- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
- 12 MP
- 5x f/2.5
- 1/2.5" CCD
- 3.5" LCD
#2 in 2011 Panasonic cameras
Released January, 2011
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic FX77's Intelligent Auto mode also works in movies as well as for still photos.
Conclusion Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
12 MP
1/2.5"
Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 has 2 different image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 18 MP    | 20 MP |
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)If that's not enough, its maker provides the 'extra optical zoom' option to extend this to a 9.8x reach, as long as you don't mind resolution dropping to three megapixels as only the central portion of the CCD sensor is utilised; the camera in effect making a crop.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)That said, it's still something of a rarity to see a camera with almost not physical controls, as here with the new 12.1 megapixel Panasonic DMC-FX77: the larger-than-average 3.5-inch screen swallows up the entire backplate of the camera, in iPhone fashion.
sensor size
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)As with Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds compact system cameras and its co-announced FT3 and TZ20 brethren, the Lumix DMC-FX77 offers Auto ISO and 'intelligent' ISO for those who want to leave the camera to decide, and with commendable consistency.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by D-Squared* Nice image quality for P. &S - The images are very nice but keep in mind this is a point and shoot camera with a P&S sensor.
wide angle lens
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Sheila-O-Donnell--Super-Bad-Kittay (Jan, 2013)clear sharp shots, beautiful wide angle captures everything in the room- I love the cosmetic enhancement feature- so much fun to play with- couldn't ask for more!
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)Not the most visually arresting of shots, but this wide angle image shows the kind of detail achievable from the FX77.
aperture size
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77's 5x zoom lens provides a focal length of 24-120mm in 35mm terms, as demonstrated below.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)The same is true if we're being picky in terms of our shot lacking contrast at maximum albeit modest 120mm equivalent telephoto setting, but comparing these two images should provide a very good idea of how close you can get (and from how far away) with the lens provided.
zoom range
| 0x | 21x  | 30x |
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)Full HD movies with stereo sound, various creative effects and full use of the zoom are the icing on the cake.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by D-SquaredImage quality at the wide angle was good but not so much once you started to use the zoom - especially at full zoom.
body size
99 x 56 x 20 mm
107 x 62 x 35 mm
106 x 59 x 33 mm
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)Outwardly, the solid feeling, pocket-sized Lumix DMC-FX77 has a slim 20.6mm depth and glossy black and silver finish to our review sample.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)AVCHD features almost double the recording time in HD quality compared with Motion JPEG, but software support is still a bit thin on the ground.
Performance Real world tests of Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78
max continuous shooting
Lumix DMC-FX78 by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)Offering a large 3.5-inch LCD with full touchscreen operation, the 12.1 megapixel FX77 also features a bright f/2.5, 24-120mm 5x zoom lens, 1920 x 1080 full HD movie recording in the AVCHD Lite format, 3D Photo Mode, 3.7 fps burst shooting, Intelligent Resolution technology, and Intelligent Auto mode with Motion Deblur anti-blurring function.
Lumix DMC-FX78 by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)In terms of ticking boxes for the latest must haves, its maker also adds the rapid fire 3D shooting mode seen on its latest raft of Lumix compacts, whereby you pan the camera across the scene and the 3D image is automatically put together from the combination.
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
3.5" -
f/2.5 -
HD video -
Fewer buttons, interact directly with menus -
Stitches together multiple photos into a single ultra-wide view -
60 s -
20 mm -
142 g -
99 x 56 x 20 mm
cons
-
5x -
230 k dots -
Jan, 2011 -
12 MP -
No automatic 3D -
Less capability to adjust white balance and exposure -
No automatic HDR -
Lacks the ability to create slow motion video -
1/1300 s
Reviews Word on the street
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 | Rated by 12 users at amazon.com Rated 60% by by D-Squared Rated 60% by by D-Squared Rated 100% by by Joybird (Mar, 2012) |
Screen
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 takes touchscreen camera technology to its extreme conclusion, with just four external controls placing the emphasis firmly on using the massive LCD screen to operate the camera.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The screen has a poor resolution of 230k dots,which is far too low for an LCD panel of this size, resulting in a grainy display.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)That said, the FX77 does offer the versatility of a relatively bright f/2.5 lens, theoretically allowing for better results when attempting low light photography.
Lens
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 60% by by J.-Capobianco (Mar, 2013)The lens also has a flair issue, the coatings and quality control are not up to Leica's high standard.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)Beneath the unassuming but not unattractive metal and plastic exterior the FX77 packs the advantage of a 5x optical zoom, starting at a wide angle of 24mm equivalent (in 35mm terms) and peaking at 120mm at the telephoto end.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 offers a Macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 3cms away from the camera when the lens is set to wide-angle.
Flash
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 60% by by nikkilessthan3 (Sep, 2012)It took me repeatedly flipping through the manual to come to the conclusion that it does not have the option to force the flash.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 20% by by Sergio-Rubinstein (Apr, 2012)The camera was returned unrepaired with the advice to stop taking pictures with flash.
Image quality
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77's maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds in Manual shooting mode and the Starry Sky Mode scene mode, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by TrustedReviews (May, 2011)In terms of image quality, as one would expect from a Panasonic camera, good results are delivered with the minimum of fuss and with a reassuring consistency and reliability.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 60% by by D-SquaredI hated to part with it because I liked the look and feel of the camera so much but ultimately, it was about image quality for my shooting preferences.
Zoom
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 80% by by Photography Blog (Apr, 2011)The T and W icons do usefully allow you to quickly zoom to the full telephoto or full wide-angle focal lengths with a single press.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 60% by by D-SquaredIf you want more zoom, I recommend looking at another model.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 | Rated 60% by by D-SquaredIf you need more than 5x zoom but still want a reasonably sized small pocket sized camera, you may want to consider the.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 1 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 Rated the best by consumers Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX70 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
 | 3 | Panasonic Lumix ZS15 More contrast-detection focus points Lumix ZS15 vs Lumix DMC-FX78 |
 | 4 | Nikon Coolpix S6300 7-way tie: Automatic panorama Nikon Coolpix S6300 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
 | 5 | Canon PowerShot SX230 HS Shoots video in 24p Canon PowerShot SX230 HS vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
 | 7 | Nikon Coolpix S4300 3-way tie: Has a touch screen Nikon Coolpix S4300 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
 | 8 | HP Photosmart E337 Has a viewfinder HP Photosmart E337 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX78 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Editions Editions of the Panasonic DMC-FX78 / DMC-FX77
| Price | Edition | Model | Continents | Compare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | | DMC-FX78 | North America | | ||||
 | | DMC-FX77 | Europe | | ||||
Unanswered Questions
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May 18, 2012
Zooming in on fine detail of low light indoor objects
I would like a camera that is easy to use that has automatic settings for taking indoor pictures of items I post on eBay. I need to be able to capture small details on jewelry like "14k" and on...
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