New Lumix range is thin and zoomy

Panasonic's latest range of Lumix cameras has been unveiled, including an update to the FZ28 superzoom, a new image stabilisation system, and thin, svelte lenses.

Amidst the slew of camera announcements lately, the new Lumix range of four new cameras builds upon the tried and tested selling points of the brand rather than introducing anything too quirky. Can we say projector camera, anyone?

The Power OIS (optical image stabiliser) technology builds upon the Mega OIS that has featured previously in the company's line-up, claiming to be twice as effective at reducing hand shake.

The new ZR1 and FX65 both take slimming to a new level, by incorporating the world's thinnest aspherical glass moulded lens. This means that longer lenses can be fitted in even smaller bodies — the ZR1 has an 8x optical zoom that is 2.04cm thick.

Interestingly, AVCHD Lite recording, which first made its appearance on the tough Lumix FT1, is only on one of the new models, the FZ35. The rest feature HD recording in motion JPEG.

Model	Specifications
	DMC-ZR1 12.1 megapixels 2.7-inch LCD screen Quick start-up of 1.1 seconds, short shutter lag of 0.007 second HD recording 8x optical zoom, 25mm wide-angle lens Black, silver, red and blue colour options Available in September, RRP AU$549
	DMC-FX65 12.1 megapixels 2.7-inch LCD screen Wide f/2.8 maximum aperture HD recording 5x optical zoom, 25mm wide-angle lens Replaces the DMC-FX38 Available in September, RRP AU$659
	DMC-FZ35 12.1 megapixels 2.7-inch LCD AVCHD Lite recording, manual controls 18x optical zoom, 27mm wide-angle lens Replaces the DMC-FZ28 Available in September, RRP AU$769
	DMC-FP8 12.1 megapixels 2.7-inch LCD screen 0.95 second start-up time 4.6x optical zoom, 28mm wide-angle lens Black, silver and pink colour options Available in September, RRP AU$659