Panasonic's new fashion cam features enticing new LEDs and revamped OIS. Read about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 here.
We had the luxury of playing with two of Panasonic's latest compacts a few weeks ago, along with the somewhat anticipated Panasonic HDC-TM10 camcorder. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is the company's fashion pioneer while the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 is a more compact and affordable version of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1. We were more intrigued by the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 because we've already reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 and Lumix DMC-ZS3 and found the Lumix DMC-ZR1 to be too closely related to warrant any shade of excitement. So, without any further adieu, here's what we thought.
On the Catwalk
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is not a fashion all-star by any stretch. We'll go with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T900 or Fujifilm Finepix Z37 when it comes to the runway. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 just looked like a typical ultra compact camera without a sliding faceplate or large touch-screen LCD. Instead, we got to play with the tricked out LED flat panel interface located in back. Although the interface certainly looked cool, it wasn't as functional as one of Panasonic's four-way directional pads or embedded joysticks. Buttons and controls are minimal as well, though we're glad Panasonic stuck with a shutter button zoom toggle for more refined control. The menus were the same as any non touch-screen Lumix of last season, so there weren't any giant surprises in that department.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is a 12-megapixel, 28mm wide-angle 4.6x optical zoom lightweight that flaunts folding optics technology in order to be able to fit a larger zoom in such a thin body. There's no mention of how exactly "folding optics" works, but we'd imagine it has something to do with the grouping of lens elements and their ability to stack more horizontally than the usual lens configuration. Like the recently announced Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 also boasts POWER OIS, which is supposed to be twice as effective as the company's previous MEGA OIS system.
The Lumix DMC-FP8 will also have high-speed AF for isolating fast action, and 720p HD video. There's no word on the HD video's format, however, so we're not sure if we're dealing with AVCHD Lite or a standard, run-on-the-mill MJPEG setup. 27 Scene modes will be available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8, including the new High Dynamic mode, which reportedly improves dynamic range. Also speeding down the Consumer Highway are features like Intelligent Auto, Face Recognition, and PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 has a 2.7-inch LCD, which we found to display a crisp image, Venus Engine V processing and an improved battery life.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP8 is set to ship this September for $300 and will be available in Black, Red and Silver.
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