Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 review: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 is a sub-$180 compact camera featuring a wide-angle lens with an 8x zoom and HD movie capture and, really, that's all. That might sound like a complaint, but it's not. It does what it does well, and though there's room for improvement on shooting performance and photo quality, all in all its speed is OK and the results are pleasing. This camera is about value, though, and if you're expecting more features (for example, a Mini-HDMI output) or anything much beyond a reliable auto mode and nice-looking snapshots for your money, this camera isn't for you. It's a simple camera with a flexible lens at a reasonable price.

Available in five colors, the FH20 is an attractive, unassuming camera. It's just small enough to make putting it in a pants pocket possible, if not altogether comfortable. The metal body makes it feel a bit better constructed for its price and it is comfortable to hold and use.

The camera's controls are fairly easy to master, so that out-of-the-box use shouldn't be a problem for people familiar with digital cameras. A switch for powering the camera on and off is on top, next to the shutter release and zoom ring. There's also a small button for quickly changing to Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode (iA), which determines the most suitable Scene mode and helps correct any blurring, focus, and brightness issues. While you could argue that a button for going to Movie mode might be more useful, the button does allow you to easily move between iA and any other shooting mode. This means if you do a majority of your shooting in iA, you can set the camera to Movie mode and then use the iA button to quickly switch between the two.

On the back, to the top right of the LCD, is a switch to go from shooting to playback. Below that, to the left, is a Mode button followed by four navigational buttons that double as exposure, flash, macro, and timer controls, and a Menu/Set button that will bring up the rest of the camera settings. There's also a Display button for changing what information is visible on screen. Again, it's all pretty simple. The only confusing bit may be the Quick Menu button (Q.Menu) on the back at the lower right.

On the right side of the body is a small door concealing the only output: a Micro-USB/AV port. The battery and memory card slots are on the bottom, protected by a locking door. Battery life is good, CIPA-rated for 300 shots; using the zoom and shooting video will put dents in that life, though.

Shooting options are fairly bare-bones on the FH20; it's definitely geared for people who prefer to shoot in auto. The fully automatic iA mode isn't on the Mode menu, but again is entered by pressing the dedicated button on top of the camera. In the Mode menu you'll find a Normal Picture mode that gives you the most control over results, with settings for focus, color effects, white balance, ISO, and exposure compensation. If you like scene modes, the FH20 has 24 of them. The list includes familiar modes like Portrait, Sunset, and Night Scenery, as well as Hi-speed Burst for action and High Sensitivity for low-light photos (both capturing images at 3 megapixels and below). A MyScene option is also available, letting you associate a favorite scene mode with a spot in the shooting modes. Lastly, there is a Movie mode capable of capturing video in up to 720p HD resolution.

Panasonic's Sonic Speed AF system gives the FH20's shooting performance a boost in shutter lag (at least in bright lighting), but overall the camera is average for its class. The time from off to first shot is very good at 1.4 seconds. The shutter lag in bright conditions (how quickly a camera captures an image after the shutter-release button is pressed) averaged 0.4 second in our lab tests. However, in dim lighting it jumps to an average 0.9 second. Its shot-to-shot times are slow, though, at 2.4 seconds without the flash and 5.2 seconds with it. The FH20 can shoot full-resolution bursts of up to five shots at 1.1 frames per second. The camera's 3-megapixel Hi-Speed Burst mode can capture at up to 4.6fps. The quality is fairly mediocre: suitable for Web use or small prints with little or no cropping or enlarging.

Sample photos:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20

Overall photo quality is very good from the FH20, though those planning to make prints larger than 8x10 inches will be less happy with the results. Like most cameras in its class, the FP8 produces its best photos below ISO 200. The results are still good at ISO 400, but there's an increase in noise that causes yellow blotches. Detail is strong and subjects are sharp, though, so larger prints and a reasonable amount of cropping are possible. Photos at ISO 800 and ISO 1600 are of limited use. Though there's still a fair amount of detail, there's a lot of graininess, color shifting, and yellow blotches throughout pictures.

The camera's lens does exhibit some barrel distortion at the wide end and a slight amount of pincushioning when fully extended. Center sharpness is very good and there's little to no drop-off out to the sides or in the corners. It's typical to find some fringing in high-contrast areas of photos. There is almost no fringing visible in photos taken at the lens' widest position, though it does show up at the telephoto end. However, it is only really visible when photos are viewed at full size.

Color is pleasing and natural. If you like your colors more saturated, you can switch from the camera's Standard color mode to Vivid when shooting in Normal Picture mode. Also, there's a noticeable color shift at the two highest ISO sensitivities. Other than the auto white balance being a touch warm under incandescent lighting, white balance is good. Exposure is likewise good, though I missed having the Intelligent Exposure feature on Panasonic's higher-end models.

The HD video quality is good--basically on par with HD minicamcorders. The biggest problem is there's noticeable judder when panning the camera; this happens with most point-and-shoot cameras, though. You don't get use of the optical zoom while recording, but you do get the optical image stabilization.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FH20 isn't very exciting, but it is a very good value for those in need of a basic point-and-shoot with a midrange zoom.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Fujifilm FinePix JZ500

2.7

2.8

2.8

0.6

0.4

Nikon Coolpix S6000

0.8

3.1

1.7

0.7

0.4

1.4

5.2

2.4

0.9

0.4

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370

2.3

4.2

1.9

1.6

0.8