Event Coverage

Panasonic's new Cameras & Camcorders Announced in Hokkaido, Japan - Part 1

By Terence Ang - 29 Jul 2010

Panasonic Digital Imaging Seminar 2010, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan - Part 1

Panasonic Digital Imaging Seminar 2010

Hot off the Tech News we posted early morning yesterday, here are some additional highlights of Panasonic's Digital Imaging Seminar launch event held in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Last week itself, the company released news that it was launching five new digital still cameras -- one of which was the LUMIX LX5, the long-awaited successor to the popular LX3. There were three other hybrid cameras (FZ100, FZ40 and FX700) and one outdoor camera (FT10).

Yesterday, besides showcasing the five new cameras and taking us on a photography tour, the company also announced four new camcorders. This included the SDT750, the world's first AVCHD-based 3D-capable consumer camcorder. Using an interchangeable 3D conversion lens, the SDT750 is able to capture 3D images and output them live via HDMI to a 3D-capable TV. Other camcorders announced included the SDX1, a 185g Full HD capable camcorder (a world's first); the handheld TA1 and the professional shoulder-mountable MDH1.

Here are some photo highlights from the launch event itself.

A model holds up the SDT750 camcorder -- the world's first AVCHD-based 3D-capable camcorder with an interchangeable 3D conversion lens.

Here's a close-up of the model with the SDT750.

The SDT750 records in 1080p and comes with Panasonic's Hybrid O.I.S. which utilizes optical and electronic image stabilization technologies to handle hand-shakes.

The interchangeable 3D conversion lens comes with manual dials where users can adjust the positioning of the lens against each other -- basically aligning what your left and right eye will see.

Detaching and re-attaching the 3D conversion lens on the SDT750 is simple enough.

Besides the SDT750, Panasonic also launched the TA1, a pocket-sized camcorder that records in Full HD. It's a three-step shoot, connect and upload device that works with Facebook and YouTube, connecting direct via USB of course.

Supporting both the MP4 format and Apple's iMovie iFrame format, the TA1 can also double up as a Skype IP cam as seen in this demo here.

Here's a shot of the recorder's side. There's a light button that lets you trigger a recording light for night shoots and an instant playback button on the left.

The third camcorder we saw at the seminar was the MDH1, a shoulder-type stable camcorder with a 35.8mm wide angle lens and Hybrid O.I.S.

Finally, the SDX1 is a Full HD camcorder that weighs only 185g. When we held it in our hands, we almost thought it was a dummy set until we turned on the power button. It records AVCHD, MP4 and iFrame to a 32GB built-in memory.

But wait, Panasonic has also announced the development of the world's first interchangeable 3D lens for still cameras equipped with the LUMIX G Micro System, This will eventually allow viewers to take and view 3D still photos from cameras like the GH1, GF1, G2 and G10.

Panasonic's vision for a 3D world is now complete with the introduction of the SDT750 and interchangeable 3D lens, as consumers can soon create their own 3D content -- be it 3D photos or videos -- that they can watch on their 3D-capable HDTVs and 3D Blu-ray Players.

Of course, the show wouldn't be complete without showing the Panasonic LX5 camera. We saw both the black and white editions.

The FX700 is one of the three hybrid cameras that shoots video in Full AVCHD HD format. One of its interesting features is Motion DeBlur, which besides correcting for hand-shake movements, can also correct subject movement, such as when shooting a fidgety baby.

This concludes Part 1 of our coverage of yesterday's camcorders and cameras announcement. We'll be continuing Part 2 with some additional highlights from the digital camera showcase, our shooting tour (comparing some test shots of the LX5 versus the two-year old LX3) and an exclusive video interview with senior executives from Panasonic in relation to the announcements. Watch this space soon.

 

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