Panasonic launches Lumix DMC-LX3 digital camera with 10.1 megapixels

New LUMIX DMC-LX3 Combines Enhanced CCD Technology, LEICA Lens, and a Wide-Range of Manual Shooting Controls For Increased Creativity

 

Panasonic just introduced the LUMIX DMC-LX3 digital camera, the successor to the highly-regarded and popular DMC-LX2.  Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, 10.1 megapixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model.  By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography.

 

At the heart of the DMC-LX3, is its 1/1.63-inch CCD.  Making the intentional choice to limit the number of megapixels to 10.1 on its CCD, Panasonic was able to give more space for each pixel and also redesigned the peripheral circuits and other components to further minimize noise generation.  As a result, sensitivity is almost 40 percent higher and saturation is increased by 35 percent, when compared to Panasonic’s 10 MP digital cameras*, giving the DMC-LX3 outstanding image quality and a wide dynamic range, and meeting the demand for a camera that works optimally in low-light environments.  The CCD is also capable of reproducing images in three aspect ratios – 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9.  The new Multi Aspect mode allows the camera to take an image in all three aspect ratios simultaneously, allowing users to choose the version that best suits their needs.

 

“With the strong response towards the DMC-LX2, Panasonic has taken its technology a step further by upgrading several key components that we think will make the LX3 another win,” said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.  “With the enhanced CCD and extensive manual and automatic functions, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for photographers looking for a full-featured compact digital camera with some DSLR-like characteristics and a wide-range of optional accessories.”

 

Another major upgrade to the LX3 is the F2.0 24mm ultra wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens.  The F2.0 is about twice as bright as a F2.8 lens and can shoot at higher shutter speeds to capture clear, blur-free images in dimly lit environments.  In addition, the 24mm lens captures approximately a 213% larger viewing space than a normal 35mm camera and 136% larger compared to a 28mm wide-angle lens.  The lens unit consists of eight elements in six groups with four aspherical lenses with four aspherical surfaces.  As a result of the F2.0 lens, the LX3 produces high resolution and minimal distortion and artifacts – such as chromatic aberrations, ghosting and flaring. 

 

The LX3 also incorporates the Venus Engine IV, which provides more advanced signal processing technology for producing higher-quality images with reduced noise in both luminance signal and chromatic signal processing – as compared to the Venus Engine III. 

The Venus Engine IV supports high sensitivity recording enabling the DMC-LX3 to record at up to ISO 3200 at full resolution and even up to ISO 6400 when using high sensitivity mode, enough to capture subjects in low lighting without using a flash**.  The Venus Engine IV also supports a faster response time, allowing the camera to shoot 2.5 shots per second at full resolution and six shots per second in High-Speed Burst mode. 

 

The easy-to-use joystick operation which was featured in its predecessor continues with the LX3, as its intuitive design makes selecting different settings on the camera, including focus, aperture and shutter speed – easy and quick.  Other convenient design elements include a switch on the side of the lens barrel that allows the user to quickly change the focus modes between Manual Focus, Auto Focus and Macro Auto Focus.  When choosing Manual Focus, the focus distance and the depth of field according to the zoom range and aperture is also displayed.  For setting white balance, the LX3 provides a new color temperature display function, and still includes the Two-Axis white balance adjustment settings offered in previous models.  Users can also customize and store their own personal settings of up to four unique functions and instantly recall them later using the mode dial. 

 

Furthering its creative options, the LX3 also features a Film mode with six color types and three types of monochrome selections.  Much like selecting from different film types, this function gives the user the flexibility and creative freedom to take more expressive digital photos.  Also, when using the Multi-film mode, the LX3 produces a maximum of three images from a RAW file for the user to compare the different textures.  Another new feature is the multiple-exposure feature, which lets the user create artistic photos by overlaying up to three consecutive images; while still viewing the last image on the 3.0-inch LCD screen.  The LCD on the LX3 is new and improved with a 460,000-dot high resolution.

 

While the LX3 allows full manual control for more advanced photography, it also includes Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode (iA), including the new feature, AF (auto focus) Tracking.  AF Tracking automatically tracks the image subject and locks it into focus, making it easier for anyone to capture sharp, well-focused photos.  The AF Tracking technology also improves face detection accuracy, allowing for crisp, sharp-focused shots even if the subject moves or turns their face.  Other iA technologies include Intelligent Exposure, Digital Red-eye Correction, MEGA O.I.S, Intelligent ISO, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection (up to 15 faces) and Quick AF.

 

The DMC-LX3 has the ability to record High Definition (HD) video in 1280 x 720p at 24fps.  With the newly added HD component output capability, still and moving pictures can be viewed by connecting the camera to a TV via an optional component cable (DMW-HDC2).  In addition, the LX3 features Image Leveling, so when a captured image “leans” to the right or left because the camera was held at a slight angle when the photo was taken, this feature rotates the image to straighten it and crops the unnecessary edges.

 

A number of accessories are also available to further expand the flexibility of the LX3 as more than just a typical point-and-shoot camera.  The optional Wide Conversion Lens (DMW-LW46) brings the maximum wide angle to 18mm.  Other optional accessories include: ND Filter (DMW-LND46)***, the new PL Filter (DMW-LPL46), the high-end aluminum External Optical Viewfinder (DMW-VF1); the GN22 Compact Flash mounts to the LX3’s hot shoe – a new feature for the LX-Series.

 

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX3 will be available in silver and black in August 2008 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $499.95.

 

*Compared with Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX35 with 1/2.33” CCD.

** In 3-megapixel (4:3), 2.5-megapixel (3:2), 2-megapixel (16:9( recording.

*** Requires a lens adapter DMW-LA4.

Canon release the Powershot SD1100 IS

Every Shade of Individuality…for a Camera that’s “All about You!”
Color communicates. It introduces you before you say a word, making the PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH the ultimate image-maker. Five fashion-forward hues expressed in pure aluminum add a new burst of excitement to Canon’s Perpetual Curve design. Of course, a camera that brings out the best in you also delivers Canon’s most advanced technology features. Call it style with substance, for a new level of picture-taking pleasure. 

Features 
Refined and stylish 8.0 Megapixel Digital ELPH with 3x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer.

Stand out from the crowd and personalize your preference with 5 luxurious colors: Rhythm & Blue, Swing Silver, Melody Pink, Bohemian Brown and Golden Tone.

Enhanced Canon Face Detection Technology automatically sets focus, exposure, flash and white balance for greater shooting freedom.

Motion Detection Technology automatically reduces blur by calculating subject movement and selecting ideal exposure and ISO settings.

2.5-inch PureColor LCD II for bright, accurate color with better viewing from wide angles.

DIGIC III Image Processor for sharper images and improved functionality.

Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select PIXMA Photo Printers and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers.

For a World that’s as Sharp as You. Refined and stylish 8.0 Megapixel Digital ELPH with 3x Optical Zoom and Optical Image Stabilizer. With 8.0-megapixel technology at its heart, PowerShot SD1100 IS Digital ELPH brings you high resolution images that maintain their sharpness and vivid impact even when they’re enlarged and cropped. The 3x Optical Zoom is a clear winner when it comes to getting up close and personal. And Canon’s invaluable Optical Image Stabilizer reduces the blur of camera movement, even in tricky low light situations. 

New 10 Megapixel Camera from Kodak

Kodak Announces New 10-Megapixel High Zoom Digital Camera that Places Advanced Features and High Performance into the Palm of Your Hand

At the Photo Marketing Association Show, Eastman Kodak announced the latest addition to its award-winning line of KODAK EASYSHARE Consumer Digital Cameras. The KODAK EASYSHARE Z1012 IS Zoom Digital Camera – with 10-megapixel resolution and 12X optical zoom with optical image stabilization – brings an advanced, high performance feature set to a compact size that is ready to go anywhere your life takes you. “With the newest addition to the EasyShare family, Kodak is making it even easier for consumers to capture life’s high performance memories,” said Pierre Schaeffer, chief marketing officer, Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging Group. “The smart technology found on the KODAK EASYSHARE Z1012 IS enables consumers to capture life’s most important moments and seamlessly bring their pictures to life on vivid prints, HD displays and wireless picture frames.”

The KODAK EASYSHARE Z1012 IS features a robust suite of exclusive features that capture detailed pictures in the most challenging settings, yet its compact body can fit in the palm of your hand. The Z1012 IS is packed with smart features that make great picture taking incredibly simple, including:

• Best in class click-to-capture speed (0.14 sec) and auto-focus accuracy.
• Kodak’s innovative smart capture technology automatically identifies the scene and adjusts the settings to deliver a great picture in almost any environment.
• Capture the details in low light conditions and fast action situations with high ISO (up to 3,200).
• Get creative with advanced settings including program, aperture and shutter priority, as well as full manual mode (PASM).
• Face detection locates faces and automatically adjusts the camera settings.
• Express yourself with the multimedia slideshow feature: combine your pictures with music and transition effects right on camera.

Your Pictures and Videos in High Definition

The Z1012 IS and all KODAK EASYSHARE Digital Cameras announced at CES are HD-capable, capturing still pictures and video in high definition. Viewing the HD pictures is simple, thanks to the KODAK EASYSHARE HDTV Dock. Available as an optional accessory to the KODAK EASYSHARE System, the HDTV Dock connects to your HDTV to process and display pictures from HD-enabled KODAK Digital Cameras, SD Memory -Cards or USB drives to deliver an outstanding visual experience. 

Pricing and Availability

The KODAK EASYSHARE Z1012 IS will retail for US $299.95 (MSRP). All KODAK Products listed in this release will be available at retail and online at Kodak.com in the first half of 2008.

PANASONIC EXPANDS ITS TZ-FAMILY OF LUMIX COMPACT, its the TZ5 and TZ4

Panasonic just introduced two new additions to its award-winning TZ-family of LUMIX digital cameras, the DMC-TZ5 and DMC-TZ4 – both packing a 28mm wide-angle, 10X optical zoom Leica DC lens in a compact design, ideal for the active user needing a versatile camera.  By combining a 28mm wide-angle lens, which lets the user capture a wider-framed shot when compared to a traditional 35mm camera, with the TZ-Series 10x optical zoom – consumers are empowered to take expanded shots, both wide and far.  Adding to these feature-rich digital cameras, Panasonic also expands its Intelligent Auto technologies with new Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction.   “Panasonic is taking digital photography to a new level and recognizes that everyone, not just professionals, should be equipped with a digital camera powerful enough to take high-quality photos, but compact enough to carry with them everyday,” said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.  “With the success of the TZ3, we’re confident that the enhancements we’ve made to the 2008 TZ-family will make them a must-have for consumers who appreciate advanced, intuitive and versatile digital cameras.” With the addition of Intelligent Exposure and Digital Red-eye Correction, Panasonic’s Advanced Intelligent Auto mode consists of seven intuitive technologies, all which are specifically designed to help make photo-taking an enjoyable and seamless process unnoticed by the consumer – helping them to take clear photos. When in Advanced Intelligent Auto mode, the following technologies all operate automatically; the consumer does not need to change any settings: ·         Intelligent Exposure – With this new feature, photos will no longer be under- or over-exposed.  Instead, the TZ5 and TZ4, instantly analyze the framed image and adjusts the brightness in areas that are too dark because of dim lighting, backlighting or the use of the flash. The camera will automatically adjust the brightness accordingly.  ·         Digital Red-eye Correction*– This feature helps to eliminate the red-eye problem that sometimes results when taking flash shots at the night.  Incorporated into the built-in flash, the camera emits a small preliminary flash before the main flash, detects red-eye and will digitally correct it.·         MEGA O.I.S. – Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.·         Intelligent ISO – With Intelligent ISO, the TZ4 and TZ5 can determine if the photo subject is moving and change the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.  ·         Intelligent Scene Selector – Intelligent Scene Selector senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode.  This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.·         Face Detection – Panasonic’s Face Detection detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp.  Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.  ·         Continuous AF – The Continuous AF (auto focus) system maintains focus on the subject even without pressing a shutter button halfway, thus minimizing the AF time. Also new to the TZ5 and the TZ4 is the Venus Engine IV, Panasonic’s new high-performance image processing LSI.  The Venus Engine IV produces higher-quality pictures than its predecessor, the Venus Engine III, by using a more advanced signal processing system.  The new Venus Engine IV also improves noise reduction, elevates the detection accuracy and corrective effects in both MEGA O.I.S. and Intelligent ISO and reduces the shutter release time lag.  Both models also incorporate Intelligent LCD, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD in 11 fine steps, to offer optimal clarity in any situation, whether dark or light; indoors or outdoors.  With a newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in the TZ5’s 3.0-inch LCD and 230,000-dot in the TZ4’s 2.5-inch LCD, photos can be easily viewed on the display, regardless of the shooting environment. The TZ5, with 9.1 megapixels is capable of recording 720p High Definition motion pictures, and because of its support of SD Memory Cards, is easily compatible with Panasonic VIERA Plasma HDTVs that have an integrated SD Memory Card slot, so viewing photos is simple.   The TZ4, with 8.1 megapixels, joins the TZ5 in its ability to take 1920 x 1080 pixel High Definition-ready photos that perfectly fit a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV.  Also, with the newly added HD component output capability, users can also connect the TZ models to an HDTV and watch a slideshow complete with mood-appropriate music, choosing from natural, slow, urban and swing.  The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ5 is available in blue, black and silver models for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $349.95, while the DMC-TZ4 is available in black and silver for an MSRP of $299.95.  Both models will be available in late March 2008.

PANASONIC LAUNCHES BRAND-NEW Lumix FS20 and Lumix FS5 SERIES

New LUMIX DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5 Feature Intelligent Auto Technologies, 10.1-Megapixels, and 30mm Wide-Angle, 4x Optical Zoom Leica DC Lens Panasonic just announced the launch of the new LUMIX FS-Series of digital cameras, debuting a pair of 10.1-megapixel models, the DMC-FS20 and DMC-FS5, both which feature 30mm wide-angle Leica DC lens with 4x optical zoom. The FS models, a stylish sister-line of the highly-acclaimed LUMIX FX-Series, combines easy operation with a slim and sleek look, enabling both beginner and advanced users to take beautiful digital photos with a model they can slip in their pocket. Both cameras also have Intelligent Auto Mode, an advanced intuitive system of technologies that help users take better photos more easily.  “Panasonic added the FS-Series to our LUMIX line of digital cameras to address the needs of consumers who want a point-and-shoot camera that is not only affordable, intuitive and easy-to-use, but also stylish and small enough that they slip it in their pocket or into a small purse,” said Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The FS-line packages Leica lenses, Intelligent Auto Mode, powerful image processing and superior memory power in a small, sleek design. We want our LUMIX digital cameras to have features that enable great digital photos regardless of the level of the photographer.”  The FS20 and FS5 feature Intelligent Auto Mode, comprised of five functions: Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection and Quick AF (auto focus).  ·         MEGA O.I.S. – Gyrosensors detect hand-shake and the lens system shifts to compensate, helping to prevent hand-shake from creating a blurry image.·         Intelligent ISO – With Intelligent ISO, the FS20 and FS5 can determine if the photo subject is moving and change the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly, thus giving a blur-free photo.  ·         Intelligent Scene Selector – Intelligent Scene Selector senses the ambient conditions, recognizes the shooting environment and will automatically select the appropriate scene mode from: Scenery, Portrait, Macro, Night Portrait or Night Scenery mode.  This intuitive technology, helps the consumer use the most common scene modes that are built into the camera, but often go unused, without making any manual adjustments.·         Face Detection – Panasonic’s Face Detection detects faces anywhere in the frame and automatically chooses the optimal focus and exposure settings so portraits come out clear and crisp.  Detecting up to 15 faces, Panasonic’s Face Detection can even track a face if the subject is moving.  ·         Quick AF – The Quick AF (auto focus) system starts focus on the subject by just pointing the camera to the subject, thus minimizing the AF time. In addition to powerful the Intelligent Auto Mode, the fourth generation high-performance image-processing Venus Engine IV LSI helps produce higher-quality pictures with an advanced signal processing system. It adds a new high-performance noise reduction system that helps reproduce even the most delicate parts of images naturally and without color bleeding. The Venus Engine IV reduces shutter release time lag while still enabling high-resolution picture taking, making it easier to capture spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities.  Other features of the DMC-FS20 and the DMC-FS5 include approximately 50 MB of internal memory and a 3.0-inch LCD for the FS20 and a 2.5-inch LCD for the FS5 – perfect for easy-to-see viewing of images.  Furthermore, these models feature Intelligent LCD, which detects the lighting condition and controls the brightness level of the LCD to offer optimal clarity in any situation, whether dark or light; indoors or outdoors.   The LUMIX DMC-FS20, with a manufacturer’s retail price (MSRP) of: $299.95 will be available in pink, black and silver models, and the DMC-FS5 (MSRP: $249.95) will be available in red, black and silver models.   Both will be available in February 2008.

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