Customer Reviews

Panasonic Lumix FS15 Digital Camera - Black (12.1MP, 5x Optical Zoom) 2.7 inch LCD

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I first got a digital Ixus when they came out and was 2.1 megapixel. After a few years I upgraded to the Ixus 430, it was a 4 megapixel camera. After discovering it doesn't bounce well on concrete after a fall, I needed a new camera. I decided to cap the budget at £150, after all, I thought that no matter what I had, it would be obsolete in 4 years time with a better model, better battery, resolution etc. The reviews on virtually all sites said the Panasonic range gave good results, and for a great price, got a 12 megapixel camera with a large screen, as opposed to the tiny one I was used to.

The Lumix FS15 is a fairly thin camera and lightweight to go. The LCD screen is large and has a 29mm wide angle lens and 5x optical zoom. It can take photos in various sizes 12, 8, 5, 3, 2 and 0.3 megapixel with 2 quality settings and 3 aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2 and 16:9). It can also record movies in different formats and resolutions.

When you switch it on, it is virtually ready to use and start taking photos. The zoom seems a little to responsive, zooming in at a fast rate, and it just takes a little time to get used to what level you want. I will need to check if it can be slowed down a little, as I sometimes tend to over zoom and need to zoom out to get the right frame shot. There seems very little lag, it could be a better sensor or just a natural progression of technology since my last purchase, but it is fast. The resulting image is a clear and detailed. I have taken shots in all sorts of lighting conditions. Outdoors on a sunny day will give you rich vibrant colours, indoors at night with limited lights on still produces a good picture, although slightly grainy. However, this is to be expected with too little light. Changing to one of the numerous settings for night time or even candle gives a much improved picture.

The FS15 does not have a viewfinder unlike my other 2 previous cameras, but then again in the 9 years owning them, I think I used in only twice, so will not miss not having one. I do not see this as a negative point. The 940 mah battery supplied lasts a quite a while on a full charge, however it may be worth investing in a spare battery. Cheap compatibles are easily obtained from the internet. I like the USB connector, it is behind a hinged door on the side, with a sturdy opening and closing lid, almost like a magnet holds it in place. I am used to the rubber plug that I was always afraid of losing, so again a big improvement.

The movie mode provides a good smooth movie. I have set mine to 16:9 format which provides WVGA 848 x 480 resolution at 30 fps. The maximum amount of time you can record a single movie event is 15 minutes. A countdown appears when recording to show you how long you have left. You can keep recording movies as long as you have memory available. The only drawback with the movies is that once recording has started, you cannot zoom in or out, you are stuck at the zoom level when you started recording. To change it, you must stop recording, alter the zoom and then start recording again. This may be the normal for recording movies on digital cameras, but it is annoying.

The FS15 comes with 50Mb internal memory, which should be OK for about 10 photos at the highest resolution, but is not enough for movies. I suggest that you also get at least a 4Gb SDHC card, which will provide plenty of storage for photos and movies. I got a 8Gb card and it says can take over 1,300 high resolution photos.

I have no idea what the photo software is like as it does not work on a MAC, but file transfer speed is fast thanks to USB2.

Overall, I am well impressed with this camera. Not only is it stylish, it is lightweight, has a large screen and feels right in the hand when using it. It is recommended for anyone who wants a digital camera that will give great looking shots with the minimum of fuss.

I work outdoors and I use a camera to take pictures from a macro to landscape and everything inbetween scale to record the area that I cover. While I'd love to have an SLR (and if you really want to take the best pics then an SLR is what you really need) this camera has performed exceedingly well, the colour is great - way better than my old cannon compact (which was a cracking little camera in it's own right, but cannon seem to be on holiday, as far as producing the best cameras is concerned, at the mo), I'd be really suprised to find another camera at this price that is such a good all-rounder. I love my macro and the macro on this perfoms really well, especially with the zoom macro which means I can take pics of even smaller stuff (admitidly the zoom macro does start to loose a bit of quality but thats only me being a perfectionist - I really don't think you'll get better else where unless you spend substaintially more money). And then the landscape pics - great colour and cloud detail when the skys are dark!

The one thing that I was dissapointed at is the complete over exposure of anyting that is white when the light conditions are bright, or the sun is out. I have a white dog and when the sun is out the white on her is totally burnt out she becomes just a white thing in the picture (as with bright clouds and waterfalls (white-water)- definately need to play with the exposure settings, haven't figured how to get the waterfalls to not burn out on a bright day yet). However I will forgive the camera this as I have still managed to get really stunning pictures of my dog when the light conditions have been better.

The only thing left to find out is if it will stand up to the same use and abuse my old cannon took - although I have invested in a covering for this one - do have a look at the "Always on Compact Camera Wrap". If you're like me and want the camera to hand ASAP without having the faff of getting it out of an often bulky case (compared to this all cases are bulky!) then this is a great bit of kit.

Would definately recomend this camera.

I wanted something very compact but that took excellent pictures and this fulfills that role very well indeed. The only reason I do not give this five stars is the cost of a spare battery - Panasonic have now programmed this camera so that it only works with their own batteries which can cost abot £40 (substitutes can be as cheap as £10). So owners of this excellent little camera now need a grand gesture from Panasonic by offering us spare/replacement batteries at a much more sensible price.

As a footnote I am puzzled by Amazon's pricing structure in that the price of items like this fluctuate almost every day. I waited until it was at the apparent bottom of the cycle when it was about £133 and when Amazon were still giving away a nice camera case so it was excellent value. I do think Amazon is a great place to shop and they have a great after sales service.

I bought this camera for my recent trip to South Africa as one that I wouldn't mind too much if I lost it, as opposed to my more expensive Lumix. I have to say, I'd never want to lose this camera! It worked amazingly in the light conditions and the zoom is brilliant, producing great, clear photos. Definitely the camera to get if you want a compact but useable camera.

Superb build quality, appearance, takes great pictures, quick to start, excellent zoom, great colours, clarity, easy to operate and so on. Suitable to novices and professionals. A bit pricey at the moment but price would come down when competition wakes up to this beauty.

I was after a quality little camera to slip in to my pocket where it's just inconvenient to carry around an SLR and a mobile phone camera just doesn't cut it.

The size was a major factor for me as I already have a fantastic old Canon PowerShot which sadly is just a bit bulky for a pocket. However there's no point in getting a cheapo product as I've got one of those built in to my phone already.

Having initially been swayed by the FS7, I chose the FS15 due to the wider angle lens and 5x optical zoom (which is amazing given the camera's size) as I've heard good things about the Lumix range and I'm just not happy with the cheaper Canon PowerShots any more. Fuji was also a contender but dismissed Nikon and Sony pocket cameras as they just don't seem as good, Nikon excel in the SLR arena, perhaps not so in the compact.

I am absolutely delighted with the camera, the picture quality, features and size of the camera fit my requirements perfectly. The many preset modes make it easy to point and shoot in the right mode (although there's no fully manual mode - but few entry consumer cameras have now, shame) and the movie quality is pretty good too.

By no means is it in the same league as a proper SLR but if you're after a great little camera which is small and versatile then this is perfect. I'll certainly be sticking it in my pocket when I'm out and can't wait to take some nice photos with it.

Performs well at low light, there is a little noise particularly without the flash, but it copes well with very low light pics.

Pictures can be a little soft at times, more so in portrait modes which try to be more kind to skin blemishes. Soft skin portrait mode in low light is a little un-natural but then it's designed to be used in daylight!

Overall, far more portable than a chunky PowerShot, looks great, will fit any pocket or purse.

Consider this in your shortlist for a compact camera!

I bought this Lumix FS15 camera as a 'back-up' for my larger Lumix FZ50 camera to be used on adventure holidays. Both cameras have the same outstandingly wonderful Leica Vario Elmar zoom lens but with the FS15 having a smaller maximum aperture. The Lumix FS15 has a high quality feel about it and performs wonderfully well. Simple to use, the camera gives high quality images 'straight out of the box'. Bristling with features for the more advanced photographer, the camera is really intended for point-and-shoot use, a function which it does very well indeed.

I chose this camera rather than some of the more recent Panasonic models because I wasn't interested in the video options. I wanted a small digital camera for a trip to New York, and didn't want to cart about a DSLR. I was a little disappointed in the results, mainly because I found the capacity of the camera didn't suit my style of photography. I like to shoot in low light conditions, and although I tried out the higher iso options the picture quality just didn't cut it. This is a good camera, I was simply asking too much of it, my fault, I was hoping for too much. The battery life was fine, and in bright light the quality was not bad. I got a record of my trip, which was what I wanted, but I had hoped to be able to get some files I could do things with in photoshop. Really, I was over-optimistic, this is not going to substitute for DSLR quality, and that's not what its for. The controls are very easy and intuitive, its light, convenient and if you want holiday snaps its great. Get the memory card though... otherwise you are limited to about a dozen exposures at the highest quality.

I had a compact previously, A Pansonic LC70 with 4MP which performed well. I have a number of different Panasonic products and they have all given good and faultless service. I just fancied up-dating my compact and the FS15 is great for its size. The different modes take a little getting used to but after a time it's easy. You can of course use the Intelligent Auto mode which takes all the work away if you want to take pictures without thinking too much. A great camera for the price.

I have had Panasonic Lumix cameras previously and they are very simple to use with great features. This camera is no different and was very reasonably priced.