Panasonic G10 full press release
Advanced Functions and Performance with Simple Operation – Panasonic’s Smallest Ever Lumix G Micro System with Built in Viewfinder
Boasting a host of advanced digital functions, with outstanding image quality and a compact DSLR style body, Panasonic’s new DMC-G10 is the latest addition to the award winning Lumix G Micro System of cameras. Joining a family of innovative members – the DMC-G1 was the first interchangeable lens system camera based on the Micro Four Thirds System standard with dramatic downsizing of the body adopting the mirror-less structure. Next came the DMC-GH1 realizing 1920×1080 full HD (High Definition) movie recording and the DMC- GF1 brought innovation with its’ ultra compact, slim profile. The new DMC-G10 is newly released as a sister model of the touch-operation DMC-G2, with both models boasting high image quality and ease of use.
Effortlessly Easy to Use
Offering outstanding compactness and portability, the new G10 features an innovative mirror-less structure using the Micro Four Thirds System standard making it possible to develop a compact, lightweight body by eliminating a number of components that are found in a conventional interchangeable lens camera, including the mirror box and optical viewfinder unit. The distance and light measurements that are conventionally performed by the mirror box are handled by sensors in real time, and highly accurate, high-speed auto focusing is achieved by the use of contrast AF.
The DMC-G10 is ideal for compact camera owners who want to step up to higher-quality photos and advanced functions that are easy to use. Panasonic achieved this superb ease of use by continuing to improve the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode – with its shooting assist functions that have proven extremely popular in LUMIX compact cameras – and adding it to the LUMIX G Micro System’s advanced imaging technologies.
With AF Tracking, the G10 can lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves – making it easy to get beautiful, clear shots when a great photo opportunity suddenly arises. Simply aim, lock, and shoot. The Face Recognition function remembers registered faces to give an appropriate AF/AE on the people. In playback, you can choose to display only photos that contain a specific registered face using Category Playback.
In addition to the advanced functions mentioned above, the iA mode inherits fundamental functions users need in a good digital still camera. These include MEGA O.I.S., which helps prevent blurring from hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which reduces motion blur by adjusting the ISO sensitivity if the subject moves as the shot is taken. Intelligent Exposure optimizes the exposure for each part of an image, preventing blocked shadows and blown highlights and helping ensure that gradation and details are reproduced beautifully. It also features an automatic backlight compensation function that activates whenever the camera detects the subject is in backlight. Intelligent Scene Selector automatically detects the most common shooting situations – Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery, Close-up and Sunset – and switches to the appropriate Scene mode.
The user can activate all of these useful, convenient shooting-assist functions by simply selecting iA mode and user can take maximum advantage of this mode in both photo/movie recording.
Live View Finder for Perfect Previewing
The G10’s Live View Finder of 202,000-dot equivalent, 1.04x (0.52x) retains high viewability of an optical viewfinder and can also display information about camera settings that the user can see without taking his or her eye from the subject. The 3.0-inch large 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD with wide viewing angle automatically controls the brightness according to the situation as an Intelligent LCD. The 60-frames-per-second Live View is made possible by the Live MOS sensor, which takes signals directly from the image sensor and sends them continuously to the LCD, in real time. Both the Live View Finder and LCD provide approx. 100% field of view. This allows the user, when composing a shot, to check the framing accurately from corner to corner.
The contrast AF system adopted by the LUMIX DMC-G10 is not only accurate and easy to use, but also very fast. Users can choose from a wide range of AF modes, including AF Tracking, 1-area AF, Face Detection AF/AE and 23-area AF.
The High Image Quality You’d Expect of an Interchangeable Lens System Camera
While achieving breakthroughs in advanced functions and compactness of design, Panasonic also refined its comprehensive digital imaging technologies for every LUMIX G Micro System camera to raise the level of image quality that rivals or even surpasses D-SLR cameras. The 4/3-type 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the DMC-G10 offers the best of both worlds – the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. Advanced technology that makes it possible to read 4 channels of data simultaneously also helps the G10 deliver 60 frames-per-second Full-time Live View images, while faithfully reproducing high-resolution images with fine detail and rich gradation.
The new Venus Engine HD II features exceptionally advanced signal processing capabilities. This sophisticated LSI separates chromatic noise from luminance noise and applies the optimal noise reduction to each, so you capture clear and beautiful images even when shooting at high ISO sensitivity levels. The Venus Engine HD II also provides independent gradation control for each of the R, G and B colours, so even delicate colour nuances are reproduced faithfully. Linking smoothly with the Live MOS sensor, the Venus Engine HD II records stunning high-resolution 12.1-megapixel images with exceptional accuracy. Signals containing a large amount of image data are sent from the Live MOS sensor to the Live View Finder at 60 fps, resulting in clear, smooth live view.
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II has been re-engineered to compile the new image processing technology “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photo and high-definition movie with higher quality signal processing. With the Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas – are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clearness while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, superior noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in photo recording.
Cameras of LUMIX G Micro System are equipped with a highly efficient Dust Reduction System. If dust or other foreign matters get inside the camera when you’re changing lenses, it could cling to the image sensor and show up as a spot in your photos. The Dust Reduction System in the G10 helps eliminate this possibility by placing a supersonic wave filter in front of the Live MOS sensor. Vibrating vertically around 50,000 times per second, the filter repels dust and other particles effectively.
HD Movie Recording With iA
The DMC-G10 can record 1280 x 720 high-definition Motion JPEG in addition to QVGA, VGA and WVGA aspect. Users can enjoy recording HD motion images taking maximum advantage of the large sensor size and the interchangeability of lenses. A Wind Cut function is also available to block out most of the noise from background wind.
Even video beginners can record excellent movies with DMC-G10 as the popular iA (Intelligent Auto) is also available in motion image recording. Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using high-powered zoom. With AF Tracking, the G10 can lock onto any subject and keep it in focus even if it moves. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion on it so it always turns out beautifully. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Close-up, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality.
The G10 also provides a Film mode and you can select different films for your distinctive colouring and contrast in movie recording. You can try professional-like movie recording with these variety of options like you do with photo recording.
Creativity is a Must!
The DMC-G10 is artistic not only in form, but also in function. It provides an array of features that let users either capture precisely true-to-life images or create their own beautifully expressive images. The G10 features My Colour mode with a total of seven preset effects – Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, and Silhouette – while inheriting the previous Custom mode, which lets users manually set the colour, brightness and saturation levels. With the Full-time Live View function, users can see how these settings will affect the images before they shoot, making it easier to capture the exact mood or atmosphere desired. For even more elaborate effects, users can choose from a total of nine Film modes, and set the contrast, sharpness and saturation levels for each. A custom function lets users store their favorite settings in memory. The G10 also provides a total of 26 Scene modes including the Peripheral Defocus mode.
The exposure meter can be displayed in the P/A/S/M shooting modes. The correlation between shutter speed and aperture is shown, with a colour-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range. For newcomers to system camera photography, this makes it easy to learn proper settings both visually and logically, enhancing their photography skills.
View Your Images and Movies on a Large HDTV – VIERA Link networking
Still images on SD Memory Cards are easy to view on a Panasonic VIERA TV with dynamic HD resolution. The user simply inserts the card into the VIERA Image Viewer (SD Memory Card slot) on a VIERA TV or DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player to play the content. Alternatively, an optional mini HDMI cable can be used to output still and motion images recorded with the DMC-G10 directly to the TV for easy VIERA Link operation. This makes it possible to take maximum advantage of the camera’s playback functions, including slideshows in which both still and motion images are played sequentially, or calendar displays and so on. All control is possible using only the TV’s remote control.
In addition, with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0, it is easy to view and edit your recorded contents. You may also choose to upload your videos to YouTube or burn them to a DVD disc for archiving.
Rich Options for Expandability
The Micro Four Thirds System products are joining today’s Four Thirds System products to provide customers with even higher levels of performance in a digital interchangeable lens camera. In addition to LUMIX G lenses, the LUMIX DMC-G10 and LUMIX G Micro System can use any interchangeable lens that complies with the Four Thirds standard via an optional mount adaptor DMW-MA1 and with the prestigious Leica M/R Lenses via DMW-MA2M or MA3R. This gives the user access to the unlimited number of lens properties.
With the LUMIX G Micro System and the growing assortment of lenses becoming available, the expressive possibilities are unlimited. The LUMIX DMC-G10 system camera offers a wide variety of options to choose from to match every shooting situation and shooting style.
The DMC-G10, elegantly finished in black, will be available to purchase in the UK with the new 14-42mm lens (HFS014042) from June 2010.