Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35

Playback Mode

To get to playback mode you have to slide a switch on the camera back, which means you can’t just press the shutter button halfway to quickly return to shooting mode, as you would with most cameras. You can set the programmable function key to access image review as an alternative, which lets you access the three basic playback displays and magnify the photo up to 8x, but you don’t get all the playback mode options.

If you select the Histogram option in the setup menu, a luminance histogram will be included in the expanded info display.

Pressing the Focus button during playback zooms you in on the point the camera used for autofocus, provding a handy quick check.

Photos can be deleted one by one, in batches of up to 50 or the card can be cleared entirely

The slide show utility lets you include all stored files, pictures only, video only, particular categories (based on face recognition, scene mode selection or travel date) and files you’ve tagged as favorites. You can choose to have between-image transition effects and/or background music, adjust the duration for each photo displayed and decide whether or not to have the show repeat automatically.

Movie playback works well. In addition to play, pause and stop, you can adjust volume, fast forward and fast rewind, and move forward or backward one frame at a time. What’s missing is the option to jump instantly to the beginning or end of a clip.

In-Camera Editing (3.00)

Photos can be resized, trimmed and ‘leveled’ (up to a 2-degree shift) in the camera. There are no adjustments for image characteristics (color, saturation, etc.), and no in-camera RAW file editing, which is disappointing.

You can add a text comment (up to 30 characters long) to a photo using the Title Edit function. You can add text to a single image, or up to 50 images at a time. This label can be viewed on-screen and optionally included as a text imprint when using PictBridge direct printing. Alternatively, you can use Text Stamp to add shooting date and time, travel date, age and title to an image.

Direct Print Options (3.50)

The PictBridge utility, used to output directly to a compatible printer connected to the camera via USB, lets you select individual images to print, or all the files you’ve tagged as favorites. You can specify the number of prints of each image, the print size, whether or not the date should be overlaid on the image, and select a print layout (1, 2 or 4 picture on a page). What’s missing is the option to print thumbnail images of the photos on the current memory card.

The DPOF system, used to create a digital order form on your memory card for printing at an outside service bureau, provides the basic requirements (number of prints, whether or not to imprint the recording date) without anything fancy, like ordering thumbnail prints or specifying print size.