Little Lumix is just 22 mm thick
Jim Jamieson
Province
What is it? Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 digital camera
Price: $449
Why you need it: You’re looking for something just a little
different in a point-and-shoot digicam, but still want quality, performance and ease of use.
Why you don’t: You’ve had a digital camera for a while and are ready to move on to the single-lens-reflex world.
Our rating: 4 mice
If you’re looking to squeeze more people into your pictures and want a tiny camera to do it with, the Lumix DMC-FX30 is worth looking at.
Ten-per-cent smaller than its predecessor, Panasonic claims the DMC-FX30 is the thinnest digicam on the market, with a 28-millimetre wide-angle lens.
If you’re looking for something you can easily slip into a pocket or a handbag, this camera will accommodate you. It is just 95 x 52 x 22 mm, while it tips the scales at just 154 grams.
The lens, made by Leica, is a 3.6x optical zoom (equivalent to 28-100 mm on a 35-mm film camera), so it allows users to fit more people in a group shot or capture sweeping landscapes or large structures.
Megapixels have long been used erroneously as a benchmark to determine the capability of a digital camera, but the Lumix DMC-FX30’s 7.2 megapixels is a bonus to go along with its very good optics.
The DMC-FX30, which features a 2.5-inch LCD on the back and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, also incorporates a wide variety of scene modes for different situations, including new Pet and Sunset modes.
It is also capable of taking digital video at 640 x 480 (30 frames per second).
Available in March at electronic and camera stores.
© The Vancouver Province 2007
