Customer Reviews

Panasonic DMC-FX37K 10MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The exemplary build quality gives this camera a luxury feel. The camera is dense, feels hefty for its size when picked up, unlike many similar cameras that feel like a piece of plastic. This is a fine example of Japanese craftsmanship. It is fast and very responsive in operation. The lens is fantastic, 25mm (effective) wide angle is rare among such cameras, significantly wider angle than the 28mm of the FX33. In wide angle lenses every mm counts. Thankfully, the max aperture is back to f/2.8 - the FX35 maxed at f/3.3. The lens is sharp edge to edge with very little, if any, in the way of distortion and chromatic aberration. Certainly, the lens is better than the sensor. The wide aperture (f/2.8) at the wide angle is great for low light [The lenses on the FX35, TZ3, TZ4 and TZ5 are not as fast].

The flash is weak [manufacturers under-power the flash in order to gain on the "shots per battery charge" scale.].

Hints: In low light, including indoor shots with flash, use the wide angle (zoom out) to make use of the f/2.8 aperture, and you'll get fewer dark underexposed pictures. Stick with ISO 100 and 200. Keep ISO 400 for emergencies, but never go beyond 400. In auto-ISO mode, you can limit the max ISO. You probably read a lot about image noise. Yes, it is there, but you will not see it in 4x6 or 8x10 prints. You won't see it on a typical 20" monitor (12"x16") when viewing the whole image on the screen. You will see it if you view part of the image 1:1, which amounts to close up inspection of a 57"x38" print (assuming the monitor is running at 1024x768). Those wanting 57"x38" prints will be using a medium-format digital back, not this camera anyway. Reduce the resolution to 3 or 5 mp and you'll see less noise (per pixel), and save hard disk space!

I recommend an extra battery and a 4 GB memory card (minimum).

Optical image stabilization is very effective indeed. Video (1280x720x30) is very good.

I took out one star for: 1) Lack of full manual controls, 2) sensor noise.
This camera needs a larger sensor.

The more expensive TZ3, TZ4 and TZ5 lack the f/2.8 aperture (they max at f/3.3).

If you like the size and build-quality of the FX37, but want a better picture-taking machine, look at the LX3. It has a larger sensor, manual controls, RAW, and an excellent 24-60mm (equiv) f/2-2.8 lens. The LX3 is destined to be a big hit.

When Panasonic announced their new cameras, I was interested in this model for its size, lens and image size. They have ceased the race for megapixel king and I was hoping image quality and not megapixels would become important.

Camera is 10MP, and has a 5x wide angle zoom. Plenty of MP for most uses and users.

The 5X zoom, while not the smoothest when zooming, the range is really appreciated. From a wide to a nice short tele! Very useful. On of my favorite things to do on vacation is to make "two-fers" self portraits of my wife and I. Not easy to do with most point and shoots, not wide enough to capture people and ambiance. This one fits the bill nicely!

First impressions: Camera is smaller than I had expected. This is a plus. It is the same size dimensionally as the Sony Cybershot T-5 it replaces.Also a plus. It is lighter than the Sony, and does not have that "solid" feeling. I consider this a neutral or slight minus.

Fast on the Draw, acceptable shutter lag from this class of camera (I use a D2X as well). Facial recognition focus seems to work too.

One of the most easy to navigate and use menus I have come across. It is distilled to a bare minimum.

Wish it captured RAW data.

I had been concerned, and started to have buyers remorse before I received the camera when I read some reviews of the predecessor about noise in poorly illuminated settings. This does not seem to be a problem. My abbreviated testing in low light has very acceptable results. (Your mileage may vary of course.)

For the price, this seems to be quite a nice camera for a carry everywhere camera.

So I've always been a huge film snob, and for a while had a Nikon D40 as my digital camera until I decided it was too big to want to deal with. For a while I was using disposable 35mm cameras, but as I've been doing a lot of traveling lately, I thought I'd get a little digital camera. I did a ton of research, and was interested in the similar Canon and Sony offerings, but I couldn't be happier with the Fx37. I love the wide angle which is great for taking self portraits and such things when traveling alone, but also works great for interior shots.

Not only does it take incredible pictures with the leica optics, I actually become must more into shooting video on it as it shoots native 720p video. Its amazing! For some example of video I've done please click below, the quality is amazing and thats considering its compressed on Vimeo.

[...]
Anyway, its very small, extremely fast, good in all conditions and the video is shoots is amazing! Why this isn't the best selling camera on the market is beyond me. But now you know, so go for it!

-DP

I bought this fx37 as a complement to my Canon 40D. First - it is small enougt to always bring it along. To get a good picture the first thing you must do is to bring a camera! Most of the time I bring my fx37 instead of my 40D. Second - the wide angle of 24¤ is great. It is easy to get photoes in a room and get most of the room in the picture. Third - the 5x optical zoom is large enough for most pictures you will need, special handheld with the anti-shake. The anti-shake is a great help to get clear pictures. There are many more things this camera can do - and it is so easy to handle. So, all in all, this p&s is quite a little camera and best of all - it takes GREAT pictures! I can recomend it as an all around camera and especially a camera to bring on regular vacation trips. My 40D will have to wait for the big African safari trips and similar special events.

I needed a new small digital camera and decided on Canon or Panasonic due to input from several sources and many weeks of research. The camera had to have at least 5x zoom, my biggest requirement until I started reading and hearing about the advantages of a wide-angle lens. Finding the two together in the camera size I wanted was not easy (at least in the two brands above and in a reasonable price range for me) and I wavered between less zoom but wide-angle, or no wide-angle and 5x (or more) zoom. Finally I decided on the Panasonic DMC-FX37 which offers both and is very small! I am very happy with it so far! I think the photos and videos are super and the extra features are amazing. I don't like the exposure screen that pops up every once in awhile when I'm ready to take a shot (it's great to know that if I adjust right then the picture will come out better) but I have lost the photo opportunity a few times since I haven't figured out how to override the screen quickly. The manual is a bit overwhelming but I'm sure help is available in those pages somewhere!
Four stars as I've compared my photos with a similar Canon camera and I think those are a bit better; however, I love having the 5x zoom and wide-angle which I would never do without again.

This is a fine little pocket camera. It has a feeling of being well-built and solid. It is tiny in size so it's convenient to slip into a pocket for easy transport. It has enough features to satisfy the casual to more advanced user. While it has been criticized for the amount of noise it produces, this is pretty common for small sensor digicams. There are ways to minimize the noise but the best thing to do is just simply accept it and enjoy the convenience. I do miss having the option of shooting in RAW but, really, JPEGs are fine for most uses--especially at the best resolution quality settings.

The Leica-badged lens gets a lot of praise but it's not as great as some have said--at least on my sample. Although it's a little soft in the corners at the widest focal length, I do appreciate the option of having the equivalent of a 25mm equivalent lens on pocket camera. That wide focal length was the main selling point for me. No, this Leica lens does not have the same optical properties and qualities of the ledgendary Leica lenses used on the venerable 35mm rangefinders. It's a "Leica" in name only. I'm sure the name brand was licensed from Leica with little input on the part of the optical design. Still, its quite good despite a little softness at the wide setting.

The photos from this camera do not compare in absolute image quality to those from either a full-frame or APS-C format DSLR. Nor do they look as good as those from my compact Canon G10. But the DSLR is overkill for most subjects I shoot and the G10 is at the upper limits in size for a "compact" camera. The Panasonic is a true pocket camera. You accept the shortcomings in order to get the versatility and convenience.

(This model camera has been discontinued it appears. This is a common thing these days--as soon as a digital camera finds its place in the market, it is updated. That makes it hard for a product to establish a solid track record and gain a reputation. But most updating is simple tweaking of the basic design. The FX37 was simply an updating of the FX35. Whatever new model replaces the FX37 will probably build on this foundation--at a somewhat higher price.)

The DMC-FX37 is an excellent DSC but its video capabilities are USELESS! Although it boasts the fact it supports 720p video but due to the non-existent compression and the 2GB file limit you can ONLY shoot a lil over 8mins in HD 720p no matter how much memory you installed which is utterly useless.

So, if you only looking for a nice DSC this is a good choice but do NOT be fooled with the HD support.

I wanted a small, shirt-pocket size camera for travel. I love photography and wanted the best possible quality shots without getting into the size, bulk & general baggage of a DSLR (too bulky, we're talking traveling light here). I thought I'd have to compromise, and did a lot of researching (like others I considered the Canon Cybershot , Nikon, Elph & other products). Wide angle (think European plazas) and low light (European plazas at night) as well as zoom (4x bare minimum) and VIDEO--I'll never carry another separate camcorder again.
Settled on the FX37 and I've been totally satisfied. It exceeds all my previous expectation. And with little or no compromise over my fullsize DSLR. As others have noted, the build quality feels solid, not plastic-y, manual controls are well designed and unambiguous, menus provide almost excessively ample choices and AI features while being straightforward and undistractingly easy to navigate--way to go, Panasonic. The lens versatility is very good, and the 5x zoom is fine. I get about 250-300 shots from each battery charge, about as advertised, and the camera has survived several small minor drops without damage. It's been a great choice. The FX37 seems to have been discontinued (?) but I prefer it over those 2009 models that replaced it which I've seen so far--the 37 has better build quality and the 25mm lens is a winner. Just a great camera, and especially at the price. No real complaints or I-wish-it-had's...I find the flash is bright enough for most indoor uses (it's not designed to be an outdoor flood) and, again, I'm extremely satisfied with the camera overall. One tip: do buy one or more additional spare batteries, the Panasonic name brand only, avoid generic knockoffs, elsewhere here on Amazon for $12-18. A second charger at $15 or so is another worthwhile accessory, especially if you're traveling & don't want to wait up late to recharge 2 or more batteries one at a time...with the second charger you can recharge both at once & you're good to go again.

In short: the FX-37 is small, solid, and noisy, and it has a fantastic lens. I have always had and loved Canon Elphs, and I imagine that the noise is handled better on the SD880, but it is not going to be noticeable unless you print at 8x10. The lens and HD video at this price is a killer combo. Interface easy to use, solid build quality (not quite as solid as my old SD600, but what is?). The only thing that's annoyed me so far is the proprietary mini-USB jack.

Update 9/9/09: Also, the flash is painfully slow, which makes indoor pictures even more painful. My wife wishes I bought the Elph. I still like this camera, but it's not as flawless right out of the box.

Wow ! This is the statement that I can say once I start using this camera.
Wide angle, IA mode (fully automatic). I took this camera to Pasadena,CA down town to test night scene right after I got this camera. I use the IA mode and just keep point and shoot while I was walking down the street. A friend of mine has a Canon Powershot SD1100IS, I can see he kept getting black out on his LCD due to the darkness at night, but mine, every picture came out nicely. I am not an expert on camera, what I need is a camera that I can point and shoot anytime I want to and come out decent result. This camera does the job, and because its wide angle, the results are breath-takingly good.

This camera is so compact (tiny), if you want a 25mm wide angle camera in such a small footprint, this is the only one you can get in the market right now. You can also try its manual setting to have much better results, but for me, IA (fully automatic) mode is good enough for me already. I think I will start carrying this camera with me all the time, and you know what? Photography is now becoming interesting to me because this camera opens a new field that I had never been in before ...