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"Picky Details" for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 Digital Camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)

Timing

When you press the shutter release on a camera, there's usually a lag time or delay before the shutter actually fires. This corresponds to the time required for the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms time to do their work, and can amount to a fairly long delay in some situations. Since this number is rarely reported on (and even more rarely reported accurately), and can significantly affect the picture taking experience, I routinely measure both shutter delay and shot to shot cycle times for all cameras I test, using a test system I designed and built for the purpose. (Crystal-controlled, with a resolution of 0.001 second.) Here are the numbers I collected for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 Timings
Operation	Time (secs)	Notes
Power On -> First shot	1.8	LCD turns on and lens extends forward.
Shutdown	3.1 - 5	First time is time to retract lens, second time is worst-case buffer-clearing time.
Play to Record, first shot	0.9	Time until first shot is captured.
Record to play	2.1 / 1.3	First time is that required to display a large/fine file immediately after capture, second time is that needed to display a large/fine file that has already been processed and stored on the memory card.
Shutter lag, full autofocus	0.52 / 0.56	First time is at full wide-angle, second is full telephoto.
Shutter lag, prefocus	0.016	Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button.
Cycle Time, max/min resolution	1.89 / 1.71	First number is for large/fine files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images. Times are averages. In both modes, shoots this fast continuously, clearing the buffer after each shot.
Cycle Time, Flash exposures	4	(Flash at maximum power output)
Cycle Time, continuous High mode, max/min resolution	0.35 (2.85 fps)	Times are averages. Cycle time is the same regardless of resolution. Shoots a burst of 6 large/fine frames or 8 TV size frames, then stops. Buffer clears in 2 seconds for large/fine images, 1 second for lowest resolution.
Cycle Time, continuous Low mode, max/min resolution	0.48 (2.05 fps)	Times are averages. Cycle time is the same regardless of resolution. Shoots a burst of 6 large/fine frames or 8 TV size frames, then stops. Buffer clears in 2 seconds for large/fine images, 1 second for lowest resolution.
Cycle Time, continuous Unlimited mode	0.82 / 0.68 (1.22 / 1.46 fps)	First number is for large/fine files, second number is time for "TV" mode (640x480) images. Times are averages. In both modes, shoots this fast continuously, clearing the buffer after each shot.

Power

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power.

Operating Mode	Battery Life
CIPA standard runtime See description below	240 Pictures

The Panasonic Lumix FX9 uses a custom rechargeable 3.7V, 1150 mAh LiIon battery for power. The table above shows maximum run times based on the CIPA standard.

(Panasonic's statement on CIPA standard outline: Shooting conditions: 73.4°F with 50% humidity;LCD On; Using the included SD Memory Card; Starting to shoot 30 seconds after turning on the power; Shooting once every 30 seconds with the flash in full operation for every other shot; Changing the zoom setting from telephoto to wide, or wide to telephoto, for each shot; Temporarily turning the power off after each 10 shots (long enough to lower the battery temperature. For DMC-LC1: Shooting once every 30 seconds, flash in operation for every shot, 77°F(25°C) ambient temperature.)

Storage Capacity

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 stores its photos on Compact Flash memory cards, and a 16 MB card is included with the camera. (I strongly recommend buying at least a 64 MB card, preferably a 128 MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings.) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the included 16 MB card at each size/quality setting.

Image Capacity vs Resolution/Quality 16 MB Memory Card		Fine	Normal
2816 x 2112	Images (Avg size)	5 4.8 MB	10 9.4 MB
2816 x 2112	Approx. Compression	5:1	9:1
2048 x 1536	Images (Avg size)	9 1.7 MB	18 849 KB
2048 x 1536	Approx. Compression	6:1	11:1
1600 x 1200	Images (Avg size)	15 1.0 MB	30 533 KB
1600 x 1200	Approx. Compression	6:1	11:1
1280 x 960	Images (Avg size)	23 683 KB	43 366 KB
1280 x 960	Approx. Compression	5:1	10:1
640 x 480	Images (Avg size)	73 216 KB	120 133 KB
640 x 480	Approx. Compression	4:1	7:1

Download Speed

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX9 connects to a host computer via a USB interface. Downloading files to my Sony desktop running Windows XP (Pentium IV, 2.4 GHz), I clocked it at 875 KBytes/second. (Cameras with slow USB interfaces run as low as 300 KB/s, cameras with fast v1.1 interfaces run as high as 600 KB/s. Cameras with USB v2.0 interfaces run as fast as several megabytes/second.)

FX9 Review
FX9 Test Images
FX9 Specifications
FX9 "Picky Details"
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