Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 First Impressions Review

Front
The front of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 is a clean flat plane that positions the extending lens barrel on the right side of the camera. The 3.6x optical Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens has a MEGA optical image stabilization system with a focal length of 4.6 to 16.8 mm. The lens retracts cleanly into the camera body when not in use and the extending lens barrel should protect the lens of the camera from marauding fingers that often accidentally cover embedded lenses.

In the upper right corner of the front face is a sensor for the FX01. Along the top of the camera to the left of the lens is an in-camera horizontally constructed flash that is positioned away from fingers as well as the center of the lens axis. A horizontal ridge appears in the center of the left side and this subtle design component improved the handling of this otherwise clean straight-edged rectangular form.

Back
The back of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 frames and slightly raises the 2.5-inch 207K pixel LCD on the left two-thirds of the camera’s back face. There is no viewfinder on the FX01, so users have more room to engage the external controls. External controls are positioned on the right side and are placed so that the thumb of the right hand can quickly and effortlessly move between them.

Placed in the upper right corner of the camera is a textured pad for some additional grip and control when shooting one-handed. Above the textured pad the user will find a mode dial that can be turned via its grooved side; it permits quick movement through the following mode options: playback, record, favorite, macro, scene and motion. This jog dial is set into the camera body and users can only view three of the settings at one time, which is a bit of an annoyance. The dial doesn’t spin 360 degrees and it’s necessary to scan back and forth on the dial to register what shooting options are available.

The four-way controller is large and positioned directly beneath the thumb pad and jog dial for maximum accessibility. The four-way controller features a Menu/Set button at its center. While controlling menu navigation in shooting and playback modes, the four-way also provides engagement of the following features when shooting: the up arrow doubles as the control for exposure, the right arrow controls flash, the down arrow enters review mode and the left arrow engages the self-timer. Beneath the four-way control and alongside the LCD is a button which adjusts the level of LCD display information. The burst mode button is located to the right of the display button and allows fast access to the burst mode without necessitating that the user enter the menus of the FX01. When in review mode the burst mode button doubles as a delete control for the camera.

Left Side
The left side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX01 is slightly rounded and lacks controls, features, grips or ports on its smooth surface.

Right Side
The right side of the Panasonic DMC-FX01 features a port cover that opens from the back edge of the camera. This cover is well designed and should hold up over time. Beneath the port cover of the FX01 are two ports, one for alternate DC in power and the second for USB / A/V out. There is enough space between these two ports to allow access to both without concern over unplugging or disrupting the functionality of either option. The wrist strap eyelet is placed at the center of the top edge of the right side and is set into the camera body so that threading a strap through this feature will be anything but simple for the less dexterous photographer.

Top
The shutter button for the Panasonic DMC-FX01 is positioned on the right side of the top and has a polished silver finish to distinguish it from the body of the camera. Surrounding the shutter button is a zoom ring that slides to the left and right via a tab on the front of this control. When the camera is in playback mode the zoom ring functions as a multi-up and playback zoom toggle. In the front right corner of the top face is the image stabilization button that can be quickly engaged thanks to its external placement; users won’t need to worry about entering menus when shooting on the go in fast paced situations. To the left of the shutter button, closer to the back edge of the camera, is the off/on power switch. And finally, to the left of these controls the user will find the microphone and in-camera speaker for audio recording and monitoring prior to exporting.

Bottom
The battery and SD slots are located beneath a locking port cover found on the right side of the FX01’s bottom. To access these slots the switch must be unlocked and the cover slid to the right to reveal the Lithium-ion battery and SD card beneath. This cover is well built and shouldn’t open accidentally when users are transporting or mishandling the camera. All the way to the left edge of the camera is the metal tripod mount. If the tripod is positioned correctly, users could in theory access to the memory card slot even when the mount is in use.