Customer Reviews

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Silver)

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I've had this camera for about two weeks now and so far its been great to use.

The 8x zoom is great, I used to have a sony p10 that I upgraded from that was only 3x, this makes a huge difference getting those "up close and personal" shots from a distance.

The image quality is...incredible. I'll admit I've not used anything over an 8MP camera but I can't imagine other 14MP camera's could be much better. The level of detail in the pictures is incredible.

That being said other reviews have taken issue with the low light capability and I have to agree with them....sorta. The iA (intelligent auto) feature doesn't seem to do a great job on its own in low lighting conditions. However if you select one of the scene modes and use a tripod, I've found the camera comes out with an acceptable quality even in low light.

Building on that, the iA feature fo the camera does an excellent job most of the time picking out the best settings (fstop/iso/shutter speed), its worlds better then anything in the point and shoot category that I've used before. The only spot where I've had to tell it what scene setting to use (in daylight anyway) is the sports mode. It's fast enough to capture my ceiling fan blades with little blur , excellent for a point and shoot.

The SDXC slot future proofs the camera and the speed of the cards allows for decent burst mode shooting capability. The battery seems to hold a decent charge and the lcd is huge so you can easily see what your shooting.

Some people have dinged the camera since it doesn't have a viewfinder but seeing as how there are no real manual controls on this camera (other then iso/exposure) I don't see too many serious professionals who need a viewfinder buying this camera as anything other then a small easy to carry point and shoot.

Several years ago I would have laughed if you would have said that you could get an 8x zoom, 14MP, huge LCD at this price point and build quality....I'm not laughing any more.

All in all, excellent camera and certainly recommended (low light being the kinda sorta exception). 4 stars.

I received this camera last week, and I'm very happy with it. I previously used a very simple Kodak EasyShare, but wanted something that would give me more zoom, and would allow me to take better close up photos.

I was a little concerned about purchasing a camera that had on-screen modes (that little Kodak wheel is so easy to use) but this has proved to be no problem at all. The on-screen modes are easy to read and understand(the icons are adjustable to be either be large or small).

I love having the entire user manual as part of the software - it was easy to read through the manual and get a good overview of the camera, and then be able to learn the more detailed features at leisure.

I have mostly used the Intelligent Auto mode and the macro setting and the zoom as well. I took a number of pictures of our 3-month old grandchild (okay, full disclosure, I took 74 pictures of our grandchild the first time I used the camera)in a variety of light. The pictures are just stunning. Clear, detailed, every eyelash shows up.

I purchased an 8GB class 6 card with the camera which I think gives me a fast save, and I can take picture after picture so quickly (the time the picture displays after it is taken can be adjusted on the camera from no time to 2 seconds) so I was able to catch lots of smiles. The camera is heavier than I expected (a good thing for stability for me) since so much of it is metal. I love the battery and usb port compartments because they are sturdy yet easy to open and close. I have posted some pics online, and they are beautiful on the screen. I had a number of them printed as well, and they look just as great. I'm amazed at the clarity of the photos taken with the zoom.

In some reviews, reviewers have complained about not having a viewfinder and having trouble seeing the screen in sunlight. According to the manual, there is a setting for the screen that makes it easier to see in bright sunlight. If it ever gets sunny here, I will try that out. So far battery time is good, so I will wait to see if I need a backup battery or not. I'm looking forward to using additional modes and learning more about the camera.

It is just plain fun for me to use, and I'm very glad to have this camera. I hope this review is helpful to others - I read many, many reviews before I purchased the camera, and I appreciated everyone who took the time to write one.

One other thing, Amazon suggested a Case Logic camera case to purchase with the camera, and I did buy it. It's a nice little case and the camera just fits, but since I will want to keep the charger and possibly the usb cord with me, I will continue to use my larger case. I'm going to keep my cordless laptop mouse in the small case instead.

Update April 3, 2011: It's been a month since I purchased my camera and the more I use it the more I love it. Although I use the IA a lot, I'm getting more familiar with the modes for certain photo situations, and now it's almost effortless to change modes, adjust settings, etc. I took some close up photos of flowers today (indoors), and they are by far the clearest, most detailed closeup photos I've ever taken. So far because of weather-related issues, I have taken only one or two outdoor photos, so I'm getting really excited about taking the camera outdoors soon.

I bought this camera to backup my Lumix DMC FZ28. To use in situations where I don't want to
carry the larger camera and for my wife to use. The FH20 is easy to use (settings, functions,
descriptions very similar to the FZ28. So the learning curve is simple). The stabilization in
this camera is terrific. The lens is sharp and the Intellegent Exposure mode is excellent in all the situations I have tested so far! Bottom line is that the DMC-FH20 is everything I
wanted for a backup. Great camera, Great buy!

I have owned quite a few Panasonic cameras over the years. They have all been the point-and-shoot variety like this one. I purchased this in Sept 2010 and have taken over 3000 photos with it under many different conditions.
On the positive: Battery life is good. Previous Panasonics used AA batteries--which is nice because you can buy spares to use in a pinch if your rechargables run out. But I found the AAs don't last as long, they don't have as many recharges in them, and they are certainly heavier than the included Li-Ion battery.
Wide zoom is great. This feature should be on every camera. When set to 16:9 ratio, you get a lot more in your photo. We don't print many photos--most are viewed on a HDTV, so 16:9 ratio is perfect.
Image stabilization is good. Nearly every camera has this now, but in the early days, Panasonic was among the first. And it remains one of the best in the business.
The time it takes from turning it on to taking a photo is very short. Also, the time between photos (no flash) is very good.
The scene menu is nice. If you want quick settings without messing with the camera too much, they are handy.
On the negative: I wish this camera took better photos in low light. This is the bane of most point-and-shoot cameras. The industry bombarded everybody with megapixel and zooom numbers, but failed to explain sensor sizes/ratios. But unless you get a SLR camera, you will probably not get great low-light photos.
The HD video isn't that great. Others have discussed it here, so I won't go into it. You won't be replacing your video camera with this, but if all you bring is this camera to a party, or happen to stumble on an impromptu parade in Italy, this will do a fine job of capturing the moment. I would rather have adequate video with great photos than great video with (barely) adequate photos (as most video cameras do).

Considering how many people think that their cellphone cameras take fine pictures, don't get too hung up on the nitpicking about the picture quality. It will be a fine camera for 95% of the people--and besides, it will be obsolete in a couple of years anyway, right?

I have had this camera for a month and could not be happier. It is very easy to use and takes quality photos. The video's come out great. Sure it has a few minor shortcomings but, what camera does not ? For a under $200 camera you can not go wrong with the DMC-FH20.

I purchased this camera at a local retailer. I was mainly attracted by its HD video feature. I wanted to use it in addition to my camcorder to record myself playing the piano, indoors of course.

Unfortunately, I was severely disappointed by the video quality. On my first video, the whole picture was yellow, clearly a white balance problem.
On my second video, with the DMC-FH20 set on a tripod, everything was blinking, including the piano lid, which should have been a solid black. Even though there are 1280x720 pixels at 30fps, the quality is barely better than what you get from a typical camera phone. And it is inferior to my Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 webcam.

Also, another thing to know is that you can't change the zoom while recording video. You have to stop the recording, change the zoom setting, and then start recording again. This didn't bother me for the piano recording since I was recording myself, but you should know about this limitation - this camera is no camcorder.

One more limitation in video is that the camera records in Quicktime (motion JPEG) format, but not AVC HD. This causes files to be large. I'm not sure if the Quicktime CODEC contributes to the poor video quality also, but it might.

When it comes to still picture quality, they come out very noisy indoors without the flash. With the flash on, they are actually OK. But I'm not sure that having 14 megapixels on such a small sensor really adds much. 8-10 would probably be just fine and might have less noise.

I returned the camera mainly because I couldn't stand the video quality. As a still camera I might have kept it, but I wouldn't have paid as much for it, and I was hoping to minimize the number of photo/video devices I own.

Pros :
- 8x optical zoom which is better than most compact cameras
- pocketable size
- Future-proof SDXC card slot
- OK pictures with the flash

Cons :
- Poor low-light performance without flash
- Poor video quality, not HD quality by any stretch of the imagination
- Zoom can't be changed during video recording
- Proprietary lithium-ion battery
- No optical or electronic viewfinder, only LCD screen

I purchased this camera prior to a family reunion. Was pleased with the ease as I am not tech savy. I did not use the HD video so can't say anything about that. Was very happy with outdoor night time flash shots - both of people and things. Indoor pictures were good - the zoom images were better than the Cybershot camera I had before. Price was reasonable and battery held up well. Would recommend to others for an easy to use camera that produces good picture quality.

Great camera...Low light shots are not great..Not as good as the stellar reviews but NO CAMERA under $200 is.It is a steal at under $150..At $119 it is a no brainer..If you need a new camera GET THIS

With flash night shots are good..Range of flash is a bit lower than some cameras though

The IA auto feature is 99% perfect..It selects the proper settings for you and does a remarkable job..You will be taking picture(good ones) within minutes.

It has around 25 different presets to choose from if you want to do that also..these are what the IA uses..it determines which one to use..

It is very fast..Auto focus is almost instant..It has burst mode that actually works well..Taking pics at 3mp rapidly..8x optical zoom is just unheard of for under $200..

The video mode is HD or SD..the HD is motion Jpeg which saves as a .mov quicktime file..Not true HD and no HMDI on camera..it does have RCA plug to connect to tv and of course you can always upload to computer and use them there..
NO zooming While making movies..You can set the zoom before you start and I think you can pause recording and adjust zoom then start again ..

All I can think of..Still playing with all the features...

I researched subcompact digital cameras for 2 years. This one met all my criteria and expectations: it takes excellent photographs under low light conditions for a small camera. It even takes better photos under low light than my Nikon D40 SLR. It is responsive, easy to use, very transportable, and I did not need to 'learn' anything in order to use it (unlike my D40 Nikon SLR). I cannot recommend it highly enough for those wanting excellent photos within the bounds of what a subcompact can give them, although so far I haven't really found any limitations. The macro-feature allows me to focus on the fibers in my tablecloth! How much closer do I need to get?!

I've had other similar Panasonic cameras and been pleased with all of them. I'm looking for snapshots, not high art and this does what it does very well. I particularly like the wide angle, which, until recently, has only been available on much more expensive cameras. Panasonic has more competition now from cameras with similar features, but it is still a very good value for the money.