Panasonic introduces a duo of ultra-slim, stylish cameras

Heading up the pack, the 14.1 megapixel FP3 boasts a 3” LCD with touch panel for the ultimate sleek and style design. The FP1 offers all of the benefits of the FP3 – with a 2.7”, non-touch LCD screen and 12.1 megapixel resolution equivalent to 35mm to 140mm on a 35mm camera).

All Lumix cameras can take 16:9 HD (high-definition) quality photos that perfectly fit a wide-screen HDTV for full-screen viewing. You can enjoy slideshows of photos taken with the camera in stunning HD quality by inserting an SDHD/SD memory card in to the SDHC/SD card slot with the VIERA HDTV (VIERA Image Viewer).

The new FP models even record dynamic HD movie in 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480). It is also possible not only to watch the movie on PC but also to upload it on YouTube with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO ver.5.0.

The new FP models incorporate an easy-to-see, 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD for comfortable viewing while both monitoring shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects the light condition and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by Max. 40% when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, and adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations in addition to using the pixel mixed readout method to secure clarity in such situations. Detecting the lighting condition precisely and automatically controlling the brightness with a total of 11 fine steps, this function gives the display the most appropriate clarity in any situation without using extra energy. The High-angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd.

For those looking for the ultimate sleek experience, the FP3 boasts a 3” LCD with touch panel for easy, intuitive control. With the four major operation buttons in addition to the touch screen, this hybrid operation is simply straightforward. Touch operation is smooth and effortless both when recording and playing back images. In recording mode, once you compose the frame, all you have to do is touch the area you wish to focus before pressing the shutter button halfway. In playback mode, you can drag the image across the screen with a finger to browse the collection of photos as you flip over the pages of the book.

In addition to the conventional SD/SDHC memory card, the DMC-FP3, FP2 and FP1 accept next-generation SD format SDXC (SD eXtended Capacity), that features high potential in both capacity and data transfer speed. The new models are also compatible with Windows 7 and will be available from February 2010.