Panasonic DMC-FX30 Review

The DMC-FX30 is said by Panasonic to be "the world's slimmest camera available with a 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens". Compared to its predecessor the FX07, the FX30's body has been slimmed down by 10%, while the same 3.6x optical zoom lens, seven megapixel CCD imager, and 2.5" LCD display have been retained.

Other Lumix FX30 changes include compatibility with newer SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards as well as the existing SD / MMC card compatibility, the addition of 27MB of built-in memory in place of the 16MB SD card included with the older camera, and two new scene modes (pet and sunset modes).

The Panasonic FX30 also incorporates the company's "Intelligent ISO Control" system (first seen on the FZ50), which detects whether or not the subject is moving and automatically raises the ISO setting, allowing the camera to shoot at a higher shutter speed when needed. This feature, together with Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) should help make blurry pictures due to subject or camera motion a thing of the past.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 is priced at US$349.95 and will ship February 2007. The camera will be available in silver, black, blue and light brown variants.