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The Panasonic Lumix series is slowly making waves in the compact digital camera realm, judging from the buzz I have been hearing about it from my peers. And building on the buzz, Panasonic has unveiled its latest digital incarnations.
During its product launch in Beijing on Tuesday — attended by some 60 journalists from the Middle East, Asia and Oceania — Panasonic unveiled three of its latest digital cameras: The compact DMC-FZ18, with exceptional zoom features, and the slim and compact DMCFX55 and DMC-FX33.
The FX55 and FX33 share the same features, such as an 8.1-megapixel-image sensor that uses the Venus Engine III — Panasonic’s advanced imageprocessing engine — and a 3.6X Leica optical zoom lens (28-100mm equivalent of 35mm).
The only difference is that the FX55 has a 3-inch LCD display, while the FX33 has a 2.5-inch LCD in a smaller body.
The highlight of these cameras has to be the new intelligent auto (IA) mode, which automatically presets the scenes you want to shoot.
For example, I had no problems using the IA mode to take photos of my watch in macro mode and then taking landscape shots without flipping a switch.
It worked well on first impressions, even with the automatic face detection function.
Available in colours ranging from silver to pink, the two cameras are great for the hip and trendy and those who prefer to let the camera do the dirty work.
But for those who want a performance camera, they should have a look at the FZ18. This compact wonder has an 18x Leica optical zoom lens (28-504mm equivalent of 35mm) packed with an 8.1-megapixel-image sensor, which features the same Venus III engine and a bright 2.5-inch LCD display.
Having climbed the Great Wall of China with a pre-production model of the FZ18, I thought the camera’s performance was as impressive as the Wall itself. Even with an 18x optical lens, the FZ18 is surprisingly compact and lightweight at around 400g.
The camera is small enough to fit into your palm. And the feel is even better with the rubberised grip. Controls and button layouts are also user-friendly.
While the starting up and shutting down processes are a tad slow at around 2 seconds, the FZ18 responds well otherwise.
Shutter lag is minimal with fast auto focusing, even at its maximum focal length. The IA mode also works speedily and smoothly in the FZ18, which is available in sleek silver or stealth black.
While I could not assess the picture quality because the camera was a pre-production model, the signs were encouraging.
Prices and the availability of the new Panasonic digital cameras in Singapore have not been confirmed. But from my first impressions, these digital cameras are worth the wait. - TODAY/il
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