Panasonic Lumix DMC FX8 User Manual

							Preparation
21VQT0R26
[MONITOR]
Adjust the brightness of the LCD monitor in 
7 steps.
 The setting on the brightness of the LCD 
monitor also affects simple mode [ ].
[AUTO REVIEW]
[OFF]:The recorded picture does not 
automatically appear.
[1SEC.]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 1 second.
[3SEC.]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 3 seconds.
[ZOOM]:The recorded picture 
automatically appears on the 
screen for about 1 second. Then 
it is enlarged 4 times and appears 
for about 1 second. This mode is 
useful for confirming focus. 
Pictures in auto bracket, burst 
mode or pictures with audio are 
not enlarged even if [ZOOM] is 
selected.
 In motion image mode [ ], auto review 
function is not activated.
 When pictures are recorded in auto 
bracket [ ] (P42) or any speed ([ ], 
[ ] and [ ]) on burst mode (P44), 
the auto review function is activated 
regardless of the setting on the auto 
review function. (The picture is not 
enlarged.)
 The auto review function is activated while 
pictures with audio are recorded 
regardless of the setting on the auto 
review function. (The picture is not 
enlarged.)
 The setting for the auto review function is 
disabled in auto bracket, burst mode, 
motion image mode, [SELF PORTRAIT] in 
scene mode (P54), or when [AUDIO 
REC.] is set to [ON].
[POWER SAVE]
[1MIN.]/[2MIN.]/[5MIN.]/[10MIN.]:
The power save mode is activated 
(the camera is automatically turned 
off to save the battery life) if the 
camera has not been used for the 
time selected on the setting.
[OFF]:The power save mode is not 
activated.
 Press the shutter button halfway or turn 
the camera off and on to cancel the power 
save mode.
 When using the AC adaptor (DMW-AC5; 
optional)/connecting to a PC or a printer/
recording motion images/playing back 
motion images/during Slide Show, the 
power save mode is not activated.
 In the economy mode and simple mode 
[ ], the setting for the power save mode 
is fixed to [2MIN.].
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							Preparation
22VQT0R26
[ECONOMY]
The brightness of the LCD monitor is 
reduced, and the battery life is saved by 
turning off the LCD monitor automatically 
while the camera is not in use in the 
recording mode. (Press any button to 
recover from the economy mode.)
[LEVEL 1]:If you do not operate the 
camera for about 15 seconds 
in the recording mode, the LCD 
monitor is turned off.
[LEVEL 2]:If you do not operate the 
camera for about 15 seconds 
in the recording mode, or if you 
do not operate the camera for 
about 5 seconds after you take 
a picture, the LCD monitor is 
turned off.
[OFF]:Economy mode cannot be 
activated.
 In the economy mode, the LCD monitor 
is turned off while the flash is being 
charged.
 The status indicator lights while the LCD 
monitor is turned off.
 In the economy mode, [POWER SAVE] is 
fixed to [2MIN.].
 The economy mode is not activated while 
the AC adaptor (DMW-AC5; optional) is 
used, the menu screen is displayed, the 
self-timer is set or recording motion 
images.
 The brightness of the LCD monitor is not 
reduced when the power LCD function is 
activated.
[BEEP]
[BEEP LEVEL]:
[]:No operational sound
[]:Soft operational sound
[]:Loud operational sound
[BEEP TONE]:
[SHUTTER]:
 The settings on [BEEP] also affect simple 
mode [ ].
[VOLUME]
The volume of speakers can be adjusted in 
7 steps. (LEVEL 6 to 0)
 When you connect the camera to a TV, 
the volume of the speakers of the TV is 
not changed.
[CLOCK SET]
Change date and time. (P19)
[NO.RESET]
Set this when you want to start the file 
number of the picture from 0001 on the 
next recording. (The folder number is 
updated, and the file number starts from 
0001.)
 The folder number can be assigned from 
100 to 999.
When the folder number reaches 999, you 
cannot reset the file number. We 
recommend formatting the card after 
saving the data on a PC or elsewhere.
 To reset the folder number to 100, format 
the card first and then use this function to 
reset the file number.
After that, the reset screen for the folder 
number appears. Select [YES] to reset the 
folder number.
 Refer to P87 for detailed information about 
the file number and the folder number.
 The file number reset also affects simple 
mode [ ].
123
123
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							Preparation
23VQT0R26
[RESET]
The settings on the [REC] or the [SETUP] 
menu are reset to the initial settings.
 The birthday setting for [BABY] in the 
scene mode (P54) is also reset when the 
settings in the [SETUP] menu are reset. 
[ROTATE DISP.] (P74) in the [PLAY] mode 
menu is also reset to [ON].
 The folder number and the clock setting 
are not changed.
[USB MODE]
Set the USB communication system.
 Set before connecting to a PC or a printer. 
(P85)
[VIDEO OUT]
(Playback mode only) (P84)
[NTSC]:Video output is set to NTSC 
system.
[PAL]:Video output is set to PAL 
system.
[SCENE MENU]
[AUTO]:Scene menu appears 
automatically when setting the 
mode dial to scene mode. Select 
the desired scene mode.
[OFF]:Scene menu does not appear 
when setting the mode dial to 
scene mode and the camera is 
operated in the scene mode 
currently selected. If you change 
the scene mode, press the 
[MENU] button to display the 
scene menu and then select the 
desired scene mode.
[LANGUAGE]
Set to the language on the menu screen 
from the following languages.
Set to the desired language with 3/4 and 
store it with 1.
[ENGLISH]:English
[DEUTSCH]:German
[FRANÇAIS]:French
[ESPAÑOL]:Spanish
[ITALIANO]:Italian
[]:Chinese (Traditional)
[]:Japanese
 When you set to other language by 
mistake, select [ ] from the menu icons 
to set the desired language.
 The language setting also affects simple 
mode [ ].
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							Preparation
24VQT0R26
About the LCD Monitor
ALCD monitor (LCD)
Press the [DISPLAY] button to change 
the display.
 When the menu screen appears, the 
[DISPLAY] button is not activated. During 
9 pictures multi playback (P47) or 
playback zoom (P48), the indications on 
the screen can be turned on and off.
In simple mode [ ] (P32)
BNormal display
CNo displayIn recording mode (P28)
DNormal display
EDisplay with histogram
FNo display (Recording guide line)
GNo display
¢1 Histogram
In playback mode (P46)
HNormal display
IDisplay with recorded information and 
histogram
JNo display
¢2 Displayed when you set birthday 
setting for [BABY] in the scene mode 
(P54), and [WITH AGE] is selected at 
taking pictures.
DISPLAY/PWR LCD
BACKLIGHT
3
33
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10:00  DEC. 1.2005
10:00  DEC. 1.2005F2.8 1/25ISO100AUTO
100_
0001
100_
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9months 10days
1/3
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							Preparation
25VQT0R26
∫To view the LCD monitor outdoors on 
a bright sunny day (Power LCD 
function)
When you press and hold the [PWR LCD] 
button for 1 second, the power LCD 
function is activated. The LCD monitor 
becomes brighter than usual and easier to 
see outdoors.
 The power LCD icon [ ] appears on the 
screen.
 When you take pictures, the LCD monitor 
automatically reverts back to the normal 
brightness 30 seconds after the 
[PWR LCD] button is pressed. If you press 
any button, the LCD monitor turns on 
brightly again.
 If you press and hold [PWR LCD] button 
for 1 second again, the power LCD 
function is canceled and the LCD monitor 
reverts back to its usual brightness.
 In the power LCD function, the brightness 
and color tone are emphatically displayed 
on the LCD monitor. Therefore, the 
brightness and the color tone may look 
different from those in real life depending 
on the subject. However, this function 
does not affect recorded pictures.∫Recording guide line
When you align the subject on the 
horizontal and vertical guide lines or the 
cross point of these lines, you can take 
pictures with well-designed composition by 
viewing the size, the slope and the balance 
of the subject.
ON:PRESSPWRLCDFOR 1 SEC.
3
3
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							Preparation
26VQT0R26
∫Histogram
 A histogram is a graph that displays 
brightness along the horizontal axis (black 
to white) and the number of pixels at each 
brightness level on the vertical axis.
 It allows the camera user to easily check 
the way a picture is being exposed.
 It is very useful if manual adjustments of 
the lens aperture and shutter speed are 
available, especially in those situations 
where automatic exposure may be difficult 
due to uneven lighting. Using the 
histogram feature will allow you to get the 
best performance from the camera.
AWhen the values are concentrated to 
the left, the picture is under exposed.
BWhen the values in the histogram are 
distributed evenly, the exposure is 
adequate and the brightness is 
well-balanced.
CWhen the values are concentrated to 
the right, the picture is over exposed.Example of histogram
AUnder Exposed
BProperly Exposed
COver Exposed
¢Histogram
 When you take pictures with the flash 
or in dark places, the histogram is 
displayed in orange because the 
recorded picture and the histogram do 
not match each other.
 The histogram does not appear when in 
simple mode [ ], motion image mode 
[ ], during multi playback and playback 
zoom.
 The histogram in the recording mode is an 
approximation.
 The histogram in recording and playback 
may not match each other.
 The histogram in the camera does not 
match the one displayed in image editing 
software used with a PC, etc.
100_
0001
10:00  DEC. 1.2005F2.8 1/200
100_
0001
10:00  DEC. 1.2005F2.8 1/100
100_
0001
10:00  DEC. 1.2005F2.8 1/50
ISO100AUTO
ISO100AUTO
ISO100AUTO
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							Recording pictures (basic)
27VQT0R26
Recording pictures (basic)
Taking Pictures
∫The Mode Dial
This camera has a mode dial to suit recording of many kinds of scenes.
Select the desired mode and enjoy the variety of recording.
Rotate it slowly and securely to adjust to each mode.
: Normal picture mode (P28)
Use this mode for usual recording.
: Simple mode (P32)
This is the recommended mode for 
beginners.
: Macro mode (P51)
This mode allows you to take a picture 
closely focusing on the subject.
: Scene mode (P54)
This mode allows you to take pictures 
depending on the recording scenes.
: Motion image mode (P51)
This mode allows you to record motion 
images with audio.
: Playback mode (P46)
This mode allows you to play back 
recorded pictures.
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							Recording pictures (basic)
28VQT0R26
∫Normal recording
The camera automatically sets the shutter 
speed and the aperture value according to 
the brightness of the subject.
11Turn the camera on.
2Select normal picture mode 
[].
2Aim the AF area 1 to the point 
you want to focus and then press 
the shutter button halfway.
A: Press the shutter button halfway to 
focus.
 The focus indication 2 is lit and then 
the aperture value 3 and the shutter 
speed 4 are displayed.
3Take a picture.
B: Press the shutter button fully to take 
the picture.
OFFON
1/25F2.8
When the 
subject is not 
focusedWhen the 
subject is 
focused
Focus 
indicationBlink (green) On (green)
AF area Turns from 
white to redTu r n s  f r o m  
white to green
Sound Beeps 4 times Beeps 2 times
1/25F2.8
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							Recording pictures (basic)
29VQT0R26
∫AF/AE Lock (AF: Auto focus/
AE: Auto exposure)
When recording a picture of people with a 
composition as the above picture, you 
cannot focus on the subject because it is 
out of AF area in usual operation.
In this case,
1Aim the AF area at the subject.
2Press the shutter button halfway to fix 
the focus and the exposure.
 When the subject is focused, the focus 
indication lights.
3Keeping pressed the shutter button 
halfway, move the camera as you 
compose the picture.
4Press the shutter button fully.
 You can repeatedly retry AF/AE lock 
before pressing the shutter button fully.∫Tips for taking good pictures
To take pictures without blurring:
 Hold the camera gently with both hands, 
keep arms stationary at your side and 
stand with your feet slightly apart.
 Make sure that camera shake does not 
occur when you press the shutter button.
 Do not cover the photo flash or the AF 
assist lamp with your finger or other 
objects.
 Do not touch the front of the lens.
1: When holding the camera sideways
2: When holding the camera vertically
A: Photo flash
B: AF assist lamp
 Especially in the following cases, the 
shutter speed will be slower. Keep the 
camera still from the moment you press 
the shutter button until the picture appears 
on the screen. We recommend using a 
tripod. The use of the self-timer (P40) 
prevents jittering caused by pressing the 
shutter button when you are using a 
tripod.
– Slow sync./Red-eye reduction [ ] 
(P37)
– [NIGHT PORTRAIT] (P57)
– [NIGHT SCENERY] (P57)
– [PARTY] (P59)
– [FIREWORKS] (P60)
– When the shutter speed is slowed in 
[SLOW SHUTTER] (P69)
3
1/25F2.8
1/25F2.8
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							Recording pictures (basic)
30VQT0R26
∫Focusing
 The focus range is 50 cm (1.64 feet) to ¶.
 When you press the shutter button fully 
with one stroke, pictures may be blurry or 
unfocused.
 When the focus indication is blinking, the 
subject is not focused. Press the shutter 
button halfway and focus on the subject 
again.
 If the camera will not focus after a few 
tries, turn it off and on and try again.
 In the following cases, the camera will not 
focus on subjects properly.
– When including both near and distant 
subjects in a scene.
– When there is dirt or dust on the glass 
between the lens and the subject.
– When there are illuminated or glittering 
objects around the subject.
– When taking a picture in a dark place.
– When the subject is moving fast.
– When the scene has low contrast.
– When jitter occurs.
– When recording a very bright subject.
We recommend taking pictures using AF/
AE lock (P29). In dark places, the AF 
assist lamp (P68) may turn on to focus on 
the subject.
 Even if the focus indication appears and 
the subject is focused, it is canceled when 
you release the shutter button. Press the 
shutter button halfway again.∫Jitter (camera shake)
 Be careful of jittering when pressing the 
shutter button, especially when fully 
zoomed into the subject.
 When jitter could occur because of slow 
shutter speed, the jitter alert A appears.
 When the jitter alert appears, we 
recommend using a tripod. If you cannot 
use a tripod, be careful of how you hold 
the camera (P29). The use of the 
self-timer (P40) prevents jittering caused 
by pressing the shutter button when you 
are using a tripod.
∫Direction detection function
 If you take pictures by holding the camera 
vertically, the information of the rotation on 
the pictures is automatically added and 
recorded to the pictures.
When [ROTATE DISP.] (P74) is set to 
[ON], you can rotate and display pictures 
on the screen or the TV according to the 
information of the rotation on the pictures.
 When you take pictures by holding the 
camera vertically, read “Tips for taking 
good pictures” on P29 carefully.
 This function may not work properly on 
pictures recorded by aiming the camera 
up or down.
 In motion image mode [ ], you cannot 
use the direction detection function.
1/8F2.8
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