Panasonic Announces New LUMIX Digital Camera Series

The new LUMIX DMC-FP8 digital camera is part of Panasonic's new FP-Series, which pursues excellence in both design and function. The LUMIX FP8, with 12.1 megapixels, features a high-quality 28mm wide-angle, 4.6x Leica DC lens with folding optics - encased in a futuristic-looking stylish body.

The FP8 also features advanced functions including high-speed Auto Focus (AF) and Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) suite of technologies. Panasonic's iA, a popular feature on LUMIX cameras, now includes POWER Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) which features double the repression power compared to the previous image stabilization system, MEGA O.I.S. The hand-shake generated when pressing the shutter button, or when shooting at night with a slow shutter speed, is significantly minimized by the improved POWER O.I.S. to help reduce blurry photos.

Other features:

• HD Movies with VIERA Link Networking - Records dynamic HD motion pictures in 1280 x 720p at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480)
• Scene Modes - Twenty-seven scene modes are available with the FP8, including the High Dynamic mode which helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure
• PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 - Included with the FP8, this software allows users to view, edit and archive captured photos and videos with greater ease. The new PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 features dramatic speed-up of operation and also allows users to store and sort for photos by a specific, recognized face in the image.

The LUMIX DMC-FP8 will have a suggested retail price of $299.95 and will be available in September 2009 in black, red and silver.