CES 2015: Panasonic Announces Five New Lumix Digital Cameras

The start of CES saw Panasonic updating its Lumix DMC point-and-shoot lineup with five new cameras, including three long-zoom cameras and two tough cameras.

The longest reaching camera in this list is the DMC-ZS50, with its 30x zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens that has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 24-720mm, making it extremely versatile. The lens incorporates aspherical and extra-low dispersion elements to help produce sharp, high-contrast imagery and minimize aberrations and distortion. Behind the lens is a 12.1MP High Sensitivity MOS sensor, and Venus Engine image processor, allowing for high-resolution stills and Full HD 1080p video, both with notable low-light quality, due in part to a sensitivity range expandable to ISO 6400. HYBRID O.I.S.+ image stabilization minimizes the appearance of camera shake and Level Shot Function automatically detects the horizontal line and keeps your video shots level. High Speed Video is also possible at 100 fps in HD or 200 fps in VGA.

General handling is benefitted by a lens-mounted Control Ring, which provides manual control for exposure, zoom, and focus, which works with focus peaking. Also, it can save stills in a RAW format for greater control in editing. For menu navigation, image review, and composition, the ZS50 features not only a 3" LCD screen, but a 1.166k-dot electronic viewfinder, as well. The camera also features built-in Wi-Fi, and Intelligent Auto, Creative Control, and Creative Panorama modes. It will be available in Black or Silver.

 

With a slightly shorter zoom range, the DMC-ZS45 features a DC Vario 20x optical zoom lens with a 24-480mm equivalent focal range. It has a 16MP High Sensitivity MOS sensor to record high-resolution still and Full HD 1080p videos. Like the ZS50, this camera also has a high sensitivity range, expandable to ISO 6400, for quality low-light images and videos. It can shoot up to 10 frames per second, or 2 fps with AF tracking. The 3" 460k-dot LCD screen has a 180° tilting design that, combined with the Wink-Activated mode, makes taking selfies very simple. The camera also has POWER O.I.S with Active Mode to minimize the appearance of camera shake in stills and videos, and built-in Wi-Fi connectivity. It will be available in Black or White.

 

The slim DMC-SZ10 has a 16MP CCD image sensor and a 12x optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 24-288mm. It records 720p HD video, has built-in Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity, and features a tilting 2.7" 460k-dot LCD screen for taking selfies. Three beauty modes—Soft Skin, Slimming, and Defocusing—help create more distinctive selfie images. The camera also has Optical Image Stabilization to reduce the appearance of camera shake, and filter effects to give your shots a unique aesthetic.

 

The first of the two new tough cameras is the DMC-TS30, which has a 16.1MP CCD sensor, a 24-100mm equivalent DC Vario Lens, and built-in MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer. The camera can shoot high-resolution photos and 720p HD video in extreme cold temperatures, underwater, or on dry land. The Lumix DC Vario lens offers focal lengths from wide-angle to telephoto with a 35mm equivalent range of 25-100mm. An 8x Intelligent Zoom function offers even longer digital zoom reach when needed. MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent Auto, and Scene modes further the camera’s capabilities. The camera even features 220MB of built-in memory for additional storage space when the card fills up. The TS30 is freeze proof down to 14°F, shockproof from a fall of 5', waterproof to a depth of 26', and dust proof. For underwater shooting, the camera has an Underwater Mode, to compensate for lost red hues, and a continuous torch light for underwater videos. It will be available in Black, Blue, or Red.

 

The other new tough camera is the DMC-TS6, which has a 16MP MOS sensor and a 4.5x Leica DC zoom lens with a 28-128mm equivalent focal length. It captures high-resolution images and Full HD 1080p video, and features Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity, as well as GPS capabilities. The TS6 is a little tougher than the TS30, with waterproofing down to 43' and shockproof from heights of 6.6'. It has a 3" LCD display screen, POWER O.I.S, and manual exposure control, as well as the same underwater functions as the TS30. It will be available in Blue, Green, Orange, and Red.