Lumix DMC-FX9 Matches My Tuxedo

Recently I decided to replace my faithful, well loved, but somewhat banged-up, Konica Minolta G400. The problem is, I want to know so much about the new gadgets I’m considering that, if I let myself, I’ll do research until the thing I most covet is totally obsolete. Given this personality trait, I’ve had to learn to restrict myself whenever I get on a jag with any kind of new gear. I decided this time around not to really upgrade (say, from my point & shoot to a digital SLR), but to replace the basic functionality of my current cam. To that end, I decided that I needed a higher-res, ultra-compact digital camera which would support my current flash-memory investment of several 1-gig SD cards.

What is the purpose of such a camera? You know those times at a party or on the road when someone says, “I wish I had a camera.” Those moments you always miss. I like to be the one at the ready. I am, in fact, “the jerk with the camera…” It’s funny how during the following week nearly everyone comes begging for the pictures I took… OK, so I won’t bore you with all the research I did on choosing this small wonder. I will simply say that it came down to the Lumix DMC-FX9. and its main competition in price, size, and style is the Kodak V550. The V550 is a nice, slick camera in its own right, which uses my required SD cards, but it’s 1 megapixel short and comes with the battery life of a wind-up toy (a mere 120 shots). While the V550 does get some great (and well deserved) reviews, for just a few dollars more you can get the Lumix DMC-FX9.

The benefits? A cooler name? Sure. Sexy matte-black, all-metal construction? Yup. But mostly, I’m concerned about the equally small size, lower weight, and astonishing battery life (270 shots). Oh yeah, there’s also the spectacular Leica lens with true image stabilization*, rapid focus (thanks to the AF assist lamp), and a generous ISO range. All this, and that extra megapixel, will make you say, “Yum.” when you take a really gorgeous shot and blow it up for 12×16 printing. Keep a lookout for the soon-to-be released upgrade to this gem, the Panasonic DMC-FX01K

*The FX9 and its sister-cameras are the only compact cameras on the market, other than the Konica Minolta DiMAGE X1, with this incredibly helpful feature.

reviewed by: Demos Orphanides

Lumix DMC-FX9

overall rating: very good
Buy the Lumix DMC-FX9