Despite the new model number, changes are minimal and look to be mostly related to the camera's firmware. The 2.11 megapixel image sensor, 12x optical zoom lens, 1.5" LCD, color electronic viewfinder, pop-up flash and SD / MMC storage media are all the same as the FZ1.
The most significant change in the new model is the addition of both Aperture and Shutter-priority exposure modes, giving the photographer a greater degree of control over their photos. A new white-balance fine-tuning function allows the white balance to be manually adjusted +/- 1500 Kelvin in 300 Kelvin steps.
The new camera also replaces the intermediate 1024 x 768 pixel resolution of its predecessor with a 1280 x 960 pixel mode, and the bundled 8MB Secure Digital card has been dropped from the package altogether. (This might sound odd, but we actually think it is a better idea to let end-users buy their own memory cards - tiny bundled cards that can store only a handful of photos are pretty-much useless for most purposes, but add to the cost of the camera itself).
These handful of items appear to be the only things changed in the Lumix DMC-FZ2. Plans are for 30,000 units to ship each month at an unannounced price, with the new model going on sale in Japan from August 23rd Sample photos can be seen here, and specs / product photos follow.
| Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2 |
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| Lens | | Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens | | 13 elements in 8 groups (4 aspherical lenses) | |
| Camera Effective Pixels | 2.0 Effective Megapixels |
| CCD (Image Sensor) | 1/3.2", 2.11 Total Megapixel CCD, Primary Color Filter |
| Resolution | | 1600 x 1200 pixels | | 1280 x 960 pixels | | 640 x 480 pixels | | 320 x 240 pixels (Motion Image Recording) | |
| Aperture (Iris) | F2.8 (wide to telephoto) |
| Optical Zoom | 12x |
| Digital Zoom | | 3x (Single Shot) | | 2x Variable (Consecutive Shots) | |
| Focus Distance | f=4.6-55.2mm (35mm equiv: 35-420mm) |
| Focusing Area | | Normal: Wide: 11.8" (30cm) / Tele: 47.3" (120cm) - infinity | | Macro/Simple: Wide: 1.9" (4.9 cm) / Tele: 47.3" (120cm) - infinity | |
| Focus | Auto Focus System, Normal/Macro (Dial), Spot AF On/Off (Spot Mode), Continuous AF On/Off |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto / 50 / 100 / 200 / 400 |
| White Balance | Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Halogen / White Set |
| Exposure | Program AE, Aperture-priority AE, Shutter-priority AE |
| Exposure Compensation | 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV |
| Auto (AE) Bracketing | 1/3 EV-1 EV Step, 3 Frames |
| Light Metering | Intelligent Multiple / Spot (Spot Mode) |
| Shooting Modes | Simple, Normal (P / A / S), Picture, Macro, Portrait, Sports, Panning, Night Portrait, Moving Image |
| Shutter Speed | 8 - 1/2,000 sec |
| Self Timer | 10 seconds / 2 seconds |
| Image Quality Adjustment | Natural, Standard, Vivid |
| Color Effect Mode | Cool, Warm, Black & White |
| Image Modes | Fine / Standard |
| Image Formats | | Still Image: JPEG (design rule for camera file system) | | Still Image w/ Audio: JPEG (design rule for camera file system) & QuickTime (Still Image w/ Audio) | | Motion Image: QuickTime (Motion Image with Audio) | |
| Motion Image Recording with Audio | | Approximately 10 frames/second @ 320 x 240 pixels | | (maximum recording time deponds upon memory card capacity) | |
| Mega Burst Imaging | | About 4 frames/second with full-resolution image | | Max. of 4 frames (Fine Mode) / 7 frames (Standard Mode) | |
| Still Image Recording with Audio | 5 seconds |
| Audio Dubbing | Maximum of 10 Seconds |
| Flash | Pop-up |
| Built-in Flash Mode | Auto, Auto/Red Eye Redux, Slow Synchro/Red Eye Redux, Forced On/Off |
| Interface for Optional External Flash | No |
| LCD Monitor | 1.5" Diagonal Polycrystalline TFT Color LCD with 114,000 pixels & Adjustable Brightness (± 3 steps) |
| Viewfinder | Color EVF (Adjustable) |
| Built-in SD Card Slot | Yes |
| Memory Types | | SD Memory Card (No Card Included) | | MultiMediaCard (No Card Included) | |
| Microphone | Built-in |
| Speaker | Built-in |
| Interface | DC Input, A/V Output, USB |
| USB Port | Yes |
| Power Supply | | Li-Ion Battery (680 mAh, 7.2V) | | Battery Charger/AC Adaptor (Input: 100 - 240V AC) (Included) | |
| SD Viewer for DSC | Yes |
| Included Accessories | Li-Ion Battery Pack, AC Adaptor/Battery Charger, Lens Hood, Lens Cap, Lens Hood Adaptor, A/V Cable, USB Cable, Strap, Software CD-ROM |
| Conversion Lens Compatibility | No |
| Delete | Single Page Delete / Multi Page Delete / All Delete |
| LSI Type | Venus Engine LSI |
| Low Pass Filter | Yes |
| MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer | Yes |
| Multi-Task Image Processing | Yes |
| Model Color | Silver / Black |
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 2 3/4'' x 4 1/2'' x 3 1/4'' |
| Weight | 0.75 lbs |
| More Photos |
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Panasonic announces DMC-FZ2