3.7The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 is a $400 point-and-shoot that brings extensive manual controls, a touch-screen interface and wide-angle lens to the table. While we were highly impressed by the level of control while shooting, the image quality was overall sub-par.
While the Canon SD970 IS and Panasonic Lumix FX580 have a similar price point, they offer very different experiences. The Panasonic is designed around user control and manual options, but had issues with image quality, where the Canon is light on controls but high on image quality.
The SD970 is easier on the eyes, and on the hands. It has a higher-resolution screen (though without touch controls), and a nicer interface. In terms of image performance it outdid the Panasonic in every metric we measure, boasting more accurate color, lower noise, sharper images, stronger image stabilization, higher speed and better video mode. When it comes to which camera takes better photos, there's absolutely no contest.
But then there's the issue of control. The FX580 is a photographer's camera. It has a slew of controls you normally only see in SLRs (like white balance microadjustments), and manual, aperture priority and shutter priority modes are a huge draw for users who want a high degree of control over the camera.
