Roundup: Compact Digital Cameras : Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48
32. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48
Face recognition
Face detection was already on the menu on previous cameras, however now we're getting face recognition with the FX48. This allows you to memorize your family's faces, or faces of your friends. When you focus a shot (and there are several faces), it will prioritize focus for those recorded.
The function is relatively simple to set up, though perhaps a little tedious. Entering the names, for example, takes time--a touch interface will be a big improvement. However, the function itself works well as long as the people recorded are in front of the camera.
More frustrating, face recognition is limited to focusing. It would have been good to see the persons name recorded as a commentary or in image keyword; this isnt the case. You can't use the function to sort through or find photos of a given person on your hard drive. A good idea then, but one that still needs to be developed.
Wide-angle, 5x zoom, HD video and all this in a camera that’s only two centimetres thick: the Lumix DMC-FX48 looks as if it might be the ideal camera, one you can take everywhere that's both perfect for family use and a compact you can use when your reflex seems too bulky.
Handling
- Lumix DMC-FX48K Black...
The FX48 is in keeping with what you usually get from the Panasonic brand, and there’s a reason for this: it is virtually identical to the previous FX37. The construction is high quality and it has a sober and pleasant look. Battery and card doors close nicely, and the lens is not allowed too much play. The handling is pretty good, the camera fitting nicely onto your thumb and benefitting from the limited weight.
The interface is standard and we have no particular comments to make. This also goes for the functions: everything is there, scene recognition (Intelligent Auto mode) included and all still just as efficient. The only innovation is face recognition (see inset).
Responsiveness is more problematic. Although previous models were in the top half of their contemporaries, the FX48 has not progressed; even worse, it is sometimes even slower than the FX37 (in particular when saving photos). Even the start-up is quite a bit longer (a good second’s difference), which will annoy those who like to keep their camera out of sight and want it to start straight up when they get it out of their pocket or bag.
Image quality
A new 12 megapixel sensor, a new image processing Venus Engine V chip, but a lens totally identical to the previous model. With those ingredients, we are then well aware of the image quality: at low sensitivity, the image is good and detailed.
It's when you increase ISO that the innovations come into play. Unfortunately, those innovations are not always to the good. Although the general line is the same (good quality up to 400 ISO, with the beginnings of a loss in precision and progressive increase in noise before a more pronounced degradation at 800 ISO), it is noticeable that the FX48 suffers from marked noise in the shadows, as if excessive accentuation had been applied.
Comparison with 20 x 30 cm prints taken with the FX37 shows that the advantage is clearly with the older model, less noisy but not less detailed (in concrete terms, after 6 megapixels, it is difficult to see any difference in prints at this size). Moreover, in artificial light (and therefore inside), the FX48 suffers from marked color distortion: the photos are too “warm”--the images seem yellow--and purplish zones are visible in the darker areas, something you don't get with the FX37.
Video is in 720p HD, but still in Mjpeg, with a mono sound and no zoom during recording. Those who want to use this function would be better going for the TZ7: that also has 720p HD but with the better performance AVCHD codec, and also comes with a much better quality stereo microphone.
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 | |
|---|---|
| Pluses | Minuses |
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| The FX48 is in the good average for current compact digitals and remains one of the easiest to use. It is however disappointing that the previous model in the series, the FX37, which was one of the best in its time, was also better in real terms. |  |
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.