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In the lead-up to the 2008 PMA trade show in Las Vegas, NV, Panasonic has announced a new ultracompact camera that will offer an exceptionally wide zoom lens for a digital point-and-shoot. The 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX35 has an optically stabilized f/2.8-5.6, 25-100mm Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4x zoom lens. Panasonic says that to achieve the wide angle in optics small enough for an ultracompact camera, it worked with Leica to develop a seven-element, unevenly thick concave meniscus EA (Extra high refractive index Aspherical) lens that incorporates four aspherical elements with six aspherical surfaces. The FX35's LCD is a 230,000-dot, 2.5-inch screen that automatically adjusts its brightness level as ambient light changes, and offers Panasonic's High Angle mode for making the screen viewable when held above the head. The camera uses Panasonic's fourth-generation high-performance image processing LSI, the Venus Engine IV, which Panasonic says improves both image quality and operational speed over previous generations.
The FX35 offers 24 automatic shooting modes, including an aerial photography mode and an underwater selection for use with a Panasonic housing. Its Advanced Intelligent Auto mode combines Panasonic's Intelligent Exposure function, which brings out shadow detail; redeye correction; face detection; Intelligent ISO, which uses motion detection to track subject motion and adjust ISO and shutter speed settings accordingly; Intelligent Scene Selector, which evaluates a scene and selects an appropriate scene mode; and Quick AF continuous autofocus. The FX35 provides a top light-sensitivity setting of ISO 6400 and shutter speed range of 1/2000 to 8 seconds. Its Starry Sky mode extends the range up to 60 seconds. Other notable features include auto exposure bracketing, a live histogram, ten-step white balance adjustment, voice annotation, slow-sync flash, and a wide selection of autofocus modes, including spot AF.
In continuous-shooting mode, the FX35 can capture 3 or 5 full-resolution photos (depending on the compression setting) at 2.5fps at full resolution or an unlimited series of 2-megapixel shots at 6fps. There are also 1280x720 high-definition and 848x480 widescreen video modes, and the camera can output both video and photos directly to an HDTV with Panasonic's optional DMW-HDC2 component cable.
The DMC-FX35 will be available in March 2008 in silver, black, and blue finishes for a retail price of $349.95.
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