Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 Review
Image Quality
All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5.5Mb.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 produced images of good quality during the review period. The 1/2.33 inch, 12 megapixel CCD sensor used in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 produces noise-free images at ISO 100-200, with limited noise and colour desaturation starting to appear at ISO 400. ISO 800 exhibits quite visible noise, smearing of fine detail and colour desaturation, and ISO 1600 is even noisier, although still usable for small prints.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 handled chromatic aberrations well, with some purple fringing effects appearing mostly in high contrast situations. The flash worked well indoors, with a little red-eye and adequate exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 60 seconds allowing you to capture plenty of light. Anti-shake is a feature that works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range.
Macro performance is very good, allowing you to focus as close as 3cms away from the subject. The images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening setting and ideally require further sharpening in an application like Adobe Photoshop, or you can change the in-camera setting if you don't like the default results. The Intelligent Resolution feature either makes a standard image look sharper, albeit with some unwanted artefacts appearing, or it digitally increases the 5x optical zoom to 6.5x, again with a slight loss in quality.
Noise
There are 5 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:
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ISO 100 (100% Crop) |
ISO 200 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 400 (100% Crop) |
ISO 800 (100% Crop) |
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ISO 1600 (100% Crop) |
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Focal Range
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77's 5x zoom lens provides a focal length of 24-120mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.
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24mm |
120mm |
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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. You can change the in-camera sharpening level if you don't like the default look.
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Original (100% Crop) |
Sharpened (100% Crop) |
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File Quality
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option. Here are some 100% crops which show the quality of the various options, with the file size shown in brackets.
| 14M Fine (4.94Mb) (100% Crop) | 14M Standard (2.90Mb) (100% Crop) |
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Chromatic Aberrations
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 handled chromatic aberrations well during the review. There's some purple fringing between areas of high contrast, but it's only noticeable on close inspection, as shown in the examples below.
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Example 1 (100% Crop) |
Example 2 (100% Crop) |
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Macro
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 3cms 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.
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Macro Shot |
100% Crop |
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Flash
The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off, and Flash Synchro. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1.5m.
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Flash Off - Wide Angle (24mm) |
Flash On - Wide Angle (24mm) |
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Flash Off - Telephoto (120mm) |
Flash On - Telephoto (120mm) |
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And here are a couple of portrait shots. Both the Forced On setting or the Auto/Red-eye Reduction option caused a tiny amount of red-eye.
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Forced On |
Forced On (100% Crop) |
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Auto/Red-eye Reduction |
Auto/Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop) |
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Night
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77's maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds in Manual shooting mode and the Starry Sky Mode scene mode, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds at ISO 100. I've included a 100% crop of the image to show what the quality is like.
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Night Shot |
Night Shot (100% Crop) |
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Anti Shake
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 has an anti-shake mechanism, which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras. To test this, I took 2 handheld shots of the same subject with the same settings. The first shot was taken with anti shake turned off, the second with it turned on. Here are some 100% crops of the images to show the results. As you can see, with anti shake turned on, the images are much sharper than with anti shake turned off. This feature really does seem to make a difference and could mean capturing a successful, sharp shot or missing the opportunity altogether.
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Shutter Speed / Focal Length |
Anti Shake Off (100% Crop) |
Anti Shake On (100% Crop) |
| 1/10th / 24mm | |
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| 1/3rd / 120mm | |
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Intelligent Resolution
The Intelligent Resolution feature either makes a standard image look like a higher resolution one by processing the contour areas, texture areas and smooth areas individually, or it digitally boosts the zoom magnification from 5x to 6.5x.
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Off |
On |
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i.Zoom |
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Off |
i.Zoom |
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My Color
The My Color shooting mode offers 8 preset effects - Expressive, Retro, Pure, Monochrome, High Dynamic, Silhouette, Pin Hole, Film Grain - with a live preview of how the final image will look. The My Color mode can also be used when shooting video, instantly adding an arty look to your movie masterpieces.
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Expressive |
Retro |
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Pure |
Monochrome |
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High Dynamic |
Silhouette |
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Pin Hole |
Film Grain |
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Sample Images
This is a selection of sample images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 camera, which were all taken using the 12 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 1920x1280 pixels at 25 frames per second. Please note that this 14 second movie is 28.7Mb in size.
Product Images
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Front of the Camera |
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Front of the Camera / Turned On |
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Isometric View |
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Isometric View |
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Rear of the Camera |
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Rear of the Camera / Image Displayed |
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Rear of the Camera / Turned On |
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Rear of the Camera / Main Menu |
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Rear of the Camera / Quick Menu |
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Rear of the Camera / Touchscreen |
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| Rear of the Camera / Touchscreen |
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| Top of the Camera |
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Bottom of the Camera |
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| Side of the Camera |
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| Side of the Camera |
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| Front of the Camera |
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| Front of the Camera |
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| Memory Card Slot |
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| Battery Compartment |
Conclusion
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 takes touchscreen camera technology to its extreme conclusion, with just four external controls placing the emphasis firmly on using the massive LCD screen to operate the camera. For the most part this works well, but constantly interacting with the LCD does inevitably slow things down, so it's best to try the FX77 before you buy if possible.
The combination of a fast ultra-wide-angle 5x zoom lens, tried and tested FX series styling, and sensible 12 megapixel CCD sensor is a sound basis for the FX77. The fast f/2.5 lens is a cut above most of the FX77's competitors, allowing the camera to collect more light and effectively allowing you to use a slower ISO speed to achieve a similar shutter speed. Having such a wide-angle setting of 24mm is also a real attraction of this model, with the telephoto reach of 120mm long enough for candid head and shoulder shots. Image quality is slightly improved on the previous FX70 model, with a little noise at ISO 400, becoming more obvious at ISO 800 along with smearing of fine details, and the fastest speed of ISO 1600 being something of a last resort. Full HD movies with stereo sound, various creative effects and full use of the zoom are the icing on the cake.
The touchscreen interface is largely well-thought out, making most sense to anyone who's used any kind of recent Apple product or Smart Phone. The system isn't overly complex for new users to literally get to grips with, with the main exception being the total reliance on caption-less icons, requiring a certain amount of guesswork on the part of the user at least until you've used the camera for a while. The jury's also still out for us on whether a touchscreen interface makes absolute sense for a digital camera, but the ability to focus on and even capture your subject with the touch of a finger is undeniably appealing and genuinely useful.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 may look unassuming at first glance, but it offers a lot of cutting-edge technology underneath that rather plain exterior, the majority of which makes it easier to take good photos. If you're already a convert to touch-screen technology, then the FX77 is a perfect fit - just be sure that controlling the camera in this way really is for you, as there's no going back...
| Ratings (out of 5) | |
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| Design | 4 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-use | 3.5 |
| Image quality | 4 |
| Value for money | 4 |
Review Roundup
Reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 from around the web.
trustedreviews.com »
Once the stuff of science fiction movies, touch screens have gradually worked their way into our everyday lives to such an extent that we would hardly bat an eyelid at finding one incorporated into the latest pair of Nike's, let alone feel the warm glow anticipation at finding one on a digital camera. That said, it's still something of a rarity to see a camera with almost not physical controls, as here with the new 12.1 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FX77: the larger-than-average 3.5-inch screen swallows up the entire backplate of the camera, in iPhone fashion.
Read the full review »
Specifications
Metrics |
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|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 99.7 x 55.2 x 20.6 mm / (3.93 x 2.17 x 0.81 in) |
| Weight | Approx. 126g without Battery and SD Memory Card (0.28 lb) / Approx. 142g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.32 lb) |
Optics |
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|---|---|
| Camera Effective Pixels | 12.1 Megapixels |
| Sensor Size / Total Pixels / Filter | 1/2.33-type CCD sensor / 12.5 Total Megapixels / Primary Color Filter |
| Aperture | F2.5 - 5.9/ Iris Diaphragm (F2.5 - 8 (W) / F5.9 - 18 (T)) |
| Optical Zoom | 5x |
| Focal Length | f=4.3-21.5mm (24-120mm in 35mm equiv.) / (26-130mm in 35mm equiv. in movie recording) |
| Extra Optical Zoom (EZ) | 6.1x (4:3 / 8M), 7.8x (4:3 / 5M), 9.8x (4:3 / under 3M) |
| Intelligent Zoom | 6.5x |
| Lens | LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMARIT / 7 elements in 6 groups / (3 Aspherical Lenses / 5 Aspherical surfaces) |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | MEGA O.I.S. (Off /On / Active Mode(only for motion picture)) |
| Digital Zoom | 4x / ( Max. 20.0 x combined with Optical Zoom without Extra Optical Zoom ) / (Max. 39.2 x combined with Extra Optical Zoom) |
| Focusing Area | Normal: Wide 50 cm - infinity / Tele 100 cm - infinity / Macro / Intelligent AUTO/ movie recording: Wide 3 cm - infinity / Tele 100cm - infinity |
| Focus Range Display | Yes |
| AF Assist Lamp | Yes |
| Focus | Normal / AF Macro, Zoom Macro, Quick AF, AF Tracking, Touch AF/AE, Continuous AF(only for motion picture) |
| AF Metering | Face / AF Tracking / 23pt / 1pt / Spot / Touch Area |
| Shutter Speed | Still: 8 - 1/4000 sec / Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec |
| Shutter Interval | approx. 0.3 sec |
Recording |
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| Motion Picture Recording (*2) | [4:3] VGA: 640 x 480 pixels, 30fps (Motion JPEG) / QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels, 30 fps (Motion JPEG) / [HD Movie] 1920x1080 pixels, 50i (Sensor output is 25p) / (FSH:17Mbps/AVCHD) / 1280x 720 pixels, 50p (Sensor output is 25p) (SH:17Mbps/ AVCHD ) / 1280x 720 pixels, 30fps (QuickTime MotionJPEG) |
| AVCHD with picture quality (Continuous recordable time[motion pictures]) | approx. 60 min (FSH), 65 min (SH) |
| AVCHD with picture quality (Actual recordable time[motion pictures]) | approx. 35 min (FSH), 38 min (SH) |
| Motion Deblur | Yes |
| Face Recognition | Photo |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | Photo / Movie |
| Intelligent ISO Control | Photo |
| Face Detection | Photo / Movie |
| Intelligent Scene Selector | Photo (Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Sunset, Macro) / Movie (Portrait, Scenery, Low Light, Macro) |
| Intelligent Exposure | Photo / Movie |
| AF Tracking | Photo / Movie |
| Digital Red Eye Correction (Red-Eye Removal) | Photo |
| Intelligent Resolution Technology | Photo / Movie |
| File Format | Still Image: JPEG(DCF/Exif2.3) / 3D Image: MPO / Motion picture: AVCHD, QuickTime Motion JPEG |
| AVCHD / AVCHD Lite REC | PAL |
| One-Touch Movie Button | Yes |
| Mode Dial / Mode Button | Intelligent Auto, Normal Picture, 3D Photo, SCN, Cosmetic, My Color |
| Still Image Scene Mode | Portrait, Transform, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Handheld Night Shot, 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, Photoframe |
| Movie Scene Mode | Portrait, Transform, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Low Light, Food, Party, Candle Light, Sunset, Beach, Snow, Aerial, High Sensitivity / (Activated by selecting Still Picture Scene Mode then pressing movie button. Still Picture Scene Modes without corresponding Movie Scene Mode is recorded in Normal Mode) |
| Continuous Shooting Mode | Full-Resolution Image, 3.7 frames/sec Max. 7 images / High-speed Burst Mode: approx. 6 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, 2.5M for 1:1) |
| MOTION JPEG with picture quality set to [HD] (Continuous recordable time[motion pictures]) | approx. 75 min |
| MOTION JPEG with picture quality set to [HD] (Actual recordable time[motion pictures]) | approx. 40 min |
| Exposure | Program AE |
| Exposure Compensation | 1/3 EV step, +/-2 EV |
| Backlight Compensation | Yes (only in Intelligent AUTO mode) |
| Auto (AE) Bracketing | 1/3 ~1EV step, Max +/-1, 3 frames |
| Light Metering | Intelligent Multiple |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto / i.ISO / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / High Sensitivity mode (ISO 1600-6400) |
| Max Auto ISO Setting | No |
| Aspect Ratio | 1:1 / 4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 |
| Still Picture Recording | [1:1]2992x2992(9M) / 2448x2448(6M EZ) / 1920x1920(3.5M EZ) / 1536x1536(2.5M EZ) / 480x480(0.2M EZ) / [4:3] 4000x3000(12M) / 3264x2448(8M EZ) / 2560X1920(5M EZ) /2048X1536(3M EZ) / 1600x1200(2M EZ) / 640x480(0.3M EZ) / [3:2] 4000x2672 (10.5M) / 3264x2176 (7M EZ)/ 2560x1712 (4.5M EZ) / 2048x1360 (2.5M EZ) / 640x424(0.3M EZ) / [16:9] 4000x2248 (9M) / 3264x1840 (6M EZ)/ 2560x1440(3.5M EZ) / 1920x1080 (2M EZ) / 640x360 (0.2M) |
| Image Quality | Fine / Standard (3D mode: MPO Fine / MPO Standard ) |
| White Balance | Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Incandescent / White Set / (Selectable at Portrait, Transform, Self-Portrait, Panorama Assist, Sports, Baby, Pet, High Sensitivity, Highspeed Burst, Pinhole, Photo Frame, High Dynamic, Cosmetic? |
| Color Mode / Color Effect | My Color Mode (Expressive /Retro / Pure / Monochrome / High Dynamic / Silhouette / Pin Hole / Film Grain), Color Mode (Standard / Vivid / Natural / Black & White / Sepia / Cool / Warm), Happy (only in iA Mode) |
| Real-time histogram | Yes |
| Composition Guide line | Yes (2 pattern) |
| Auto Review | off,1sec, 2sec, Hold |
| Easy Zoom / Zoom Resume | No / No |
| Optical Zoom in Motion Picture | Yes |
| Macro Zoom | Yes |
| Orientation Detector | Yes |
| Scene Mode Help Screen | No |
| Self Timer | 2sec / 10sec |
| Focus Icon Select | Yes (in Face Recognition only) |
Playback |
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|---|---|
| Playback Mode | Normal Playback, Slideshow, Filtering Playback (Picture Only, Video Only, 3D, Category, Favorites), Album Playback, Dual Image Playback, Calendar Playback |
| Thumbnails / Zoomed Playback | 12,30-thumbnails / Yes / Touch Magnification |
| Calendar Display / Dual-Image Playback | Yes / Yes |
| Set Favorites / Rotate Image | Yes / No |
| Playback Motion Picture | Yes |
| Slideshow Mode | All / Picture Only / Video Only / 3D / Album / Category / Favorites / BGM Effect (Natural / Slow / Swing / Urban / OFF) |
| Show Histogram | Yes |
| Delete Image | Single / Multi / All / All except Favorites |
| DPOF Print Setting / Set Protection | Yes / Yes |
| Resize / Trim / Aspect Conv. / Leveling | Yes / Yes / No / No |
| Copy / Title Edit / Text Stamp | Yes / Yes / Yes |
| Cut Animation | Yes |
| Video Divide | Yes |
| PictBridge Support | Single / Multi / All / Favorites / DPOF |
Setup |
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|---|---|
| OSD language | Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish |
| Movie REC Guide | Yes |
| Wind-Cut in Motion Picture | Yes |
| Travel Date / World Time | Yes / Yes |
Others |
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|---|---|
| LUMIX Image Uploader | Yes |
| LCD Monitor | 8.8cm (3.5") TFT Full Touch Screen LCD Display (230K dots), AR / Field of View : approx. 100% / Power LCD mode, AUTO Power LCD mode, High Angle mode |
| Touch Panel | Yes |
| Built-in-Flash | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off / 0.6 - 5.9m (Wide/ISO Auto), 1.0 - 2.5m (Tele/ISO Auto) |
| Recording Media | Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card |
| Built-in-Memory | Approx. 70MB |
| Microphone / Speaker | Mono / Yes |
| Interface | mini HDMI, AV Output (PAL), USB2.0 High speed |
| Viera Link | Yes |
| HDMI output | Auto Only (Unselectable) |
| Power | Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, Minimum: 680mAh) (Included) / AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional) |
| Battery life (approx.) | 200 pictures (CIPA Standard)*1 |
| Included Software | PHOTOfunSTUDIO 6.0 HD Lite Edition / QuickTime / Adobe Reader / Super LoiLoScope ( trial version) |
| Standard Accessories | Battery Charger, Battery Pack, Stylus Pen, AC Cable, AV Cable, USB Cable, Hand Strap, CD-ROM |
Further Specifications |
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| NOTE | ?Motion images can be recorded continuously for up to 29 min 59 sec. / ?If [Rec Quality] is set to [FSH], and if the surrounding temperature is high, or motion picture is recorded continuously, is displayed, and the recording may be stopped halfway through. |
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