Sextet of pocketcams announced by Panasonic

By John Mello on January 28, 2009 6:08 PM

Less than two weeks after it announced a trio of new economy pocket shooters, Panasonic pulled the wraps off a sextet of high-powered ultracompacts. The new sixsome, scheduled to arrive at retailers in April, range in price from $250-$400 and contain an array of cutting-edge features.

The 12.1 megapixel Lumix DMC-FX580 has a three-inch touch-screen LCD and a beefed up version of Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) mode. That mode activates optical image stabilization, face detection, autofocus tracking, intelligent exposure and intelligent scene recognition with the touch of a single button.

New to the iA mix is Face Recognition. When it's activated, the camera will remember faces and optimize their capture whenever they appear in future shots. The technology can also be used to sort photos based on mugs stored in the face recognition database.

The snapper also features a 5x optical wide (25mm equivalent) zoom with 1280 x 720 HD video capture at 30 frames per second, maximum light sensitivity of ISO 6400 and a Panorama mode for both horizontal and vertical stretchies. The FX580 is expected to sell for $399.95.

Lensslingers looking for a tough camera can find one in the new DMC-TS1. The 12.1MP shooter is waterproof to 10 feet, shockproof from a height of five feet and dustproof. The unit, which has 4.6x wide (28mm equivalent) optical zoom and 2.7-inch, 230,000 dot LCD, captures HD video in a new format, AVCHD Lite and sound using Dolby Digital Creator. Audio is further enhanced with "wind cut," a technology for blocking out the noise from the wind when shooting a video clip. The bytecam also has the beefed up version of iA and a Flash Burst mode for sequential shooting of flash pictures. The TS1 is also priced at $399.95.

Two new ZS models were also introduced by Panasonic. Both the DMC-ZS3 and DMC-ZS1 have 10.1MP sensors, 12x wide (25mm equivalent) optical zooms and support AVDHC Lite video capture. The Z3 has a larger LCD--three inches, 460,000 dots, compared to 2.7 inches, 230,000 dots for ZS1--and its iA set supports Face Recognition while the ZS1's doesn't. The ZS3 has a higher pricetag, too, $399.95, compared to $299.95 for the ZS1.

Another 12.1MP announced by Panasonic was the DMC-FX58, which has a 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot LCD and 5x wide (25mm equivalent) optical zoom. It also supports 1280 x 720 HD video at 30fps and has a Panorama mode, as well as iA with Face Recognition. The FX48 is priced at $349.95.

The lowest priced camera of the bunch is the DMC-FS25. The 12.1MP shooter has a three-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom, iA sans Face Recognition and 848 x 480 WVGA video capture at 30fps. The FS25 will sell for $249.95.