Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX150

After playing and weighing up a lot of cameras this christmas, I finally decided to go for the fx-150 (my model is the fx-180 which is the same, but I bought it in Hong Kong while on holiday) and I have not been dissapointed.

All i wanted was a point and shoot with lots of features to keep me occupied and to keep it fun. I wanted an easy to use menu with quick navigation and easy to understand concepts. I wanted fantastic picture ...
...format (best quality and customisable on your pc). And this camera has it all.

Lets start with the looks. I have the black model, and I love the retro vibe, the size, and the weight. Its very satisfying to hold, and easy enough to grip and do one handed shots. Its small, so fits neatly into a pocket (although I use it a case and hang it round my neck) and feels comfortable in your hand. The meny system is easy, although the slider ... more

After playing and weighing up a lot of cameras this christmas, I finally decided to go for the fx-150 (my model is the fx-180 which is the same, but I bought it in Hong Kong while on holiday) and I have not been dissapointed.

All i wanted was a point and shoot with lots of features to keep me occupied and to keep it fun. I wanted an easy to use menu with quick navigation and easy to understand concepts. I wanted fantastic picture quality and the ability to take photos in a RAW format (best quality and customisable on your pc). And this camera has it all.

Lets start with the looks. I have the black model, and I love the retro vibe, the size, and the weight. Its very satisfying to hold, and easy enough to grip and do one handed shots. Its small, so fits neatly into a pocket (although I use it a case and hang it round my neck) and feels comfortable in your hand. The meny system is easy, although the slider to change picture modes is hidden so on first use you cant actually see what mode is next, although I memorised it after a single use. The navigation pad is responsive, and easy to use. However, its not always easy to see the pictures on top of the button - but again, this will be memorised.

Now to the guts -

Sensor • 1/1.72" sensor
• 15.0 million total pixels CCD
• 14.7 million effective pixels
• Primary Color Filter

Image stabilization • Lens-shift
• MEGA O.I.S. (Auto/Mode1/ Mode2)
Image sizes 4:3 Aspect Ratio:
• 4416x 3312 pixels
• 3648 x 2736 pixels
• 3072 x 2304 pixels
• 2560 x 1920 pixels
• 2048 x 1536 pixels
• 1600 x 1200 pixels
• 640 x 480 pixels

3:2 Aspect Ratio:
• 4416 x 2944 pixels
• 3648 x 2432 pixels
• 3072 x 2048 pixels
• 2560 x 1712 pixels
• 2048 x 1360 pixels

• 4416x 2480 pixels
• 3648 x 2056 pixels
• 3072 x 1728 pixels
• 2560 x 1440 pixels
• 1920 x 1080 pixels

Movie mode • QuickTime Motion JPEG
• 4:3 Aspect Ratio: 640 x 480 pixels 30 fps or
• 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps/10 fps
• 16:9 Aspect Ratio: 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps
• HD（16:9 Aspect Ratio）: 1280x720 pixels 24fps
Output formats • JPEG ( Exif 2.21 standard)
• RAW
Image processor Venus Engine IV
Lens • 4x zoom
• f=6.0-21.4mm (35mm Equiv.: 28-100mm)
• LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT
• 7 elements in 6 groups
• 4 Aspherical Lenses / 5 Aspherical surfaces
• Wide: F2.8 / F9.0 (2 steps) Tele: F5.6 / F18 (2 steps)
Focus modes • Normal
• Macro
• Quick AF
• AF Area Select
• AF Tracking
AF assist lamp Yes
Shooting modes • Intelligent AUTO
• P(Program) mode
• M(Manual) mode
• Motion Picture
• Scene mode

Scene modes • Portrait
• Soft Skin
• Transform
• Self-Portrait
• Scenery
• Sports
• Night Portrait
• Night Scenery
• Food
• Party
• Candle Light
• Baby1
• Baby2
• Pet
• Sunset
• High sensitivity
• Hi-Speed Burst
• Flash-Burst
• Starry Sky
• Fireworks
• Beach
• Snow
• Aerial photo
• Film Grain
• Pin Hole
Metering • Intelligent Multiple
• Center Weighted
• Spot
AE Bracketing +/- 1/3 EV ~1EV step, 3 frames

Exposure compen. • +/-2 EV
• 0.3 EV increments

Sensitivity • Auto
• 100
• 200
• 400
• 800
• 1600
• High Sensitivity Mode : Auto(1600 - 6400)

Shutter speed • P: 1-1/2000sec (Selectable minimum shutter speed)
• M: 60-1/2000sec
• Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec.

Aperture values Wide: F2.8 / F9.0 (2 steps) Tele: F5.6 / F18 (2 steps)
White balance • Auto
• Daylight
• Cloudy
• Shade
• Flash
• Halogen
• Color Temperature
• White Set 1
• White Set 2
• White Balance Adjustment
Drive modes • Single
• Continuous

Burst speed • 2 frames/sec Max. 8 images (Standard), Max 4 images (Fine)
• High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 7 frames/sec (speed priority) and 5 frames/sec (image priority) (recorded in 3M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9)
Self-timer 10 sec. / 2 sec.
LCD monitor • 2.7"
• 230K dots
• Field of View : approx. 100%
• AUTO Power LCD mode
Viewfinder No
Flash • Auto
• Auto/Red-eye Reduction
• Forced On
• Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction
• Forced Off
FLash coverage 0.6 - 5.9m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3 - 2.9m (Tele/ISO Auto)
Connectivity • DC Input
• AV Output (NTSC/PAL)
• HD AV Output (Component)
• USB2.0 High speed

Storage • SD Memory Card
• SDHC Memory Card
• MultiMediaCard (Still image only)
• Internal Memory (approx. 50 MB)
Power • Li-ion Battery Pack (3.7V, 1150mAh)
• Battery life: 330 pictures (CIPA standard)
• AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional)
Dimensions 96.7 x 54.0 x 24.8 mm
Weight (with battery) Approx. 179 g

The large sensor will give you great quality photos, but the odd inclusion of 14 mega pixels worried me. Its important to understand that MEGA PIXELS DO NOT ADD QUALITY, so I assume this vast amount has been added for marketing purposes. However, the ignorant will be impressed with the huge amount of pixels, so no reason to burst their bubble :)
The lens is leica branded (although i think only one part of it can be called truly leica) and it gives you vibrant, colourful, and sharp pictures. Its cool wide angle lens and high aspect ratio (widescreen shots etc) allow you to take fantastic group, or scenery shots. The camera also allows you to take HD video with HD sound, which looks fantastic, but you wont be replacing your dedicated video camera any time soon.

Intelligent auto is a great feature,where the cam will pick up what its looking at, and automatically change the scene mode of the camera. For example, if it recognises a face, it will change to portrait mode allowing focus on the face. Another great feature is that you have more manual control over this camera, as you can change shutter speed and appature!

Now, the negatives. The camera is quite noisy at higher ISO levels, so dont expect your night shots to be SLR standard, also you cant soon while shooting video which is a pain in the arse sometimes. The intelligent auto feature sometimes takes a while to think which can be frustrating at times.

However, this said, the camera is great. If you just want a point and shoot with all the features under the rainbow, then this one is for you. Its a brand you can trust, wit all the quality you would expect from them.

Highly recommended! 

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