Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12.1 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.
Shots from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 are crisp and clear with a nice level of detail provided and coolly naturalistic colours. That said, occasionally when shooting landscapes the camera can bias the green hues in the foreground and thus render what should be deep blue skies a rather unrealistic overly processed looking turquoise instead.
Under bright conditions there's also the usual subtle intrusion of pixel fringing between areas of high contrast in an image, but this only noticeable when zooming in and actively looking for it, and images are for the most part evenly exposed - unless you're dealing with the admittedly tricky scenario of flat grey featureless skies and dark foregrounds.
Under a smattering of typical conditions and subjects then the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 performs well enough through its broad focal range. There is a degree of curvature/barrel distortion when shooting at maximum wide angle - most noticeable in our white wall shots - but again this isn't a deal breaker.
In terms of low light performance, noise makes an appearance at ISO 400, but again at a level that would not be noticeable unless zooming in to look for it in shadow areas - as we did. By ISO 800, such noise is starting to erode detail but the image remains usable. At ISO 1600 however pictures start to increasingly resemble impressionist paintings, which suggests that Panasonic was right not to tempt fate by offering a higher setting.
Noise
There are 6 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting.
|
ISO 80 (100% Crop) |
ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
|
|
|
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
|
|
|
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
|
|
Sharpening
Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. Unfortunately you can't change the in-camera sharpening level.
|
Original (100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
|
|
|
|
Chromatic Aberrations
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 handled chromatic aberrations very well during the review, with limited purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the example below.
|
Example 1 (100% Crop) |
Example 2 (100% Crop) |
|
|
Macro
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 5cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle. The first image shows how close you can get to the subject (in this case a compact flash card). The second image is a 100% crop.
|
Macro Shot |
100% Crop |
|
|
Flash
The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
|
Forced Off - Wide Angle (25mm) |
Forced On - Wide Angle (25mm) |
|
|
|
Forced Off - Telephoto (125mm) |
Forced On - Telephoto (125mm) |
|
|
And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On or the Auto/Red-eye Reduction settings caused any red-eye.
|
Forced On |
Forced On (100% Crop) |
|
|
|
Auto/Red-eye Reduction |
Auto/Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
|
|
Night
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550's maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds in the Starry Sky Mode scene mode (there are also 15 and 30 second options) and 8 seconds in the Night Scenery mode, which is good news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1/8th second at ISO 400. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.
|
Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
|
|
Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 camera, which were all taken using the 12.1 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.
Sample Movie & Video
This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1280x720 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 73Mb in size.
Product Images
|
|
Front of the Camera |
|
|
Front of the Camera / Turned On |
|
|
Isometric View |
|
|
Isometric View |
|
|
Rear of the Camera |
|
|
Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
|
|
Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
|
|
Rear of the Camera / Main Menu |
|
|
Top of the Camera |
|
|
|
|
Bottom of the Camera |
|
|
Side of the Camera |
|
|
Side of the Camera |
|
|
Memory Card Slot |
|
|
Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
Though first impressions of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 are of a camera as unassuming as its plain, silver grey faceplate (it's also available in a more sophisticated black), the more you play with it the more that exterior changes in your mind's eye from boring to exuding a quiet confidence. Yes, at its heart the FX550 is still 'merely' a point and shoot camera, yet Panasonic has packed some neat extras under the hood that raise it up a notch or two and suggest there's no resting on laurels going on here. You literally get more than you bargained for.
It will take beginners a little while to get to grips with all that's on offer - a lot of it 'hidden' away within menus so as not to spoil the operational 'flow' - but until then there's intelligent auto to fall back on. Left on that user-friendly setting the camera delivers a reasonably accurate and consistent performance, with of course the choice of switching to Program mode if the user is dissatisfied and wants to take on a greater degree of personal control.
The Lumix FX550 therefore feels like a worthy addition to the range, rather than one that's acting as the latest market saturating stopgap between one release and the next that many of its competitors are guilty of. A little Internet investigation should also shave a few pounds that asking price, with, at the time of writing, e-tailers offering the camera for between £230 and £260. A Photography Blog Recommendation then, with the caveats as given above and in the body of this review.
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
|---|---|
| Design | 4 |
| Features | 4 |
| Ease-of-use | 4 |
| Image quality | 4 |
| Value for money | 4 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 from around the web.
whatdigitalcamera.com »
The Panasonic Lumix FX550 (or FX580 as it’s known Stateside) is Panasonic’s latest 12.1 megapixel compact camera. The FX550 incorporates a 3in touch screen and wide angle 25mm lens to boot. If you’re looking to review which wide angle compact to buy this year then the Panasonic FX550 is a sure-fire contender. Read on for the What Digital Camera Panasonic FX550 review…
Read the full review »
Specifications
Optics |
|
|---|---|
| Camera Effective Pixels | 12.1 Megapixels |
| Sensor Size / Total Pixels / Filter | 1/2.33-inch / 12.7 Total Megapixels / Primary Colour Filter |
| Aperture | F2.8 - 5.9 / Iris Diaphragm (F2.8 - 8 (W) / F5.9 - 8 (T)) |
| Optical Zoom | 5x |
| Focal Length | f=4.4-22.0mm (25-125mm in 35mm equiv.) |
| Extra Optical Zoom (EZ) | 6.1x (4:3 / 8M), 7.8x (4:3 / 5M), 9.8x (under 3M) |
| Lens | LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT / 7 elements in 6 groups / (4 Aspherical Lenses / 6 Aspherical surfaces, 1 EA lens) |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | MEGA O.I.S. (Auto / Mode1 / Mode2) |
| Digital Zoom | 4x / ( Max. 20.0 x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom ) / (Max.39.2x combined with Extra Optical Zoom) |
| Focusing Area | Normal: Wide 50cm/ Tele 100cm - infinity / Macro / Intelligent AUTO : Wide 5cm / Tele 100cm - infinity |
| Focus Range Display | Yes |
| AF Assist Lamp | Yes |
| Focus | Normal / Macro, Touch AF/AE Tracking (On / Off), Quick AF (Always On) |
| AF Metering | Face / Touch AF/AE Tracking / Multi (11pt) / 1pt HS / 1pt / Spot |
| Shutter Speed | 60-1/2000 sec (Selectable minimum shutter speed) / Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec. |
Recording |
|
|---|---|
| Face Recognition | Photo |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | Photo & Movie |
| Intelligent ISO Control | Photo |
| Face Detection | Photo |
| Intelligent Scene Selector | Photo (Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Macro) |
| Intelligent Exposure | Photo (Low / Medium / Strong / OFF) |
| AF Tracking | Photo |
| Digital Red Eye Correction | Photo |
| File Format | Still Image: JPEG (DCF / Exif2.21) / Image with Audio: JPEG (DCF / Exif2.21) + QuickTime / Motion picture: QuickTime Motion JPEG |
| Mode Switch | [Recording] / [Playback] |
| Mode Button | Intelligent AUTO, MySCN, SCN, Motion Picture, P(Program) mode, A(AperturePriority) mode, S(Shutter Priority) mode, M(Manual) mode |
| Still Picture Scene Mode | Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, / Night Scenery, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, High sensitivity, / Hi-Speed Burst (Image Priority / Speed Priority), Flash Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, / Aerial photo, Pinhole, Film Grain |
| Continuous Shooting Mode | Full-Resolution Image, 2.3 frames/sec Max. 5 images (Standard mode), Max 3 images (Fine Mode) / High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 6.0 frames/sec (image priority) approx. 10 frames/sec (speed priority) (recorded in 3M for 4:3, 2.5M for 3:2, 2M for 16:9) |
| Unlimited consecutive shooting | 1.8 frames/sec |
| Motion Picture Recording | [4:3] VGA: 640 x 480 pixels, 30fps (Motion JPEG) QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) / [16:9] WVGA: 848 x 480 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) / [HD Movie] 1280x720, 30fps (Motion JPEG) |
| Exposure | Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual |
| Exposure Compensation | 1/3 EV step, +/-2 EV |
| Backlight Compensation | Yes (only in Intelligent AUTO mode) |
| Auto (AE) Bracketing | '+/- 1/3 EV ~1EV step, 3 frames |
| Colour Bracketing | Standard / Black & White / Sepia (3 images) |
| Light Metering | Intelligent Multiple/ Center Weighted/ Spot |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 High Sensitivity (ISO 1600-6400) |
| Max Auto ISO Setting | Yes |
| Aspect Ratio | 4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 |
| Still Picture Recording | [4:3] 4000 x 3000(12M)/ 3264 x 2448 (8M EZ) / 2560 x 1920 (5M EZ) / 2048 x 1536 (3M EZ) / 1600 x 1200 (2M EZ) / 640 x 480 (0.3M EZ) / [3:2] 4000 x 2672(10.5M) / 3264 x 2176 (7M EZ) / 2560 x 1712 (4.5M EZ) / 2048 x 1360 (2.5M EZ) / [16:9] 4000 x 2248(9M) / 3264 x 1840 (6M EZ) / 2560 x 1440 (3.5M EZ) / 1920 x 1080 (2M EZ) |
| Image Quality | Fine / Standard |
| White Balance | Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Halogen / White Set / Color Temperature / White Balance Adjustment (2-axis adjustable, ±9steps each, Blue/Amber and Magenta/Green bias) / (Selectable at Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self-Portrait, Sports, Baby, Pet, High Sensitivity, Highspeed Burst, Pinhole, Panorama Assist mode? |
| Quick Menu | Yes |
| Colour Effect | Black & White, Sepia, Cool, Warm |
| Picture Adjustment | Contrast ±2steps / Sharpness ±2steps / Saturation ±2steps / Noise Reduction ±2steps |
| Still Image with Audio Recording | 5 sec |
| Audio Dubbing | Max. 10sec |
| Real-time histogram | Yes |
| Composition Guide line | Yes (2 patterns) |
| Auto Review | 1sec, 2sec, Zoom, Hold |
| Easy Zoom / Zoom Resume | Yes / No |
| Zoom Macro | Yes |
| Orientation Detector | Yes |
| Scene Mode Help Screen | Yes |
| Self Timer | 2sec / 10sec |
| Focus Icon Select | Yes (in Face Recognition only) |
Playback |
|
|---|---|
| Playback Mode | Normal Playback, Easy Organization, Thumbnails, Calendar Display, Slideshow, Category Playback, Favourites Playback, Dual-Image Playback |
| Easy Organization | Set Favourites / Delete / Edit (Resize / Trimming / Leveling / Title Edit / Text Stamp / Protect) |
| Touch Zoom | Yes |
| Thumbnails / Zoomed Playback | 12,30-thumbnails / Max 16x |
| Calender Display / Dual-Image Playback | Yes / Yes |
| Set Favorites / Rotate Image | Yes / No |
| Playback Still Images with Audio | Yes |
| Playback Motion Picture | Yes (Motion JPEG) |
| Slideshow Mode | All Still Images / Favourites / Category / BGM Effect (Natural / Slow / Swing / Urban / OFF) |
| Show Histogram | Yes |
| Show Highlights | Yes |
| Delete Image | Single / Multi / All / All except Favourites |
| DPOF Print Setting / Set Protection | Yes / Yes |
| Resize / Trim / Aspect Conv. / Leveling | Yes / Yes / No / Yes |
| Copy / Title Edit/ Text Stamp | Yes / Yes / Yes |
| PictBridge Support | Single / Multi / All / Favourites / DPOF |
Setup |
|
|---|---|
| OSD language | Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish |
| Travel Date / World Time | Yes / Yes |
Others |
|
|---|---|
| LCD Monitor | 3.0" TFT Touch Screen LCD Display (230K dots) / Field of View : approx. 100%, Wide Viewing Angle / AUTO Power LCD mode, Power LCD mode |
| Built-in-Flash | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off 0.6 - 6.0m (Wide/ISO Auto), 1.0 - 2.8m (Tele/ISO Auto) |
| Recording Media | Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard (Still image only) |
| Built-in-Memory | approx. 40MB |
| Microphone / Speaker | Mono / Yes |
| Interface | HD Component Output, AV Output (NTSC/PAL or NTSC only) / USB2.0 High speed, DC Input (requires optional DC Coupler) |
General |
|
|---|---|
| Power | ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) / AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional) |
| Battery life (approx.) | 350 pictures (CIPA Standard) |
| Included Software | PHOTOfunSTUDIO v3.0 / ArcSoft (MediaImpression / Panorama Maker) / USB Driver, QuickTime |
| Standard Accessories | Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Battery Case / AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, AC Cable / Hand Strap, CD-ROM, Touch Pen |
| Dimensions(W x H x D) | 94.9 x 57.1 x 21.9 mm (3.74 x 2.25 x 0.86 in) |
| Weight | Approx. 145g (0.32 lb) Approx. 167g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.37 lb) |
Loading comments…