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The compact digital camera market is becoming more saturated with manufacturers releasing new models at a blistering pace. Joining the pool is Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX36 ($599).
The FX36 is blessed with a 10.1-megapixel CCD sensor, a wide-angle 4x optical zoom lens (25mm to 100mm equivalent of 35mm) and a sharp 2.5-inch LCD.
It also sports the Mega Optical Image Stabiliser and Venus Engine IV, the new image processor that supports up to ISO 6,400.
At first glance, the slim camera looks almost exactly like its antecedents, and that is not a bad thing. The minimalist design has been retained, along with a sensible button layout that situates the Mode Dial and the function buttons within easy access of your fingers.
You can set the camera to Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, which automatically and quickly sets the scene mode while you focus on your subjects. It even has an automatic face-detection function.
The protruding and reclining action of the lens during startup and shutdown slows down the camera considerably. Startup and shutdown take two seconds each.
Auto-focusing is fast in good lighting conditions, with shutter lag an acceptable 0.5 seconds.
In low-light conditions with flash activated, the lens takes a while to focus, and shutter lag sometimes extends to a second.
Thankfully, the image quality of the FX36 is impressive, with sharp pixel rendition, smooth skin tones and accurate colour reproduction. Auto white balance is spot on in most lighting conditions.
Video and audio quality is also superb. You can record high-definition video clips in 1,280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second. The only caveat is that you cannot zoom in or out during video capture.
The biggest bane of the FX36 is its noise performance. At ISO 200, you start to notice little noise artifacts surfacing.
While it's still acceptable at ISO 400, any setting above that disappoints when compared to the competition. The watercolour-type grains, which plagued its predecessors at high ISO settings, resurface, despite the use of a new image processor. Our advice: Print no bigger than 4R.
VERDICT
Despite increasing the megapixel count and adding a wider-angle lens, the performance of the Panasonic Lumix FX36 is marred by noise artifacts.
If you can look beyond that flaw, you’ll probably find the camera a worthy companion thanks to its easy operation, compact body and wide-angle lens. - TODAY/fa
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