The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera provides easy and simple operation for users at every level of photographic expertise so that they can enjoy taking beautiful pictures. Despite its remarkably compact and slim body, the stylish DMC-FS20 provides an impressive 1/2.33-inch 10.1-megapixel High Resolution CCD to capture all of the exquisite detail of a scene, and its Wide Angle 4x Optical Zoom (30 - 120mm equivalent) Leica DC Vario-Elmar Lens, permits you to easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with dynamic width and rich perspective.
The telephoto end of the camera's zoom can also be extended an additional 7.1x (when shooting 2.5 megapixel or less) with minimal loss of image quality thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom feature. There is also an Easy Zoom feature that shifts the lens instantly to full zoom at the touch of a button - great for quickly capturing sudden facial expressions or close-up action. The DMC-FS20 can also record WVGA (848 x 480) motion images at 30 fps for impressive viewing on a wide-screen HDTV display, in addition to standard VGA (640 x 480) & QVGA (320 x 240) options.
The DMC-FS20 features Panasonic's exclusive iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, which comprises 5 shooting-assist functions (Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection and Quick AF functions), to get the best results from every shooting opportunity. Once you enter iA mode, these multi-capable functions engage simultaneously and automatically so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change, and you can enjoy the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images at all times.
All of these great automated features are driven by the latest high performance Venus Engine IV image processor, which also provides stunning responsiveness with fast burst capability (up to 6 fps) and an almost instantaneous shutter.
DMC-FS20 sports a large 3.0-inch high resolution LCD screen with the innovative Intelligent LCD function, which detects the ambient lighting condition and controls the brightness & contrast level of the LCD so that it is easy to view in any environment. Plus, the High Angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd.
The camera's slideshow setting comes equipped with a musical option, allowing users to listen to music while viewing their images and giving emotional impact when desired. Altogether with its attractive metal finish, and sleek and stylish design, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 is a digital camera that you'll be happy to carry with you everywhere.
| Camera Type | Ultra-Compact Wide-Angle Point-and-shoot Digital Camera with Optical Image Stabilization |
| Image Quality | |
|---|---|
| Image Sensor | 1/2.33" 10.7 Megapixel CCD with Primary Color Filter |
| Effective Resolution | 10.1 million pixels |
| Color Depth | 24-Bit RGB |
| Color Modes | Standard, Vivid, Cool, Warm, Natural, Black & White, Sepia |
| Image File Formats | JPEG (Fine, Standard) |
| Recorded Resolution |
4:3 Aspect Ratio 3648 x 2736 3072 x 2304 2560 x 1920 2048 x 1536 1600 x 1200 640 x 480 3:2 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Aspect Ratio |
| Video Recording |
QuickTime Motion JPEG with Audio WVGA (848 x 480 @ 30 fps or 10 fps) VGA (640 x 480 @ 30 fps or 10 fps) QVGA (320 x 240 @ 30 fps or 10 fps) Clip Length limited only by available memory |
| Audio Recording | No |
| Optics | |
|---|---|
| Lens Type | Leica DC Vario-Elmar Lens |
| Optical Zoom | 4x (up to 7.1x extra optical zoom) |
| Lens Focal Length | 5.2 - 20.8mm (30 - 120mm equivalent) |
| Digital Zoom | 4x |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 4.0" (10cm) |
| Maximum Aperture | f/3.3-5.8 |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Mega O.I.S. (2 modes) |
| Accessory Lens/Filter Mount | No |
| Focus Control | |
|---|---|
| Focus Type | Contrast Detect AF (Face, 1-point, 1-point high speed, 9-point) with AF Assist Lamp |
| Focus Modes | Normal, Macro, Quick AF |
| Focus Range |
Normal: 19.7" (50cm) - infinity Macro/Intelligent Auto: 4.0" (10cm) - infinity wide |
| Exposure Control | |
|---|---|
| Sensitivity |
Auto ISO (100-400) Selectable ISO (100, 200, 400, 800, 1600) High Sensitivity Auto ISO (1600 - 6400) |
| Shutter Type | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Shutter Speed | 8 - 1/2000 second (Up to 60 seconds in Starry Sky mode) |
| Aperture Range | f/3.3-5.8 & f/8.0 (2 steps) |
| Exposure Metering | Intelligent Multiple AE |
| Exposure Modes | Program AE, Exposure Compensation (±2 EV in 1/3 EV Step), Backlight Compensation (Intelligent Auto mode only), Auto Bracketing AE (±1/3 EV - 1 EV step for 3 frames) |
| White Balance Modes | Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set, White Balance Adjustment (only in underwater mode) |
| Scene Modes | Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Self-Portrait, Food, Party, Candle Light, Fireworks, Starry Sky, Beach, Aerial Photo, Snow, High Sensitivity, Baby 1&2, Sunset, Pet, Hi-Speed Burst |
| Flash | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Flash | Yes (Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off) |
| Effective Flash Range | 1.0' (0.3m) - 20.7' (6.3m) |
| External Flash Connection | No |
| External Flash Control | Not Applicable |
| Performance | |
|---|---|
| Start-Up Time | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Shutter Lag | 0.005 seconds |
| Time Between Shots | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Burst Capability |
2.5 fps up to 7 images (Standard) or 4 images (Fine) High-speed Burst: 10 fps (2MP image only) |
| Self Timer | 10 seconds or 2 seconds |
| Interval Recording | No |
| Date & Time Stamp | Yes |
| Memory & Power | |
|---|---|
| Built-in Memory | 27MB |
| Compatible Memory Cards |
Secure Digital (SD/SDHC) Card MultiMediaCard (MMC) |
| Recording Capacity | Not Specified by Manufacturer |
| Battery Type | DMW-BCE10 Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery (3.6V, 1000 mAh) |
| Power Adapter | AC Adaptor (optional) |
| Input/Output | |
|---|---|
| Computer Interface | USB 2.0 |
| Direct Print Capable | Yes (PictBridge) |
| Remote Control | No |
| Video Output | NTSC & PAL |
| Web-Cam Capable | No |
| System & Software Requirements |
Windows 2000, XP, Vista Macintosh OS X (10.1 or later) |
| Display | |
|---|---|
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD Display | 3.0" Polycrystalline TFT Color LCD (230,000 dots) with Auto Power LCD mode & High angle mode |
| Language Options | English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese |
| Playback Options | Single Image, Zoomed Playback (16x max.), Thumbnail display (30 or 12 images), Calendar Display, Playback of Favorite Pictures, Category Playback, Slide Show (with music), Image Rotation, Resizing, Trimming, Protection, Aspect Conversion, DPOF Print Setting |
| Physical | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 2.1 x 3.8 x 0.9" (54 x 95 x 23mm) |
| Weight | 4.2 oz. (119 g) without battery |
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
I wanted a simple camera that was easy to use, fit in a pocket, point and shoot, for casual on the go and well-built.
I am well satisfied with the FS20. The Leica lens is excellent, but low-light performance is pretty bad.
Great images and video also.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
This camera took excellent pictures from the time we bought it throughout our recent trip. The learning curve was very short and we've sent our pics around the world to show off. Our only caveat is the lag time (which may be a feature of all digital cameras) which made it impossible for us to get decent candid shots.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
I was so excited to get this camera. I'd been reading reviews on different cameras and getting input from others and this one got pretty decent reviews. It turns on very quickly which is really the only advantage to having this camera besides the big screen to view your pictures. The picture quality is horrible, there is noise and blur in all the photos on any mode. It was a waste of money.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
I shoot Canon dslr 40D and various lens , mostly on nature, wildlife. I wanted to add a compact, fit in a pocket, point and shoot, for casual on the go, family, spur of the mment shooting, etc.
Simple for my family members to operate also.
I am well satisfied with the FS20.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
I bought this camera for my wife so she could carry it in her handbag for casual shots of friends and family. She wanted a simple camera that was easy to use, well-built, and stylish.
I did quite a lot of research online to find my wife a good point & shoot camera. Although I'm a big fan of Canon products, I decided to purchase the DMC-FS20. This was our first time purchasing a Panasonic digital camera, after purchasing numerous Canon products.
PROS:
o Like most of the Panasonic Lumix series of cameras, this camera just feels like a really well-made unit. The body is made of a very attractive brushed metal alloy. The switches and controls are all well-placed and well-designed.
o The "iA" or Intelligent Auto function is perfect for a novice like my wife. The camera's on-board computer does absolutely everything and selects proper ISO, aperture, shutter, SCENE mode, etc., with no input from the user. Generally, the iA does a decent job. Sometimes it can be fooled by tricky lighting situations, but overall it's a really good feature.
o Good LCD screen, bright and sharp.
o Decent flash, despite its seemingly tiny size.
o Reasonable battery life. Not great, but not horrible either.
o Power up is fast. Shot-to-shot times are very good. Flash recirculation/recharge is reasonably fast as well.
o The Leica lens is excellent. Panasonic made a wise decision to use Leica lenses in their compact cameras. If you do research on the net, you will find very few complaints about the Leica lenses in any Panasonic cameras. Chromatic aberrations are well-controlled, and there is only minimal distortion at wide-angle.
o The zoom is decent, not comparable to other 10x or 12x models, but definitely adequate. There is a handy "rapid zoom" button which helps you speedily push the lens to its maximum or minimum reach without having to fiddle with the zoom lever.
o The onboard "Venus" image processing is pretty good. Not as good as Canon's DIGIC III or IV, but still very competent.
o The onboard video function is pretty cool. Records in "standard definition" video in 16:9 format. Very usable, actually.
CONS:
o Proprietary battery. If you're planning on doing a lot of shots on vacation, and being away from your hotel room for a day or two, you WILL need to purchase another battery, and they're not cheap.
o This Panasonic model, like many others, seems to have a strange problem with white balance. Outdoor shots look fantastic, but indoor shots can vary. The camera's computer has a hard time decoding artificial/indoor lighting situations. Frequently it pushes the entire photo into warm oranges and reds. This is fine for my wife, but for me, the household DSLR "enthusiast" photographer, I'm very picky and it drives me crazy. This problem is not isolated to this model -- if you poke around online you will find complaints about other Lumix cameras doing the same thing.
o A discovery I made on my own, which I found no references to online: the transfer speeds from the camera are AGONIZINGLY ...S...L...O...W. When my wife and I returned from a trip to Spain in mid-2008, it took AN ENTIRE AFTERNOON for the camera to transfer the pictures to our iMac. Unacceptable! What is Panasonic using as their transfer protocol? USB 1.1?
Side note to the above: even ejecting the SD card from the camera and using a card reader didn't help. For some reason, our iMac was unable to read the directory on the card accurately and no files were displayed in any folders. I don't know if this is a problem with Mac OS X, or with Panasonic. I have used many other brands of cameras with our iMac before (Canon, Sony, Fuji) and NEVER had this problem.
o One final gripe: low-light performance is pretty bad. Anything past ISO 800 is total garbage.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
VERY GOOD PICTURE AND VIDEO ALSO
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
As usual Panasonic continues to make great products. This camera is great. I bought it because I did not want to take my large digital camera on my upcoming trip. It packs a lot of punch for a little camera. Great images, wide screen format, easy to use and battery lasts a long time. I would purchase this camera again.
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Comments about Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20 Digital Camera (Pink):
This product is great for what I use it for. Landscapes and family photos come out great. The only thing I might change would be making it easier to change color effects. Overall this was a great purchase and an amazing product.
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