Panasonic introduces the latest in it's Lumix digital still camera line-up, with the first camera of its kind to offer a 12x optical zoom!

The DMC-FZ1 enables users to capture every detail of distant subjects with superb brightness and clarity. This compact, lightweight, 2.0 mega pixel camera features a high-performance Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens, with F2.8 brightness across the entire zoom range. Its outstanding telephoto features make this camera ideal for outdoor and sports photographers. Lumix cameras integrate superlative Leica optics with unsurpassed digital electronics technology, elevating the performance of digital still cameras to the highest standards of excellence. With its superior image rendering capability and ultra-telephoto performance, this incredibly lightweight, easy-to-use camera opens the door to exciting new creative possibilities, for both the first-time digital camera user and the experienced photographer.

The Lumix DMC-FZ1 features a large Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT lens that boasts a focal distance of 4.6mm - 55.2mm (equivalent to a 35mm - 420mm lens on a 35mm film camera) and F2.8 brightness across the entire 12x zoom range. This exciting new lens puts users in control of a wide variety of creative photo techniques to capture eloquent images, from dramatic portraits to evocative macro close-ups to vibrant telephoto shots. An included lens hood helps diminish flare and ghosting when photographing extremely bright scenes.

The lens design uses 13 elements in eight groups to provide crisp image rendering and outstanding color reproduction. The system also includes three new aspherical lenses: two one-sided lenses and one dual-sided lens, to compensate for spherical aberrations (a common problem in large-diameter lenses) while using fewer lens elements. This approach also helped to achieve the camera's ultra-compact size and remarkably light weight of only 11.2 ounces.

Panasonic's advanced MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) enhances the camera's telephoto zoom capabilities, helping to deliver sharp, vivid images even when taking handheld telephoto shots or shooting at night. This feature uses a gyro sensor which detects the slightest hand movement and integrally links the lens control to the motion of the camera to reduce jitter. Unlike digital systems, this optical system provides precise compensation with no degradation in image quality.

A new Venus Engine LSI high-speed image processing system delivers both superb image rendering and unmatched processing speed. Conventional LSI systems generate a luminance signal using only the green component of the image captured by the primary color CCD. Panasonic's new Venus Engine LSI improves on this by generating a signal from all three color components 3/4 red, green, and blue 3/4 resulting in a 50% improvement in diagonal resolution compared with previous Lumix models. The multi-tasking Venus Engine LSI handles image processing, displaying images on the LCD, and writing data to the memory card, all simultaneously, as soon as the CCD captures the image signal. Shutter time lag, a weak point in conventional digital cameras, is reduced to just 0.1 second, making this new Lumix camera incredibly responsive.

The new DMC-FZ1 Lumix camera can also record motion images (320 x 240 pixel JPEG) in 10-frames-per-second QuickTime, complete with audio.

Other features include: MEGA BURST rapid-fire shooting (7 frames per second in standard mode); intelligent light metering system; program AE; continuous AF function, Spot AF Switching and AF Lock; digital automatic pop-up flash and multiple flash modes; a special panning mode for capturing fast action with clear detail; built-in USB port; an included 8 MB SD Memory Card, and more.

The DMC-FZ1 also feature an improved, cradle-type battery recharging system that enables users to charge a spare battery while the camera is in use.