News

Panasonic announced pricing for the highly-anticipated LUMIX DMC-GH1, the new Micro Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition (HD) video recording ability. The camera will be available in early June for a suggested retail price of $1499.95.  The LUMIX DMC-GH1 includes the LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens as part of the kit.  The new lens, designed to support HD movie recording, features a silent motor and continuous auto focusing (AF) capability – a differentiator from traditional DSLRs.  

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Panasonic has announced the new Lumix G 42.5mm/F1.7 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization) (equivalent: 85 mm) and the Lumix G Macro 30mm/ F2.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (equivalent: 60mm) lenses. Both lenses are designed for Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds camera systems.

Panasonic has announced a new firmware update for its interchangeable LEICA
D SUMMILUX 25mm/ F1.4 ASPH.(L-X025) lens, which is compatible with the Four
Thirds standard digital single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras, including Panasonic's
LUMIX DMC-L10. With the firmware update, the LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/ F1.4 ASPH.(L-X025)
adds contrast auto focus (AF) to the single focal length lens, making it more
suitable for taking snapshots and portraits where the photo subject is able
to stand out due to an intentional out-of-focus background.



Panasonic invites all users of LEICA D SUMMILUX 25mm/ F1.4 ASPH.(L-X025) lenses
to download the updated firmware to enjoy this advanced technology that lets
users take high-quality photos with ease and accuracy. Notably, with the use
of the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-L10 digital SLR, this update allows the LEICA D SUMMILUX
25mm/ F1.4 ASPH.(L-X025) lens to take professional-quality portraits as it combines
Panasonic's Face Detection feature with the contrast AF.



Users will be able to download the latest firmware that allows the LEICA D SUMMILUX
25mm/ F1.4 ASPH.(L-X025) lens to take advantage of contrast AF at 4:00 GMT on
March 12, 2008 at the following link: http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/.



www.panasonic.com/dsc

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The 20.3-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 is the follow-up to the GX7, which was the top model of the viewfinder style G series mirrorless cameras. Like the GX7, the Panasonic GX8 looks like a classic rangefinder camera, but has a tiltable electronic viewfinder that uses a high resolution OLED display with 2.36 million RGB dots.

Panasonic announced the new LUMIX DMC-FX75, a super-slim digital camera that features a 24mm ultra-wide-angle f/2.2 bright LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with 5x optical zoom, which can be used while shooting High Definition video. The slim and stylish LUMIX FX75, a 14.1-megapixel digital camera, is one of Panasonic’s high-performing hybrid models with the ability to not only take high-quality still photos, but can also record HD video in the AVCHD Lite format.

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Shutterbug and Panasonic are happy to announce the winner of our "Inspirations"
Photo Contest, conducted on the web site Galleries at www.shutterbug.com. Jim
Semonik, who resides in central New Jersey, submitted his image and won the
votes of judges and web commentators alike. Jim's shot was taken in Ft.
Lauderdale, Florida. Said Jim, "I saw the boat and took about 60 pictures
of it over two mornings -- the first day was overcast the second was perfect.
I still have 59 other shots from every possible angle."



As
to his growing love of photography, Jim said, "I had an interest in photography
back in the `70s but marriage, daughters (who had a nasty habit of wanting
to eat!) put hobbies on hold. Digital rekindled my creative spirit and I have
been trying to improve. I started with an HP 2MP camera went to a Fuji 3MP,
then 6 MP and finally took the plunge on a Nikon D50. The kids are grown now
and I love to travel. I get to see some interesting places because of my job
but I fell in love with the Southwest and the Islands. It's probably that
mid-life Jimmy Buffett deal!"

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