Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580

Auto Mode

Panasonic packs the DMC-FX580 with endless amounts of scene modes so you have a variety of 'auto modes' to choose from. In every mode you can also use the touch AF/AE system that allows the user to simply touch the part of the screen they want to focus and expose correctly. There's also the intelligent auto mode that is meant to simplify the camera for beginners (by taking away most menu and control options).

Movie Mode

The FX580 includes a high definition (1280 x 720p) movie mode as well as two standard definition video modes (640 x 480 and 848 x 480). All videos are captured at 30 frames per second and use the Motion JPEG compression. The camera cannot output high definition video to an HDTV unless you purchase the optional component cable accessory (DMW- HDC2). Even with an HD option, the FX580 is definitely not a 
replacement for a dedicated video camcorder, but it's still a decent 
feature to include.mode is definitely no replacement for a dedicated video camcorder, but it's a decent feature to include on the FX580. In movie mode you have no control over aperture or shutter and you can't perform an optical zoom once you've started recording. Movies can be recorded at 640 x 480 (4:3 aspect ratio) or 848 x 480 (16:9 widescreen aspect ratio) sizes and are captured at 30 fps using the Motion JPEG compression.

Drive/Burst Mode

Continuous mode can be set to off, on, or infinity, but we currently have no data for how fast the camera can take these shots. The camera also includes self timer settings of 2 and 10 seconds.

Playback Mode

The FX580 has a dedicated playback mode that is accessed by flipping the switch on the back of the camera. When reviewing your photos you can digitally zoom into the image up to 16x using either the zoom toggle or the touchscreen system. You can also move and drag your image using the LCD touchscreen. Images can be rotated, trimmed and slightly enhanced using options in the playback menu.

Custom Image Presets

The camera has color effects of black and white, sepia, cool, and warm. There is also a picture adjustment option that allows for custom adjustment of contrast, sharpness, saturation, and noise reduction (each with 5 increments of control).

The complete list of scene modes includes: portrait, soft skin, transform, self portrait, scenery, panorama assist, sports, night portrait, night scenery, food, party, candle light, baby 1, baby 2, pet, high sensitivity, hi-speed burst, flash burst, starry sky, fireworks, sunset, beach, snow, aerial photo, pin hole, and film grain.