Panasonic Lumix DMC FX8 User Manual

							Recording pictures (advanced)
61VQT0R26
This mode allows you to take a picture of 
yourself.
∫Technique for Self portrait mode
When you are focused by pressing the 
shutter button halfway, the self-timer 
indicator lights up. Make sure to hold the 
camera still, and fully press the shutter 
button.
 The camera is not focused when the 
self-timer indicator is blinking. Make sure 
to press the shutter button halfway again 
to focus.
 The recorded picture automatically 
appears on the LCD monitor for reviewing. 
Refer to P35 for operations on the review 
function.
 When the picture is blurry due to slow 
shutter speed, we recommend using the 
2 second self-timer. (P40) The available focus range is about 30 cm 
(0.98 feet) to 70 cm (2.30 feet).
 You can take a picture of yourself with 
audio. In this time, the self-timer indicator 
lights up while recording the audio. (P67)
 When you select [SELF PORTRAIT], the 
zoom magnification is automatically 
moved to Wide (1k).
 The self-timer can be set to off or 
2 seconds (P40). When you set to 
2 seconds, it is kept until the camera is 
turned off or you switch the mode dial.
 The stabilizer function mode is fixed to 
[MODE2]. (P43)
 The ISO sensitivity is fixed to [AUTO].
 The AF mode is fixed to 5-area-focusing. 
(P67)
 The setting on the AF assist lamp is 
disabled.Self portrait mode
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							Recording Menu Settings
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Recording Menu Settings
Using the [REC] mode menu
Setting the hue, picture quality adjustment, 
etc. allows you to create wide variations on 
taking pictures.
 Set the mode dial to the desired recording 
mode.
 When rotating the zoom lever toward T or 
W, the page of the menu screen can be 
forwarded or reversed.
 Close the menu by pressing the shutter 
button halfway or the [MENU] button after 
finishing the setting.: [W.BALANCE] (P63)
: [SENSITIVITY] (P65)
: [ASPECT RATIO] (P65)
: [PICT.SIZE] (P66)
: [QUALITY] (P66)
: [AUDIO REC.] (P67)
: [AF MODE] (P67)
: [AF ASSIST LAMP] (P68)
: [SLOW SHUTTER] (P69)
: [D.ZOOM] (P70)
: [COL.EFFECT] (P70)
: [PICT.ADJ.] (P70)
EXITMENU
SENSITIVITY
PICT.SIZE
QUALITY ASPECT RATIO
SELECT SET
REC1/3
W.BALANCEAUTO
MENU
Menu items
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
This function allows you to reproduce a 
white color closer to the tone in real life on 
the pictures recorded under sunlight, 
halogen lighting, etc. in which the white 
color may appear reddish or bluish.
 When setting the white balance to the 
mode except [AUTO], you can finely 
adjust the white balance.∫Auto White Balance
Use of auto white balance adjustment in 
inappropriate lighting conditions may result 
in reddish or bluish pictures. Where the 
subject is surrounded by many light 
sources, auto white balance adjustment 
may not operate properly. 
In this case, set the white balance to a 
mode except [AUTO].
1 The range that is controlled by the auto 
white balance adjustment mode of the 
camera
2 Blue sky
3 Cloudy sky (Rain)
4 TV screen
5 Sunlight
6 White fluorescent light
7 Incandescent light bulb
8 Sunrise and sunset
9 Candlelight
KlKelvin Color Temperature
White Balance [W.BALANCE]
AUTOfor auto setting (auto 
white balance)
  (Daylight) for recording outdoors 
on a bright day
  (Cloudy) for recording outdoors 
on a cloudy day
 (Halogen) for recording under 
halogen lighting
 (White set) for using the preset 
white balance
 (White set) for setting the white 
balance again (P64)
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
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							Recording Menu Settings
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∫Setting the White Balance manually 
(White set )
Use this mode when you want to set the 
white balance manually.
1Set to [ ] (White Set) and then 
press 1.
2Aim the camera at a sheet of white paper 
or a similar white object so that the frame 
in the center is filled by the white object 
only and then press 1.
∫Finely Adjusting the White Balance 
(White Balance Fine Adjustment )
When you cannot acquire the desired hue 
by setting the white balance, you can adjust 
the white balance finely.
1Set the white balance to [ ]/[ ]/
[ ]/[ ]. (P63)
2Press 3 several times until 
[WB ADJUST.] appears.
3Finely adjust the white balance.
1 [BLUE]: Press when the hue is 
reddish.
2 [RED]: Press when the hue is 
bluish.
About the white balance
 In simple mode [ ], the white balance is 
fixed to [AUTO].
 When taking a picture with the flash, the 
white balance will be automatically 
adjusted [except for [ ] (Daylight)], but 
the white balance may not be properly 
adjusted if the flash level is insufficient.
About the white balance fine adjustment
 The white balance icon on the screen 
turns red or blue.
 You can set the value independently for 
each of the modes in white balance.
 The setting on the fine adjustment of the 
white balance is reflected to the picture 
when taking a picture with the flash.
 When you set the white balance using the 
White Set [ ], the adjustment level in 
[ ] (White Set) returns to “0”.
 When the color effect is set to any of 
[COOL], [WARM], [B/W] or [SEPIA] (P70), 
you cannot finely adjust the white balance.
WHITE SET
SETCANCELMENU
BLUERED
WB ADJUST.
SELECTEXIT
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
ISO sensitivity represents the sensitivity to 
light in values. If you set the ISO sensitivity 
higher, the camera becomes more suitable 
for recording in dark places.
 When setting to [AUTO], the ISO 
sensitivity is automatically adjusted from 
[ISO80] to [ISO200] according to the 
brightness. (It can be adjusted from 
[ISO100] to [ISO400] when using the 
flash.)
 In simple mode [ ], motion image mode 
[ ] or scene mode (P54), ISO 
sensitivity is fixed to [AUTO]. (In [NIGHT 
SCENERY] and [SOFT SKIN] in scene 
mode, it is fixed to [ISO80].)
 To avoid picture noise, we recommend 
decreasing the ISO sensitivity or setting 
[PICT.ADJ.] to [NATURAL]. (P70)The aspect ratio is the horizontal to vertical 
ratio of a picture.
You can select from two aspect ratios.
 Both ends of pictures recorded using 
[ ] may be cut at printing. Check the 
picture in advance. (P101)
ISO Sensitivity [SENSITIVITY]
ISO sensitivity 80 400
Use in bright 
places
(e.g. outdoors)SuitableNot 
suitable
Use in dark 
placesNot 
suitableSuitable
Shutter speed Slow Fast
Noise Less Increased
Aspect Ratio [ASPECT RATIO]
Normal ratio.
The picture is horizontally long. 
This is suited for landscapes and 
other subjects where you prefer a 
wide view. This is also suited for 
playing back on wide-screen TVs 
and high-definition TVs.
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
When you select a larger picture size 
( ), you can print pictures more clearly.
When you select a smaller picture size 
( ), you can record more pictures. In 
addition, it is convenient to attach the 
picture to an e-mail or post it on a website 
because the file size is small.
∫When the aspect ratio is [ ].
∫When the aspect ratio is [ ].
 In the motion image mode [ ], the 
picture size is fixed to 640k480 pixels 
(VGA) or 320k240 pixels (QVGA).
 Pictures may appear like a mosaic 
depending on the subject or the recording 
condition.
 The number of recordable pictures 
depends on the subject.
 The number of remaining pictures 
displayed on the screen may not 
correspond with recorded frames.
 Refer to P18 for the number of recordable 
pictures.You can select 2 types of quality 
(compression level) according to the usage 
of the picture.
 Pictures may appear like a mosaic 
depending on the subject or the recording 
condition.
 The number of recordable pictures 
depends on the subject.
 The number of remaining pictures 
displayed on the screen may not 
correspond with recorded frames.
 Refer to P18 for the number of recordable 
pictures.
Picture Size [PICT.SIZE]
2560k1920 pixels
2048k1536 pixels
1600k1200 pixels
1280k960 pixels
640k480 pixels
2560k1440 pixels
1920k1080 pixels
Quality [QUALITY]
Fine (Low compression):
This type gives priority to picture 
quality. Picture quality will be high.
Standard (High compression):
This type gives priority to the 
number of recordable pictures and 
records standard quality pictures.
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
You can take a picture with audio.
 When you set [AUDIO REC.] to [ON], 
[ ] appears on the screen.
 When you start recording by focusing on 
the subject and pressing the shutter 
button, the audio recording will be 
automatically stopped in about 5 seconds. 
There is no need to keep pressing the 
shutter button.
 Audio is recorded from the built-in 
microphone of the camera.
 If you press the [MENU] button during the 
audio recording, the audio recording will 
be canceled. The audio cannot be 
recorded.
 You cannot take pictures with audio in 
auto bracket or burst mode.
 When audio is recorded with each picture, 
the total number of pictures that can be 
stored on each card will slightly decrease.
Audio Recording [AUDIO REC.]AF Mode [AF MODE]
 (5-area-focusing):
The camera focuses on 
any of 5 focus areas. 
You can record a 
picture in free 
composition without 
limiting the position of 
the subject. 
 (3-area-focusing (High speed)):
The camera focuses on 
any of the left, center 
and right of the screen. 
 (1-area-focusing (High speed)):
The camera focuses on 
the subject in AF area 
on the center of the 
screen. 
 (1-area-focusing):
The camera focuses on 
the subject in AF area 
on the center of the 
screen. 
 (Spot-focusing):
The camera focuses on 
the limited and narrow 
area in the screen. 
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
∫High speed AF (H) mode
 When you select 3-area-focusing (High 
speed) or 1-area-focusing (High speed), 
the auto focus is activated in high speed 
and you can focus on the subject more 
quickly.
 When you press the shutter button 
halfway, a picture may become still for a 
moment in the condition before being 
focused. However, it is not a malfunction. 
If you do not want to make pictures still 
during the auto focus, use the AF mode 
other than 3-area-focusing (High speed) 
mode and 1-area-focusing (High speed) 
mode.
 When using the digital zoom or when you 
take pictures in dark places, the AF area 
is displayed on the center of the screen 
with a size wider than usual.
 When multiple AF areas (max. 5 areas) 
light at the same time, the camera is 
focusing on all the AF areas.
The focus position is not predetermined 
because it is set to the position that the 
camera automatically determines at the 
time of focusing. If you want to determine 
the focus position to take pictures, switch 
the AF mode to 1-area-focusing mode or 
Spot-focusing mode.
 You cannot set the AF mode in 
[FIREWORKS] and [SELF PORTRAIT] in 
scene mode. (P54)Illuminating the subject with the AF assist 
lamp allows the camera to focus on the 
subject in low light conditions.
When you press the 
shutter button halfway in 
dark places or other 
situations, an AF area 
wider than usual appears 
and the AF assist lamp A 
turns on. 
1/60F5.0
AF Assist Lamp [AF ASSIST LAMP]
ONThe AF assist lamp turns on under 
low light conditions. In this time, the 
AF assist lamp icon [ ] appears 
on the screen. The effective range 
of the AF assist lamp is 1.5 m 
(4.92 feet).
OFFThe AF assist lamp does not turn 
on.
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
 Be sure of the following points when the 
AF assist lamp is in use.
– Do not look into the AF assist lamp.
– Do not cover the AF assist lamp with 
your fingers or other objects.
 In simple mode [ ], the setting on the 
[AF ASSIST LAMP] is fixed to [ON].
 You cannot use the AF assist lamp in 
[SCENERY], [NIGHT SCENERY], 
[FIREWORKS] and [SELF PORTRAIT] in 
scene mode. (P54)
 When you do not want to use the AF 
assist lamp (e.g. when you take a picture 
of a subject in a dark place), set the [AF 
ASSIST LAMP] to [OFF]. In this case, it 
becomes difficult to focus on the subject.
 When the AF assist lamp is turned on, an 
AF area with a size wider than usual 
normal AF area is indicated and the area 
is set only to a point on the center of the 
screen. (P68)The shutter speed can be automatically 
adjusted. However, if you want brighter 
pictures, you can manually select a slower 
shutter speed. This is especially effective if 
you want to take pictures where both the 
night landscape and the subject are bright, 
using [NIGHT PORTRAIT] in scene mode 
(P54).
The slow shutter speed values you can 
select are: [1/8 – ], [1/4 – ], [1/2 – ] and [1 – ].
∫Example
 Usually, set to [1/8 –] to take pictures.
(When you select slow shutter speed 
values other than [1/8 – ], [ ] appears 
on the lower left of the LCD monitor.)
 When the shutter speed is made slower 
using [SLOW SHUTTER], jitter is likely to 
occur. We recommend using a tripod and 
the self-timer (P40) for taking pictures.
 You cannot set the slow shutter in 
[NIGHT SCENERY] and [FIREWORKS] in 
scene mode. (P54)
Slow Shutter [SLOW SHUTTER]
Slow shutter 
setting1/8– 1–
Brightness Darker Brighter
Jitter Less More
1/8 – 1 –
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							Recording Menu Settings
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[REC] mode menu (Refer to P62 for the setting method.)
Setting the [D.ZOOM] to [ON] allows you to 
magnify a subject 3 times with the optical 
zoom and up to 4 more times with the 
digital zoom for a maximum of 12 times.
∫Entering the digital zoom range
When you rotate the zoom lever to the 
extreme Tele position, the on-screen zoom 
indication may momentarily pause. This is 
not a malfunction.
You can enter the digital zoom range by 
continuously rotating the zoom lever to Tele 
or releasing the zoom lever once and then 
rotate it to Tele again.
1Optical zoom
2Digital zoom
 In the digital zoom, a larger picture has 
lower picture quality.
 In the digital zoom range, the stabilizer 
function may not be effective.
 When using the digital zoom, we 
recommend using a tripod and the 
self-timer (P40) for taking pictures.
 The AF area is displayed with a size wider 
than usual and set only to a point on the 
center of the screen in the digital zoom 
range. (P68)You can use 4 types of color effects 
depending on the atmosphere of the 
picture.
Use this function according to the recording 
situation and the atmosphere of the picture.
 When you take pictures in dark places, 
noise may become visible. To avoid noise, 
we recommend setting [PICT.ADJ.] to 
[NATURAL].
Digital Zoom [D.ZOOM]
W
WT
T≥[OFF]:
≥[ON]:
Color Effect [COL.EFFECT]
COOLThe picture becomes bluish.
WARMThe picture becomes reddish.
B/WThe picture becomes black and 
white.
SEPIAThe picture becomes sepia.
Picture Adjustment [PICT.ADJ.]
NATURALThe picture becomes softer.
VIVIDThe picture becomes sharper.
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