Review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 Digital Camera

I'm not that big a digital camera buff. Give me a camera, something to shoot, and I'll do my best. I am familiar with the inner workings of a camera, however, so when I shop for one I know what to look for. The Panasonic FX01 surpasses many cameras on the market today, with better battery life and image stabilization than other brand products of similar price.

The FX01 features a retractable lens, with a cover that opens automatically upon the camera being turned on. Turn the camera off, and the cover zips back into place. The battery is locked in place with a sliding lock, preventing it from accidentally popping out. An LCD screen, roughly two and a half inches, features prominently on the rear panel, with surrounding menu buttons.

The camera itself requires very little prior knowledge of digital photography to work correctly. There's an "idiot-proof" mode that allows you to just point in the direction you want to go and click away for a minimum of hassle. Default mode enables you to use more of the camera's features. The menu itself is pretty self-explanatory, so you don't get any "what the??" moments when trying to snap pictures. Flash mode helps you reduce red-eye and take photos in low light situations. There's also more than one stabilization mode, so you can switch back and forth as you need to (which also saves your battery power.)

The 3.6x optical zoom works well for most everyday situations, and combined with image stabilization it dramatically improves the picture quality over other cameras in low light. The camera itself is pretty darn fast, noticeably faster than other cameras I've used in the past (even other Panasonic cameras.)

The most important that I noticed was the better battery life on this camera than on many others; although a bit larger than other camera batteries, I would say it's definitely worth the extra bulk.

The FX01's stabilization modes help you take photos in a variety of situations, even indoors or when zooming in on something, with little to no blurring of the image. The images come out crisp and clear, with bright vibrant colors.

On the downside, there is some trouble with "noise" (a grainy appearance) on some pictures. It isn't too noticeable with a lower ISO, but once you increase the sensitivity you will notice some noise. Depending on whether you normally notice such things with your photos, this may or may not be a problem for you.

If you're a fan of movie modes on cameras, you'll find the FX01 fairly accommodating with a 320x240 mode and a 640x480 mode. Video is sharper than you see on other cameras, though I would really suggest an actual video camera for any heavy-duty filming since there's no option to zoom this way.

On the whole, this is a good camera for both the amateur and beginning professional photographer, along with being an ideal camera for families (or those who don't want to be bothered with complicated machinery.) It's relatively compact size, good quality pictures, and versatility in various situations (including low lighting and indoor locations) make it a product well worth the $250.00 sticker price.