Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7

Panasonic introduces the Lumix DMC-TZ7 as the newest member of its acclaimed TZ series. With 10.1-megapixel, a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and 12x optical zoom, the Lumix TZ7 (in the USA known as Lumix ZS3) is a worthy addition to a series of digital cameras that have won worldwide popularity for packing powerful zoom lenses into compact bodies. The Panasonic Lumix TZ7 is a powerhouse performer with enormous versatility. The new Panasonic camera features a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens. Compared with previous models, it extends the power of the optical zoom from 10x to 12x and expands the wide-angle lens from 28mm to an ultra-wide 25mm while reducing both size and weight of the body, giving it the range for virtually all shooting situations.

The DMC-TZ7 Digital Camera combines together the functionality of both a high-end camera and a camcorder together into one body.

The camera offers similar functions to other cameras in the TZ range including a 10-megapixel resolution, 3-inch high-res LCD screen, 12x optical zoom (or up to 21.4x in 3mp resolution) and 25mm ultra-wide angle lens, but also adds in AVCHD Lite motion picture recording.

AVCHD Lite technology provides double the recording time and also in high definition as opposed to motion JPEG. The camera also boasts a number of features traditionally associated with a camcorder, such as wind cut to minimise background wind noise, a sterio mic and audio sampling 48kHz.

You can swap between movies and still images simply by pressing a button on the back of the camera which toggles between the two shoot modes.

Many of the camera’s functions also work in video as well. This includes the popular Intelligent Auto (iA) function which features optical image stabilisation, face detection, Intelligent Exposure, Intelligent ISO Control, AF tracking and Intelligent Scene Selection.

The Intelligent Scene Selection will choose one of five scene modes that best suit current shooting conditions, however manually there are 27 different modes to choose from for still photos and 17 for video.

The compact TZ7 will be available in a choice of silver, black or brown from April 2009, with pricing to be announced.