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| (Credit: Panasonic) |
Panasonic unveiled an entry-level digital camera, the F3, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The budget-minded model has 12.1 megapixels and HD videos, but is otherwise very basic: its 4x lens doesn’t even have optical image stabilization like most of the other Lumix models.
Pricing hasn’t been announced for the Panasonic Lumix F3, but we’re betting it will be cheap. The F3 may have plenty of resolution, but it keeps its feature set simple. The Lumix-branded 4x lens has a focal length equivalent to 28-112mm. This is wider than the comparable FS4’s 4x, 33-132mm lens. That camera sells for $99. Both cameras have digital image stabilization, although most other Lumix cameras have optical image stabilization.
The new Panasonic F3’s fanciest feature is its 720p HD video. It records 30 frames per second and can play it back on its 2.7-inch LCD screen; unfortunately it only has standard video output and cannot play its HD videos directly on an HDTV. Users who want to do that will have to download the files to a computer and burn them to a DVD before they can get them on the big-screen.
The F3 has an automatic scene mode that selects a scene mode from a short list depending on what subjects it detects in the live view. It also has intelligent ISO control and face detection.
“The Panasonic Lumix F3 was designed for the casual and frequent user who wants a digital camera that is not only small and stylish in design, but that has sophisticated features to help enrich the photo-taking experience,” said David Briganti, senior product manager of imaging at Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company, in the Jan. 6 press release.
