Panasonic to enter the world smartphone market with an ultra-thin 4.3-inch OLED Android device in 2012

News

  • December 11, 2011 at 5:39 pm

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Panasonic Android 4.3-inch OLED Android prototype back

South Korean and Taiwanese companies have been making it big in the world of smartphones. At the same time Japanese consumer electronic giants only have a presence in their home country. I’ve been meaning to write a post about this for some time, and it would have gone something like this. Japanese companies like Panasonic and Sharp make great devices, absolutely fantastic hardware. A while back I was a devotee of Sharp feature phones, but then they slowly disappeared from non-Asian markets. So what was keeping Japanese phones away from international markets? Software. They had the hardware ironed out but it was impossible to write software for any number of markets.

The takeaway of my imaginary article was that the rapid emergence of Android presented a great opportunity for Japanese giants to finally make a comeback. It doesn’t guarantee them success however. HTC churns out great devices by the dozen, and Samsung is currently the most popular Android manufacturer. Japanese companies have been finding it more difficult to sell their quality wares abroad as people increasingly go for value for money rather than high-end products. For example Panasonic, which makes great TV sets, is taking a beating from Samsung on flat panel sales.
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Leica V-Lux 3 superzoom announced, a Panasonic Lumix FZ150 with a red dot

News

  • December 10, 2011 at 6:46 am

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Leica V-Lux 3 -- rebranded Panasonic FZ150

The Leica and Panasonic partnership has been a long-standing one and has resulted in some fantastic products — especially some incredibly sharp Micro Four Thirds Lenses. We are also used to Leica taking one of Panasonic’s compact shooters, adding an optimized firmware and releasing it as a Leica branded version. Of course the red dot always demands a premium and this is what has happened with the Panasonic Lumix FZ150.

Leica has announced the V-Lux 3 superzoom bridge camera, which is a rebranded FZ150 with a few cosmetic changes. The two cameras share the same 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and 24x zoom Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5-108mm f/2.8-5-2 (25-600mm 35mm equivalent) lens. It can shoot up to 12 frames per second at full resolution and is capable of full HD 1080p60 video in AVCHD format. The V-Lux 3 has a 3-inch fully articulating 460,000 dot LCD display

It will start shipping in January 2012 for $949, a $450 premium over the Panasonic FZ150. In order to at least give some grounds for the hefty premium demanded, Leica is packaging the V-Lux 3 with Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements software and a two year warranty.
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Panasonic GH2 MFT camera now hacked for video up to ISO 12,800 (video)

News

  • November 10, 2011 at 9:53 am

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GF2 ISO 12,800 video

We’ve already covered how the Panasonic GH2 had been unlocked, using a custom firmware, and could now record video at an amazing 176Mbps. The latest version of the hack now removes the ISO 3,200 limit when recording video, so that you can push the camera to record up to ISO 12,800. Now, one would think that video at such high ISO would be rife with noise and completely unusable.

Well, it turns out that, although noise is there, it’s not as bad, and the hack allows the GH2 to become an amazing low-light shooter. This is especially true when shooting video in B&W where the noise just looks like film grain. It’s pretty mind-blowing that you can shoot such video with a sub-$1000 digital camera. You can find details on how to apply the firmware in by following this link.

Two videos showing off the GH2’s high-ISO low-light B&W video capabilities await for you after the break.
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Panasonic Toughpad A1 and Toughpad B1 rugged Android tablets announced (video, specs)

News

  • November 8, 2011 at 12:46 pm

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Panasonic Toughpad A1 rugged Android tablet

If you find yourself in the freezing snow, under the scorching heat of the desert, getting wet or dropping your thing on the asphalt, then take note. Panasonic has just announced a duo of Android tablets for extreme handling and extreme conditions. Bear in mind that Panasonic is no stranger to rugged computing; it has long marketed the Toughbook laptop to military, law enforcement and heavy industrial users.

The new tablet duo consists of the 10.1-inch XGA LED 1024 x 768 Toughpad A1, which will be available next spring for $1299, and the 7-inch Toughpad B1, which will be coming in the fall of 2011. They both feature a military grade rugged design with water and dust-resistance.

The Toughpad A1 is an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet with a Marvell 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storaga. It has a GPS receiver, optional integrated 4G or 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 2-megapixel front and 5-megapixel rear cameras. What you would be more interested to know is that it’s military standard MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certified rugged with 4-foot drop rating, water and dust resistant and is safe for use in extreme temperatures from 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The chasis is made of magnesium alloy encased with ABS and elastomer.

Panasonic claims a daylight-readable 500nit LCD display with anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings. Embedded hardware security for FIPS 140-2 compliance with hardware encryption and software encryption. Panasonic hasn’t skimped on any features here and course all these add up, making the Toughpad A1 a 10.5x 8.4x 0.7 inch, 2.1 lbs (952g) beast.

Panasonic is marketing the tablet for business use, like law enforcement, healthcare, field sales, utilities and military.

You can catch a video of the Toughpad A1 getting some seriously rough handling after the break.
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Panasonic GX1 vs. Sony NEX-7 vs. Fujifilm X100 vs. Olympus E-P3 comparison

The Lab

  • November 7, 2011 at 10:47 am

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT camera black and silver side-by-side

With the successor to the GF1 finally announced, Panasonic is coming back strongly to the space it helped create. The Panasonic GX1 is the company’s new high-end rangefinder style mirorrless camera. But, as we’ve discussed in our initial in-depth coverage, unlike its predecessor it’s coming up against some very serious competition.

To put things into perspective, we’ve the GX1 against the top competitors from Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus. Our comparison includes the super-high-end NEX-7 with an APS-C sensor and the amazing OLED EVF, the excellent fixed lens APS-C Fujifilm FinePix X100 (full review here) and a fellow Micro Four Thirds camera, the Olympus E-P3. So, read on to check out how our new MILC holds up.
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Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera and LVF2 EVF announced: new 16MP sensor, December release date (specs, pictures, video)

News

  • November 7, 2011 at 5:20 am

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT digital camera silver

The Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) has been officially announced. We first saw the true successor of the venerable GF1 in October, while yesterday we managed to catch a good look of the high-end compact GX1 in Panasonic’s presentation video. Specifications are exactly as we had initially reported.

The Lumix GX1 has a 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor, the same that can be found in the Panasonic G3. This would mean more detail but less high ISO noise than the 12-megapixel sensor found in the GF3 (and of course the much older GF1). On the back ,you’ll find a 3-inch 460k dot touchscreen LCD; similar to other Panasonic offerings, you can touch-focus using the screen. You can also control the Lumix X Power Zoom lenses with the touchscreen. The camera uses contrast autofocus, with Panasonic claiming its as fast as 0.09 seconds. The GX1 can shoot up to ISO 12,800 and supports 1080p video in MP4 (20Mbps) and 1080i60 in AVCHD (17Mbps). We’re glad to see that it includes a stereo microphone and an accessory shoe which can host an electronic viewfinder or external flash.

Together with the camera, Panasonic announced the DMW-LVF2, a new 1,440k dot, 90 degree tilting, electronic viewfinder (EVF). The LVF2 offers more than seven times the effective pixels of the older LVF1 (with 202k dots). Unfortunately the LVF2 will not be compatible with any of the current GF-line cameras, (GF3, GF2, GF1); the LVF2 has a different set of connector which are essential in order to support the higher data transfer rate necessary for its higher resolution.

The GX1 is housed in an aluminium body, similar to the GF1, has metal buttons and a substantial textured handgrip. In terms of controls you have a typical Panasonic arrangement with two physical customizable function buttons, a mode dial, while it’s only missing the drive mode selector from the GF1. Though, remember, you can control aspects of the camera using the touchscreen as well, if you so choose. Panasonic has, for the first time, included a horizontal and vertical angle level gauge which will be displayed both in portrait and vertical use.
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Panasonic Lumix GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera teased in official videos

News

  • November 6, 2011 at 3:29 am

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Panasonic Lumix GX1 MFT camera in hand

Panasonic has just released a number of teaser videos for its upcoming GF1 successor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Micro Four Thirds digital camera. We first broke the news of the GX1 in October and the company’s, now official promotional video, confirms our initial specifications.

The Panasonic GX1 will have a 16-megapixel sensor, probably the same as the Panasonic G3, and a new Venus engine. It will offer a super fast 0.09 second contrast auto-focus. The main screen is a 3-inch LCD with a 460k pixel resolution, and as we guessed, it will be a touchscreen for touch autofocus, similar to other recent Panasonic offerings.

There will be a new external electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 1,440k dots (against a paltry 202k of the original LVF1) and it will be offered in silver and black. While we weren’t too excited when we first saw the all black boxy design of the GX1, it looks way sexier in the official video with the silver metal body and oversized black handgrip.

In the video, which you’ll find after the break, the GX1 is paired with the new X series lens, the collapsible power zoom LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm. There is also another video after the break showing a movie shot using the GX1 with a new miniature / time lapse effect, similar to the Panasonic LX5‘s miniature effect.
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Panasonic GX1 Micro Four Thirds camera spotted in the wild (pictures)

News

  • October 29, 2011 at 2:58 am

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Panasonic GX1 MFT digital camera and LUMIX G X VARIO PZ 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

Ever since the introduction of the Panasonic GF2, camera fans have been clamoring for a true successor for the venerable GF1 Micro Four Thirds shooter. The Panasonic GF1 was the camera that introduced a lot of people to compact mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (MILCs), over three years ago. Well, the GX1 has been rumored to be that successor, offering better image quality but also advanced handling options.

Well, we now have photos, and loads of them, of the GX1 which had surfaced at Taiwan’s Mobile01 forum. From the images, which you can find after the break, we can see that the GX1 looks a lot like the original GF1, though a bit smaller, with a boxy case strikingly different from the more curvy look of the GF2 and GF3 cameras. In terms of looks, we actually wish Panasonic would have done something more striking and original, but it’s the innards that really count. The GX1 is seen here with the premium X-series 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 collapsible zoom lens. Controls have been moved around but are typical Panasonic, though missing the drive mode selector. The camera has prominent stereo mics on the top and an AVHCD logo at the back pointing to some advance video capabilities.

The Panasonic GX1 is expected to be announced on Novermber 8th in Japan. The camera is rumored to have a 16-megapixel sensor and new image processing engine, going up to ISO 12,800. The non-tiltable LCD screen that you can see here, would be a 3-inch 460k dot one, though we haven’t heard if it will have touch capabilities. The camera will be capable of full HD shooting and Panasonic will also release an updated LVF2 external electronic viewfinder with 1,440k dots.

The GX1 will be going against some serious competition from the likes of Sony’s NEX-7 and the Fujifilm X100, and it was about time that Panasonic would get back into the game with a serious rangefinder-style body.
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Panasonic GH2 MFT camera hacked to record video at an insane 176Mbps

News

  • October 14, 2011 at 8:35 am

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Panasonic GH2 MFT digital camera

Panasonic designed the GH2 Micro Four Thirds camera to also shoot great video and the digital camera has received a warm embrace by the amateur video community. Out of the box the GH2 can shoot full HD 1080i video at the maximum AVCHD bitrate of 24 Mbit/s (Mbps).

Leave it to the hacking community to achieve what even Panasonic’s engineers would not have though possible. Not too long ago the GH2 received the hacking treatment with a custom firmware courtesy of user ‘Vitaliy’ which unlocked the GH2 to new possibilities. Well, testers have been pushing the envelope since then and a recent contribution by user ‘Driftwood’ has pushed the GH2 to record video at a whopping 176Mbps in a format titled AVCHD Intra.

What’s incredible is that the GH2 can actually manage such a high bitrate, this is by far the highest for any mirrorless or DSLR camera out there. You can catch two videos recorded at this setting after break, showing off the amazing picture quality.
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Panasonic releases firmware updates for the LX5 compact camera and four Micro Four Thirds lenses

News

  • September 14, 2011 at 7:30 am

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 digital camera

Panasonic hasn’t released a new version of the very successful DMC-LX5 high-end compact camera this year; but, it just released a new firmware version for the camera with major improvements in performance and capabilities. The updated firmware improves auto focus speed, white balance performance, easier manual focus fine adjustments, new max 250sec manual exposure while there is a new miniature effect and a number of other minor improvements.

At the same time Panasonic has also released an updated firmware for four of its Micro Four Thirds lenses: the H-F008 LUMIX G Fisheye 8mm, H-H014 LUMIX G 14mm, H-FS014042 LUMIX G VARIO 14-42mm and H-FS100300 LUMIX G VARIO 100-300mm. The improvements are targeted towards better video performance; all four get reduced auto-focusing sound during recording, while the two zoom lenses also get enhanced optical image stabilization during video recording.

Download links and further details after the break, of course!
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Panasonic shrinks Micro Four Thirds lenses: meet the new X-series Power Zoom lenses

News

  • August 26, 2011 at 3:52 am

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Panasonic 14-42mm X-series Power Zoom lens extended and GF3 kit

Compact camera lovers are having their best year yet. Panasonic has just announced a new series of high-end lenses, Lumix X, utilizing a Micro Four Thirds mount, which will lie between the current standard Lumix G and the premium Leica lenses. The big news however is that the first two X-lenses feature an electric-powered zoom — the world’s first digital interchangeable power zoom lenses; you zoom-in/out using a rocker level rather than rotating a mechanical barrel. Utilizing a power zoom, Panasonic has managed to shrink the lenses and cut down on their weight.
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Sony NEX-7 vs. Fujifilm X100 vs. Olympus E-P3 vs. Panasonic DMC-GF3

The Lab

  • August 24, 2011 at 7:18 pm

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Sony NEX-7 with Alpha lens

Sony’s just announced NEX-7 digital camera is a real contender as the new king in the compact mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera realm. We’re sure that you are itching, same as we, to see how it stacks up against the competition. We’ve pitted the NEX-7 against two Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras, the new Olympus E-P3 and the Panasonic GF3 — although we are sure Panasonic is secretly cooking a high end shooter, the GF3 is currently their higher end compact MFT camera. We’ve also added the excellent fixed lens Fujifilm FinePix X100 to our comparison; the NEX-7 shares some of same genes having a no-nonsense retro look, APS-C sensor and lots of controls. Head over after the link to see a spec fight-out.
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