Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30A 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue)

I set out to purchase FX07, but ended up w FX30, which was offered at the same price and I think is the same camera w FX07 feature-wise, except that it is slimmer and newer.

I set out to purchase an ultra compact, because I was reluctant to bring my DSLR in my first trip to China. Used to DSLR, I have high expectation of a camera.

My ground criteria: must have 28mm wide angle and optical stabliser. This significantly narrowed my selection to only 3: Lumix FX07, Lumix LX2 and Canon SD800/850IS.

Since I usually shoots w DSLR, I need 3:2 aspect and Canon does not support it, so it's out of the game.

Reading the reviews, I was initially deterred with the complaints of noise and water colour effects in Lumix. However, after seeing some samples, I decided that those noise and water colour are probably a nuisance only to those pixel peepers, not me.

It was a tough choice betw FX07 and LX2. Finally, I decided in favour of FX07's compactness and full 28mm lens, and foregoing LX2's supposedly better images, RAW support, and A/S/P exposure modes.

In a span of 1 week, I shot >600 pics. These included difficult photos: night scenery, low-light night & indoor photos, sunset, panning photos of people in the street. And wow...., this little gem camera exceeds my expectation. Extremely easy to use and very intuitive (at least for me - I hardly need to read the manual to master this camera). The quick access function menu (which provides quick access for most-frequently-changed settings such as changing ISO, white balance or single/multiple shots) is very handy. Accessing some photographic functions such as exposure compensation, flash setting and bracketing are also quick by pressing buttons instead of diving into the menu structures.

Noise turns out to be more tolerable than what I had anticipated (having read the reviews). I used ISO800 often for night photos with no flash; just do not use High Sensitivity (ISO3200) mode - this produced photos worse than mobile-phone camera. Of course, I try to use as lowest ISO as possible to minimise noise. I can handhold the camera at 1/4s with no apparent blur in the photos, thanks to the optical stabiliser, i suppose.

Being much more compact than DSLR, I think this camera is also not intimidating. I have taken many more candid photos of people in the street than I could have using DSLR.

I have not printed any of the photos, but I do not think that should be a problem.

I bought a black one, but the surface is not metal unlike the silver one. It's like a black suede material, which I just hope will not get thinned or peel off over time.

The best things about this camera are:
- 28mm is awesome. It is possible to take an arms-length self portrait and get ample scenery in the background. And it is not obvious I photographed myself. Invaluable when you can't find someone to take your picture.
- Image stabilization works well
- Fast performance. I can power on and snap off a well focused shot in a little over a second. Using a 66x 1GB SD card, I can take several shots per second in burst mode indefinitely (I've never tried more than 30 shots in burst mode but I'm sure it could do more)
- Hi-res widescreen videos look good on HDTV.
- Some manual controls such as AWB, ISO, and AF mode. Other point-and-shoot cameras had almost no manual adjustments.
- extra batteries (non-panasonic brand) can be found for cheap on well-known auction site. Look for model # BCE10E.

What I don't like:
- Low light shots are average. Most come out well-focused (due to IS), but they have more noise reduction artifacts than my Canon A510. However, the A510 tends to be blurrier. I prefer the FX30 shots due to less blur.
- No manual control over exposure time. There are a few modes for night shots with long exposres (15-60 sec) but I like to adjust shots in the 1/4-1/30 sec range and I cannot seem to do this with the FX30
- Flash is sometimes too bright in AUTO mode.
- Videos in QuickTime format. Windows users would be better served by AVI or MPEG format, as XP comes bundled with decent video editing and playback software for these formats.
- No optical viewfinder. I rarely use it but it is nice to have.

This little guy is about the size of a cell phone, but it's able to perform as well as the larger point and shoots. After a few test shots, I "tweaked" the factory settings a bit, and my "tweaking" seems to be remembered when the camera is turned off. A morning of shooting at a "robot wars" competition in a local high school gym included some film clips with sound. I would have gotten better quality with a dedicated film camera and external mike, but these are usable for electronic scrapbooking, and great for a camera of this size. (Warning: movies are in Apple Quick Time format, which does not seem to be compatible with Windows Vista.)

I have the black non-metallic version of this camera, and the softer plastic coating is helpful in keeping a grip on this little guy. The build quality seems to be very good. It's not the equivalent of a DSLR, but this is more apt to be carried on casual Saturday morning adventures.

Update to the above, 6 weeks later:

I took this little camera on a recent trip to a family wedding in another area. As a travel camera, this little guy excels. Even when you're dressed up, it slips easily into a pocket.

Outdoor candid photos were clear and sharp. Indoor photos tended to be overexposed if the subject was too close to the flash. It actually worked better in a small room to have the flash off and raise the ISO. (I set 800 as my highest ISO, and chose "natural" as the color setting.) The image stabilization technology gave sharp photos with most handheld shots, I found, even in lower light.

Main weakness of the small lens is noticeable inward curve of vertical lines (buildings on a city streetfront) when shot at extreme wide angle (to maximize available light by using the widest aperture) -- a somewhat surreal effect. Scenes without dominant vertical lines look OK.

I found the shutter lag on this camera to be a vast improvement over my older travel camera, approaching the quickness of a film camera. Much better for those candid shots. Battery held up for about 300 shots, without flash.

The reason I bought this camera was the wide-angle and the Image Stabilizer. Both features should be standard on any camera. The wide-angle allows you to take more of a scene and often those pictures just look nicer.

The IS works great. Does not do miracles and I wouldn't expect sharp pictures taken during an earthquake but sure helps take picture inside without using the flash. I was really impressed.

The camera is very small and be aware there's no grip and view finder. Can't have everything. Choose your poison.

Buttons are well positioned and very easy to use. Difficult to change setting by accident. That is the reason I did not buy the newest small canon.

There's enough options to please most of us. Quality of the pictures is good enough for me. Yah there's noise at high ISO and if you blow the picture 16X and look at them with a microscope but if you buy a small digital camera for [...]$ to produce movie posters, well the problem might not be the camera but the person holding it.

Overall it is a great point-and-shoot digital camera. If you want better quality picture, buy a DSLR.

I have had many expensive digital cameras....but when I return from my many trips, I was always disappointed by not being able to capture everyone in a large group or the grandeur of the panorama views or the buildings, when I didn't have the luxury of being able to step back....and when I did, what I wanted to photograph only got too small and insignificant....that is until I found Lumix FX30K !

Yeah, it's a big big, but this model is smaller than the older models and takes the best photos....with all the flexibility for adjusting to various light levels. With this camera, I never have to think how to crop or what to chop-off of the photo. Every one who needs an all encompassing/one-camera-for-all-uses should try this. Once you've had a 28mm wide-angle lens camera, you'll never be satisfied w/ any other. AND to top it off, the camera is quite compact and has an incredible quality lens.

It's almost impossible to take a bad photo, inside or out. This is the only camera that I feel like I got my money's worth and that I want to take w/ me for business or for pleasure.