Panasonic has unveiled the world?s slimmest digital camera with a 28mm wide-angle lens, the FX30. The 7MP camera offers 3x optical zoom, image stabilistation and a 2.5? LCD screen

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Introducing the World?s Slimmest Digital Camera with 28mm Wide-Angle Lens ? Panasonic?s DMC-FX30

Panasonic prides itself on being at the forefront of technology and the introduction of the DMC-FX30, the world?s slimmest digital camera with 28mm wide-angle lens, is a case in point. The perfect camera that fits into any lifestyle, the ultra slim FX30 offers sophistication in technology and style, whilst remaining inherently easy to use.

The bigger picture with the LEICA DC wide angle lens
This new lens allows photographers to easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with dynamic width and rich perspective. The lens part of the DMC-FX30 comprises of seven elements in six groups, including five lenses with six aspherical surfaces to generate high optical performance. The zoom ratio can be extended up to 5.3x in 3 megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. By using the central part of the CCD, this powerful zooming function allows you to easily capture and magnify distant subjects.

Blurred images are a thing of the past thanks to Panasonic!
Panasonic is the first manufacturer to have successfully incorporated Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) into its compact cameras ? a feature strongly appreciated worldwide and now considered to be a standard requirement of photography. O.I.S minimizes the jitter from shaky hands that causes many photos to look blurred by shifting the O.I.S lens unit to keep the optical axis aligned straight against the CCD, to ensure images are captured with supreme clarity and sharpness.

While hand-shake is the single biggest cause of blurry images, it is not the only one. Another problem is the motion blur that can occur when a subject moves as the shot is being taken ? particularly common when taking pictures of sports or young children for example. This is where Intelligent ISO Control comes in. This system detects whether the subject is moving and, as necessary raises the ISO setting and shutter speed according to how fast the subject is moving and the light conditions. This happens automatically, so you can effortlessly shoot without the need to adjust the settings every time the conditions change.

Panasonic Lumix offers solutions for both major causes of blurred images ? O.I.S when you are moving, and Intelligent ISO Control when the subject is moving. Thanks to Panasonic, you can now take clear and beautiful images in various situations.

The Venus Engine III
The DMC-FX30 features the Venus Engine III, Panasonic?s advanced image-processing engine that can record at a sensitivity setting as a high as ISO 1250 at full resolution. Noise reduction is also greatly improved, with picture noise removed in stages during image processing. Critical noise is analysed, and chromatic and luminance noise are reduced separately. The chromatic noise, which has greater effect on picture quality, is then selectively suppressed, resulting in clearer images.

Spontaneous moments can easily be captured thanks to a 1.8 second start up time and a 0.005 second shutter release time lag (the time between pressing the button on the camera and the photo being taken). Additionally, the burst shooting mode boasts the capability of sequential shots at a rate of 3 frames per second at full resolution . The unlimited consecutive shooting function allows you to take photos in succession up to the capacity of the memory card or built in memory.

As easy as LCD
The LCD is a pivotal part of the camera and as such Panasonic has paid particular attention to ensure you can effortlessly capture and playback your pictures. The DMC-FX30 boasts a 207K pixel high resolution, 2.5? large LCD. The mixed-pixel readout method performed by the CCD automatically increases the brightness level of the live image on the LCD, which greatly facilitates shooting in low situations.

Panasonic is the first manufacturer to offer the new High Angle LCD function to a digital still camera LCD. This new mode makes the FX30?s LCD display extremely easy to view from low angles, for example, when holding the camera up high to take pictures over a crowd. The difficulties faced when shooting in bright outdoors situations are also overcome by the Power LCD function, which boosts the backlighting of the LCD by 40%.

So fast, so easy – Auto Focus
The DMC-FX30 really will work hard to ensure you capture every moment important to you. The various AF methods can be selected according to the shooting environment and the position of the subject: 5 point, 3 point high-speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal-speed and spot. Panasonic has also included an Auto Focus assist lamp, providing further assistance in low light situations where focusing can be difficult.

A camera that works with you
The slim and stylish DMC-FX30 features approximately 27MB of built-in memory, which can save the day should you happen to fill up or forget your memory card. It also accepts large-capacity SDHC memory cards, giving users more flexibility in shooting and recording.

The FX30 boasts a wide variety of scene modes, including the newly introduced pet mode which allows users to set the birthday of their pet, so as with the baby mode, the pets? age is automatically recorded onto the image. Now you can see the exact age of your pet in each photo. The DMC-FX30 is also perfect for underwater photography, for use with the Marine case (available separately), thanks to the ?underwater? mode. Panasonic offers twenty-one modes to enhance your pictures ?portrait, soft skin, scenery, sport, night portrait, night scenery, self portrait, food, party, candle, fireworks, starry sky, beach, aerial photo, snow, high sensitivity, baby1, baby2, underwater, sunset and pet mode.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30, the world?s slimmest digital camera with 28mm wide-angle lens, is superior in technology and superior in style. Available in March. For further information, please visit www.panasonic.co.uk/lumix

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