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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX77 Review: Performance
As usual, Panasonic has created a camera that works extremely well. The metering system does a good job, although we found that we got more pleasing results if we underexposed by a third of a stop each time.
There are several scene modes to select from the camera menu such as film grain, pinhole and high dynamic among others. They give a nice twist to pictures that could otherwise be standard or boring.
However, there are plenty of other features to entertain you such as the one touch focusing and shooting mode. It's a very precise system that will focus on the area under the point on screen you touch and immediately take a picture. The focusing system is great and the pictures were lovely and sharp.
Digital noise can be a big issue for many people looking for a new camera. It's speculated that because the hi-speed CCD has a second channel to transfer data, the amount of surface area available for photosites is reduced. This could be the reason behind the relatively modest 12.1 megapixel resolution. However, it doesn't necessarily mean the pixels are spaced out further, because the circuitry will take up more space.
The FX77 performs well up to ISO400 where noise starts to creep in. Noise results are good enough up until the highest manually selectable sensitivity setting (ISO 1600) in real life situations.
The pictures produced from the camera are great. They're sharp and colourful, a little over exposed but that's manageable. Both options of macro work brilliantly although it's worth noting that the icon with the magnifying glass will be using the 3x digital zoom so quality of pictures will reduce if you use it.
