feature, which allowed us to touch anywhere within the LCD and the camera would focus that particular region. Migrating between tactile controls and touch-screen controls was not an issue, especially after a few crash courses. We actually liked this system because it allowed us to evade extensive menu lists and focus more on our shooting.
Touch-screen functionality flourished in Playback mode. We were able to tap on an image to zoom and even drag it around with a finger. Though these operations did not possess the grace and near flawless performance of an iPod touch or iPhone, Panasonic is the only manufacturer offering this level of touch-screen control at the moment. Images in Playback were accompanied by a histogram with adequate image information, such as ISO and White Balance. There were also several Edit functions that enabled us to resize, trim and even level images that had been captured at a slight angle. Of course, the level feature sacrificed resolution because the image has to be able to compensate for the new dimensions. It's basically a fancy rotate and crop tool. All in all, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580's interface was impressive, but we know better things are on the horizon for future models.
Features - Very Good
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580's touch-screen functionality tends to create a hazy cloud of hype for most consumers to wade through, but this compact can actually shoot. We're talking a full Manual mode, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Program AE. Tack on Intelligent Auto, Scene modes and Motion JPEG HD video recording and we have ourselves a renaissance camera. HD video you say? Don't jump for joy yet. It's noisy, fringy, and bleeding all over the place. We'd hardly deem it remotely acceptable even for basic HD standards, and Canon's PowerShot lineup exhibited a much better showing across the board with their 720p HD performances. Even the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 kicked the Lumix DMC-FX580's butt.
More tasty treats like AF tracking and Intelligent Exposure performed very well again this time around, but we were surprised at the level of control offered in Manual mode. With a Shutter Speed that dipped down to 60 seconds, yes, 60 seconds on a consumer compact, night shooting was never an issue. Of course the f/8.0 aperture max was a little limiting, but we were still able to attain a decent depth of field and maintain impressive exposure, thanks to the digital light meter. The Color effects were very basic, so we gravitated over to the specialized Scene modes like Pin Hole and Film Grain to achieve nifty effects. Again, nothing we couldn't do in Photoshop, but these were quality options to have if you happened to be an entry-level consumer. For a touch-screen style compact, the Lumix DMC-FX580 transcended the status quo.
Hardware - Good
Panasonic carried over the 1/2.33-inch CCD but crammed 12-megapixels into it this time, instead of 10. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 received the pixel boost most likely to stay afloat amongst its competitors, but we saw no need for the enhanced resolution. The Lumix DMC-FX500 produced great images, so our only concern was limited to low light sensitivity with the Lumix DMC-FX580, due to its smaller pixels. The Lumix DMC-FX580 also received new processing, so the new combination could have led to its impressive image performance.
The 5x optical zoom and 25mm wide-angle lens were carried over, and those features were just as welcome. Panasonic's Mega OIS did the job admirably and we had minimal complaints while trying to steady the camera and attain a decent focus. A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery powers the Lumix DMC-FX580, and the camera records JPEG images and Motion JPEG video to SD/SDHC cards.
The time from powering on to first shot was sluggish again, lasting up to 3.5 seconds at times. When action was fleeting and we needed to fire up and shoot away in an instant, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 was still choking on exhaust in the back of the pack.
Image Quality - Good
For a compact sporting a standard consumer sensor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 acted like one. In fact, we could barely tell the difference between the Lumix DMC-FX580 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 when it came time to review our samples. Noise was the main theme of this party, and we didn't want to get down with it. Highlights were also an issue in bright light, but the Lumix DMC-FX580 exhibited a better tolerance for contrasts than the mid-level Canon PowerShot compacts such as the Canon PowerShot SD970 IS. We loved the Lumix DMC-FX580's colors and degree of sharpness in most images, and exposure at night was excellent thanks to the versatile shutter speed. However, noise plagued nearly every shooting environment, unless the lighting was optimal. In this case, we'd recommend the Fujifilm Finepix F200EXR, which exhibited an awesome overall image performance for the same price.
Contrast Test - Times Square
Shadow Test – 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
Glare Test – Big Green
The first image is where we begin to see the encroaching battalions of noise creeping up the billboard. As a result, sharpness is lost and a slight mist appears to be hovering above most of the building. In much more agreeable lighting, the second image represents the Lumix DMC-FX580's ability to crank out a crisp, natural looking image with an organic color palette along the bottom portion of the frame. However, when we reach the sun-drenched portion of the building, we lose that golden color palette and are exposed to blown highlights. The third image handles color extremely well and the majority of the image is properly focused. However, it's the blown Kawasaki stripe and green side panels that remove us from the image.
Detail Test – Mr. Fox
Portrait Test – Claudia
Color Test – Radioactive Mural
In better lighting, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 shines, as we finally attain a heightened level of detail within Mr. Fox's fluffy coat. Colors look natural as ever, though we can detect some minute fringing along the white band of his metal ribbon. We opted for Program AE mode over Portrait mode when we captured Claudia in Midtown because Portrait mode attempted to use the flash every chance it had, blowing the background out so much that it began to suck Claudia into the great white unknown. Detail is still a little soft, but colors look natural. The third image was by for the best performance we were able to extract from the Lumix DMC-FX580's sensor. Colors are vibrant, sharpness and detail are pointier than a tack and depth of field is impressive.
Macro Test – Suckers
Flash Test – Mario and Vinnie
At close range, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 allowed us to bury the lens into our subject matter, and that's where we discovered the most detail. Using the flash indoors produced mixed results, as we can see here with Mario and Vinnie, who are underexposed. For indoor shooting, we recommend shooting with and without the flash in order to make sure at least one of the images is salvageable.
Low Light Test – Frontloader
Low Light Test – Back to the Bridges
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 was one of the most formidable low light machines because of its 60-second shutter speed cap. We used a tripod with both of these images and the results were highly impressive. The first image exhibits a great spectrum of illumination and colors, thanks to the 20-second shutter. However, the second image exhibits moiré patterns and splotchy blotches of compression encircling the streetlamps. We saw the same effect in the first image, but not to an extreme degree. It's certainly no DSLR or Micro Four Thirds, but the Lumix DMC-FX580 will provide the exposure and colors most other compacts will not when the lights go down.
Pinhole – Scary Santa
Film Grain – 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn
We had fun with our two favorite Scene modes. Try not to dream about the first image.
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