Panasonic's DMC-FT1, TZ7, TZ6, FX550, and FX40 cameras

[The_question]

We're not sure what's going in France at the moment but a bevy of new 12 megapixel Panasonic cameras have broken loose with or without corporate approval. Let's start with the rugged €399 DMC-FT1 (pictured). It features a 12 megapixel (1/2.33-inches) with a 28-128mm optically stabilized 4.6x zoom Leica lens and a 2.7-inch LCD. It'll survive drops of up to 1.5 meters, water to a depth of 3 meters, while surviving storage in the dustiest of apartments. It'll even shoot 720p video in "AVCHD Lite" format... whatever that is. Next up are the €429 DMC-TZ7 and its £329 DMC-TZ6 little buddy. The TZ7 couples a 12x optically stabilized zoom (25-300mm) with the ability to shoot 720p HD video in that same AVCHD Lite format and reviewable on a biggie (but relatively common) 3-inch LCD.

Also outed is the €299 FX550 with 5x zoom, 720p video capture, and a 3-inch touchscreen buzzing along with haptic feedback. It'll even handle aperture and shutter priority modes in addition to manual exposure for those who wish to push their amateur credentials to the edge. The €299 DMC-FX40 dials things back with a skinnier chassis and smaller 2.5-inch LCD while ditching the manual stuff. Check 'em all in the gallery.

Source : engadget

[The_question]

Panasonic makes its entrance with the Lumix FT1, which even looks similar to the Stylus SW Tough models.

The camera has a 12mp 1/2.33" sensor, a versatile 28-128mm Leica-branded zoom lens (4.6x ratio), a 2.7" LCD.

The camera can survive dust (dust-proof), drops up to 1.5 meters, and water up to 3 meters. Not bad. And the best thing of all? It takes SD/SDHC memory cards.

[The_question]

The TZ7 uses a 12mp 1/2.33" sensor, but has 10-megapixels effective, in typical TZ-odd-number tradition. In other words, less than the whole of the sensor is utilized.

The lens "grows" from the 28-280mm of the TZ5, to 25-300mm which is 12X instead of 10X. As usual, it has a Leica MegaOIS lens.



Other features of interest include:

• 3" LCD display
• LiIon battery with 300 CIPA
• 60fps 720p HD video
• etc

[The_question]

Panasonic TZ6, which has 10mp 1/2.5" sensor and a 12X optical zoom Leica-branded lens (with MegaOIS image stabilization of course) that expands from 25mm to 300mm, as opposed to 28-280mm of the previous TZ-series models. Perhaps this is in-response to the 24-240mm Samsung HZ10w.

The display is 2.7" (230K).

[The_question]

The new Panasonic FX550 follows-up on the FX500 which was announced in late February 2008. The new FX550, which a little bit more LX3 than its predecessor, has a 12mp 1/2.33" sensor (MERCY megapixel-wackos!), a 25-125mm lens just like its predecessor, a 3" touch-screen LCD (230K), 720p HD video, and a LiIon battery at 350 CIPA.

Good news is that this camera has aperture and shutter priority, along with manual exposure. Obviously, there's only so much you can squeeze out of a 12-megapixel 1/2.33" sensor, but we applaud the choice of manual-exposure while we do not applaud 12-megapixels for such a tiny sensor, unless of course there are dramatic improvements in image quality which is rather unlikely.

[The_question]

The new Panasonic FX40, with a rather catchy model name for a change, follows up on the FX35 and FX37. This creates a new pattern and perhaps puts this line at a six-month refresh cycle.

For more details, including a PDF file with specs and such, be sure to visit Focus Numerique.

Just like the other new ones, it has a 12mp 1/2.33" sensor, a 2.5" LCD, 25-125mm (5X optical zoom lens), 720p video, and things like that. No manual exposure however, unlike the FX550