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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX36

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Image Quality

Regardless of the ISO setting, images captured had a very slight hint of softness around the edges. This seems to be a common issue with Panasonic's point-and-shoot models, such as its new FS3 which we reviewed last week. This is negligible if you are not looking to make large prints.

Below you can see a comparison of the images taken with various ISO settings. At ISO 800 and above, images become slightly blotchy but still acceptable.


ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1,600
The FX36 sports a reborn image processor--Venus Engine IV--and at low ISO (400 and below), we could tell that the images produced by the FX36 looked a little bit cleaner than those taken by the FX33. However, at ISO 1,600, there wasn't much of a difference.

The white balance was accurate at differentiating various light temperatures. Even when faced with a mixture of tungsten and fluorescent light sources, the FX36 managed to produce natural-looking colors.

For taking pictures at night, it is advisable to switch to the appropriate night scene mode. This is because the iA mode tends to favor higher ISO settings which will generate a fair amount of noise. In Starry Sky mode, you have the option of choosing a shutter speed and the ISO is kept low to prevent digital artifacts from popping up.

 
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