Panasonic Intros Super Compact Digital Camera Featuring AVCHD Lite HD Video Recording

Panasonic today announced the introduction of the LUMIX DMC-ZR3, a fully-featured digital camera complete with AVCHD Lite High Defintion (HD) video recording capabilities, a 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica lens and a powerful 8x optical zoom. New to the ZR-Series this year, Panasonic also introduces Intelligent Zoom, which extends the LUMIX ZR3's zoom to 10x.

The Panasonic LUMIX ZR3’s incredible 8x optical zoom is not found on many conventional point-and-shoot cameras, especially ones that are approximately 1-inch thick. With a powerful zoom, users will be thrilled with the close-up shots they are able to take. And for an added boost, zoom power can be increased to 10x with Panasonic’s new Intelligent Zoom function, which takes advantage of the newly-added Intelligent Resolution technology. Intelligent Resolution, a component of Intelligent Auto mode, helps to maintain optimal picture quality by capturing higher quality signal processing and through the detection of three areas - outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation - examining them pixel by pixel to enhance any degradation created during the digital zoom process or in high-sensitivity shooting. As a result of Intelligent Resolution, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and video recording.

The LUMIX ZR3 takes video recording to the next level with its AVCHD Lite HD video format. The "AVCHD" is a high definition (HD) digital video recording / playback format jointly established by Panasonic and Sony Corp. The "AVCHD Lite" is a subset of the "AVCHD format" for HD digital video cameras with HD video recording restricted to 720P. Featuring double the recording time in HD quality compared to the conventional Motion JPEG format, and offering Dolby Digital Stereo Creator to record high-quality audio, the LUMIX ZR3 is perfect for capturing those spur-of-the-moment video opportunities in high-quality. With the newly-added Video Divide function, users can cut their video into two sections on the spot - within the menus of the camera - to shorten or delete the unwanted half.

Continuing with the trademark iA mode, Panasonic has incorporated this intuitive and innovative feature into the LUMIX ZR3. Working to enhance the potential of all photos and videos, iA mode automatically selects the best Scene mode, and also helps to correct handshake and any focus or brightness issues.

Other technologies incorporated into the LUMIX ZR3’s iA mode include:

• Face Recognition - Allows users to register various faces, helping to improve detection accuracy of friends and family.
• Happy Mode - New color mode that optimizes color, saturation and brightness, to make both photos and videos more vivid and true to the color originally experienced.
• Other iA Technologies - Intelligent Resolution and Intelligent Zoom, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent Exposure.

The LUMIX ZR3 features a super-fast AF (Auto Focus) speed of 0.26 second (wide-end) / 0.31 second (tele-end)*1. This combined with a high-speed start-up of just 1.1 second, gives the LUMIX ZR3 an ultra-fast response that helps to catch even the most fleeting photo opportunities. Additionally, the 2.7-inch large Intelligent LCD screen offers a dynamic, clear view and automatically adjusts its own brightness level. Also, the LUMIX ZR3 accepts the SD/SDHC Memory Card, but is also compatible with the next-generation SDXC Memory Cards, which feature a high-potential in both capacity and data-transfer speed.

The Panasonic LUMIX ZR3 will be available in silver, black, red and blue. Pricing and availability for the Panasonic LUMIX ZR3 will be announced later.