Lens design gives Panasonic ZR1 more zoom in less space
The 12-megapixel DMC-ZR1 has a wide-angle 8x zoom lens in an ultracompact body.
- More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Every round of releases from Panasonic's digital camera division gets more interesting. Case in point, the very compact 12-megapixel Lumix ZR1 features a 25-200mm-equivalent lens with an 8x zoom. The extended zoom is courtesy of a new aspherical lens design for digital cameras that makes the elements just 0.3-millimeter thick. This allows for a 1-inch body depth and a weight of 5.6 ounces with battery and SD/SDHC card.
According to Panasonic, the camera is very fast because of a revamped high-speed auto focus system and a start-up time of only 1.1 seconds (very good for a longzoom camera).
The ZR1 also features a 2.7-inch LCD, a battery life lasting up to 330 pictures on a single charge, and Panasonic's latest Power Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) that doubles the repression power of its MEGA O.I.S. system.
A couple of newer shooting options are thrown in as well, including its face recognition system, High Dynamic mode for evening exposure of scenes that are bright and dark, and a Travel mode that lets you organize photos with destination, time, and date. This seems like a good snapshot camera for traveling, so that last feature makes a lot of sense.
The Lumix DMC-ZR1 has a suggested retail price of $279.95 and will be available in September 2009 in black, red, blue, and silver.
