Panasonic Unveils 4 Lumix Cameras

By Greg Tarr -- TWICE, 1/31/2012

Secaucus, N.J. - Panasonic introduced Monday four Lumix point-and-shoot digital cameras from its ZS and TS series, with models addressing the latest trends for long-zoom lenses, strong low-light performance and quality HD video capture.

Panasonic's Lumix TS4 ($400 suggested retail) Tough-series camera is waterproof to 40 feet and includes a 12.1MP CMOS sensor.

Two new ZS-series models include the DMC-ZS20 (shipping in March at a $350 suggested retail) and DMC-ZS15 (shipping in March at a $280 suggested retail).

The DMC-ZS20 is billed as "the world's slimmest" 20x optical zoom digital camera.  The nano surface coated Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens range starts at a wide 24mm and enables the camera to capture FullHD 1080/60p video in AVCHD Progress MPEG-4 format.

Another key feature is built-in GPS functionality to pinpoint locations where photos were taken from map data installed onto the camera from the supplied DVD.

The camera includes a 14.1-megapixel (MP) MOS sensor, an advanced Venus Engine image processor, a 10 fps burst shooting capability, Light Speed autofocus (AF) system, and an SDXC/SDHC/SD memory card slot,

The ZS20 also has manual control options, allowing shutter speed and aperture adjustment, and 3D Photo Mode. It also adds a new High Dynamic Range (HDR) system together with Power optical image stabilization with Active Mode to suppress image blurring from hand-shake. Other features include AF tracking, intelligent ISO control, face recognition, intelligent scene selector, intelligent handheld n ightshot, Motion Deblur mode, Intelligent Burst mode and Intelligent Exposure allows users to point and shoot, leaving the camera to do all the work, the company said. 

It has a 3.0-inch LCD touchscreen with control of AF, touch zoom or touch shutter during recording.

The Lumix DMC-ZS15 features 16x optical/32x digital intelligent zoom starting at a 24mm ultra-wide angle, 12.1MP MOS sensor, 3.0-inch intelligent LCD, up to FullHD 1080/60i video capture in AVCHD and 1080/30p in MP4 format

The company also introduced a new high-performance camera in its Tough series, model DMC-TS4 (shipping in March at a $400 suggested retail). It includes a built-in GPS system, compass, altimeter and barometer, and is waterproof to 40 feet, shockproof from a drop of 6.6 feet, freeze proof to 14 degrees F, and dustproof.

It also includes a Leica DC Vario-ELMAR lens with a 4.6x optical zoom (35mm equivalent: 28-128mm), a 12.1MP high-speed CCD sensor and advanced LSI Venus Engine image processor. It will record video at up to FullHD 1080 in AVCHD and MP4 formats.

Shooting modes include Time Lapse Shot, Miniature Effect and Panorama Shot.

The company also unveiled the Lumix TS20 (shipping in late February at a $180 suggested retail) in its Tough series, which is waterproof to 16 feet, shockproof to approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters), dustproof, and freeze proof to temperatures as low as 14-degrees F.

The TS20 includes 16.1-megapixel resolution and has a flat and slim profile with a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and a 4x optical zoom (35mm equivalent: 25-100mm). 

The TS20's zoom extends to an 8x equivalent with the Intelligent Zoom function and can shoot 720/30p HD video in the MP4 format.

It includes a 4x optical zoom that is available during video recording and includes a dedicated video record button for rapid switching between still photos and videos.

The TS20 has a 2.7-inch intelligent LCD, MEGA OIS, AF tracking, intelligent ISO control, face recognition, intelligent scene selector and intelligent exposure.

Picture modes include a Miniature Effect.