-Hi, I'm Josh Goldman, Senior Editor for CNET Reviews, and this is a look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700.
Though it looks like a typical compact point-and-shoot camera, the FX700 has a lot to offer.
The lens, for example, is a modest 5X zoom but has a bright F22 aperture, so you can shoot at higher shutter speeds at lower ISO, as well as with a shallow depth of field.
It's also a 24 mm equivalent ultra wide-angle lens, giving you more flexibility with your compositions.
Beyond the camera's lens though, you get full HD, AVCHD format movie capture with the press of a button here on top, as well as a stereo mic; several high-speed burst shooting options including two with continuous auto focus, and semi-manual and manual shooting modes.
Most of the features are controlled by a 3-inch touchscreen on the back, including
shutter speed and aperture.
The screen's responsive, but if you wanna keep shooting options visible on the widescreen display, it gets very cluttered.
Plus, it's the same resolution you'd find on just about any entry-level point-and-shoot.
The camera's high speed sensor does put its shooting performance above lower-end compacts though.
Its shutter lag and shot-to-shot times are very good.
And again, the burst mode options are plentiful.
It's 1080i.
19-megabit-per-second movies are sharp with good exposure and color, but there is noticeable judder if you do a lot of panning.
There's a 720p option that appears smoother, though it's not as sharp as the 1080i video.
The FX700's photo quality can be very good to excellent up to ISO 200.
Go above that, and you'll get a significant increase in softness and noise----something to keep in mind if you do a lot of low-light shooting.
I'm Josh Goldman, and that's a look at the Panasonic Lumix FX700.
