Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9

From the Lumix FX7 to FX8 and finally to the latest FX9, Panasonic continues its journey through the digits. We see more improvements on this current shooter including a 6-megapixel CCD lens and higher-resolution LCD screen. The two extra scene modes are a give-and-take: You will probably appreciate it if you deploy these modes often, but from our experience, most people usually don't use it.

What Remains?
The undiscerning eye would have mistaken the FX9 to be its predecessor. Truth is, both shooters look similar and you won't notice the difference until the unit is powered up. Measuring 94 x 51 x 24mm and weighing 155g (with its Lithium-ion battery and media), the pocketable FX9 is well-balanced in terms of design and build.

Chic and sleek: The FX9 is both a looker and a performer, but don't expect manual features.

The Leica lens, which is almost flushed with the shooter's metallic body, stands in between the flash unit and the focus assist beam. The proximity of the flash unit to the lens would mean a high tendency for your subjects to suffer from red-eye effect unless you use the pre-flash mode.

Most of the major controls lounge prominently on the top edge of this ultracompact. Embedded within the 3x optical zoom rocker is the shutter release. Panasonic's Mega Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) gets a separate button to the right of the shutter and the power switch is on the left side.

The main mode dial which cycles between Playback, Record, Simple, Macro, Ccenes and Movie is found recessed on the rear of the camera. Slightly further down, four directional buttons give access to exposure compensation (Up), flash modes (Right), review (Down) and timer functions (Left). Three other circular blobs activate the Menu, Display and Resolution/delete options.

The AV/USB and DC-in connectors hide behind a flushed metallic cover on the FX9.

Hiding on the right under a hinged snap-on metallic cover are the AV/USB and DC-in connectors. The base of the FX9 is home for a combined battery and SD memory card compartment and a metallic tripod receptacle.

Overall, the FX9 bears a striking resemblance to its predecessor--the FX8--and the design is not only well thought-out but also practical. Released from the chains of silver, general photographers can now embrace the colors of black, red, blue and--surprise, surprise--silver again.

What's New?
A high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD dominates the rear of the camera, squeezing the rest of the controls to the right. Panasonic took its cue from the previous models and nearly doubled the maximum pixel count to 207k from 114k on the FX8. With a refreshed LCD, the display appears bright and clear under most conditions, though it may falter a little under strong direct sunlight.

The FX9's large 2.5-inch LCD screen has a boosted 207k-pixel resolution, nearly twice as much over its predecessor.

With a knock-up from the 5-megapixel FX8 to the current 6-megapixel FX9, we question the need for the increase in resolution. In an article earlier this year titled 8 megapixels: Essential or overkill, it asked if there would ever be a need for such high resolutions for the mainstream market of snapshooters. How often are you going to print A3- or A4-sized photos? The general mentality that the more pixels the merrier is a fallacy.

Two extra scene modes--Candlelight and Starry Sky--are a welcomed addition to the current 12 scene modes available on the FX8. However, we would still recommend the use of a tripod when you use these modes. For that, you may wish to consider purchasing a mini-tripod for a start to take on those short trips to the wilderness--you never know when you will need it to impress others with your captivating night shots.

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