Panasonic Lumix SZ7 and SZ1 digital cameras

[CES 2012] Panasonic has just lifted the curtain off the Lumix SZ7 and SZ1 digital cameras that will deliver HD video recording capability while packing a 25mm wide-angle lens in a compact body that was specially designed to be portable and easy-to-use. The Lumix DMC-SZ7 and Lumix DMC-SZ1 will merge a powerful 10x optical zoom with a 25mm ultra-wide angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens, where the former captures 14.1-megapixels of goodness in each image, and has an extremely speedy focus response time of around 0.1 second, giving you the opportunity to shoot photos on the trot without any blur in the finished product.

Miniature Effect and Panorama Shot will also be available in both the Lumix SZ7 and Lumix SZ1 models, where Miniature Effect mode will be defocused while saturation and contrast are emphasized in order to make the picture look like a diorama. As for video that are recorded in Miniature Effect mode, they can be played back at speeds of up to 10x in fast-forward mode to achieve that comical effect. As for Panorama Shot, it is now possible to shoot a horizontal or vertical panoramic image through snapping consecutive shots followed by overlaying the photos for the effect of a panoramic photo.

There is a total of six filters for you to play around with on both cameras – Toy Effect, Soft Focus Dynamic Monochrome, Expressive, High Key and Retro, helping your final shots end up being far more artistic than usual. Shared features on the new Lumix SZ-Series include a 3″ Intelligent LCD display with automatic backlight adjustment, USB power charging for more options, a 3D Photo Mode, and a dedicated video record button on the SZ7 only so that you can record a video automatically without having to switch modes or settings. There is no word on pricing just yet.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: CES, CES 2012, lumix, Panasonic