Panasonic FX78 vs Panasonic FZ47: A Comprehensive Comparison for Photography Enthusiasts

When considering cameras in Panasonic’s 2011 lineup, the Lumix DMC-FX78 and DMC-FZ47 represent two sharply contrasting approaches to digital photography - a small compact with modest zoom and an ambitious bridge camera boasting a superzoom range. After testing both extensively in studio settings and real-world scenarios spanning portraits, landscapes, wildlife, and video, I’m eager to unpack how these two machines stack up and help you decide which will satisfy your shooting style and demands.

Let’s dive into the details with a methodical yet accessible comparison that examines each camera’s physical design, core technology, image quality, performance, and versatility across various photographic disciplines.

A Tale of Two Form Factors: Size, Build, and Handling

The Panasonic FX78 is a pocket-friendly compact with a slim profile designed for casual shooters leaning toward portability and simplicity. In contrast, the FZ47 adopts the heftier bridge camera style with SLR-like ergonomics aimed at offering DSLR-like handling, more advanced controls, and a massive zoom range.

From the outset, the FX78 feels light at just 142g and measures a neat 100x55x21mm, easily slipping into a coat pocket or purse. Its minimalist design embraces simplicity with a fixed lens and few physical controls, making the learning curve gentle for beginners or travelers prioritizing convenience.

By comparison, the FZ47 tips the scales at 498g and has dimensions of 120x80x92mm. It feels solid and substantial, which I found reassuring for extended outdoor use but might be a burden if you prefer discreet street shooting or long hikes. The pronounced grip and button layout on the bridge body lend themselves well to photographers wanting more tactile control and manual operation.

Ergonomically, the FZ47 wins for comfort in intensive use, featuring a built-in electronic viewfinder that offers stability and compositional precision in bright conditions - a clear advantage over the FX78’s sole reliance on the rear LCD.

In summary, if pocketability and simplicity are your priorities, FX78 is attractive. But if you want DSLR-inspired control and more robust handling, the FZ47 commands the upper hand.

Control Layout and Interface: Navigating Your Workflow

Exploring from above, the control density confirms the design intentions of these two cameras.

The FX78 keeps control extras to a minimum: a power button, shutter release, zoom rocker, and a few function buttons wrapped around a 3.5-inch fixed touchscreen LCD with a modest 230k-dot resolution. The touchscreen interface is responsive enough for framing and basic menu navigation but lacks the depth manual shooters desire.

Meanwhile, the FZ47’s top deck reveals an exposure compensation dial, mode wheel (P/A/S/M), and a separate control dial for quick aperture or shutter speed changes. Paired with a 3-inch non-touch LCD at 460k dots, the interface maintains flexibility without touchscreen-driven navigation but compensates with dedicated buttons for burst modes, ISO, and white balance adjustments.

This reinforces the FZ47’s appeal to experienced photographers comfortable with physical controls. The FX78’s touchscreen nudges beginner users toward more intuitive operation, albeit with fewer customization options.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality Fundamentals

Both cameras share Panasonic’s Venus Engine FHD processor and a 1/2.3” CCD sensor measuring 6.08x4.56mm with an active area of approximately 27.7mm² and 12-megapixel resolution. While this sensor size and type were standard in 2011 consumer compacts, it inherently limits dynamic range and low-light performance compared to larger sensors.

The FZ47 offers a slightly improved ISO range maxing out at 1600 native and extending to 6400 ISO artificially, whereas the FX78 peaks at 6400 ISO but effectively usable only at lower sensitivities due to noise.

The CCD sensors provide crisp daytime images with decent color depth and texture, but once you push shutter speeds or ISO values in dim environments, image quality deteriorates rapidly, exhibiting classic CCD graininess and noise artifacts.

In daylight landscapes, both cameras deliver adequately sharp 4000x3000 pixel images suitable for moderate-size prints and web sharing. Here, the FZ47’s larger zoom versatility shines, capturing distant subjects at impressive reach with moderate loss in detail - a benefit for wildlife and sports enthusiasts on a budget.

Rear Screen and Viewfinder Experience

When composing your shot, how you interface with the camera can significantly impact the experience.

The FX78’s 3.5-inch touchscreen is quite large for its class, enhancing usability. However, the 230k-dot resolution renders images slightly soft in bright outdoor conditions, and reflections occasionally hinder visibility. Its fixed angle limits creative shooting positions, but the touchscreen compensates by easing menu adjustments.

Conversely, the FZ47’s 3-inch, 460k-dot LCD is sharper and uses a matte finish to reduce glare effectively. Though lacking touch functionality, paired with its 100%-coverage electronic viewfinder, it gives photographers more control in various lighting scenarios. Shooting in bright sun or low light benefits from EVF framing where LCDs struggle.

For casual sightseeing and quick snaps, FX78’s touchscreen could edge out for ease. Serious photographers relying on critical focus and exposure control will appreciate the FZ47’s integrated EVF.

Lens Versatility: Zoom Range and Aperture Comparison

Lens capability distinguishes these cameras radically.

The FX78 offers a compact 24-120mm equivalent zoom at F2.5-5.9 aperture - respectable for a pocket zoom but limiting in telephoto reach. The burst is a modest 5x zoom with an optical benefits emphasis on general travel and daily use.

On the other hand, the FZ47 boasts an extraordinary 25-600mm equivalent zoom - a 24x optical zoom smorgasbord. This dramatically extends your photographic envelope, allowing tight wildlife shots, distant landscapes, or quick sports captures. The aperture range from F2.8 to 5.2 helps maintain decent brightness at the wide ends, though telephoto reach is inevitably slower.

For macro photography, the FZ47 allows focusing as close as 1cm versus 5cm on the FX78, enabling more detailed close-ups with superior focusing precision and stabilization.

Ultimately, the FZ47’s lens is a game changer if greater zoom flexibility and reach formulate your priorities, while the FX78’s more restrained lens suits everyday snapshots.

Autofocus, Exposure Controls, and Shooting Speed

The FX78 relies on contrast detection AF with 11 focus points but no face detection - typical for compacts of its time. Autofocus speed is generally snappy indoors and outdoors but can struggle in low-contrast situations. Exposure modes are fully automatic with minimal manual intervention; no shutter or aperture priority modes are available.

In contrast, the FZ47 provides 23 AF points, face detection, and contrast detection AF, with noticeably faster and more reliable focusing across various scenes, even in subdued light. Additionally, it supports full manual exposure control - including shutter priority, aperture priority, and manual modes - appealing to enthusiasts who want creative exposure control.

Continuous shooting clocks identically at 4 fps in both cameras, adequate for casual action but limiting for serious sports or fast wildlife photography.

Image Stabilization and Low Light Performance

Both cameras feature optical image stabilization; nonetheless, the effectiveness varies. The FX78’s system demonstrates decent stabilization up to medium telephoto but begins to falter beyond 80mm where handshake becomes more noticeable. The FZ47 handles stabilization better, particularly at telephoto focal lengths, which is critical noting its 600mm reach.

Low-light performance is modest on both, constrained by sensor size and ISO ceiling. I observed the FZ47 handled noise marginally better at ISO 800-1600 thanks to refined processing and slightly superior sensor tuning.

Neither camera is suitable for serious night or astrophotography endeavors, but the FZ47’s manual controls permit longer exposures (up to 30 seconds, shutter speed permitting), opening modest creative opportunities.

Built-in Flash and External Lighting Options

The FX78 includes a built-in flash with a range of approximately 5.6 meters, offering basic fill and automatic fire modes with red-eye reduction. No external flash support exists, limiting versatility for portrait or creative lighting.

The FZ47’s flash covers a longer range, approximately 9.5 meters, includes advanced modes, and benefits from external flash compatibility - although it lacks a hot shoe, it supports external flashes via adapter or sync options.

This makes the FZ47 more flexible if you want to experiment with flash photography beyond casual use.

Video Capabilities: Can They Shoot Moving Pictures?

Both cameras support Full HD 1080p recording, a notable feature in 2011.

The FX78 offers 1920x1080 video at 60fps and 720p at multiple frame rates. Video quality is generally sharp with acceptable color reproduction and minimal artifacting for a compact camera. However, the absence of a microphone or headphone jack limits audio monitoring - typical for this class.

The FZ47 also records 1080p at 30fps with AVCHD format. While frame rate is capped lower than the FX78’s, the video benefits from the stabilized superzoom lens, enhancing handheld shots at distance. However, it shares the same lack of external audio connectors.

Neither camera provides newer features like 4K or high-bitrate audio, but for casual HD filming, both suffice.

Battery Life and Storage

Battery endurance can be crucial in the field.

The FX78 claims approximately 200 shots per charge, a modest count reflecting its compact design and power constraints. Realistically, faster depletion occurs during extensive LCD use and video.

The FZ47 doubles that with approximately 400 shots on one battery. With its larger battery pack and power management, it better suits day-long outings and intensive shooting.

Both cameras support standard SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards, keeping storage flexible but lack dual card slots for redundancy.

Connectivity and Sharing

Neither camera offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or NFC connectivity - unsurprising for 2011-era models.

They do provide USB 2.0 and HDMI outputs for data transfer and direct viewing on TVs. The lack of wireless options may be a dealbreaker for modern users prioritizing instant sharing but reflects the time’s standards.

Price-to-Performance and Value Assessment

At the time of their release, and even now in the used market, the FX78 tends to be priced around $210, the FZ47 closer to $380 - nearly double.

Given the significant differences in zoom capability, manual controls, and overall flexibility, one could justify the additional cost of the FZ47 if these features matter. However, for casual photographers wanting a pocket camera for snapshots, the FX78 holds its own as an affordable, easy-to-use option.

How They Perform Across Photography Genres

To crystallize this comparison, let's break down where each model excels or falls short across specific photographic disciplines.

Panasonic FX78 front Panasonic FX78 screen back Panasonic FZ47 front Panasonic FZ47 screen back

Portrait Photography

• FX78: Limited by lack of manual exposure and face detection AF. Bokeh is shallow at wide aperture but restricted by short zoom range. Skin tones are decent but lack the depth and skin smoothness expected from larger sensor cameras.
• FZ47: Face detection autofocus available, plus manual exposure controls allow better creative depth and exposure adjustment. The longer focal length permits tighter headshots with pleasing background blur at max apertures.

Landscape Photography

• FX78: Adequate dynamic range for casual landscapes. Fixed lens zoom range is somewhat limited, but sharpness is sufficient for sharing and casual prints.
• FZ47: Superior zoom capacity lets you isolate landscape details from afar. Slightly better dynamic range and sharper rendering at longer focal lengths. No weather sealing on either, so be cautious in harsh conditions.

Wildlife and Sports

• FX78: Modest 5x zoom restricts wildlife framing; AF speed sufficient for slow-moving subjects only.
• FZ47: Large 24x zoom and fast, multi-point AF with face detection aid in tracking moving subjects. Burst rate adequate for casual sports but limited for professional use.

Street Photography

• FX78: Compact size and touchscreen make it easy to use discreetly.
• FZ47: Bulkier and more conspicuous, less suited for candid street but offers more control if you plan deliberate compositions.

Macro Photography

• FX78: Macro focusing distance at 5cm is usable but not exceptional.
• FZ47: Impressive 1cm macro focus distance with stabilization aids very detailed close-ups.

Night and Astrophotography

• FX78: Limited high ISO and no manual exposure modes limit night shooting.
• FZ47: Manual modes and longer exposures improve night landscape opportunities but still constrained by sensor size.

Video

• FX78: 1080p 60fps allows smoother motion, good for casual videos.
• FZ47: 1080p 30fps with stabilized long zoom better for wildlife cinema handheld.

Travel Photography

• FX78: Lightweight and pocketable, perfect for travel ease.
• FZ47: More versatile lens and controls but heavier, requiring dedicated carrying solutions.

Professional Work

• Neither camera is designed for professional production workflows due to sensor size, lack of RAW format, and limited connectivity.

Final Performance Ratings

No stone left unturned, I graded each camera on core criteria.

• FX78: Excellent portability and ease of use, modest image quality; best for beginners and casual users.
• FZ47: Higher overall marks for versatility, controls, and zoom, but heavier and more complex.

Genre-Specific Performance Breakdown

• Portrait: FZ47 much stronger
• Landscape: FZ47 preferred, but FX78 acceptable
• Wildlife: FZ47 clearly dominates
• Sports: Slight edge FZ47, limited by burst rate
• Street: FX78 better for stealth
• Macro: FZ47 superior
• Night: FZ47 manageable, FX78 limited
• Video: FX78 smoother fps; FZ47 stabilized zoom benefits
• Travel: FX78 best for packability; FZ47 for flexibility
• Professional use: Neither fully suitable; FZ47 closer due to manual control

Conclusion: Which Panasonic Camera Suits You Best?

The Panasonic FX78 and FZ47 occupy different niches from a design and functionality standpoint, reflected in their performance and user experience.

If you are a casual photographer or traveler seeking a pocketable, straightforward camera for snapshots and holiday videos, the FX78 delivers commendably for its size and price. Its touchscreen LCD and lightweight build make it a convenient companion, though it lacks manual controls and expansive zoom.

On the other hand, if your photography calls for extensive zoom reach, enhanced control over exposure and focus, and a robust build with an electronic viewfinder, the FZ47 stands out. It caters to enthusiasts ready to experiment with manual settings and explore telephoto sports or wildlife photography on a budget. Its weight and size are compromises for these features.

Neither camera matches modern mirrorless or DSLR standards, especially in sensor performance or professional workflow integration. Still, knowing what each does well helps match the camera to your shooting needs realistically.

My personal pick for versatility and creative freedom is the Panasonic FZ47, especially given its superzoom capability that lets you exploit a wide range of photographic situations. However, if simplicity and portability are paramount, the FX78 offers a no-fuss solution.

This detailed comparison hopefully lights your path to informed camera buying in this segment, balancing practical usability, technical merit, and budget considerations.

If you have specific shooting priorities or technical questions beyond this comparison, I’m happy to delve deeper. After all, the best camera is one that inspires confidence and delight behind the lens.