The Lumix DMC-FH20V is my 5th digital point & shoot but my first Panasonic. I really like it for what it packs in its incredibly small and thin body. Of course it isn't perfect but no camera ever is. After playing with it for a while, here are my thoughts:
The Color:
I was a bit apprehensive before ordering the camera in the violet but really like it. Truth be told, I was a bit tired of the endless parade of silver-tone cameras and ready for something new. This purple color is not a candy-color purple but instead looks quite classy and nicely muted, especially with the brushed-metal surface.
Pros:
- Size & weight. The FH20 is perfect for anyone whose priority is to go light. I still cannot believe how they packed that many features into such a small and light-weight body (sorry for repeating myself).
- The price. For roughly $170, this is a very good deal and the price contributed to my decision to buy this camera. When looking at other brands and models, most that had comparable mega pixels and zoom cost quite a bit more.
- The combo of 14 mega pixels and an 8x optical zoom is great and was another deciding factor for me. I plan on taking this camera with me on an up-coming vacation,and felt that this allows for the versatility I will likely need and want when shooting all kinds of scenes. Beats shlepping my heavy and bulky Canon Powershot SX10IS with me...
- The auto-focus is fast and accurate. It locks reliably even in low-light conditions, much better than any of my previous cameras, including the aforementioned Canon SX10IS. One of my favorite features when it comes to this camera!
- Easy to operate. I really did not need to consult the manual, which by the way comes in its entirety only in PDF-format on CD. The hard-copy manual included in the box only discusses the basic functions. But like I said, operating the camera is pretty straight-forward and logical. At first I had been a bit concerned with the tiny camera size and consequently small buttons but it works very well, and I do NOT have particularly small hands :-).
- Tons of scene modes available for almost any situation imaginable. There are even two different portrait and scenery (i.e. landscape) modes - one regular and one for night!
Cons (if one wants to call it that):
- No manual control of aperture and shutter speed. I personally do not think of this as a negative simply because this camera is not geared to that type of photographer, but I know that some people like to have that option so I am including this in my list because of that only.
- I found that image noise is very dependent on the zoom setting, even at lower ISO settings such as ISO80 or ISO100. While the camera shoots spectacularly well at short focal lengths and low ISO settings, it does not so well at long focal lengths. This is not too much of an issue when printing regular 4 x 6 or 5 x 7 prints but enlarging an image that was taken at full zoom might be problematic. Of course this is more or less the same for any camera but I still feel (admittedly subjectively) that the FH20 does not do the greatest job here and is on the same noise level (if not more) as my 4 yr-old Canon PowerShot A700 6MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Zoom. That was slightly disappointing to me.
- White Balance is also something that I was not entirely happy with. Pictures taken indoors often have a very yellow tint which looks unnatural. But the white balance settings can be changed and also allow for manual adjustment, so this is not too big of an issue.
Summary:
All in all I am quite happy with this camera. I researched a lot before I bought it and still think that the combo of price, size & weight and features is hard to beat. With every camera there will be something that one person loves and another does not care for much, it is an oftentimes subjective trade-off. But anyone looking for a great, lightweight and feature-rich camera likely won't be disappointed as long as he/she keeps in mind that this is a true point & shoot camera for people who want to take good pictures without having to take a photography class first.
Last but not Least:
When looking for a camera case for the FH20, I compared a lot of measurements for different cases to make sure it would fit the FH20. I finally settled on the Caselogic TBC-302 Ultra Compact Camera Case with Storage (Magenta). It fits and does the job without adding too much bulk, plus it accommodates a spare battery. Just thought I'd add that in case you don't want to look around too much for a suitable case... Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Violet)
After my Canon SD1100 broke in March, I researched for several weeks for a new camera. I went to several stores to feel and play with the newer Canon...but was incredibly disappointed to see the lack of features offered for the prices.
Before the Canon, I owned a LumixFX07 which I was very pleased with, so I decided to look again to Panasonic.
After looking at the features...and the lens size of the FH20 I decided to take a risk and buy it without ever seeing it in person (a first for me).
I have owned this camera for about 2 months now and have used it quite often. (I am the girl in the group who always documents the events).
Overall I am very pleased with the photo qualities and features. The only thing I find a little inconvenient is the white balance. I often have to play around with the different WB settings in order to get the color to look natural and not orange.
Other than that I enjoy the ease of turning on the macro setting and the wide angle lens. Although it is light, it also feels sturdy and at first I was weary of the purple color, but it is not too flashy or obnoxious.
I am just a hobby photographer and own a Nikon D50, but always have a pocket camera on me...and so far the FH20 has performed very well. - Lumix - Point And Shoot - Pocket Camera - Good Value'
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