Photos: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZX1 hands-on

The Lumix DMC-ZX1 treads the middle ground between high-zooming compacts and pocket snappers. Check out our picture gallery to see it sunning itself, the lucky blighter

Richard Trenholm

Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.

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Richard Trenholm

July 27, 2009 8:01 a.m. PT

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We've got Panasonic Lumix cameras coming out of our ears today. It's time now for the Lumix DMC-ZX1, an enticing combination of style and specs.

The ZX1 isn't slim, although it's not as big-boned or as high-specced as its Lumix stablemates, the DMC-TZ6 and DMC-TZ7. It's a happy medium between a stylish, slim snapper and top-end compact, and is designed to compete with the likes of the Canon Digital IXUS 95 IS and Digital IXUS 100 IS.

Despite not being as souped-up as a TZ, it still includes a respectable 8x optical zoom. Other features include Power OIS to keep the shakes at bay, and autofocus tracking that locks onto a moving subject and keeps it in focus. In fact, Panasonic reckons the autofocus is twice as fast as the TZ7's. Blimey.

The camera's face detection is one feature that impressed us. When the same face is recorded several times, the camera prompts you to register it, and, when that friend appears again, their name is displayed on the screen. Up to six people's faces can be registered, and up to three names can be shown on the screen at the same time. The names even rotate when you turn the camera sideways. We found that the system works well if you register three different angles for each person.

We got our hands on the ZX1 in the Lisbon sunshine. Click through our gallery to see more of this snapper in action, and find out the price.

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You can view your images on a 69mm (2.7-inch) LCD screen. We like the easy zoom button, which makes the 8x zoom leap out and back again.

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The Leica lens incorporates the world's first 0.3mm, super-thin aspherical lens and the industry's first 0.3mm spherical lens. Cor.

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It may be no TZ7, but the ZX1 still has a focal length of 25-200mm on a 35mm film camera.

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The mode wheel has the same problem as you find on other Lumix cameras: the wheel doesn't click into place very securely, and, whenever you whip it out of your pocket, it's moved.