Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: The touch-screen FX500 won't replace your digital SLR, but it's a classy little camera that handles a lot.

Pros: High-quality optics ; Effective modes and auto exposure

Cons: A bit pricey ; Manual modes' interface needs finessing

Verdict: The camera's responsiveness was excellent, with almost no lag time between when I pressed the shutter and when pictures wrote to the card, even at the highest quality setting. This characteristic, combined with the FX500's quick, accurate autofocus ...

Review summary: The Panasonic DMC-FX500 is the flagship of the Lumix compact camera range. Announced in March 2008, it features 10.1 Megapixel resolution, a 3in touch-sensitive screen and a 5x optical zoom with impressive wide angle facilities equivalent to 25mm

Pros: 25mm wide angle, 5x range and stabilisation., Full manual control., Touch screen with sensible operation., HD video recording but no zoom., 25mm wide angle, 5x range and stabilisation., Full manual control., Touch screen with sensible operation. ...

Cons: Noise becomes a problem above 200 ISO., Flagship model, but no RAW files., HD movies still no match for a camcorder., TZ5's 10x zoom tempting at same or lower price., Noise becomes a problem above 200 ISO., Flagship model, but no RAW files., HD ...

Verdict: The Panasonic Lumix FX500 is certainly a classy and feature-packed compact. The zoom range with unusually wide angle and decent telephoto capabilities is very flexible and the optical stabilisation is effective. The touch screen is fun and useful ...

Review summary: You can't go wrong with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500. This excellent compact features a 25mm wide-angle lens and a 5x optical zoom. Plus, it has myriad features, including the proven Mega OIS system, and you can tweak most of them, making this an ...

Pros: Clever touchscreen ; intuitive manual exposure control ; loads of features ; build quality

Cons: Fiddly joystick ; noise performance isn't outstanding

Verdict: Panasonic does it again with the cracking Lumix DMC-FX500, a point-and-shoot with a great lens, large and responsive touchscreen and a list of features as long as your arm

Review summary: Here's a camera that will focus on whatever subject you touch on the LCD screen.

Review summary: Scratch the surface of the new touch screen Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 and it becomes apparent that Panasonic has slipped in several upgrades compared to other current FX cameras.

Pros: Redesigned wide-angle lens still good ; Vibrant color with just the right amount of saturation by default ; Manual exposure control, processing options are appealing ; Novel interface actually works surprisingly well most of the time ; Solid build ...

Cons: Auto white balance is all over the map ; Noisy sensor means grainy images at all sensitivities ; Touch screen can be finicky, inconsistent in implementation ; Limitations on video mode negate some of its 720p power ; Cost too high for performance gains

Verdict: , in typical fashion, has slipped several features upgrades into the FX500's sleek casing. Whether these upgrades are significant enough to make the new camera worth its price premium is what we're here to determine, but questions of the final verdict ...