Review of The Panasonic Lumix DMC

Review on Digital Cameras for Children: The Panasonic Lumix DMC

A month ago, my parents drove in to pay us a visit, wanting to see my children before my eldest daughter’s birthday. My parents always find an excuse to see everyone, especially since these are their closest grandchildren. During the visit, my parents started having idle conversation with my daughter, trying to see what she wanted for her birthday. While this wasn’t too shocked, what came out of my daughter’s mouth did – she didn’t want a toy, but a digital camera. Now, my husband and I found this to be a bit strange, since she never had an interest in taking pictures before this.

Come to find out, her teacher at school had been taking the kids outside to take pictures on a little disposable camera. My daughter seemed to really enjoy this and her teacher recommended that she ask us for a digital camera for children. While I thought this was nice, I didn’t want my parents spending too much on a camera, especially since once we started looking online, we found that most kid cameras were overpriced. We agreed that they were going to buy her a cheap camera.

After some research online and looking at different camera reviews (including consumer reports), we found ourselves looking at the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH20 14.1 MP Digital Camera with 8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD.. While this wasn’t a digital camera for children per say, it seemed like a powerful camera that was cheap enough to make it worthwhile for my daughter. So, how did the Panasonic Lumix DMC rate as our daughter’s first camera?

Picture Quality

When I saw that my parents spent under $150 for this camera, I didn’t have very high expectations. Most cheap cameras on the market are meant to last a year and then die. I, at first thought that this may have been a bit too much to spend on an eight year old, but as soon as it was in my daughter’s hands, I was truly amazed at how powerful this little Panasonic camera truly was when it came to taking photos.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC comes with an 8x optical zoom, allowing my daughter to zoom in just about anything. Since this is comparable to an old 28-224 mm lens on a 35 mm camera, I was a bit doubtful that Panasonic could actually deliver. Once I saw the picture my daughter took of the squirrels outside her window however, I was truly amazed! Using the camera’s iA mode (which I will get into later), she was able to take truly beautiful pictures of everything in our yard, right from her own second floor bedroom. She has even enjoyed showing off her pictures on the camera’s two LCD screens.

Wanting to see the power of this camera myself, I used it on a family outing to the park. I have to agree with the manufacturer’s description of the camera giving a rich perspective with its pictures, allowing you to easily capture large groups and landscapes. I personally enjoyed the Sonic Speed AF for quick focusing, allowing me to get some amazing pictures of my daughter playing without having those interestingly blurred photos that we all know happen when we try taking picture of our kids.

Kid Friendly

If you have a child, you are sure to love the Panasonic Lumix DMC. This camera not only has the power of some more advanced cameras, but is so easy to use that even a small child can enjoy it. With it’s compact size, my daughter loves throwing it in her big girl purse or putting the camera in one of her pockets. Weighting only .35 lb of a pound, it is light enough for most children. My daughter especially loves that this camera is ,€˜made for kids’ as she puts its, since it fits perfectly in her hands. While most adults can use the camera, my husband absolutely hates taking picture on it due to its size. Anyone with big hands is sure to fumble with the camera. My daughter and I, however, consider it to be the ,€˜perfect’ size for us. Not bulky and light!

The most useful feature on this camera that makes it very kid friendly is the iA (intelligence auto) mode. This simple button on the camera allows the camera to pick the best option for the shot, picking the perfect mode and lighting options. For a child that knows nothing about photography and wants to be a big kid, this is absolutely perfect. My daughter loves the quality of the pictures and is happy to show them off to everyone at school. So far, she loves taking pictures of chipmunks and squirrels at the park, taking shots that are difficult for most adults. With the iA mode, she is able to take shots that are to her satisfaction.

One of the most intriguing options on this camera that I had never even considered until my daughter found it was the camcorder mode. Currently, my daughter has been acting like a little movie director with her digital camera, dressing up her stuffed animals and her siblings for her ,€˜big movie’. Since the camera is a 14.1 megapixel recorder, I am able to enjoy watching full size motion images of her ,€˜movies’ all of which are in HD quality with a resolution of 1280×720. Currently, I am saving these cute, high quality movies as something my daughter will enjoy when she is older. I am truly surprised that her little camera can produce short videos that are almost the quality of my husband’s camcorder. Either way, this little digital camera and camcorder seems to be one of my daughters favorite toys at the moment. I am just hoping that this camera will survive since I think it has the potential of lasting years with her.

Durability

As you may guess, putting a camera in a child’s hand can sometimes be a bit dangerous. I won’t even lie and say that my daughter was anywhere near gentle with this camera. This camera has been dropped more times than I can count, and seems to have even withstood a few unfortunate incidents with the concrete. So far, this little Panasonic Lumix DMC camera is still running perfectly. As could be expected from a child, the body does have a few scratches, but the mechanics of the camera itself are still going strong!

In the past, we had tried another ,€˜kid friendly camera that has not withstood the beating that my daughter has put on this camera. One of the other things that I did enjoy with the camera is that it does have a one year warranty. If you are a parent, you know that electronics may not last long with a child, so its great having a warranty that will cover most of the important parts of the camera itself. I have read, however, that Panasonic themselves will not honor the warranty unless you have the receipt.

Luckily, my mother gave us the receipt after my daughter opened the camera, so we have it just in case. Being from Amazon, however, I am not too concerned, since I have learned from prior experience that they are absolutely amazing about bringing back items bought from their site or their shipping partners. Just to be safe, however, keep all the information together in case your child does find a way to destroy the camera. While it is built to take a beating during family trips, I would always be on the safe side.

Compared to the cost of children’s cameras, however, the Panasonic Lumix DMC seems rather hard to beat. While I am certain this camera will last my daughter quite some time, it is nice to know that if something does happen to it, it won’t be a major loss. I have not found anything as kid friendly as this camera, including some of the cameras my daughter had her eye on at the toy store. I would give this camera five stars at being durable enough to last an eight year old.

Others Reviews

While the Panasonic Lumix DMCwas given to us as a gift, I will likely be buying this camera again myself if anything does happen to it. It has lasted three months of play so far, something that is truly amazing with a child’s attention span. I just hope this camera is able to last her a few years, since it seems like it is capable of lasting with how it is built. I would personally give this camera a five star rating.
Looking at Amazon.com, other owners of this camera seem to think this is a quality camera as well, currently have 4.5 out of 5 stars. Here is what other parents and owners of this camera has to say,€¦

,€œThings I like about the camera are numerous. The image quality is great.,€
,€œI can’t say enough about this camera.,€
,€œI did a lot of research on line before deciding on a new digital camera. We have pets and small children, and the auto-focus feature and quick response have been fantastic. I am impressed with the picture quality in all lighting situations,€
,€œI have no special talent when it comes to photography, but this camera makes me feel like a pro!,€
,€œEasy to use and plenty of useful features. Highly recommend!,€

Where Can I Read More Reviews

If you would like to learn more about the Panasonic Lumix DMC, I highly recommend reading the other reviews written by owners of this camera on Amazon.com. You can read some of the other reviews on this kid friendly camera right here.

Where to Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC

My mother purchased our Panasonic Lumix DMC on Amazon. At this moment, they are still offering the Panasonic Lumix DMC for the cheapest price online. It truly amazes me that a high quality, pocket sized camera can be offered this cheaply. . Free shipping is also available on Amazon for this camera with certain sellers, making it a real bargain if you are looking for a gift for someone in your family, or are looking for a fun starter camera for your child.

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