Panasonic's newest FX line camera looks pretty, has a Leica lens and a massive screen. We took it for a spin to see if it was up to snuff.
Review summary of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55:
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 We loved almost everything about the FX55's design; it felt sturdy, had logical button placement and had a huge, clear LCD screen. The video looked great, we loved the multitude of formats, and the SCN modes were somewhat helpful. All in all, the FX55 doesn't do anything perfectly (we would have liked to zoom during video recording, the on/off switch is problematic), but it does everything well, and is a solid all-around camera. We would recommend it to anyone looking for a versatile point-and-shoot. Release: July 2007. Price: $250.
Pros: Outstanding design, high-quality widescreen video, huge LCD screen
Cons: On/off button is too easy to switch, no video zooming
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Full Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 Review:
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Design – Very good
Much like its larger cousin, the Panasonic DMC-FX55's has a large 3-inch display that dominates the rear panel of the camera, but also curiously has an odd asymmetrical border. For simply aesthetic reasons, we didn’t like it, but it didn’t affect the camera’s performance from what we saw, and pictures looked impressive on the display’s 230,000-pixels. It would have been nice to see a higher resolution though, as 230,000 is standard for a 2.5-inch display. One feature we absolutely loved was the LCD mode selector, which allowed us to select between normal, high power (for glare-inducing conditions) and high angle viewing, for when we were shooting at an angle that distorted the view of the LCD. This was perfect for concerts and times when we held the camera above our heads. We’re sure high power drains the battery, but we love the fact that we have the option, and wonder why we don’t see this on every camera.
Panasonic's Lumix cameras seem to come in on the heavier side, and the FX55 is no different. The FX55 weighed in at just under 6 oz., which was enough to feel confident that it could take a little punishment, but not enough to make us think it was too heavy.
We liked that the zoom button was a spring-loaded ring surrounding the shutter, and we also liked the 4-way joystick that Panasonic chose to replace the d-pad found on the back of most cameras. In general, they went for simplicity and a clean look, and it works. What didn’t work was the on/off switch. The on/off switch moves too easily, and several times we found our camera on after taking it out of our bag, which could cause battery problems. We did like the selector wheel, which was on topand partially inside the body of the camera, with only a small area exposed to move it. We wish the tripod mount would have been centered with the lens, but we’re not seeing often enough. .
Shooting Features – Very Good
Not only does Panasonic offer three different aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2 and 16:9), but the camera also shootsin resolutions ranging from VGA to 7MP (6MP for 16:9). The 21 different scene modes were about average. We were wondering where the SCN1 and SCN2 tabs, which can be found on the wheel of the Lumix DMC-TZ3), had disappeared to, but they were nowhere to be found. They certainly would have made the camera easier to set up. We were very disappointed that we couldn't zoom during video recording, something we've come to expect.
The clipboard feature was one of the more interesting, if puzzling, features on the camera. Panasonic says it should be useful for “timetables and maps,” and clipboard mode takes 1MP or 2MP images, stored separately on the camera’s internal memory for easy access. While we couldn’t see a practical use for us, it certainly worked as advertised. One feature we actually found practical was the ability to create still photos from movies recorded on the camera. Usually requiring some video software, or at the very least a solid knowledge of print screen options, we liked how easy it was to grab stills from our movies.
Image Quality - Good
We've come to learn that when it comes to digital cameras, the size of the sensor is rarely as important as the quality of the lens. Panasonic has the luxury of getting their lenses from legendary manufacturer Leica, and it shows. The 8.1-megapixel sensor gave us better shots than we've seen from some 12-megapixel cameras, and we're sure it has a lot to do with the lens. Our sample shots were taken on a blustery, partially cloudy day, which, while not ideal, did allow us to test the camera's ability to capture movement.
Samples:
Indoor shot taken in 'Food' SCN modeWe like this shot because the fruit cart gives us a lot of different colors, and the imperfections on each piece lets us check for detail. While the colors were bright and detail rich in the forefront of the shot, where our focus was, it seemed the richness of the colors and the level of detail gradually decreased the further away the fruit was.
Outdoor shot taken in 'Intelligent Auto' modeIn this shot, we liked consistent coloring throughout, despite the glare from the (admittedly cloudy) sky reflecting in the glass. In fact, we were impressed that the sign, the video game in the store and the reflection were all able to escape any blurred lines or fuzziness.
Outdoor shot taken in 'Sport' SCN modeOverall, we weren't too impressed with the sport scene setting. This was the only decent shot we were able to get of these kids playing handball, and while they are moving, it isn't too fast, and shots where the movement was more considerable had considerably less success.
Outdoor shot taken in 'Normal' modeThis was one of the tougher shots to achieve while testing the FX55. We tried multiple modes and settings to try to get a good shot of these leaves blowing in the wind. Ultimately, the Normal setting produced the best shot, although the wind was certainly not at its peak when this shot was taken. That being said, the level of clarity and focus was impressive considering the amount of movement and individual objects within the frame.
Indoor shot taken in 'Macro' modeThe macro setting gave us a great look at the various textures, shapes and sizes of the tomatoes, cheese and herbs on the pizza. We would have gotten a better look, but the flash was necessary, and subsequently shined too much light on our focal point. We imagine that with proper lighting the macro mode would work extremely well.
Outdoor shot taken in 'Scenery' SCN modeWe didn't like how the FX55 handled the trees in this shot; granted, our focal point was the Empire State Building in between, but we expected a littler more clarity on the branches. We loved the colors, especially in the smaller, brighter trees.
Overall, the video experience on the FX55 was pleasant. We were troubled by the lack of a zoom capability while recording, but other than that, we were impressed with the variety of frame rates and resolutions, especially since it shoots in 30fps at 16:9 widescreen. The video looked great, thanks mostly to the Leica 28mm wide angle lens, and shooting from odd angles is made even easier by the aforementioned LCD options. We would have liked to see HD video, but it's not ubiquitous just yet, so we won’t fault Panasonic for it.
Surprisingly enough, the in-camera editing options were pretty sparse; they were limited to resizing, cropping and aspect ratio conversion. We normally don’t like or use in-camera editing features, so this didn’t terribly bother us, but for those who do, it could be a deal-breaker. Needless to say, its something that cameras in its class offer, so the FX55 should as well.
Image Transfer - Good
The FX55 also works as a removable drive, so users simply need to plug their camera into their computer to access the pictures using Explorer on Windows or Finder on a Macintosh.
But for those looking for a more automated photo transfer experience, the included software CD-ROM contains a bevy of options for transferring media. It has QuickTime player to play its movies and two different photo viewers (one billed as 'simple' and the other as 'high-functional') in addition to the ArcSoft Software Suite. It's for this very reason that we prefer Photoshop. Why have four different programs to perform various tasks when you can just have one? Rather than compile a bunch of programs to get the full functionality of their camera, we wish Panasonic had spent the time to build a piece of software that could handle all of those tasks.
The included ArcSoft MediaImpression program works well enough for those who don't already have their own photo-editing software. The software lets you crop, rotate, mirror your image, and has rectangular, circular, polygonal and magic wand selection tools. It also has red eye removal, brightness/contrast adjustment, color adjustment and blur/sharpening tools. On the PhotoImpression software bundled with other Panasonic cameras, we liked that when a tool was selected, rather than giving us a bunch of numbers or a graph, it showed us 9 examples of the same photo with different levels of enhancement, and were disappointed to see this functionality missing. The option to make movies from the still photographs was only mildly interesting, but the fact that the software had a photo viewer rendered the two photo viewing options unnecessary for anyone but the user who doesn't want to edit photos. All in all, we can think of quite a few better options than what Panasonic offers us, even with free software. Aesthetically their offering isn't too pleasing to the eye, but we suppose it does the trick. Transfers with the USB 2.0 cable were fast, although a more common USB connector would certainly have been appreciated. We liked that it was compatible with SD and SDHC cards; MMC cards are supported but not for video.
Accessories – Very Good
Accessories bundled with the FX55 were pretty standard, including a USB 2.0 cable, an A/V cable, a wrist strap, battery with carrying case, a battery charger and a software CD-ROM. Quite possibly the most annoying and inconvenient way to charge a battery, the external battery charger bothers us. We prefer a dock that charges as well as syncs our camera, but at the very least we’ll settle for a charging USB cable. The optional accessories, however, include an AC adaptor (something we would have appreciated had it been included), a multitude of leather cases, an underwater marine case and the DMW-SDP1, an HDTV photo viewer for viewing photos in 1920x1080 resolution on your HDTV. The included manual was also extremely helpful, grouping content based on practical usage as opposed to simply listing every feature.
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