Panasonic DMC-FX500
16 MAY 2008
Launch price
£370.00
Stuff says
It’s certainly expensive, but you get what you pay for – excellence
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Stuff.tv hot buy
Panny’s really pushed the boat out with this one. Wow. Pretty much everything you would want from a cutting-edge, pocketable camera has found its way onto the DMC-FX500, from the premium metal build, to the touchscreen controls, to the hi-def video recording. This is a no-compromise product and, as such, brings with it high expectations.
Certainly it looks and feels right. That metal casing is solid and, although this isn’t a really teensy snapper like the Canon IXUS 85 IS, it’s small for the amount of tech it houses.
Innovation’s what you need
The 3in touchscreen offers some innovative ideas. It’s not so completely controlling as the screen on the Sony DSC-T300, as there’s also a small joystick and other buttons alongside it for some more traditional functions, so you’re offered the best of both worlds.
Like the DSC-T300 you’ve got the simple but clever concept of touch-focusing – just press a point on the screen where you want to focus, rather than relying on the autofocus to pick the right focal point.
Another really nice feature is the aperture and shutter-speed adjustment – when you’re in manual mode, two slider bars appear on screen, so you can easily alter the settings.