Panasonic Lumix SZ7 and SZ1: Ultraslim Pocket Megazooms
The 10X-optical-zoom (25mm to 250mm) Lumix SZ7 and Lumix SZ1 are each just 9/10 of an inch thick, and the have different in-camera specs despite being the same size and offering the same optically stabilized zoom lens. The SZ models represent the first in a new series of cameras in Panasonic's Lumix line.
Panasonic also says the SZ7 offers the company's "Light Speed" autofocus system, which it claims can lock in on a subject in 0.1 seconds. We haven't tested it yet, but Panasonic's cameras have had unbelievably fast AF systems for a few years now.
The 16-megapixel Lumix SZ1 has a CCD sensor, which means it lacks the "Light Speed AF" system and its video mode caps out at 720p video at 30fps. It also lacks the AVCHD video and 3D still-capture modes of the SZ7, and ISO maxes out at 1600.
While we've seen similar features in competing cameras, these are also the first two Panasonic Lumix cameras to offer motion-controlled panorama modes and a miniature mode that simulates the effect of a tilt-shift lens. The Lumix SZ7 also features a few additional modes due to the speed of its CMOS sensor: automated in-camera exposure-bracketing for HDR and low-light shooting.
No pricing or availability information has been released for the two new SZ series cameras.
Panasonic Lumix FH8 and FH6: Wide Apertures for Casual Shooters
The two new FH series cameras look like your average auto-and-scene-mode ultracompacts, but the Lumix FH8 offers a few extra in-camera goodies: The miniature mode found in the SZ models, 720p video recording as .MP4 files, and continuous autofocus modes for video and macro photography. The Lumix FH6, on the other hand, doesn't have the miniature mode, records its 720p video as .MOV files, and doesn't have a dedicated AF option for macro mode.
Pricing and availability are also not finalized for the FH series additions.
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