Panasonic Introduces Two New ipalm Digital Cameras

Panasonic will be announcing next week at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) trade show that it will begin shipping its new 3.3 Mega Pixel ipalm digital cameras in early spring. Models PV-DC3000-A and PV-DC3010 succeed the PV-DC3000, the world’s first SD (Secure Digital) Memory Card-compatible digital still camera, introduced by Panasonic in September, 2000. The new cameras add an AC adapter, switch from Adobe software to an ArcSoft editing package, and replace the MultiMediaCard with a new SD Memory Card. The PV-DC3000-A, which includes a 16MB SD Memory Card, will be available in March for $799.95. The PV-DC3010, with a 32MB SD Memory Card, additional photo editing software titles and long-life Ni-MH batteries and quick charger, will be available in April for $899.95.
The ipalm digital cameras feature a memory card slot that is compatible with either SD Memory Cards or a MultiMediaCard. Preferred images can be saved on the reusable memory cards indefinitely, or selectively deleted to free up space for new pictures, or downloaded to a computer. About the size of a postage stamp, the SD card features large storage, great flexibility, excellent security and fast data transfer. SD is the quickest flash memory format, with a read/write speed of 2MB/second, and is easy to reformat. The new digital storage medium allows for the easy and quick exchange of images, music and data among SD Memory Card-compatible devices, including audio products, camcorders, memo recorders and even home appliances. Developed by Matsushita Electric in collaboration with Sunnyvale, California-based SanDisk Corporation and Toshiba Corporation, the SD format is supported by a number of major consumer electronics manufacturers.

The new ipalm digital cameras use a 0.55-inch charged coupled device (CCD) to capture crisp 2,048 x 1,536-pixel resolution images in super fine, fine, and TIFF modes. They feature a 2x optical zoom for close-ups, equivalent to a 32-64mm lens on a standard 35mm camera. Additionally, a 3x digital zoom option digitally magnifies images up to three times their normal size. A built-in 1.5-inch color LCD screen allows the photographer to see the image before and after the picture is taken. It can also be used as a monitor to play back video clips recorded with the motion image recording feature.

An included USB cable enables users to easily connect the camera to the USB port on a PC or MAC for a much faster data transfer rate than the usual serial port connection.

With the One Button Image Transfer feature, the ipalm digital camera allows users to transfer digital images directly to a PC for storage, editing, e-mail or web page inclusion with the touch of a single button. Users simply connect the camera to a PC via the included USB cable, and press the "PAGE" or "ALL" button.

The ipalm digital camera makes it extremely easy to attach digital photographs to e-mail, with the Easy Mail Attachment feature. Once the camera is connected to the PC, simply press the "MAIL" button and then the camera’s shutter button to automatically attach images to a brand new e-mail message that’s ready to send.

The new PictureStage web site (www.picturestage.com), which was jointly developed by Matsushita Kotobuki Electronics Industries of America, Inc. (MKA) and ArcSoft, Inc., lets users enhance and archive their digital still photos in private, custom photo albums, and share photos with friends and family, at no charge. (Registration plus the first 10MB of storage space is free.) It also lets users create a variety of printable items (calendars, greeting cards, etc.) and gifts featuring their photos.

Three ArcSoft editing software titles are bundled with the PV-DC3000-A: PhotoImpression 2000, Panorama Maker 2000 and ArcSoft PhotoPrinter 2000 Pro. Additionally, the PV-DC3010 includes two extra ArcSoft titles: PhotoFantasy 2000 and PhotoMontage. These fun and easy programs allow users to enhance, retouch and apply a wide variety of special effects to captured images. The software offers a direct link to picturestage.com, making it easy for users to upload their finished photos to the site to archive, share or create prints and gifts.

The PV-DC3000-A and PV-DC3010 include these high-performance features:

• Motion Image Recording with Audio- Create mini audio/video clips, 12 seconds in length, to play back or post on the Internet. The camera is capable of recording up to 120 consecutive still images in 320 x 240 resolution, taken in approximately 0.1-second intervals in the QuickTime format. Once recorded, each QuickTime video is automatically saved on the SD memory card or MultiMediaCard as a motion-recording file with audio. Video clips can be previewed on the camera's LCD screen or played back on a PC with the included QuickTime software. The clips can be e-mailed to friends and family from a PC.



• Still Image Recording with Audio - Using the built-in microphone, users can record 5 seconds of audio - a brief narration, for example, or natural sound effects - to accompany their images. The audio is heard when the clip is played back on a computer.



• Time Lapse Recording - Capture the sun rising or chronicle the slow blooming of a flower. The camera can be set to automatically record in intervals of approximately 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours or 24 hours.

Other features include a self-timer, automatic white balance, built-in flash, and an automatic multiple flash function to reduce the occurrence of “red eye” reflections. The aperture can automatically be adjusted from F2.9 to F8, and shutter speed is automatically adjusted from 1/30th to 1/1,000th of a second (1/4th to 1/1,000th of a second in slow shutter mode).

Model PV-DC3000-A includes a 16MB SD Memory Card. PV-DC3010 includes a 32MB SD Memory Card. Both cameras also include these accessories: A/V cable for viewing pictures on a standard television set, AC adapter, USB cable and neck strap.

For more information call Panasonic’s Customer Call Center at 800-211-PANA or access Panasonic’s home page at www.panasonic.com.

Source: Panasonic