Panasonic DMC FT30 Detailed Review

Also DMC FT30 was introduced by Panasonic in February 2015. It belongs to the outdoor and action cams category.

Panasonic is well-known and shouldn’t require further introduction, please see our manufacturer’s page for more digital cameras by Panasonic.

Panasonic DMC FT30 has environmental sealing and different protection features. Let’s see in the list below:

The DMC FT30’s image sensor has an effective resolution of around 16 megapixel. The resolution is somewhat below average but will be sufficient for most purposes. Photos with this resolution can easily be printed to A3 size.

The Panasonic does not support recording RAW images. RAW images are stored as they come from the sensor, without any in-camera processing or sharpening. Converting to JPEG or other formats takes place on the computeand involves one extra processing step but will almost always result in superior image quality.

The DMC FT30’s shutter speed varies from 1/1300s to 8s.

The highest shutter speed of the Panasonic is just 1/1300s. That’s no longer state of the art and may cause problems in challenging light conditions.

The DMC FT30’s usable sensitivity ranges from 100 ISO to only 1600 ISO.

Additionally, the Panasonic’s sensitivity can be boosted to 6400. However, ISO boosting will almost always lead to an increase in noise.

The DMC FT30 supports all general exposure modes.

The DMC FT30 features a built-in flash with a range of up to 4m (15 ft.). That’s on the low end and will only work for very close subjects.

A hotshoe is missing from the Panasonic.

The DMC FT30 features a monitor with a diagonal of 76.00mm (3.0 in.) and a resolution of c. 0.46 megapixel. That rather low resolution is no longer state of the art and will make it difficult to evaluate images on the display.

Unfortunately, the DMC FT30’s monitor is not articulated. That can make it tricky to frame your subject in some situations, e.g. when taking selfies.

The DMC FT30 does not feature a touch screen.

Display characteristics at a glance:

DMC FT30 video supported the resolution with 1280 x 720 pixel.

ACamera is not equipped with an external microphone.

Panasonic DMC FT30 Video parameters:

Built-in wireless connectivity is not available with the Panasonic. You will need appropriate accessories to wirelessly transfer images between camera and smartphone.

Connect the Panasonic to a monitor or TV set over HDMI.

The Panasonic supports USB 2.0.

Connection parameters:

The camera supports SD HC and SD XC cards.

Memory cards characteristics:

The Panasonic DMC FT30 works with a BCK7E LiIon battery. The battery lifetime is an average 250 shots. That’s on the lower side of things for a full day, consider a spare battery for the DMC FT30.

The battery can be charged over USB while in camera. Very useful, especially on vacation when most people bring a USB charger for their smartphone anyway.

The DMC FT30’s battery battery parameters:

The Panasonic DMC FT30’s dimensions are 103.7 x 58.3 x 19.7mm³. (4.1″ x 2.3″ x 0.8″). This includes the lens. The camera’s weight is only 144 grams (4.6 oz.), lens included.

Here is front and top view of the DMC FT30:

To put the size of the camera in context, here it is next to a typical ID card (c. 86mm x 55mm, about the size of a credit card).

The DMC FT30 is not much bigger: