Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. will launch three new models in its LUMIX digital camera line August 25, 2007. All three models are equipped with the function named "Omakase iA" (Intelligent Auto Mode), which automatically discriminates and sets the most appropriate shooting mode based on the information on the subject.
More specifically, when the user selects the Intelligent Auto Mode, the camera automatically recognizes the scene and changes the shooting mode to the most suitable one from the following five options: (1) portrait, (2) scenery, (3) macro (closeup), (4) night scenery and portrait and (5) motion (moving subject).
"They are the world's first cameras to employ such a function," the company said. (See also the pictures below the article.)
"Intelligent Auto Mode has been achieved by adjustment and integration of the existing technologies," said Shinobu Fusa, general manager of the Products Planning Group, DSC Business Unit, Network Business Group, Panasonic AVC Networks Co.
The company has improved the recognition technology to detect a person's face, brightness, distance and motion of the subject, as well as optical image stabilizer and AF (auto focus)/ AE (auto exposure) technologies before combining them together.
Among the three new cameras, the FX33 and the FX55 are slim profile products while the FZ18 is the high power model.
The FX33 features a body as thin as 22 mm while incorporating a wide angle lens with a focal length of 28 mm (in 35-mm film camera equivalent). It is also provided with a 2.5-inch LCD panel.
Meanwhile, the FX55 has the same specifications as those of the FX33 except for a larger (3-inch) LCD panel and a slightly thicker profile of 22.8 mm.
In contrast to the company's existing model that has the 12x zoom, the FZ18 is provided with the 18x optical zoom. The optical system has an 8-group 11-element lens design as with "the existing model" (Panasonic).
However, the number of extra-low dispersion (ED) lens has been increased from one to two in order to reduce the chroma aberration, which is more likely to occur due to the enhancement of magnification. The FZ18 has employed a double aspherical lens for the first time in the FZ series in order to reduce the size.
"We have adopted the aspherical lens used in the TZ3, the world's smallest 10x zoom camera," Panasonic said. The FZ18 is equipped with three lenses that provide four faces, including the double aspherical lens.
All three models feature 8.1 megapixel image sensor. Although the prices are open, the retail prices of the FX33, FX55 and FZ18 are expected to be 43,000, 45,000 and 55,000 yen (USD 358, 375 and 458), respectively.
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