Panasonic DMC-FX100

Reviewed by: rdant

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Better noise control than FX-01, FX-07. More controls over image (Contrast, NR, Sharpness, Saturation). ISO 80. Fantastic features. Wonderful wide-angle lens.

Weaknesses: Typical noise issues with Panasonic cameras (though it seems to be improved over previous models). Limited dynamic range (difficulty with scenes that are both dark and bright)

Overall Evaluation: I have owned FX-01 and FX-07. These little Panasonic cameras are wonderfully easy to use and have the great features, including wide-angle lens, wide format stills and movies, optical image stabilization, good battery life, Leica lens, excellent movie mode, good white balance control, and "smart" zoom at lower resolutions. The camera is compact, but with a very nice metal finish. New for the FX-100 is 1280-720 video (HD), but only at 15fps. It also has ISO 80. It's slightly bigger and heavier than FX-07. Overall image quality is quite good, especially at lower ISO settings. For it's size, the only other camera I'd consider it the Canon IS800, but I'd be giving up the wide-format features I like. This camera falls a half star short of perfect, only due to some noise issues and limited dynamic range.