The Lumix DMC-FX30 is the next
step after the FX08, incorporating Panasonic's Venus III image
processor, and as a consequence, many of the characteristics
of the DMC-FZ8 and DMC-TZ3.
The most prominent enhancement brought by the Venus III processor
is its advanced management of CCD sensitivity, a feature found
with the Intelligent ISO shooting mode.
Aperture: f8, shutter speed: 1/125 sec., 100 ISO
(3:2 ratio).
Panasonic is one of the pioneers
of optical stabilization systems, particularly in compact cameras
where its Mega O.I.S. has become famous with good reason. Even
when used in very compact cameras such as the FX30, the Mega
O.I.S. stabilization system is very efficient and allows capturing
images at shutter speeds that would otherwise engender camera
shake.
Aperture: f5.4, shutter speed: 1/60 sec., 100 ISO
(4:3 ratio).
The Intelligent ISO mode adds a new dimension
to the camera that can work in conjunction with the stabilization
system.
Indeed, while the optical stabilizer is able to absorb some
of the involuntary movements of the photographer, it has no
impact on a moving subject. The only way to freeze movement
is to have a high shutter speed. And the only way to obtain
a faster shutter speed, is to increase the camera's ISO sensitivity.
The Intelligent ISO mode takes
into account the current focal length of the zoom, camera
movement, the effect of the stabilizer and the subject's movement
as determined by the auto focus system, to very gradually
increase the sensitivity of the CCD and thereby limit the
increase in noise in the image to the minimum.
The value of the Intelligent ISO mode, as opposed
to simply boosting the sensitivity manually to get a faster
shutter speed, or using the High ISO Scene mode, becomes clear
when the intrinsic sensitivity to noise of the FX30 is taken
into account. Indeed, even at the 100 ISO setting, noise can
be detected in the shadow areas of images, appearing as grain,
when the images are seen at 100% on a monitor. As of 200 ISO,
noise starts to become visible in uniform colour areas, and
at 400 ISO, noise plus the effect of the compression combine
to have a noticeable impact on the overall sharpness of images.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed: 1/500 sec., 100
ISO (4:3 ratio).
The highest sensitivities of 800
and 1250 ISO are of limited use since the images captured
at these levels look more like paintings than photographs.
All of which makes us wonder about the value of the High ISO
mode, as the photos it captures look like watercolours which,
even when much reduced in size, remain of limited use.
Aperture: f8, shutter speed: 1/160 sec., 100 ISO
(16:9 ratio).
On the other hand, the strong points of the
FX30 are convincing. For one, the Multiple metering system
is reliable and is very adept at avoiding overexposures, albeit
occasionally by sacrificing some details in shadow areas,
which is preferable since some details can be recovered out
of the shadows using software, while it is much more difficult
to get details out of areas that have been overexposed.
For another, colour rendition is
excellent, and even the auto white balance is able to yield
natural-looking colours under artificial lighting.
On the optical side, the 28 mm equivalent wide angle is ideal
for scenery and architecture photos, while the 100 mm telephoto
end is very well-suited to portraits. The lens yields uniformly
sharp images at all focal lengths, and appears to be effectively
free of chromatic aberration. Similarly, distortion is limited
to a slight amount of barrel distortion at the wide end when
the macro mode is used, while there is no pincushion distortion
at the telephoto end.
As with other Panasonic cameras,
the FX30 is able to capture images using different aspect
ratios: 4:3 (the standard TV and digital camera format), 3:2
(a format suited to standard prints) or 16:9 (the HDTV aspect
ratio). This selection offers a great deal of flexibility
and opens the door to interesting compositions. However, only
two compression levels are available, and regrettably the
least compressed format, Fine, applies a
compression that has a ratio that ranges from 6:1 to 8:1 depending
on the complexity of the subject.
Aperture: f8, shutter speed: 1/160 sec., 100 ISO
(4:3 ratio).
Of course, as is often the case
with current compact cameras, the effects of the compression
that can be seen on a monitor when the image is inspected
at 100% dissipate when it is printed. And, at the highest
image quality of the 3:2 aspect ratio, excellent prints can
be made at a size of 10.2 x 6.8 inches (26 x 17.3 cm) at 300
dpi.
The Panasonic DMC-FX30 is a
camera that produces mixed reactions. It allows capturing
fleeting moments thanks to a fast auto focus and a negligible
shutter delay. The images the camera yields have an excellent
colour rendition, exposures turn out perfectly without any
particular effort on the part of the photographer, and images
print very well. At the same time, this is a camera that is
clearly sensitive to noise, yielding its best results when
given plenty of bright light and when the photographer tries
to avoid framing shots that contain numerous shadow areas.
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