118 of 122 people found the foregoing review helpful:
5.0 using 5 stars An outstanding camera at settings below ISO 400, which has an exceptional wide angle lens, some deficiencies and omissions, March 11, 2008
This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC FX35K 10MP Camcorder with 4x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) (Electronics)
The camera found its way to a smaller box, with accessories, i.e., USB and AV cables, battery featuring case, wall charger, CD, wriststrap, software pamphlet, along with 125 page printed Operating Manual.
The battery would have to be charged prior to a camera is usually used. This took about 120 minutes. The digital camera was easy to use even regardless of the handbook. I've used earlier Panasonic models so others could have another type of first impression. On my Vista system, the particular transfer software installed quickly and automatically as soon as camera was initially attached to my computer's USB port.
A short while back I took interior pictures getting a 28mm wide angle zoom. Not long ago i took photos of the locations while using FX35 at its 25mm settings. It could seem that this photographic difference between 28mm and 25mm could be small. However, visually the real difference was obvious. The 25mm setting produced almost panoramic wide angle coverage. You worked as kitchen staff well from the wide end, nonetheless telephoto end is, for my uses, probably about 20mm too short. Fortunately, the style quality at lower ISOs allowed for modest crops in Photoshop to acquire the results Needed.
Considering the relatively small sensor, noise was reasonably well controlled at ISO settings below 400. At lower ISO values images are good. ISO 100 images manage well under considerable enlargement. I stumbled upon ISO 400 was the top level in which I achieved acceptable, although slightly grainy, images. Above ISO 400 noise is apparent and distracting, by using a significant lack of image detail. At ISO 800 noise already shows a difficult texture. At ISO 1,600 shadow areas showed large blotches of color noise. My longer zoom Panasonic camera with Venus III LSI processor occasionally smeared fine details. Happily, the FX35's Venus IV engine may seem to perform slightly better job of detail preservation.
The camera has a excellent choice of quite useful features combined with some, arguably, 'gimmicky' ones. The 25mm ultra wide angle, 1280 x 720p HD movie mode, as well as the Advanced Intelligent Auto Mode, which is proven to work to improve multiple common problems, all proved to be of real value. The Optical Image Stabilization, set to Mode 2, was very efficient; pictures hand held at 1/4th on the second were blur free. The covers on the cable compartment(DC in, Audio Visual, and component out cables), and battery and SD memory compartment are solid, unlike covers on several other cameras. I love the dedicated switches in the back of the camera for playback, and exposure compensation. In addition , i appreciate the dedicated Q(uick) Menu/Delete button. Pressing this button selects the quick menu in record, as well as delete menu during playback. During record this button provides usage of options appropriate to the current mode. To illustrate, in Intelligent Auto mode your camera makes almost all of the choices, so only four main categories of options provided towards the user one could use. In Normal mode, the location where the user has more choices, eight main categories are provided. Main categories include ISO, picture size, white balance, LCD brightness, etc. JPG images inside the most useful setting run around 3.5 to 4.5 MB, in the occasional smaller or larger file. On my single core computer, USB data speed from you was about 2.6 MB/sec.
The camera isn't really without some disappointments. In high contrast situations, small sensor cameras typically blow out highlights or lose shadow details. The FX35's "intelligent exposure" is designed to correct this. However, I didn't take in a major improvement inside few high contrast situations Lengthy ago i faced. Some omissions are understandable even using a relatively expensive point and shoot, e.g., deficiency of raw mode, and manual aperture and shutter adjustments. Although clearly desirable, they are simply less important to many buyers. However, its quite disappointing to have the zoom cannot be changed while recording movies. This serious omission will be as a consequence of proximity with the zoom mechanism and also the microphone. None the less, I would have liked to own seen this selection included. Another disappointment is a slightly small, although acceptable, 2.5", rrnstead of 3.0", LCD. Canon, Fuji, Nikon, and Kodak will package larger displays in certain of their ultra compacts. I'd personally also have liked also a minimal optical viewfinder. It could be helpful for sunlight scenes from where the LCD brightness is insufficient for making for simple screen viewing. The most telephoto aperture of F5.6 is actually comparatively small. The EXIF data recorded with my photos shows aperture values from F2.8 to 8.0 at 25mm, but only F5.5 to 9.0 at 100mm.
The FX35's on/off switch is somewhat poorly designed and positioned. Unlike some models where this switch is found in an increased well, forms of languages where it must be pressed down into turn your camera on, the FX35's slide switch is raised above the camera's top, and can be inadvertently activated when inserting your camera into a pocket or carry case, creating the lens grant. This potential issue will be solved by moving the play/record first turn on the camera's back up in play before storing the digital camera. Set to relax and play, the lens will always be retracted if your camera is fired up.
An earlier sharp eyed poster noted that the legend surrounding the camera lens inside picture says 28mm in preference to 25mm. Fortunately, the picture posted is essentially identical to my FX35, except the legend error plus the AF Assist Lamp/Self Timer LED indicator missing through the top right front from the camera. Gleam minor discrepancy between Amazon's listings of "27MB Internal Memory", and therefore the Manual's "Approx. 50 MB" of integral memory.
The The main thing: Your camera is fast and responsive. Image quality at low ISO values is greater than I anticipated for any sensor this small. That truly exceptional wide angle lens, and nicely implemented HD movie mode. Exposure, focus, and scene mode capabilities usually worked flawlessly. Although there were compromises, notably higher ISO performance, deficiencies are minor when compared to totality from the camera's capabilities. Its state of the art contact produced excellent images. In most shooting situations the FX35 made the proper decisions to supply superior results. Its well chosen offering of dedicated controls provides particularly convenient. Outfitted with a 8GB SDHC Extreme III card, beneficial in HD movie mode, the camera will record about 1,600 photos at its most useful setting. Overall, this is an excellent camera.
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