Roundup: Compact Digital Cameras : Panasonic DMC-FS7
28. Panasonic DMC-FS7
What with the FS6?
The FS7 is the luxury edition of this entry-level model with a 10.0-megapixel CCD sensor and a 2.7-inch wide-view LCD monitor. The FS6 remains the true entry-level compact of the series (2.5-inch and 8 MP) with similar specifications and similar picture quality, but at a lesser price. If you are a fan of swanky colors (blue pink, green), the FS7 might be your first choice.
The first compacts of the year 2009 are now up for grabs. As it often happens, the entry level models are the first to be available. If we put aside Panasonic’s FS4 (devoid of optical stabilizer), the FS6 and FS7 are the real entry level products of the manufacturer.
Handling
- Lumix DMC-FS7 Blue...
Available in large variety of colors (granny apple green, blue...) but also more traditional ones (black, silver), the FS7 is an ultra compact with a good build and excellent finish.
The rear panel has a 2.7-inch LCD display with a 230,000-dot resolution. The quality is not much different from the previous models; the display has a highly reflective surface and poor viewing angles. Colors are rather accurate. In terms of interface, there are few changes. The control button e.zoom (for quick zoom) is still around and so is the Mode button (for recording mode).
Q.menu allows you to quickly change the main settings such as sensitivity, AF, white balance, and so on. The five-button D-pad has the traditional shortcuts to close up mode, flash and more, and the user can activate some of the convenient functions by pressing an independent iA button on the top of the camera, which is equipped for direct activation of modes.
Start up time is fine (1.50 seconds) and the camera focuses quickly and accurately (0.64 seconds in wide angle) and 0.72 seconds with the zoom. Low light performance requires more than a second and there is an AF assist lamp helping to focus in darkness.
Burst mode is interesting with almost 1.5 f/s on more than 10 pictures. The camera takes a little more than 2 seconds between 2 shoots, which is correct.
Image quality
The FS7 has the same image sensor (1/2.5-inch) as the FS3 but with 2 millions extra pixels. Will these give better quality?
To no surprise, white balance draws to warm colors under artificial light. Face detection and optical stabilization are good. A crisp picture of Barbie was taken at ISO 200 without needing to go any higher.
Image noise is present at higher ISO settings (from ISO 800) despite the new Venus Engine IV processor. Beyond that, there is a loss of detail due to noise reduction. In auto mode, the camera can reach ISO 6400.
We printed out an A4 format of a picture at the lowest sensitivity--ISO 80--and the result is better than average. Sure, colors are warm but the purple fringing and chromatic aberrations are not obvious.
Video playback is smooth and the definition is higher (848 x 480) than to what you normally get (640 x 480).
But you still cannot use the optical zoom when recording. Macro starts from as close as 5-cm.
| Panasonic DMC-FS7 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
|
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| The FS7 is an elegant compact that is easy to use and which delivers decent photos. We regret however that Panasonic seems to focus more on the number of pixels (10 MP) than on the picture quality (image noise, white balance...) |  |
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
should have classified the cameras to at least price and/or final rating. i got discouraged to read.
When you say classified, what do you mean? Do you mean the pages should go in order of price, or in order of rating? Such as the cheap ones at the beginning and the expensive ones at the end OR the best cameras at the top and the worst cameras at the bottom?
i meant group them by chosen price ranges/brackets or any feature you think is relevant since comparison between cameras is just difficult with the present format wherein it is only possible to compare models of a certain brand.
It would have been nice if all the cameras were given scores (yes I know this is very subjective, but so are all the comments and pro/con sections). Idealy they would be given su scores as well (i.e. a still picture score, a video score, a asthetics score, a usablity score, maybe some others) and then the cameras could be sorted by those scores with links, maybey a short blurb at each camera in the sorted list. Another thing that would be very usefull to myself and I assume other readers is a features table that allows us to compare all the cameras.