Features
Supplied Software

Features

LCD Monitor: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX12 digital camera features a clear, bright, high-resolution 2.5" (diagonal) LCD monitor with approximately 115,000 pixels for framing shots and displaying your recorded images. For easier viewing outdoors on a sunny day, you can boost the backlighting with the Power LCD feature. The High Angle mode makes the monitor easier to see when the camera is held high above your head in order to shoot over an obstruction. The FX12 does not have a viewfinder.

Image Sensor: The images are captured on the FX12's 7.182mm (1/2.5") CCD with 7,380,000 total pixels and 7,200,000 effective pixels. The CCD features a primary color filter, which ensures the correct extraction of color information from the CCD for vivid, rich color images.

Leica Lens: The FX12 is equipped with a high-quality Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with a 3x optical zoom (35mm film camera equivalent: 35mm to 105mm).

Digital Zoom: The camera has a digital zoom with a maximum of 4x. Combined with the 3x optical zoom, the total zoom is 12x.

Extended Optical Zoom: When the resolution isn't set to the highest quality for a given aspect ratio, you can use the extra capacity to effectively increase the optical zoom power without picture quality deterioration. The Extended Optical Zoom function uses the center part of the high-resolution CCD and crops the picture to the size you've chosen. The result is an optical zoom power maximum of 4.5x (3.6x with 2560 x 1920 resolution). Combined with the 4x digital zoom, the total maximum zoom is 18x.dass

MEGA Optical Image Stabilization: To prevent blurry images caused by hand movement, you can activate the MEGA Optical Image Stabilization (MEGA O.I.S.). Inadvertent hand movement generally occurs during telephoto, macro, or self-portrait shooting, or when taking photos at night or in dim lighting. The MEGA O.I.S. system uses built-in gyrosensors to detect even tiny camera movement, then shifts a lens in the opposite direction to compensate. You can choose between two O.I.S. modes: continuous stabilization (Mode 1) or activated only when shutter is pressed (Mode 2).

Histogram Display: The histogram display shows the brightness on the horizontal axis (left side black, right side white) and the number of pixels at each brightness level on the vertical axis. This enables you to easily check a picture's exposure.

Recording Media: The FX12 can record still images and moving video with audio on SD and SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards, as well as the built-in memory (approximately 27 MB). MultiMediaCards (MMC) can be used for still pictures.

Image Resolution: You can record still images in 10 sizes among the three aspect ratios. You can also choose Fine or Standard Image Quality settings for each available resolution. The number of images you can record is as follows:

16:9 Aspect Ratio (Still Images):

3:2 Aspect Ratio (Still Images):

4:3 Aspect Ratio (Still Images):

Motion Picture Mode:

Note: Motion video clips can be recorded continuously up to 2 GB.

Simple Mode: This mode makes taking pictures easy, only the basic functions appear in the menu to simplify operation.

Auto Focus: You can select any of three Auto Focus modes:

• 5-area Focusing: focuses on any of 5 focus areas, effective when subject is not in the center of the frame
• 1-area Focusing (High Speed): quickly focuses on the subject in the AF area in the center of the screen
• 1-area Focusing: focuses on the subject in the AF area in the center of the screen

AF Assist Lamp: The camera has an auto focus assist lamp, which provides extra lighting as a focusing aid for slightly dark situations where auto focusing would ordinarily be difficult.

Focus Range: The FX12's standard focus range is 1.64 feet to infinity. In the Macro mode, the focus range is 0.16 feet (Wide)/0.98 feet (Tele) to infinity.

Exposure Compensation: The camera automatically sets the exposure. If you cannot achieve the proper exposure due to the difference in brightness between the subject and background, exposure compensation allows you to adjust the exposure between -2EV and +2EV in steps of 1/3EV.

Light Metering: Multiple point light metering measures the amount of light across the entire image to achieve a balanced exposure setting.

Scene Modes: When you select a scene mode to match the subject and recording situation, the camera sets the optimal exposure and hue to obtain the desired picture. Each Scene Mode has a specific focus range. Available scene modes include:

• Portrait: subject stands out from the soft background and has natural facial tones
• Soft Skin: camera detects the face or skin area to achieve a smoother appearance of the skin than the Portrait mode
• Self Portrait: take a picture of yourself at arm's length
• Scenery: focuses preferentially on a distant subject, allowing you to take pictures of a wide landscape; the focus range is 16.4' to infinity.
• Sports: allows you to take pictures of sports or other fast-moving subjects; the minimum focus range is 16.4'
• Night Portrait: take pictures of a subject and a landscape at night with near real-life brightness by using the flash and slowing down the shutter speed; the focus range is approximately 4' to 16.4'
• Night Scenery: vividly record nightscapes; the shutter speed is greatly reduced (up to 8 seconds) so a tripod is recommended; the focus range is 16.4' to infinity
• Food: take pictures of food with a natural hue without being affected by the ambient light in restaurants
• Party: record pictures at indoor gatherings, the party mode slows down the shutter speed and uses the flash so both the subjects and the background are recorded at natural brightness; subjects should be about 5 feet away and a tripod is recommended
• Candle Light: take pictures in a candlelit atmosphere, a tripod is recommended
• Baby 1 & 2: photograph babies with a healthy complexion, the effect of the flash is weakened, you can enter the birthdays of two babies and display the age of the baby in each picture; the focus Range is 2" (W)/6.5' (T) to infinity
• Pet: like the Baby mode, you can set the birth date of your pet; the focus Range is 2" (W)/1' (T) to infinity
• Sunset: take vivid pictures of the red setting sun; the flash and AF assist lamp are off and the white balance is fixed
• High Sensitivity: sensitivity is set higher than usual, up to 3200, this mode helps minimize the blur of moving subjects in situations with inadequate lighting
• Starry Sky: take vivid pictures of a starry sky or a dark subject, the shutter speed is open for 15, 30, or 60 seconds, so a tripod is required
• Fireworks: fireworks mode allows you to photograph fireworks exploding in the night sky, a tripod is recommended, most effective when the subject is 32 feet or more away
• Beach: get more vivid pictures of the blue sea and sky and prevent under exposure of the subject under strong sunlight
• Snow: exposure and white balance are adjusted to make snow as white as possible
• Aerial Photo: take pictures through an airplane window.
• Underwater: take pictures in natural color underwater using the optional DMW-MCFX07 marine case

Burst Mode: By holding the shutter button down you can take multiple pictures consecutively in the Burst Mode. The speed at which pictures are taken varies based on the type of memory and the size and quality settings. The number of recordable pictures depends upon the remaining capacity.

White Balance: To reproduce colors accurately you can use white balance presets to match the ambient light around the subject, or use the automatic setting. Presets include Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, and Halogen. You can also manually set the white balance to the current lighting using a white sheet of paper or wall.

ISO Sensitivity: The camera's sensitivity to light (ISO) can be set automatically, or you can manually select a sensitivity of ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, or ISO 1250. When set to Auto, the camera automatically sets the optimal sensitivity based on the brightness of the scene. There is also an Intelligent ISO Sensitivity Mode which detects the movement of the subject near the center of the frame and sets the sensitivity and shutter speed according to the movement and brightness of the subject.

Built-in Flash: The built-in flash can be set to the following modes:

• Auto: the flash is automatically activated when recording conditions make it necessary
• Auto/Red-eye Reduction: the flash is automatically activated when necessary, a pre-flash is activated before the actual recording to reduce the red-eye effect
• Forced On: the flash is activated regardless of the recording conditions
• Forced On/Red-eye Reduction: the flash and pre-flash are activated regardless of the recording conditions (only available in Party and Candle Light modes)
• Slow sync/Red-eye Reduction: when a picture is taken with a dark background landscape, the shutter is slowed down when the flash is activated so the background will become brighter, simultaneously the red-eye phenomenon is reduced
• Forced Off: the flash is not activated for any recording conditions

Self Timer: The camera has a self timer feature that delays the shutter release, allowing you take pictures of yourself. The self timer can be set for 2 or 10 seconds.

Review: You can view the last recorded picture for about 10 seconds without leaving the recording mode. While the picture is displayed, you can enlarge the picture 4x or 8x. The picture can also be deleted (Quick Deletion) during the review.

Motion Pictures: The FX12 can record motion pictures with audio at two speeds and at three picture sizes. You can record at 848 x 480 pixels in the 16:9 aspect ratio, and at 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 images in the 4:3 aspect ratio. For each size, you can record at 30 or 10 frames per second.

Battery: The FX12 uses a single CGA-S005A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The estimated battery life is approximately 350 pictures or 175 minutes of recording, and approximately 450 minutes of playback time. Estimated charging time is approximately 130 minutes using the supplied DE-A41 battery charger.

Backup Battery: When a fully charged battery has been inserted for more than 24 hours, the clock setting is stored in the camera for at least 3 months, even if the battery is removed.

Optional AC Adapter: You can operate the camera on AC power using the optional DMW-AC5PP AC adapter (available from the manufacturer). The adapter is recommended when the camera is connected to your PC or printer.

Power Save Mode: The Power Save mode allows you save battery power by automatically turning off the camera after a set amount of time without operation. You can set the interval at 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes, or Power Save can be turned Off.

Color Effect Mode: You can set a color effect for recorded pictures for a special touch:

• Natural: picture becomes softer
• Vivid: picture becomes sharper
• B/W: picture becomes black and white
• Sepia: picture becomes sepia

Slow Shutter: When taking pictures in low light, the image can be made brighter by slowing the shutter speed. Using a tripod and the self timer is recommended.

Playback Features: Recorded images can be displayed on the LCD screen one at a time, or using multi-playback, you can display 9 or 25 images at a time. From these screens you can delete one image at a time. Playback zoom allows you to enlarge an image on the LCD screen by 1x, 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x. You can rotate each image in 90? steps. If a picture was taken with the camera turned vertically, it can automatically be rotated for playback so it's displayed correctly. You can also display all images in a slide show. The slide duration can be set to 2, 3, or 5 seconds, or manual.

PictBridge: The FX12 can be connected to any PictBridge-compatible printer via the supplied USB cable for direct printing.

Supplied Software

Applications: The supplied CD-ROM software includes the following applications:

• LUMIX Simple Viewer 1.2E (Windows): easily transfer pictures from the camera to the PC and view, print, and attach them to e-mails, etc.
• PHOTOfunSTUDIO-viewer 1.2E (Windows): similar to Simple Viewer, except that it allows you to categorize the pictures by their recording date, model of the camera used, or a keyword, you can also resize the pictures and set their layout when printing, dates can be added to pictures if not set when photo was taken
• ArcSoft Software Suite (Windows/Macintosh):
  • PhotoBase: make a catalog by bundling still picture files together
  • PhotoImpression: edit, process, print, and store pictures
  • Panorama Maker: combine several still pictures to make panoramic photos
• QuickTime (Windows 2000/XP): required for playing back still pictures with audio or motion video (included with Macintosh OS)
• Adobe Reader (Windows 2000 SP2 or later/XP): required to read PDF files (owner's manual on CD-ROM)
• USB Driver 1.0: required for operating the digital camera using Windows 98/98SE (driver is included in later Windows versions)

Operating Environment:

• LUMIX Simple Viewer: