NewsJanuary 2007

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30

Panasonic's new flagship ultra-compact, the 7.2-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX30, features an optically stabilized 28mm wide-angle lens with a 3.6x optical zoom. 2.5-inch LCD and sensitivity to ISO 1250 packed into a slim 22mm body, making it the world's slimmest 28mm lens camera.

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Press Release:

Introducing the World’s Slimmest Digital Camera with 28mm Wide-Angle Lens

Panasonic’s DMC-FX30

Panasonic prides itself on being at the forefront of technology and the introduction of the DMC-FX30, the world’s slimmest digital camera with 28mm wide-angle lens, is a case in point. The perfect camera that fits into any lifestyle, the ultra slim FX30 offers sophistication in technology and style, whilst remaining inherently easy to use.

The bigger picture with the LEICA DC wide angle lens

This new lens allows photographers to easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with dynamic width and rich perspective. The lens part of the DMC-FX30 comprises of seven elements in six groups, including five lenses with six aspherical surfaces to generate high optical performance. The zoom ratio can be extended up to 5.3x in 3megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. By using the central part of the CCD, this powerful zooming function allows you to easily capture and magnify distant subjects.

Blurred images are a thing of the past thanks to Panasonic!

Panasonic is the first manufacturer to have successfully incorporated Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) into its compact cameras – a feature strongly appreciated worldwide and now considered to be a standard requirement of photography. O.I.S minimizes the jitter from shaky hands that causes many photos to look blurred by shifting the O.I.S lens unit to keep the optical axis aligned straight against the CCD, to ensure images are captured with supreme clarity and sharpness.

While hand-shake is the single biggest cause of blurry images, it is not the only one. Another problem is the motion blur that can occur when a subject moves as the shot is being taken – particularly common when taking pictures of sports or young children for example. This is where Intelligent ISO Control comes in. This system detects whether the subject is moving and, as necessary raises the ISO setting and shutter speed according to how fast the subject is moving and the light conditions. This happens automatically, so you can effortlessly shoot without the need to adjust the settings every time the conditions change.

Panasonic Lumix offers solutions for both major causes of blurred images – O.I.S when you are moving, and Intelligent ISO Control when the subject is moving. Thanks to Panasonic, you can now take clear and beautiful images in various situations.

The Venus Engine III

The DMC-FX30 features the Venus Engine III, Panasonic’s advanced image-processing engine that can record at a sensitivity setting as a high as ISO 1250 at full resolution. Noise reduction is also greatly improved, with picture noise removed in stages during image processing. Critical noise is analysed, and chromatic and luminance noise are reduced separately. The chromatic noise, which has greater effect on picture quality, is then selectively suppressed, resulting in clearer images.

Spontaneous moments can easily be captured thanks to a 1.8 second start up time and a 0.005 second shutter release time lag (the time between pressing the button on the camera and the photo being taken). Additionally, the burst shooting mode boasts the capability of sequential shots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution . The unlimited consecutive shooting function allows you to take photos in succession up to the capacity of the memory card or built in memory.

As easy as LCD

The LCD is a pivotal part of the camera and as such Panasonic has paid particular attention to ensure you can effortlessly capture and playback your pictures. The DMC-FX30 boasts a 207K pixel high resolution, 2.5” large LCD. The mixed-pixel readout method performed by the CCD automatically increases the brightness level of the live image on the LCD, which greatly facilitates shooting in low situations.

Panasonic is the first manufacturer to offer the new High Angle LCD function to a digital still camera LCD. This new mode makes the FX30’s LCD display extremely easy to view from low angles, for example, when holding the camera up high to take pictures over a crowd. The difficulties faced when shooting in bright outdoors situations are also overcome by the Power LCD function, which boosts the backlighting of the LCD by 40%.

So fast, so easy - Auto Focus

The DMC-FX30 really will work hard to ensure you capture every moment important to you. The various AF methods can be selected according to the shooting environment and the position of the subject: 5 point, 3 point high-speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal-speed and spot. Panasonic has also included an Auto Focus assist lamp, providing further assistance in low light situations where focusing can be difficult.

A camera that works with you

The slim and stylish DMC-FX30 features approximately 27MB of built-in memory, which can save the day should you happen to fill up or forget your memory card. It also accepts large-capacity SDHC memory cards, giving users more flexibility in shooting and recording.

The FX30 boasts a wide variety of scene modes, including the newly introduced pet mode which allows users to set the birthday of their pet, so as with the baby mode, the pets’ age is automatically recorded onto the image. Now you can see the exact age of your pet in each photo. The DMC-FX30 is also perfect for underwater photography, for use with the Marine case (available separately), thanks to the ‘underwater’ mode. Panasonic offers twenty-one modes to enhance your pictures –portrait, soft skin, scenery, sport, night portrait, night scenery, self portrait, food, party, candle, fireworks, starry sky, beach, aerial photo, snow, high sensitivity, baby1, baby2, underwater, sunset and pet mode.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30, the world’s slimmest digital camera with 28mm wide-angle lens, is superior in technology and superior in style. Available in March. For further information, please visit www.panasonic.co.uk/lumix

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.5 " Type CCD • 7.38 million pixels total • 7.2 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 3072 x 2304 • 2560 x 1920 • 2048 x 1536 • 1600 x 1200 • 1280 x 960 • 640 x 480 • 3072 x 2048 (3:2) • 2048 x 1360 (3:2) • 3072 x 1728 (16:9) • 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 @ 30/ 10fps • 320 x 240 @ 30 / 10fps • 848 x 480 @ 30 / 10fps (16:9)
File formats	• JPEG Exif v2.21 • DPOF • QuickTime Motion JPEG
Lens	• 28-100mm (35mm equiv) • LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT • 3.6x optical zoom • Extra Optical Zoom (4:3: 4.3x for 5MPa, 5.3x for 3, 2, 1, 0.3MP, 3:2: 5.3x for 2.5MP, 16:9: 5.3x for 2MP
Image stabilization	MEGA O.I.S. (Mode1/ Mode2)
Conversion lenses	No
Digital zoom	up to 4x
AF area modes	1-point/ 1-point high speed/ 3-point high speed/ 5-point/ Spot
AF assist lamp	Yes
Focus distance	• Normal: 50cm - infinity • Macro / Simple mode / Intelligent ISO / Motion image : 5cm - infinity (wide) 30cm - infinity (tele)
Metering	Intelligent Multiple
ISO sensitivity	• Auto • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 800 • ISO 1250 • High Sensitivity mode ISO 3200
Exposure compensation	+/- 2EV in 1/3EV step
Exposure bracketing	+/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames
Shuttter speed	• 8-1/2000 sec • Starry Sky Mode : 15, 30, 60sec
Aperture	F2.8 / F8.0 (Wide: 2 steps) F5.6 / F16 (Tele: 2 steps)
Modes	• Program AE • Simple • Normal Picture • Macro • Scene • Intelligent ISO
Scene modes	• Portrait • Soft Skin • Scenery • Sports • Night Portrait • Night Scenery • Self Portrait • Food • Party • Candle • Fireworks • Starry Sky • Beach • Aerial photo • Snow • High Sensitivity • Baby 1 & 2 • Underwater • Sunset • Pet
White balance	• Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Shade • Halogen • White Set
White balance fine tune	+/- 10steps, except for auto set
Self timer	2 or 10 sec
Continuous shooting	Full-Resolution: 3 frames/sec or 2 frames/sec, max. 7 images (Standard mode), Max 5 images (Fine Mode)
Image parameters	Black & White, Sepia, Cool, Walm, Natural, Standard, Vivid
Flash	• Auto • Auto / Red-eye reduction • Forced On • Slow Sync / Red-eye reduction • Forced Off • Range: 0.6 - 5.0m (wide) 0.3 - 2.5m (tele)
Viewfinder	No
LCD monitor	• 2.5-inch Polycrystalline TFT • 207,000 pixels
Connectivity	• DC in • AV out • USB
Print compliance	PictBridge
Storage	• SD / SDHC / MMC card compatible • 27 MB built-in memory
Power	• Li-ion battery pack • Optional AC adapter
Weight (no batt)	132 g (0.29lb)
Dimensions	94.9 x 51.9 x 22.0 mm (3.74 x 2.04 x 0.87 in)

Additional images