At a $300-plus price point, you'd expect a lot out of your ultra-compact digital camera. Although the Lumix DMC-FX55 from Panasonic has some nice features, it doesn't offer quite enough power to justify its MSRP of $349.

The Lumix DMC-FX55 carries 8.1 megapixels of resolution, plenty for prints up to 16x20 inches with properly exposed photos. Outdoor photos are good quality, but indoor photos can be noisy. In some low-light situations, the camera increases shutter speed and ISO settings, leading to noisy photos and poor image quality.

The 3.6X optical zoom lens is a little misleading as Panasonic has given this model some limited wide-angle capabilities. The zoom lens carries a 35mm camera equivalent of 28mm-100mm, which isn't quite equal to a 3X optical zoom on most digital cameras. However, having some wide-angle capabilities is a handy option.

With a 3-inch LCD, the Lumix DMC-FX55 offers a larger LCD than most ultra-compact models aimed at beginners. The LCD is sharp and bright in most exterior lighting conditions, which is important because this model has no optical viewfinder. You have to use the LCD to frame all photos. Despite having a large LCD, the Lumix DMC-FX55 has a very good battery life.

The large LCD occupies most of the back panel, leaving little room for short-cut buttons. You'll have to control the camera's features by scrolling through menus, which can be time consuming. The large LCD also makes the Lumix DMC-FX55 difficult to hold and use; there isn't much room for your fingers on the back. You will want to try this model before you buy it.

Response times offer mixed success. The unit's startup time is impressive, allowing you to shoot your first photo less than 2 seconds after pressing the power button. Shot-to-shot delays are about average, ranging from 2-3 seconds. Shutter lag was a bit of a disappointment, climbing close to 1 second when using the flash and autofocus. Continuous-shot mode allows for about four photos in 1.5 seconds, but you're limited to four shots without reducing resolution.

Beginning photographers will appreciate the various scene modes Panasonic included with the Lumix DMC-FX55, aimed at helping beginners achieve the proper exposure. This model has no significant manual-control features. For those concerned with style, the Lumix DMC-FX55 is available in three colors: black, silver or pink. It has a rectangular body, and the lens retracts completely inside the body when the camera is powered down for a thickness of about 0.9 inches.

Bottom line: We recommend that you consider the Lumix DMC-FX55 if you could find it at a bargain price. At more than $300, it just doesn't compete very well from a value standpoint with other ultra-compact digital cameras. It has some nice features, but not quite enough of them to justify its suggested price. And the amount of noise in low-light photos is unacceptable some of the time. Such photo-quality problems make it tough to justify such a high starting price.


Pros: Startup time is good, high resolution, very large LCD, good battery life, thin camera body, limited wide-angle capabilities
Cons: Low-light photos can be noisy, starting price is high, some response times are below average, zoom lens doesn't quite equal 3X

Warranty
1 year, limited