Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX38

Digital cameras are increasingly getting less bulky these days. Come to think of it, irrespective of their size these little beauties come with a wide angle lens, decent amount of zoom and an Intelligent Auto mode that automatically decides the best mode when shooting. We can very well say that they have come a long way from what they were a couple of years ago.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX38 is one such camera that measures just 94.7 x 51.9 x 22 mm in size; making it just as big as any other MP3 player. However, irrespective of its size the camera weighs in at 146 g which makes it a little heavy for its compact size. Nonetheless the DMC-FX38 is a decent looking camera that will satisfy the average consumer with its overall feature set.

The DMC-FX38 is limited to a 10 MP CCD sensor and comes with an appealing 5x of optical zoom. The camera also comes fit with a 25 mm wide angle lens which allows you to capture a wider view of the subject. And as mentioned earlier the camera includes an Intelligent Auto feature that decides the best shooting mode. The camera also comes with a port flap that prevents dust from settling in.

The major aspect that Panasonic needs to change in its line of cameras is the kiddish interface. If you have seen one, you have seen them all – that’s exactly what hits you when handling a Panasonic camera. The interface is so similar to that of the DMC- FP8 that it literally begs to be changed. However, the camera features 26 scene modes which also include two different burst modes – one where the shots are limited to three and the other which is infinite until the shutter release button is basically released. The addition of a live histogram is appreciated but there is considerable amount of lag when switching between subjects. Pictures can also be viewed by date – a feature that was seen on the Sony cameras – but even with these small helpful features the overall interface needs some serious makeover at least for cameras such as this.