Panasonic's 2007 flagship slim compact — 12MP 1/1.72in CCD, 28-100mm f/2.8 Leica lens, Mega OIS.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX100 was announced in May 2007 as the flagship of the FX line of stylish slim compacts, claimed at launch as the world's first 12-megapixel compact with a 28mm wide-angle lens. It sat above the FX30 and FX12 in the range and targeted buyers wanting maximum resolution in a dressy pocket body.
It used a 12.2-megapixel CCD of the relatively large 1/1.72-inch type behind a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 3.6x zoom covering 28-100mm equivalent with an f/2.8 wide-end aperture, stabilised by Mega OIS. A 2.5-inch LCD handled framing, shutter speeds ran from 8s to 1/2000s with 9-point autofocus, and video could be captured at 1280x720 at 15fps. Storage used SD/SDHC cards and the proprietary battery was rated around 320 shots per CIPA.
The FX100 suits used-market buyers after a compact with a wider, brighter lens and a larger-than-average CCD from the pre-smartphone era; the 28mm end helps interiors and landscapes. Cramming 12 megapixels onto the sensor drew period criticism for noise at higher ISOs, so it rewards base-ISO daylight shooting where the resolution genuinely shows.
Confirm the proprietary battery holds charge and a charger is included, and test the zoom and OIS by half-pressing in low shutter conditions. Inspect the lens front element for cleaning marks common on pocketed compacts, verify SDHC cards mount, and shoot a plain bright frame to check the ageing CCD for lines or blotches before purchase.