Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
215 of 218 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A camera worth leaving Canon for!, May 1, 2006
I've been and remain a loyal Canon customer. Over the last five years I've probably had 8 Canon digital cameras. Today I own the Canon 30D, Canon Powershot Pro 1, and until recently, the Powershot SD550. Recently I lost my SD550 and had to decide whether to buy a new one, wait for the SD700, or go with the Lumix FX-01. At the end of the day, I couldn't be happier with the FX-01. The compact digital cameras all have a lot in common, so I'll list some of the features I like about the FX-01 that are more unique.
- First, my favorite feature on this camera is the 28mm wide angle lens. You'll be amazed at how much more you can get into a picture without having to back up or get people to cram closer together as you do on a standard 35mm lens. If you like to take pictures of yourself, not only does this camera have a special mode for that, but it also allows you to put much more of yourself in the picture from an arms length away. I'd imagine it would be hard for me to go back to a 35mm starting point on a lens now having been spoiled at 28mm. It is not a minor difference, it is a major advantage.
- I really like some of the scene modes included on this camera. There is a baby mode which allows you to set the birthdate of up to two kids (or pets), and the camera automatically notes how old they were when you took the picture (either on the file info only or on the image itself using the included software). I like to take pictures of my food when I travel, and the food mode works very well to adjust lightning for natural images. The night modes all work as advertised.
- The image stabilizer is truly a great feature. The camera has a built in demo that lets you see the stabilizer in action for yourself. Seeing as Canon's cheapest and only stabilizer camera (SD 700) is much more expensive, this is a great value. There are two different stabilizer modes.
- The multi-image features work great! I particular like the high speed feature which allows me to take 3 images per second. When taking people pictures, I often take 3-4 images in a row because inevitably someone will blink or sneer or smile funny. This way, one of the images turns out, the others get deleted, and the people never know that I took multiple shots.
- There is also a great auto-exposure bracket feature which allows you to take 3 simultaneous shots, at the target exposure, and over and under in pre-set increments. I often use this feature on scenics and landscapes, then later on my computer I choose the best image. Memory is cheap, and this way my likelyhood of getting an image I'm happy with increases greatly.
- There is a feature that allows you to reduce the file size of an image directly in the camera! Have you ever filled up a memory card on a trip, and wanted to clear some space? I always shoot at the highest megapixel count, figuring I can reduce the image later. Now, I can do it right in the camera and either overwrite the original image (freeing up space), or creating an additional image file that is smaller. There is also a similar feature for cropping images directly in the camera!
-There is a 'favorites' button that allows you to easily tag images that you like best. Later, you can sort by favorites, or do a slideshow showing only favorites, or delete all images except favorites, etc.
Other great features: The camera looks great, it gets a lot of comments! It is small enough to put in your front jeans pocket or a shirt pocket. The battery life seems good enough for a full day of people pictures. There is a high-angle mode that changes the field of view on the viewfinder when holding the camera high over your head (for crowd shots, etc).
Some features I don't like as much: The battery door is flimsy (the rest of the camera seems to have a solid build quality). The display screen juts out from the camera, so you need to be very careful about not scratching it (i.e., even resting it on a table could scratch it), or put a screen protector on it. You cannot delete an image immediately after taking it, like you can on the Canon cameras. You need to review it, then press a button or two to complete the delete. It is sometimes easy to hit the multi-exposure button instead of the delete button.
The camera has a ton of features on it that are very unique. If you're the type who would read the manual and get into the extra features, you'll love how innovative this camera is. If you just want to point and shoot, there is a 'simple mode' that allows that also. I've been happy overall with the quality of my images. My number of perfect prints was higher out of the box with the Canon, but after learning how to use this camera better, my 'good shot' ratio has shot up tremendously. Now I feel like I'd be giving up a lot to go back to a Canon SD camera right now, most notably I'd be missing the wide angle lens and the multi-image features. I won't be missing the few extra hundred dollars I'd have to spend on the Canon SD 700 either.
This camera turns heads, takes great shots, is small, and has many unique features. I'll stick with Canon for my pro-sumer and digital SLRs, but I'm giving the Lumix FX-01 the nod for my everyday point and shoot.
|
|
|
36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Digicam You've Always Wanted - Wish I Could Give It 6 Stars, April 29, 2006
I normally don't write product reviews, but this camera is outstanding. I have wanted to get into more serious photography but don't want to have to lug around an SLR everywhere I go. I'd rather have something I can take anywhere. May get an SLR at some point, but right now I really don't care.
My first digital cam was a Nikon Coolpix 880, which had great manual features and excellent imaging/color. Only problem was the 3.2mp resolution and the fact that I might as well carry around a brick. I bought a Canon SD450 and took it to Panama. I was really disappointed. Generally, Canon photos are sharp with great color. The camera had washed out colors and was susceptible to some serious blur. My friend and I agreed that our girlfriends' Canon A400's (possibly the best 3.2mp camera for novices) took much better photos than this one. Some of the photos actually looked as if they were taken on a video camera. The battery life was tolerable (about 140 pics) but I decided to take it back and get the Panasonic.
The DMC-FK01K takes the best digital photos I've seen outside SLRs. The colors captured by this camera will make your jaw drop. It's that good. I'm surprised at the number of photos I've taken which make me feel like a good photographer. The stabilization feature helps out a lot with blur, but it won't fix everything. The video taken with this thing is incredible and will give you almost 20 minutes of 840 pixel-wide resolution (albeit mono audio) video with great detail on a 2GB high-speed SD card. My friend bought one on the same day as me and told me his is taking some incredible photos in Las Vegas right now. Knowing how this camera does its job, I would have been willing to pay $450 for it.
Rather than do a long, drawn-out diatribe, I'll just list all the fantasic things about this camera, plus a couple of MINOR drawbacks. I have always liked Panasonic products and this is the best one I've seen so far. Prepare to buy lots of fast memory (up to 2GB) - it will be worth it.
ADVANTAGES:
1. Incredible picture quality, particularly colors, with great definition. 3.6X optical zoom makes a big difference, compared with 3.0X.
2. Wide-angle Leica lens is great. 3:2 and 16:9 picture modes take great photos and make you see your prospective photos much differently.
3. Stabilization prevents most blurred photos (read up on how sophisticated this feature is at leica.com via panasonic.com link).
4. Very small - less than 1/2" wider than the Canon SD450. The screen sticks out a bit, so you will a screen protector.
5. Beautiful design - the flat black body with silver/chrome trim looks very cool, like an old camera.
6. Outstanding battery life. I've taken almost 100 photos and some video, and the battery still shows full. People are reporting almost 300 photos before recharging.
7. Great widescreen (mono sound) video - 2GB SD card gives up to 20 minutes at highest resolution, 30fps.
8. Enough near-manual modes to do what is needed (if you buy a small tripod for nightshots - the only way to take night photos, the pictures will turn out amazing).
9. Gorgeous LCD screen with a daylight feature and a great mode which allows you to see the screen when you hold it above your head.
DISADVANTAGES:
1. Image stabilization is not perfect all the time, but is certainly much better than not having it. Helps a lot with video.
2. You can't zoom while you're taking video, so you need to know your shots and anticipate edits.
3. Make sure you're careful of the power switch when putting it in your pocket.
Move over, Canon.
rob
|
|
|
47 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The only small camera with an optical image stabilizer, March 24, 2006
I got my FX01 recently from Amazon and have played with the camera for a few hours. I also own a Sony W5. The FX01 is a big step forward from the W5:
1) It is much smaller. In terms of volume, the FX01 is about half that of the W5.
2) The optical image stabilizer works, to some degree. I took pictures with both cameras, at about 1/15 speed; the picture from the FX01 is sharper.
3) Movies from the FX01 are steadier and easier on the eyes because of the image stabilizer.
4) The movie resolutions are more flexible: All three resolutions can be either 10fps or 30fps.
5) It uses the less expensive SD card.
6) It has a slightly wider angle lens (2.8), which comes handy when taking group pictures in a small room.
7) It has a bigger LCD (2.5”). However, unlike the W5, the FX01’s LCD protrudes out from the back; a screen protector film is definitely needed.
The only thing I don’t like about the FX01 is the proprietary battery. AA batteries won’t fit in the small body of the FX01. However, I purchased two compatible rechargeable batteries from a vendor at Ebay for only $7.99, which should provide ample power for most day trips.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Saving...
