Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500: Sweet like chocolate
Tags: panasonic, index, compact, kit
These PR images sadly don't give us much in the way of scale, but we reckon the Panasonic FX500 looks pocketable. That there lens is a double whammy of transparent optical device goodness: it's a 5x zoom, so good for looking at things just that little bit further away, and even better, it's a 25mm wide angle focal length.
The average compact packs the equivalent of 35mm or 38mm, as compared to a 35mm camera, which in chocolate terms is a Kit Kat. Some compacts, such as the Ricoh R7 and R8 and the Casio EX-Z100 are 28mm, which is like a Kit Kat Chunky. So at 25mm, the FX500 -- and the lower-spec FX35 -- are like solid-chocolate lucky Kit Kats.
Of course, anyone who knows anything about glass -- that's what proper people what do photography call lenses -- may be concerned that such wide angles produce distortion. Very wide angle lenses produce the famous fisheye effect, in fact. Fortunately, Panasonic's usual collaborator Leica has put an unevenly thick concave meniscus extra-high refractive index aspherical (EA) lens on to the FX500 to keep distortion to a minimum. Yeah, we said it.
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AnonymousMon 21 April, 2008 12:09am
Having just researched several new digital compacts from Panasonic, Fuji, Canon and Nikon... this latest offering from Panasonic - Lumix DMC-FX500 takes some beating in terms of overall features, value, technologies, classical timeless looks to die for, advanced digital features and innovation - in a class of its own considering the street price and LOOKS to die for!!! Can't wait to get my hands on this one!!! The f2.8 25mm superwide angle lens setting coupled with Panoramic Mode offers magical opportunities for me in my quest to perfect the capture of our Natural World... Robin, Glasgow UK.
AnonymousSat 26 April, 2008 3:36am
I have it. I love it. What a jewel! If you have an iPhone, you'll like the touch screen right away. It has a good user interface. Plus, the touch screen makes the extra features quite available and easy to use. You'll want to buy a case right away, though, to protect that gorgeous, 3" screen. Works great with iPhoto. No complaints here!
AnonymousFri 2 May, 2008 5:50pm
I was wondering if someone could tell me what the approximate start up time is and photo to photo time at full resolution with flash. This specs are difficult to come by on the review sites I have visited.
AnonymousWed 9 July, 2008 12:40pm
where can i find test shots?
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AnonymousWed 19 March, 2008 1:46am
Yum! Roll on Easter.