Customer Reviews

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20P 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Pink)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Before you get into this, please note that the 4 stars above should really be 3 and a half. I bought this camera as a replacement for my Casio Exilim EX-Z750, which was damaged by sand. I did a lot of research, and was almost set to buy the Canon SD870 IS, largely for the wide angle. However, while in the store, I saw the Lumix DMC-FS20, which had a more solid feeling than the Canon, and -to me- it also looked better.

There were only few reviews about the FS20 online (mainly good), and I had read good things about other Lumix models, so I ordered it. This camera is basically like the FS5, except for three things: the FS20 has a bigger LCD screen and a joystick-like control, instead of buttons; the FS5 has, among its accessories, an underwater case. The FS-20 is slightly bigger. The reason I went for the FS-20 was the joystick, with which I fell in love immediately.

The camera has a limited set of manual controls, which become even fewer if you choose the "intelligent" mode, so if you like being able to adjust most of your setting, this is not the camera for you. However, there are a few things one can set manually in the non-intelligent mode (and I discovered that I'd better use them), and quite a few scene modes (including one for sport). Not much can be done to the photos in the camera, but I use Paint Shop Pro, so I don' t mind.

Although I only had this camera for a few days (and not in a place where I can get great panoramic photos), I am, overall, pleased -but not delighted- with it:

What I like:
I am very impressed by the stabilizer. My previous camera did not have it and, boy, does it make a BIG difference!

Good close-ups: one can get really good, crisp photos at 5 cm. I took a pic of my shirt and, on zooming in, I could see all the threads, which was pretty neat. You get the fuzz on a peach, and all the details in a caterpillar (if you are so inclined).

In general, images are very crisp. I took a photo of a Word text on my laptop screen, and I could read it and see the pixels when zooming in on the camera screen. Did the same with a page from a paperback book, and it was perfectly readable and neat.

I took several photos of myself with the flash, and was pleasantly surprised by the absence of major red-eye -a rarity in these point-and-shoot models (I have brown eyes -maybe it is different with blue or green eyes).

There is the possibility of changing the exposure and also of "bracketing", which means that you can set the range of exposure you want the camera to try, and it takes three photos in a row, from which you can pick the best.

The image quality is reasonable - but has problems (see below)

I like the wide angle (although it is not as wide as in the Canon (30 mm here, vs. 28 mm in the Canon)). I only tried it on rather uninspiring landscapes, however.

The previously mentioned joystick is great to use.

The manual is on paper, which meant that I actually read it, and discovered things I would never have found out otherwise.

The software included with the camera includes a program to make panoramas and stitch together photos (the Canon has a similar feature). I was fairly impressed by it, because it actually stitched together a couple of sets of photos I had taken before, without having this in mind. Sometimes, however, the program picks photos that really do not match, so check your results....

It has face recognition (it even recognizes faces on TV).

It comes with a 4X optical zoom (most of the small models come with 3, although some have 5 or 7). It is not the fastest on the planet, although it has a button for fast complete extension.


What I do not like:

It does not have a viewfinder (although I knew this upon buying it, of course). The LCD screen is nice in good light but, in sunlight, I really miss a viewfinder.

So far, most of the images I wanted to keep needed some retouching (so did most of those taken with my previous camera, however). The colors were at times dull (I used mostly standard colors), and the auto white balance does not always work properly (this was specified in the manual). It can be set manually, although you need to have something white at hand for that, and this improves things somewhat. Generally, indoor shots seemed under-exposed, but exposure can be adjusted.

When taking an indoor photo of a white piece of paper during the day, I noticed that the corners tend to be darker than the middle (also without flash), even if no shadow was visible to me. This, too, improves a little by fiddling with white balance and exposure. Outdoors this is much less of a problem.

The speed (or lack thereof) of the card when you connect the camera to your PC is a shortcoming. I generally dislike the photo viewers that come with cameras, and I tend to use the camera as an external drive. If you do this, don't even think of rotating a picture while you pretend that this is a USB drive, because your youth will be gone before the thing has rotated 90 degrees... Looking at the images is also painfully slow, and the software that comes with the camera only speeds things up a little, but it is slow to start. Fortunately, you can neatly delete multiple pics (even not in sequence) on the camera in few strokes, and I suggest you be selective before you connect to your PC.

Although viewing your photos on the 3-inch screen is great, that's a lot of real estate to leave your fingerprints on. The camera can hardly be handled without touching the screen, which occupies most of the back.

Battery life is about 270 photos (and I stressed the battery quite a bit by using flash and playback a lot). This is as promised, and the large LCD probably eats up a lot of energy. This is worse than my Casio, but better than other cameras with similar features - so not quite a negative.

Overall, I like this camera, but you should be prepared to retouch several of your images. Also, don't expect the whitest of whites if lighting is not optimal. The manual settings may be too few for those who like them and too many for those who don't (although one can just use the intelligent mode, even if that will not always be satisfactory).

Thank you for getting to the end of this long review. I hope it helps those who are trying to make up their mind....

I use a DSLR when I want great photos, and a "snapper" when pocket-size portability for travel and for fun are more important. My excellent, old Casio "snapper" was 2-1/2 years old, without image stabilization like my DSLR, so it was time for a new one. I seriously looked-at, tried-out, and read all the literature and reviews I could lay my hands-on for four models retailing under $240 (in July 2008): Nikon CoolPix S600, Canon PowerShot SD850, Casio Exilim EX-Z200, and this Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20. Each of these cameras has their own virtues and their own faults.

I do not have the space to review all four cameras properly and mention each of their good points, so I will limit this to mostly a couple of downside issues I saw in each:

** CoolPix: This snapper probably would get my vote for best overall images, HOWEVER, it has a very annoying - and for me, hard-to-use -spin/scroll-wheel control, is slowest to focus, slowest to record image, has ill designed internal software menus, manual controls are lacking, and it has a horribly short battery life.

** Powershot: Obvious barrell distortion due to the lens (why Canon, why?!), more noise in high ISO photos than Nikon or Lumix, oddly designed rounded body does not allow the camera to stand upright (for selftimer for example).

** Exilim: This camera has a lot going for it - especially great software and incredible battery life that seems to go on-and-on-and-on, HOWEVER, the photo quality is worst of the group with noticeable blue-purple haze at edges where highest contrast areas meet (e.g. sky and trees). This not visible if you are only viewing images on your computer screen at normal sizes, or are not making enlargements, but it is there none the less.

** Lumix: In most ways, best overall (and best reviewed) - - The images have extraordinary clarity for a camera in this price range. The Lumix image stabilization system and Venus engine is the same in this camera as in their high-end cameras, and it shows. Simply great! The camera also has a first-rate Leica Vario-Elmar lens with very little detectable distorion edge-to-edge in the frame (puts Canon to shame); and has wide-angle 4X optical and 7.1X digital zoom. The Auto Focus system sensor at low-light levels is unmatched by other cameras in this group. The flash is excellent. "Noise" is an issue with all snapper cameras at high ISO levels, and the Lumix no worse than any other brand. The auto-rotation of images in-camera is surprisingly good. The software Manual Override systems are outstanding (they deserve an award) - easy to learn and easier to use, and delivers pretty much what I am looking for. As for hardware, the Joy-Stick Control works so well, I expect that all companies will adopt this design in the future. I also find the camera body solid and attractive (but not a dazzler). It has no view finder - (they are useless on pocket models in my opinion, anyway) - but, the huge 3-inch viewing screen has four brightness levels.

The Lumix has 50MB of memory built-in. I use a 4GB SDHC SanDisk Extreme III with it, which runs fairly fast. (FYI: This Lumix cannot run 2GB SD cards.)

I have not tested video capabilities more than a couple of times, but has worked fine for me when tested in different modes.

The drawbacks about the Lumix are these:
* Out-of-the-box, especially in iA mode, photos are slightly "warm." I shot about 350 images outdoors over two perfect days, and the sky veered toward cyan rather than blue without adjustments. This won't bother most people, but it does me, although it can be corrected.
* In iA mode, the sensor will get confused in, for example, a green lawn with dappled sunlight - tough for any sensor - one image may shift warm to compensate for shadows, and the next cool to adjust for the sun, even when the position of the camera is not moved. (This isn't really a complaint, just an observation. To stop this from occurring, put the camera in "Normal" mode and create your own settings.)
* The images from my Lumix camera, in the farthest upper-right corner of the frame, appear very slightly underexposed - up to a half stop - compared to the rest of the image... but not all of the time. (I can't figure this out at all.) I can crop it out of prints or fix it in Photoshop when it occurs, but it is annoying.
* The battery life is only average, equal to PowerShot, but far shy of the amazing Exilim. I am only getting about 190 shots (no flash or playback), which is less than I expected, and less than advertised. - For me, the battery issue is the camera's biggest drawback because I had been used to consistently getting over 300 still shots on a charge that could last weeks in my old camera.


Overall: The Lumix DMC-FS20 gets 4 stars - - - I chose the Lumix and I am generally satisified, but after actually owning and using it, I would choose the Exilim EX-Z200 on a do-over because of its strongest point - stellar battery life, which is important to me when I travel. (Please note again: In my opinion, the Exilim EX-Z200 does not deliver the picture quality of Lumix, but it is still very acceptable.) If long battery life is not an important concern for you, you will find the Lumix to be an excellent choice.

I'm a dSLR shooter, bought this for the wife as mother's day present with great expectations. But in the end, I wasn't completely thrilled.

Positives:
* Eye pleasing all-metal design. High quality construction. The pink color in far better looking than the images on this website
* Excellent Leica lens with good edge-to-edge clarity and little distortion thru out the useful 30-140mm (35mm equivalent) zoom range
* Optical image stabilizer works as advertised
* Large 3" LCD, although screen quality is just average
* By far the best manual system ever came across. It took me 15 minutes to learn to use the camera without even reading a single page of the instruction manual
* "Joy-Stick" dial offers easy navigation and it's a pleasure to your figures
* Three picture sizes...4:3, 3:2 (APS) and 16:9 (Wide) aspect ratios
* Excellent movie mode. A fast HCSD card is recommended for movies. I use a Sandisk Extreme III 4 GB card
* Quick AF speed and very capable under low lighting
* Powerful onboard flash. AF assist light works very well in darkness

Negatives:
* Noise reduction is present at all ISO settings
* Ultra-compact size makes it difficult to grip
* iA (Intelligent Automatic) Mode gets confused from time to time. A multi-colored dress wore by my girl got the camera "thinking" I'm shooting flower, it turned into the Macro Mode
* No auto image rotation
* Images with ISO above 400 is good for viewing only


The bottom line:
3-1/2 stars. I may had too high of expectations out of this camera based upon on the specs alone. The biggest disappointment, however, is the IQ. It is unfortunate an excellent Leica lens is matched with an average CCD, thus offers NO distinct advantage over any good quality 7 or 8MP camera. At a premium price tag of nearly $250 (some places selling at $300); I couldn't command this camera at this time. But people shouldn't hesitate of grabbing one when price drops below $200.

So I began shooting with a Canon Rebel. I moved onto digital with the Canon Powershot S3 - which I loved - until the LCD screen cracked. I toyed with idea of the Canon Powershot S5, but when I saw the Lumix, I balked. I really wanted a pocket camera. The others were fabulous, but just too chunky. I would get tired of lugging them around everywhere. So I read every review in the world and decided to give the Panasonic a try. It is a lovely camera. It takes fabulous pictures and is easy to use. It's intuitive, but not overly simplistic for people who like to fool around with their shots. I was concerned about the battery life, but it lasts about two days with regular use. When I was on vacation, I charged it each night and had absolutely no issues with battery life. The three-inch screen is a joy to review pics, and the "joystick" button is terrific. I love this camera and I am quite pleased with my purchase! Not to mention, the pink is really cute!!

I'm still getting to grips with the menus but it takes great photos. It's definitely bigger than the smallest Canons, so if you want a really compact camera, they might be better. Good looking camera.

I researched for almost a whole week before settling on this one. My budget was 150$s. I was choosing between mainly these models: Canon SD 1100 IS, Canon A1000 IS and Panasonic FS20 and FS5. Fuji and Olympus were out of the question (Poor photo quality being the main reason). So.. Canon looks great, they are amazingly popular and almost every other person has it. Panasonic isn't that popular (less relative marketing for this range) but its photo quality is much better than the Canons! I went across quite a many review sites that had pictures taken from the cameras in different situations and found this Panasonic model to be the more accurate and lively one. I love my camera! And one more thing: this cam looks much better in your hands (its just so good!) than in these picks you'll find online. Its got all that anyone can be looking for in an under $200 range! More than that I guess. I love it!!!

My second Lumix camera.
It is a great compact camera and lives up to the Panasonic standard.
I just love this camera.
After reading a lot of reviews I can not understand some of the petty criticisms.

I'm not a professional photographer by any means which is why I like the Panasonic DMC-FS20P 10mp digital camera. One of the simplest cameras to use with a ingenious lithium battery and charger. To date the camera has taken great photos, battery life is excellent and stabilization and face detect features just what I needed. The Leica lens is one of the best in photography! Replacement battery and accessories are inexpensive as well.

This is a great, really compact, easy to use, quality camera. However, if I had to do it over again, I would have just kept my old 4 MP Kodak funshare. It's really more fancy than I need. The pictures are better with the Lumix, but they take forever to load/copy onto the computer. Plus the camera is so small it is almost difficult to hold. Also without a memory card it only holds 14 pictures, so be sure to order one if you order the camera.

Globazar offered the Panasonic Lumix camera for a lower price than Amazon.com, amazing. Got delivered to me so fast, that I checked to see if I could find something wrong with it, however it was in perfect condition and gave me the greatest results ever with a camera. I recommend this seller highly for quality service in ordering.