Panasonic is famous for its Toughbook line of notebook computers designed to meet military standards, experience that’s put to good use in the company’s latest compact digital camera, the ruggedized DMC-FT1.
Cased in an attractive metal shell reminiscent of the Toughbook computer, the DMC-FT1 is water-, shock- and dustproof to recognised industry standards. Sealed hatches protect the battery, memory card and connectors, while folded optics keep the lens assembly entirely within the body and behind a protective outer shell. Altogether this makes for an extremely hardy camera capable of shooting in harsh environments without an additional protective housing.
I gave the DMC-FT1 a test run underwater and it performed admirably. The controls were easy to operate and the screen was clearly visible. Image quality was equal to that of images taken on dry land. The camera works in salt water, though a rinse in fresh water is necessary afterwards. If you follow the instructions, you’re unlikely to have any problems shooting at the beach or in the pool.
Most digital compact cameras have a pronounced start-up delay while they mechanically extend the lens from within the body. Since the DMC-FT1’s lens remains internal, its start-up time is noticeably shorter than average. This is great for spontaneously capturing images, just the thing a ruggedized compact camera is made for.
In keeping with that shoot-from-the-hip mentality, the DMC-FT1 features a dedicated video record button that works in any shooting mode. It means you can switch rapidly between photo and video recording without having to fumble for the mode dial — a potentially difficult task while underwater or hanging from the side of a cliff.
Images taken with the DMC-FT1 are of reasonable quality; colour depth is good and the 28mm (equivalent) wide-angle lens is great for those long New Zealand beaches. However, there’s some noticeable blurring around the edges at that widest zoom level.
The camera’s dynamic range seems quite limited, especially in highly contrasted outdoor shots. An Intelligent Auto shooting mode provides some improvement there, adjusting the camera’s settings to best suit your current environment. While manual options are available in the Normal shooting mode, Intelligent Auto is another convenient feature for the quick-shooting action star who doesn’t have time to worry about exposure compensation or white balance.
Regardless of settings, images appear a little noisier and slightly blurrier than one would expect of a 12 megapixel camera. That’s not to say resolution has anything to do with image quality, but there’s little point in a 12 megapixel sensor if you end up resizing all of your images down to cut out noise.
Panasonic’s DMC-FT1 doesn’t take the best pictures in its class. However, many will find this a reasonable trade-off for the camera’s extremely durable and waterproof construction. Underwater housings for existing cameras are available but they are not cheap, so with one built in, you may be getting a better deal that you think you are.
If you’re looking for a compact camera to match your active lifestyle, the DMC-FT1 is an excellent option.
HARLEY OGIER
Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
Lens: 4.9-22.8mm (35mm equivalent 28-128mm)
Viewfinder: None
Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT LCD, 230,000 dots, 100 per cent
frame coverage
Shutter: 1/1300 to 8 seconds, 15, 30, 60 seconds
Aperture: f3.3-f5.2
ISO: 80-1600 auto,
1600-6400 selectable
Internal Memory: ~40MB
Media: SD, SDHC,
MMC (still images only)
File Format: JPEG, AVCHD Lite, QuickTime Motion JPEG
Flash: Built-in
Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out, miniHDMI
Batteries: Rechargeable Lithium-ion, approx
340 images
Durability: Waterproof (3.0m), dustproof, shockproof (1.5m)
Dimensions:
98.3 x 63.1 x 23.0mm
Weight:
184g with battery and SD card
This Review is from Tone Issue #77.
There are a few changes to this issue of Tone. We’ve said farewell to our fine cover girl in favour of some lads in white (it’s not a statement of preference, but the World Cup only comes around once every four years). In order to stimulate maximum creativity, our designer hasn’t slept since the last issue went to print, resulting in some crazy new fonts and unbelievably sleek breakout boxes possessing a level of sophistication not previously imagined. Like Saruman forging his army of fighting Uruk-Hai, we’ve dug new writers from the earth’s very gut, who now swarm across the world’s gadgets, crafting their infernal reviews. Though we’ve changed a little on the outside, we’re still the Tone you know and love on the inside. As always, we’re committed to providing the latest technology news and the best, unbiased, independent reviews of hot new products – and that’s never going to change. Enjoy.
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