Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS33 Review

4.0

June 18, 2010 | Gavin Stoker |

Buy a Lumix DMC-FS33 14.1 Megapixel Compact Camera - Silver (7.6 cm 3" Touchscreen LCD - 8x Optical Zoom - Optical IS - 4320 x 3240 Image - 1280 x 720 Video - PictBridge - HD Movie Mode)

Lowest Price: N/A

Buy a Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 Megapixel Compact Camera - Silver (2.7" LCD - 8x Optical Zoom - 4320 x 3240 Image - 1280 x 720 Video - HD Movie Mode)

Lowest Price: $139.98

Conclusion

At times it seems like - despite the imagined 'killer' threat from the camera phone - digital snapshots are not only still needlessly plentiful, but also nigh indistinguishable, blurring into one multi-coloured mass. At first glance Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FS33 likewise appears to be digicam landfill, outwardly little different from its equally slender and admittedly not unattractive pocket-sized predecessors.

However first impressions are there to deceive, this user-friendly compact rising above the synthetic sludge by offering a better than average spec list for the relatively modest £199 manufacturer's UK asking price, with street and online prices cheaper still.

Commendably it ticks most of the boxes for the latest must haves. Reliably consistent images are delivered with minimal fuss once the user has become familiar with the tandem button/touch screen operation. The advantages of having a higher 14 MP resolution won't be lost on the mass market, and the 8x zoom reach is perhaps even more useful as regards offering a greater variety of creative framing options than you'd normally expect from £199 snapper. Shame perhaps that although it offers HD movies it doesn't feature any HDMI output for hooking directly up to your flat panel TV, and also that the zoom stays fixed in place in video mode once recording has commenced, but then you can't always have everything.

That said, while photo enthusiasts will inevitably want to cast their steely gaze elsewhere, for £199 the DMC-FS33 feels very good value indeed and will more than satisfy those users looking for a portable pocket camera for their travels - and who are content to simply point and shoot in the main.