Secaucus, N.J. –
took the wraps off of five Lumix
digital cameras, including models with SLR-like burst shooting capability.
The new Lumix
additions include the TS10, FX700, FZ40, FZ100 and LX5.
Panasonic said the
Lumix LX5 (shipping in August at a $500 suggested retail) is targeting the
“high level amateur” photographer. It offers a 3.8x F2.0 (24mm-90mm equivalent)
Leica Summicron lens, and a 10-megapixel 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor.
It will record HD
video in 720p AVCHD Lite format and will store high-resolution still images in
RAW format.
The camera also has
a 3-inch 460,000 pixel LCD monitor and will accept an optional add-on color
electronic viewfinder (DMW-LVF1, $199 suggested retail) that mounts on the camera’s
shoe to provide live-view framing.
The camera will be
available in a choice of black or pearl white.
The LX5 includes
an improved image sensor with expanded dynamic range that increases sensitivity
and saturation. A deepened photo diode is said to receive more light for better
low-light shooting performance, which is further improved through the Venus
Engine FHD processor that features enhanced noise-reduction capability for higher
speed shooting performance.
The ISO speed is
rated at up 3,200 at full resolution and up to 12,800 max at reduced resolution
after 3,200.
Panasonic includes
a Sonic Speed autofocus system with a 0.3-second auto focusing time enabling up
to 3 picture per second burst-shooting speed at full resolution.
Image blurring is
reduced using a Power Optical Image Stabilization system.
The FX700
(shipping in mid-August at $400) offers a 14-megapixel MOS sensor that will
record stills and FullHD 1080/60i video.
The FX700 is
capable of high-speed burst shooting at up to 10 fps burst shooting. The FX700
includes a redesigned Leica Summicron 5x/f2.2 optical zoom lens and a 3-inch touchpanel
LCD with 230,000 dots of resolution.
It has manual exposure
control, a RAW image capture option, and will ship in a choice of black or
silver.
New in the Lumix
FZ series is the DMC-FZ100 (shipping in mid-August at $500) and DMC-FZ40
(shipping in late August at $400); both offer a powerful 24x optical zoom and
creative manual operations to present greater creative control.
The FZ40 includes
a 14.1-megapixel CCD while the faster FZ100 adds a 14.1-megapixel MOS sensor.
Both have 25mm ultra-wide angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lenses and a new image-processing
system that achieves high picture quality for both still images and videos.
The FZ100 is
billed as a sports camera with high-speed shooting at up to 11fps using a mechanical
shutter or 60fps at reduced 2.5-megapixel resolution using an electronic
shutter. It records HD video in 1080i format while the FZ40 records in up to
720p format in AVCHD Lite mode.
A separate
dedicated button is added to the cameras for video shooting.
Other features
include Intelligent Resolution technology, which leads to optimum signal
processing, a Sonic Speed Auto Focus (AF) system and high-speed start-up.
The Lumix FZ40 has
upgraded intuitive manual and creative controls including the new jog dial
which helps to elevate the camera’s operability. The jog dial is a focus button
which allows users to change settings quickly, including shutter speed and
aperture, depending on the shooting conditions. A new My Color mode that
appears in Lumix G Micro System cameras is available in both still and movie
modes, and gives users suite of options, including new Pin Hole, Film Grain,
High Dynamic and High Dynamic B&W.
Other core
features include Intelligent Auto (iA) mode and dual Power OIS, and Mega OIS
systems to remove blurring from camera movement.
A 3-inch 230,000-dot
intelligent LCD monitor is added. Also included is a Wind Cut function that blocks
out noise from background wind when shooting video.
The TS series Lumix
DMC-TS10 (shipping in mid-September at $250) is designed for rugged performance
out or indoors. It features a flat, slim profile, a folded optics design, 4x
optical zoom lens, and the new 14.1-megapixel sensor with a Venus Engine IV
processor with advanced signal-processing technology.
The TS10 is
waterproof to 10 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, dustproof and cold-proof to 14
degrees F. It ships with a silicone
jacket for further protection.
Core features
include iA mode, Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO control, Face Detection, Intelligent
Scene Selector and six scene modes — Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait,
Night Scenery and Sunset.
Also included is a
Quick AF system and 720p HD movie capture in Motion JPG format.
The camera’s
2.7-inch 230,000-dot intelligent LCD automatically detects light on the screen
and boosts the LCD backlighting by 40 percent when shooting outdoors in bright
sunshine.
