Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX180

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We've always thought Panasonic would roll out a followup to the popular touchscreen-enabled FX520, but instead the company introduced the Lumix DMC-FX180, successor to the FX100. We were initially skeptical about the 14-megapixel sensor (small sensors with high resolutions tends to generate more noise) but the shooter surprised us with very decent image quality. The extensive shooting modes and a wide array of scene settings are sweeteners to an otherwise conventional point-and-shoot.

Design

The styling of the FX180 is almost indistinguishable from the rest of the shooters in the FX-series. The clean, immaculate front profile and clearly labeled buttons on the rear makes this point-and-shoot appear less intimidating, despite its underlying host of features.

The buttons on the top have ridged surfaces which supposedly help provide a better grip.
(click for larger image)

Some slight changes to the design would be the buttons on the top. The power switch, zoom rocker and E-zoom button now have a ridged surface which supposedly helps provide a better grip during operation. However, we didn't feel any difference when using it.

The mode dial is nestled in the top right corner and it provided accurate response when switching between features.

As with its newer models, the FX180 has a shooting/playback switch for toggling between the two modes. This is conveniently located below the mode dial for easy access with the thumb. The four-way directional pad serves to navigate the menus and doubles as shortcut keys to commonly used features like self-timer, flash, exposure compensation and macro mode. But what we really like is the Q.Menu, which brings up the most commonly changed settings like burst modes, metering options, focusing controls, ISO sensitivity, etc. This saved us plenty of time because we did not have to navigate through the menu.

But this shooter is not light. Tipping the scales at 179g (with battery and SD card), it is one of the heftiest point-and-shoot we've come across. We put the camera in the hands of ladies and the first thing they mentioned was the weight. But considering how feature-packed this camera is, the weight shouldn't pose a problem for those who are looking for a powerful compact.

Overall, the FX180 is a nicely designed point-and-shoot, though it has no outstanding characteristics to shout about.

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