Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7

Review posted 10/18/2004Introduction & Physical Views Click on the Lumix FX7 to take a QuickTime VR tourThe Panasonic DMC-FX7 5-megapixel Lumix digital camera packs a wealth of advanced technology and easy-to-use features in a sleek, compact package. It's the first compact digital camera to feature

Announced at the end of July (alongside the lower-spec FX2), the DMC-FX7 is an ultra-compact replacement for the well-respected FX5. As well as being smaller than the FX5, the FX7 boasts the Venus II engine for improved responsiveness and the new two-mode MEGA O.I.S image stabilization used to great acclaim in the FZ3/FZ15/FZ20 models. Panasonic has also managed to squeeze a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen onto the back of the FX7, though it did so at the expense of an optical viewfinder. Here's a quick rundown of the headline features to whet your appetite:

Announced at the end of July (alongside the lower-spec FX2), the DMC-FX7 is an ultra-compact replacement for the well-respected FX5. As well as being smaller than the FX5, the FX7 boasts the Venus II engine for improved responsiveness and the new two-mode MEGA O.I.S image stabilization used to great acclaim in the FZ3/FZ15/FZ20 models. Panasonic has also managed to squeeze a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen onto the back of the FX7, though it did so at the expense of an optical viewfinder. Here's a quick rundown of the headline features to whet your appetite:

Panasonic Lumix FX7

Panasonic's DMC-FX7 is small enough to take anywhere in a pocket or purse. Its mode dial, which is partly enclosed in the camera's body, has six settings: normal picture mode, simple mode, macro mode, scene mode (with nine pre-sets), motion image mode (QVGA movies at 10 or 30fps) and playback. The simple mode sets all controls to auto and provides three picture settings: enlarge (for A4 prints), 10 x 15cm, and email.

Panasonic's pocket-sized Lumix DMC-FX7 looks to be just another 5-megapixel digital camera, but it has a big trick up its sleeve: it comes with a built-in optical image stabilizer, which helps you eliminate the blurry photos by letting you use slower shutter speeds.

Steve's Conclusion Panasonic has upgraded the 4-megapixel FX5, which we reviewed earlier of this year (2004), with the Lumix DMC-FX7. These two cameras share many features like a Leica 3x optical zoom lens that is stabilized with Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S system, but the FX7 adds 5-megapixels of