28mm Wide-angle Lens - The 28mm wide-angle lens lets you easily capture large groups of people indoors or expansive architectural structures and scenes with dynamic width and rich perspective, even from short dista
Customer Reviews
initial experience with panasonic DMC- PH20 - Sep 02, 2010
Only have had preliminary experience with the Lumix, but it has been a pleasure taking pictures with it - particularly like its 8X optical zoom. It is well worth my investment.
So far, fantastic - Sep 01, 2010
Did about a month's worth of research for a DigiCam around the $150-$200 price point. Was replacing an old Cannon 3MP Elph (great product).
The Panasonic has two features that stand out to me - 8x optical zoom and lightning fast shutter. Nothing was worse with the old camera, or with a cell phone camera, than waiting for the image to store. You hear a click, count to 2 mississippi and then your image is saved. NOT WITH THIS CAMERA! If you're using the auto focus, it snaps almost instantaneously. I can't overstate how wonderfully responsive this camera is.
The zoom is great as well. Not a lot of cameras in my price bracket have more than a 4x optical zoom. Added to the shutter speed, and I can get great shots of my little one from across the room before a distraction ruins my shot.
Other features:
-Solid pictuee quality - very happy with this, especially since that's the point of a "point-and-shoot"!
-intelligentAuto setting is solid, very happy with its selections so far
-ability to tinker with settings if I want, though no need to thanks to iA
-burst feature for taking multiple pictures (though to take continuous shots, you lose MP depth)
-standard size 2.7" screen
-surprisingly easy controls and menus
-solid feature set for the price
-HD video capability (720) - but the zoom feature is deactivated while shooting.
-14 MP
All in all, I highly recommend this camera. Friends have the Casios, I've had good experiences with Cannon, but this is, so far, my favorite.
I'd give it 5 stars, but have only had it a month. I'd prefer having it longer before going all the way.
great - Sep 01, 2010
This was my first point and shoot camera to buy in about 8 years, so it was DEFINITELY going to be better, but this thing is phenominal! I love the zoom, and the pictures are CRYSTAL CLEAR!
Bang for your buck! - Aug 31, 2010
I love photography but the camera I use for professional quality photos is way too bulky to be carrying around everywhere. I got this camera for convenience (for times that I don't want to carry around my larger camera). I had checked multiple places/sites and this one has the overall best reviews. I am not disappointed. It's extremely convenient and light and the photo qualities are great considering the price of the camera (obviously not professional pictures, but still higher quality).
My mom and I both bought this camera and we are very satisfied. I would recommend it to anyone as long as they're not trying to take photos of high high high quality (the zoom is good for everyday use and the shutter isn't exceptionally fast) but overall, great camera!
Image stablizer is not working - Aug 30, 2010
I purposely bought the DMC-FH20 for taking pictures in museums but found the indoor picture were not clear and the color of most pictures are yellowish. Pictures taken in dark with flash are muddy, the image stabilizer makes no different. Forget about the zoom, 8x zoom is only a good number but in reality it doesn't take clear pictures. Something is wrong with this camera.
Very disappointed with this camera so I am returning it to Amazon.com. The Fuji Finepix S5100 I owned for 6 years takes better pictures than it. The Canon Powershot SD770 I bought for my daughter also takes better pictures than the Panasonic DMC-FH20 but has only 3 x zoom & doesn't take good indoor pictures 'cos the flash is weak.
So is the battery that comes with the DMC-FH20 can only support 180 pictures which is definitely not enough for touring a museum.
After all I rated it 2 stars. It is the same price as the big Fuji power zoom S1800 so I will try the Fuji now.
Good Picture Quality; Durability and Support Sadly Lacking - Aug 27, 2010
Below is my review of the DMC-FH22, the exact same camera but with a touchscreen on the back instead of a regular screen + buttons.
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Bought an FH22 two months ago and took it on trips to Asia and NYC; definitely got some incredible pictures from it. The excellent optical zoom in particular is a great feature. The large touchscreen makes for beautiful image previews, but is a little less responsive than a typical button-based interface when zooming/panning/inspecting pictures in camera memory. For this reason, if you're choosing between a FH22 and FH20 and really like reviewing your pictures right after you've taken them, I'd suggest the FH20 (same exact camera but no touchscreen).
However, I'm not sure I can really recommend either of those cameras, or even Panasonic as a company from which to buy a digital camera.
I recently dropped my FH22 from a height of 3 feet onto a tile floor, which caused the CCD (image sensor) to stop working. I suspect that the CCD somehow got loose inside the camera from the fall, as everything about the camera works except for the fact that it appears to be taking a picture of pitch black no matter where I point it. While it may have just been one unlucky bounce (always take anecdotal evidence with a grain of salt), I've owned a few point-and-shoots before this FH22 and was truly surprised that such a trivial fall could harm the camera in that way. It's possible that Panasonic just doesn't make cameras as reliable or durable as previous brands I've owned (Canon and Kodak, dropped many, many times).
Even if this malfunction was just an isolated freak accident, one thing that's for sure broken is Panasonic's service/repair procedure. I sent my camera in to an official Panasonic repair center and was quoted a price of $60 over the phone. A week later, I received an invoice for $128.25. Seeing as how I bought the camera brand new for $200 (you may be able to get it even cheaper by now), that price seemed a little steep. I called Panasonic up again and they explained that they don't repair cameras, they only ever replace them with refurbished models. They claimed they weren't sure what the earlier $60 quote was about.
Other minor service gripes:
1. When asking about the $128.25, tried calling the specific Panasonic service center I sent my camera to (using a phone number that they supplied me) 3 times a day for an entire week, and never got through. Eventually had to call up Panasonic's main number in order to hear the bad news.
2. My invoice actually had $61.98 originally printed on it. Somebody used whiteout and a blue pen to write in $128.25 (you can see through the whiteout with minimal effort). Shady shady.
So in conclusion, while I take full responsibility for dropping my camera I simply cannot recommend Panasonic cameras as a brand to buy.
tl;dr: When it works, it's great. If it breaks, sucks to be you.
Unreliable - Aug 27, 2010
This camera stopped working properly the first day that I used it! After taking only 5-6 pictures, the zoom feature malfunctioned. The lens would extend and retract trying to focus, until it would finally stop and I would get a "zoom error". I couldn't take another picture! I had to turn it on and off several times trying to get the lens to work, until finally I figured out if I switched the mode from "normal picture" to video the lens finally stopped moving in and out. Once I got the lens to work again, the lens shield that is supposed to automatically open never fully opened and a lot of my pictures have dark corners from where the lens shield got in the way. I bought this camera to take on a cruise, and my pictures are very poor. I don't know if I got a lemon, but I returned the camera for a refund as soon as I got back from my trip!
panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 - Aug 24, 2010
Essentially I bought this camera to capture images that I use as subjects for my artwork. I was looking for an inexpensive, small, simple high resolution camera that was fast enough to capture candid images. This camera performed excellently in almost everyway. My only criticism was about the time it took to process each image was a little too slow but I think that is becasue it has a high MP rate (14) creating images that are around 1 mb. On the more positive side; the computer interface was very simple and easy to use, the autofocus worked great, good battery life, and it has the ability to capture low light images without a flash
Wonderful Camera!!! - Aug 23, 2010
I LOVE this camera! It's a great value in its price range.
Love that camera - Aug 22, 2010
I am enamored of my new panasonic camera. It has high quality sharpness and well worth the price. I am recommending it to all my friends who need a camera. There are many additional features that make it even more enjoyable. F.E. the camera can be changed to take black and white pics. I have not yet tried the video part of the camera but Im sure that I will be pleased with this too.
Good! :] - Aug 22, 2010
The close up pictures are nice. Need to have flash for indoor pictures or else comes out blurry.
Love This Camera - Aug 21, 2010
I can't believe the quality of this camera and the quality of the
pictures. This camera has a lot of modes to use for the type of
shot you are taking. I have tried various ones but the intelligent
photo shot has always come out great. I have always bought Kodak and
Canon and paid more for them and the quality of the pictures were
not as good as this camera plus they were bigger and hard to fit in
a pocket or purse. So far I LOVE this Camera.
Very nice for the price - Aug 18, 2010
This camera sells for less than the cost of a good lens so when you are reviewing it try to keep that in mind. I find all of these point and shoots excel in bright sunlight (don't all cameras). While you can get a decent picture indoors, you should set your expectations as moderate in that endeavor. Indoor lighting is more than opening a blind on one side, turning on the dining room chandelier (because it is annoyingly bright) and turning on an incandescent or cfl bulbed lamp in the corner and thinking you have achieved some proper lighting scenario. Lighting is complex at best and most indoor lighting sux for photography, plus you are using a stock lens. I mean do you really think at this price point all your pics are gonna look great? Well only in direct sunlight maybe.
The video is touted as 720p and while I don't know about that, I will say that I am very impressed with the detail and clarity achieved in outdoor shoots. I stuck a class 6 card in there as suggested in the owners manual (even though a regular SD card seemed to work) and it is very smooth. I can rapid fire still shots as the data writes very quickly to the card. The feature set is rich and the menu friendly and intuitive. Overall, a great little performer AND I got it for a buck and a half through my employee discount. Oh, and great battery life as well!!!
Pleasantly surprised! - Aug 18, 2010
I was on my way to Ireland when I suddenly realized to my horror that I had left my camera at home. This was a substantial bridge camera (Canon Powershot S5) that I adore and have relied on for four years. As I was on the verge of tears, my husband very sensibly suggested that we needed a smaller, back-up camera anyway, so why didn't I just buy one at the airport? Obviously Newark Airport should never be anyone's first choice for electronics shopping, but I did consider myself very lucky to find this reasonably priced Lumix with a decent zoom, stability control, and even wide angle lens! It takes just as high resolution photos as my Canon and the Auto AI is remarkably adept at adjusting the scene settings, so I stopped bothering trying to set that myself. You can even get it to produce some DOF effects with a little practice. Its main weakness is indoors, where it wants to use the flash all the time. I assume that little lens just isn't fast enough for most indoor use without a flash. Good thing most of my photos from the trip were outdoors anyway! I suppose it should come as no surprise to find it here on Amazon $40 cheaper than Newark Airport, but I don't regret my purchase one bit.
Great Camera For The Price - Aug 17, 2010
I own an older Lumix and I love it, so when I wanted to buy cameras for my siblings this summer I bought two of these new ones and they were very happily received gifts! For the money this is an excellent camera - it has a super zoom which allows you to photograph things from far away, which will be great for my stepsister taking photos of her horses in the pasture, and it is absolutely tiny, which is great for my brother as he likes to stuff everything (ipod, books, you name it) into the pockets of his cargo pants. It takes wonderful photos and makes it really easy to grab a quick home movie on the fly. The controls are nicely balanced, if you just want to get a snapshot without thinking about it too hard it is easy to use in idiot mode, and if you want to have more input into what your picture looks like there are plenty of serious-photographer options for you to choose from, although there is no manual focus. And it comes in variety of fun colours - I chose a red one for my stepsister and a black one for my brother.
Unlike my older Lumix - a DMC TZ3 - this one does not come with a Leica lens, it has an 8x optical zoom rather than a 10x optical zoom, and it is manufactured in China rather than Japan. But then again it costs less than half the price I paid for my old DMC TZ3, and it is about half the size. If you want a Leica-lensed more serious Lumix you can still buy one, they make new models with the Leica lens, loads more options and a price to match - this one, the DMC ZS7 looks pretty awesome: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD (Black). But if you want to get a great camera for a very low price you will be very happy with this one, it is a lot of fun in a small package.
I just love it! - Aug 15, 2010
I had and old camera, so I think it was time to get a new one, it took me a while to finally make my decision (you know there are plenty of models and brands) but the 8x optical zoom and 14mp was the best offer I could find by that price, of course, the cheapest is not always the better, at least that was I thought when I order it, but once it arrive I take it back, the quality is perfect, a way better than many cameras I had seen, the zoom is great, the interface so friendly and the design is awesome. The stabilized is Ok, the battery last enough for a day (or even more) and the screen is so good. I cant believe the price and features of this cam, I just love it!
Great Camera at a great price - Aug 15, 2010
Purchased this camera from Amazon based on user reviews of the camera. Wanted a new camera for an extended vacation to the western US. Camera took great pictures with very little adjustment. I used the 'Intellegent Auto' setting for all my pictures (Approx. 700). Even low light pictures looked very sharp. Liked the compact size.
This is my first camera with no viewfinder - so I had to get used to using the LCD. Battery Life was good. I took pictures all day with no battery problems. The 8x optical zoom works great for shooting wildlife pictues. Most pictures were very clear except a few at max zoom.
Bottom line: Great easy to use point and shoot compact camera at an affordable price.
Something rattling - Aug 13, 2010
Thought would not hurt to shoot an email to Panasonic and amazingly received response in minutes. This is what they said:
Thank you for your inquiry.
The rattling sound that you are hearing is the optical image stabilizer moving around, this is normal. We hope this information is helpful. Thank you for contacting Panasonic
Just received it, took pictures, most of them came out nice, but Auto White Balance is not great. Someone at BestBuy mentioned that anything auto neutralizes things.
Noticed noise on some pics but not others. Too bad, cant change the resolution, eats up the card.
But one thing bothers me, something is rattling in it, thought it might be spring for battery etc, popped in battery, card and closed everything still it rattles. Checked the lens cover its good. So I am thinking of returning it just for that. That is why gave 1 for material quality. The directional buttons are flaky.
May be I would call Panasonic to see what they would say.
Brilliant camera for the price - Aug 07, 2010
I did quite a bit of research when looking for my next digital camera, and settled on the FH-20 because of the high optical zoom and MP for the price. I must say, I have not been disappointed. Although I've had a couple fuzzy pictures (probably due to ME moving rather than the object being photographed), most of the shots have been fantastic. In particular, the camera was able to clearly capture individual water droplets in a swimming photo and a roller coaster in mid-drop. I also like the fact that you can select a mode (say, Sports) and the camera remembers it. Then when you press the IA button, it switches between the mode you've selected and IA, making switching mode quick and easy. My only suggestion to Panasonic would be for then to develop a camera case specific for this product, as I had to do a bit of legwork to find one I liked. Enjoy!
Great camera for a point-and-shoot user - Aug 06, 2010
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 is a great little camera for everyday use. I'm not very knowledgeable about picture taking, but I can manage to take some good looking pictures using this camera.
Packaging/Accessories:
The DMC-FH20 comes with the standard set of accessories in the box. Battery, charger, usb cable, and so forth. Nothing missing that you'd expect to get.
Build Quality:
The camera feels solid and sturdy in the hand. As with all cameras, it probably would not survive a large drop, but it is solidly built, so no worries about putting it in a backpack or purse.
Picture Quality:
The camera takes great pictures. It is as simply as point and shoot for most environments. I don't know much about settings and so forth, and the iAuto mode does me well. I can leave it on the automatic mode and take beautiful pictures in most environments. Occasionally, I'll have to switch modes, particularly in very low light conditions. In these cases, it continues to take great pictures at low light levels, once I pick a low light picture mode. The camera powers on and responds quickly. It fulfills my expectations when it comes to being able to take quick shots.
Ease of Use:
The menu system for picking picture modes could use some work. It is a bit troublesome to change modes. Instead of a dial as many other cameras use, the picture mode selection is done through pushing buttons and clicking through menus. Other than that, the camera is easy to use and pretty intuitive. If I can do it, you can too. The battery lasts for a very reasonable number of shots. I am able to use it for a few days of touristy stuff without charging.
Overall, this is a great camera for the price. It stands up well or is better than most of the competition at this price. You won't regret getting this camera.
Very Easy To Use - Aug 05, 2010
I traded my Canon Power Shot 8MP in for this one and I love this camera! The PowerShot was always, for me, big, clunky and hard to figure out how to use. I wanted something that I can just point and shoot and this does the job. I've taken pictures in light, low light and dark and it takes good pictures in all circumstances. I was very pleasantly surprised of how well pictures taken at nighttime came out--they were clear and vibrant. The ease of use of this camera cannot be understated. I only take candids of my kids and they are always moving around, can't be still long enough for a photo and this camera has managed to capture some of their best moments even while they are bouncing around. I'm glad that I purchased it.
Very good camera - Aug 05, 2010
I don't know much about cameras and this is my first digital camera. I've been very happy and impressed with the picture and video quality that this camera puts out. The camera is a nice size and fits easily in my pocket. The battery has very good life and charges quickly. My only complaint is that when I zoom in, pictures are easily blurry but maybe I haven't turned on the image stabilizer. Like I said, great camera and as a first camera for a novice, I am satisfied.
Good little point n shoot for the money - Jul 30, 2010
Good camera for a point and shoot. When I set it for sending pics on e mail it still is very large and takes quite a while to load.
Very nice camera if you don't need 2 batteries REVISED - Jul 28, 2010
ORIGINAL REVIEW: It's a shame to give only one star to a very nice product, but to me, this very nice camera is useless. I need two batteries...always need a spare so that while I'm out, when the battery dies, I can continue shooting pictures. Sadly, Panasonic has crippled their cameras against use of any non-Panasonic battery, and THEY DO NOT SELL A BATTERY FOR THIS CAMERA (as of 7/28/10).
So, this very fine camera must go back to the store and gets a one-star rating from me. Very, very sad.
If you're interested in this camera and don't need a spare battery, buy it! If by now (whenever you are reading this review) Panasonic has a battery available, consider this a four-star review!
REVISED TO ADD: I spent about an hour looking for a second battery for this camera and learned about how Panasonic built programming into the camera to lock out all non-Panasonic batteries. I searched the Panasonic battery site and found no replacement for the CGA-S/106B battery that came with the camera, so I called Panasonic Customer Support. I spent fifteen minutes with them, during which time they informed me very explicitly that A) they did not have a replacement CGA-S/106B battery to sell me, and B) there was no other battery that would work. I told them that this meant I had to return the camera, and they had no comment. I wrote the above review.
Before I could return the camera, the comments below came in, and further research turned up a review that I can't find now, vouching for the DMW-BCF 10PP battery for use in the Lumix DMC-FH20. I bought one of these batteries, charged it overnight, and this morning it does indeed appear to work in my camera.
At this point, the most I can offer is a Tom Slick "Yay" (if you ever saw the cartoon, you get the reference). It's a non-celebratory kind of "yay" composed of 10% jubiliation and 90% weariness.
The camera itself gets three stars. There's an inherent problem with Lumix cameras involving the lens arrangement and a persistent message to turn the camera off and then on again. When this problem gets severe, you need to send the camera in for repair which, if you use Panasonic service, costs more than the cost of this camera. And that proprietary battery nonsense is just pure greed.
But it takes great pictures and is easy to use, so those aspects get four and five stars.
Tech support drags down the average by getting one star, which is one more than they deserve.
LUMIX USER FRIENDLY - Jul 25, 2010
I like the camera very much, it is quite user friendly, the only neg. comment would be that you can't zoom while videoing,but it seems great otherwise.
