In advance of next month’s PMA International Trade Show, Panasonic has released details of four new digital still cameras that are due for worldwide release in March.
 January 24, 2006: In advance of next month’s PMA International Trade Show, Panasonic has released details of four new digital still cameras that are due for worldwide release in March. Top of the range is the 6-megapixel DMC-FZ7 Lumix, which boasts a Leica lens with 12x optical zoom plus Mega O.I.S. image stabilisation. A new High Sensitivity Mode, which takes the ISP setting up to 1600, has been added to allow users to capture shots in dim lighting and the Venus Engine II LSI processor delivers digital photos with high definition and accurate colours. It also improves the camera’s responsiveness, making it ideal for family photographers. The mode dial carries the expected P, A, S and M settings plus Macro and Movie modes. A SCN position opens a menu of 15 scene pre-sets to assist n0vice photographers and there’s also a Simple mode (denoted by a heart icon) that handles everything automatically. The camera is fitted with a large 3.5-inch polycrystalline TFT LCD that has a power-up mode to brighten the display by approximately 1.4 times to improve its readability in bright sunlight. It also has an automatic Bright Live View mode that adjusts the display to improve visibility in dimly-lit scenes. A new High Angle Mode allows the LCD to be used for framing shots when the camera is held above the user’s eyeline. Photographers can select from three aspect ratios when shooting: the standard 4:3 and 3:2 plus a ‘widescreen’ 16:9 setting for shots that will be displayed on widescreen TV sets. Shots can be played back singly or in thumbnail size with nine or 25 images at a time. Auto rotation is also provided to make shots taken with the camera held vertically are easier to view. The FZ7 also supports VGA movie capture at 30 fps and has a burst capture rate of three fps for up to 13 shots in Standard mode.  The Lumix DMC-LZ5 and DMC-LZ3 models are similar in structure and functionality but differ in resolution. The LZ5 model, which is available in black or silver, has a 6-megapixel CCD, while the LZ3 has 5-megapixels. Both models are equipped with a retracting 6x optical zoom lens (37-222mm equivalent in 35mm format) plus Mega O.I.S. stabilisation. Both also include the same High Sensitivity Mode as the FZ7 plus  The new entry-level Lumix DMC-LS 2 has a 5-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom lens and 2.0-inch LCD plus Mega O.I.S. stabilisation. This model also features Venus Engine Plus LSI processing and its mode dial has settings for Simple, Program AE, Macro, Playback, Movie and Economy modes plus two SCN settings covering 14 scene pre-sets. The new Baby mode allows users to record the baby’s age in months and days on a shot, along with the date on which the picture was taken. Details of local release dates and pricing will be posted on this website when they are available. For full product information, visit www.panasonic.co.jp. |
