Panasonic DMC-FX48

Manual Controls

As a point-and-shoot, the DMC-LX48 doesn't have many manual controls. You can adjust the exposure compensation, metering, ISO settings and create a custom white balance.

Focus

The DMC-LX48 does not have manual focus. It does feature autofocus tracking, which can be turned on and off, and quick autofocus, which is always on. On the pre-production model we saw, the quick autofocus feature didn't seem particularly effective, but this could improve in the final version.
 

ISO

You can manually set the ISO to 100, 200, 400, 800, 1250, or 1600. There's also a high-sensitivity mode that allows you to set the ISO as high as 6400. 
 

White Balance

In addition to the automatic and custom options for white balance, there are five presets: daylight, cloudy, shade, and halogen. Many point-and-shoots have more presets, such as multiple fluorescent settings.
 

Metering

There are a few metering options available on the DMC-LX48. You can choose either multiple or spot metering, and set exposure compensation within a ±2 EV range in 1/3 step increments.

 

Shutter Speed

The DMC-LX48 has a shutter speed range from 8 seconds to 1/2000 second. In Starry Sky Mode, you can set the shutter speed to 15, 30, or 60. seconds. 
 

Aperture

The maximum aperture ranges from f/2.8 at the widest setting to 5.9 at full telephoto zoom.
 

Image Stabilization

The DMC-LX48 has an optical image stabilization system called MEGA O.I.S. It can either be set to automatic, or one of two different modes: Mode1 will allow for a more stable live preview, while Mode2 gives a better-stabilized capture.

 

Picture Quality & Size Options

There are quite a few image size options on the DMC-LX48. First of all, there are two quality options: fine and standard. The highest available resolution is 4000 x 3000 and the lowest is 640 x 480. These two resolutions bookend another 12 different resolutions, in 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 formats.

 

Picture Effects

There are a handful of picture effects possible: Natural, Vivid, Black & White, Sepia, Cool, and Warm.