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Panasonic debuts Lumix FP5, FP7, FH5 and FH2 ultraslim compact cameras
It ain't Photokina, and it ain't PMA, but darn if the cameras aren't rolling out left and right here at the 2011 edition of CES. This evening, it's Panasonic's turn, and we've got four new Lumix point-and-shoots to discuss in more detail below: For starters, we've got a pair of newcomers to the Lumix FH series, the FH5 and FH2. Both of these are sporting sleek, svelte exteriors, with the DMC-FH5 nabbing a 16 megapixel sensor and the DMC-FH2 stepping down to 14 megapixels. Both of 'em feature a newly-developed retractable 28mm wide-angle lens, a 4x optical zoom and a 720p movie mode. You'll also find a newly-incorporated Venue Engine VI, which hastens startup and overall reaction times. Mega optical image stabilization, face detection and an intelligent scene selector are all included, as is the Lumix Image Uploader to get your shots up onto the web, STAT. Pricing on this duo is expected at a later date, though we are told that the FH5 will ship in silver, violet, black and gold, while the FH2 dons black, red, pink and blue outfits. Looking for something with a bit more pizazz? The ultrathin FP series is growing by two today as well, with the 16.1 megapixel DMC-FP7 and 14.1 megapixel DMC-FP5 offering up a sexy exterior, 4x optical zoom and a 720p movie mode. The FP7 goes with a mirror-like finish, while the FP5 sticks with matte. The FP7 (shown above) also has a nicer-than-average rear, with a 3.5-inch LCD; the FP5 steps it down ever-so-slightly to a 3.0-incher. Both models include Smart Touch Screens that enable shooters to tweak lots of settings within hitting a single physical button, and the FP7 goes one step further by offering one-touch re-touching. The duo also incorporates Panny's Venus Engine VI, mega optical image stabilization, face detection, an intelligent scene selector and a dedicated iA button. Pricing remains a mystery for these as well, but you can decide between red, blue and black on the FP7 or black, pink, silver and blue on the FP5. %Gallery-112599% %Gallery-112598%
Panasonic teases a 13.2MP 'Lumix phone' for October 5 unveiling
Looks like we'll soon have another heavyweight to throw into the renewed cameraphone wars, as Panasonic has put up a teaser site for its first Lumix-branded phone. Lumix is of course Panasonic's camera label, which counts among its luminary membership the likes of the GF1 and the newly refreshed LX5. The new phone shooter promises to beat both in terms of pure resolution with its 13.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, which is accompanied by a 3.3-inch LCD atop a 146-gram body. Much like Nokia's N8 and its protruding sensor compartment, this Lumix handset will have to make room for its expanded imaging equipment, which is why it'll offer a comparatively chubby 17.7mm thickness, to go along with a 116mm height and 52mm width. We'll know more next week when CEATEC 2010 gets rolling over in Tokyo. [Thanks, Anton] P.S. -- It's also noteworthy that Panasonic's press release indicates a folding mechanism for this handset, which, given current trends in Japan, makes it most likely to be a clamshell device. It's also got some DLNA voodoo inside and is coming out by the end of this fiscal year (April 2011).
Panasonic churns out DMC-FX66, DMC-TS2, DMC-ZS5, DMC-ZS7 and DMC-ZR3 Lumix compacts
Panasonic's just announced quite a handful of Lumix compact cameras, featuring both the new Venus Engine VI and Venus Engine HD II that claim to perform quicker with better noise reduction. What's more exciting is that these are all compatible with the forthcoming SDXC cards too, but check out their "Happy Mode" -- it makes photos "more vivid and true to the color of the scene you memorized." Yeah, as if we'd want photos that are more, um, real. Anyway, let's break it down here (clockwise from top left; non-US model numbers in brackets): DMC-FX66: This one's a 14.1 megapixel slim camera with an F2.8-5.9 25-125mm (5x zoom) ultra-wide-angle lens (with Power O.I.S lens-shift stabilization). The 720p video capture and 1.06 second start-up time are sweet too, but no AVCHD Lite here. On the back there's a 2.7-inch 230k-dot screen with wide viewing angle. All this is just 5.11 ounces including battery. DMC-TS2 (FT2): This camera has a lot in common with the FX66 above -- same sensor, same image stabilization, same scene modes (but with three extra), same focus modes and same screen. The main differences are its AVCHD Lite 720p video format, F3.3-5.9 28-128mm (4.6x) lens and added ruggedness -- waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit and dustproof. It's of course slightly heavier too -- 6.63 ounces including battery. DMC-ZS5 (TZ8) and DMC-ZS7 (TZ10): These two appear to be twins, except the former has a smaller screen (2.7-inch with 230k dots instead of 3-inch with 460k dots) and lacks GPS, AVCHD Lite and mini-HDMI port. Both do 12.1 megapixel pictures and 720p videos, have F3.3-4.9 25-300mm (12x) lens with lens-shift stabilization, and have identical scene and focus modes. With battery these weigh 7.55 ounces and 7.69 ounces respectively. DMC-ZR3 (ZX3): Whoa! Another 14.1 megapixel camera which does AVCHD Lite. The specs are almost identical to the TS2 except for the lens (F3.3-5.9 25-200mm 8x ultra-wide-angle) and lack of ruggedness. It weighs 5.61 ounces with battery. Phew! No prices or availability announced yet, so take your time with picking out your favorite.%Gallery-83904%
Panasonic's CES Lumix sextet leaked: FP and FH models galore
Looks like some Asian website, as Photo Rumors puts it, made a boo-boo and published its Panasonic point-and-shoot a tad early. Specs for six (and press photos for four) Lumix cameras have come to light. Here's what's the gang reportedly found, in a nutshell: the very compact, 14.1-megapixel FP3 has a 3-inch touchscreen LCD, 4x zoom, shoots 720p 30 frames per second video, and comes in a variety of colors; the FP1 similar in stature but with 12.1 megapixels and a 2.7-inch non-touchscreen LCD instead. The Lumix F3 drops the "very compact" look of the FP1 but is also 12.1 megapixels / 3x zoom, 720p 30fps video, and 2.7-inch LCD. The FH20 has a 14.1 megapixel sensor, 8x zoom, 720p video, and a Venus Engine IV image processor, which is also reportedly claimed by the FH1 (12 megapixels, 5x zoom) and FH3 (14.1 megapixels, 5x zoom). It's just that time of the season, eh?
