Panasonic's 2010 entry compact — 12MP CCD, 28-140mm 5x Mega O.I.S. zoom, 720p video; US name FH1
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS10 was a 2010 entry-level compact in the FS series, announced in January of that year alongside the FS11. In North America the same camera was sold as the Lumix DMC-FH1. It brought a 28mm wide-angle and 5x zoom to Panasonic's budget tier at a time when cheap compacts often started at 35mm.
It paired a 12-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD with a stabilised 28-140mm equivalent f/2.8-6.9 zoom using Mega O.I.S., driven by the Venus Engine IV processor. A 2.7-inch LCD, 720p HD video in Motion JPEG, and Extra Optical Zoom to 9.8x at reduced resolution completed the package. Storage was SD/SDHC and power a proprietary lithium-ion battery.
The FS10 suits casual shooters and buyers of inexpensive CCD compacts: the wide-to-tele range covers holidays and family use, and stabilisation compensates somewhat for the slow long end. Operation is fully automatic with scene modes, so anyone wanting exposure control should look further up the 2010 Lumix range.
Check used examples for a working battery and charger, since the proprietary pack is the usual missing item. Test the lens for extension errors and the video mode with an SDHC card, and inspect the screen for delamination. As a high-volume budget model, many surviving units led hard lives, so favour sellers who show the camera powered on with sample images.