Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 Review
Review Date: February 10th 2009
Author: Mark Goldstein
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Conclusion
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Ratings
(out of 5) |
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| Design | 4 |
| Features | 4.5 |
| Ease-of-Use | 4.5 |
| Image Quality | 4 |
| Value for Money | 4.5 |
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 very much carries on where the previous FS20 model left off, with a smattering of improved features to help justify the upgrade. This is a stylish ultra-compact point-and-shoot that you can carry with you wherever you go, with an improved Intellligent Auto mode that achieves great results in most situations with very little input required from the beginner. The new 29mm wide, 5x optical zoom makes the FS25 even more versatile in terms of the subject matter that it can capture, without compromising on the size of the camera or causing notable optical distortion at either end of the zoom range. A 5x zoom with a relatively wide-angle setting is a real boon in such a small camera, only hampered somewhat by the slow f/5.9 maximum aperture at the telephoto end. The large, high-resolution 3 inch LCD screen is also very welcome, although I missed having a true optical viewfinder in very bright sunlight. The FS25 is quite responsive with quick focusing, even in low-light conditions, although the sluggish burst shooting mode of 1.8 fps for 3 images is the main price to pay for the move to 12 megapixel images.
Thankfully the FS25's image quality hasn't been adversely affected. Panasonic have maintained noise performance, so that ISO 400 on the FS25 is equal to ISO 400 on the FS20, despite the increase in megapixels from 10 to 12. I would have preferred to see the FS25 use a 10 megapixel sensor with better ISO performance, though, as the 2 megapixel increase doesn't make an awful lot of difference to your photos. ISO 100-400 still isn't a particularly versatile range, but the usual excellent optical image stabilisation system means that the FS20 is still an adaptable camera. The extension of the ISO range up to 1600 at full image resolution is more of a marketing strategy than providing any real benefits - you won't want to use the noisy ISO 800 and 1600 settings unless there is no other alternative. We also noticed that setting the ISO to Auto effectively limited the ISO range to 100-400, as the FS25 never chose a faster speed, however dim the lighting conditions. The inability to alter sharpness in the camera is also frustrating, as the images are quite soft by default.
Despite the recent economic turmoil and increases in photography equipment prices, the Panasonic FS25 is the same price at launch as the previous FS20 model (at least at the time of writing). Therefore it again represents great value, offering many of the stand-out features of the premium FX series at a lower introductory price point. Some of the new features are rather more miss than hit - you'll probably hardly ever use the Photo Frame mode, musical slideshows or change the focus icon - and the combination of navigation joystick and Menu/Set button takes a while to get used to. Overall, though, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 is once again a fantastic point and shoot digital camera that literally anyone in your family can use. Panasonic have achieved what they set out to do, offering a very effective combination of ultra-compact size, wide-angle lens and simple ease-of-use at a more affordable price, with the new 5x zoom the real icing on the cake.
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