LUMIX DMC-G2 interchangeable lens camera with touch-control movable LCD

Panasonic Canada Inc.  recently announced  the LUMIX DMC-G2, the world's first  digital interchangeable lens system camera with a touch-control, movable LCD.

Successor to the award-winning and revolutionary LUMIX G1, the world's first Micro Four Thirds digital camera, the LUMIX G2 has intuitive touch-control shooting which elevates the camera's operability, letting the user adjust auto focus (AF) simply by touching the subject on the large 3-inch 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD. The LUMIX G2 also shoots 720p High Definition video using the AVCHD Lite format, and joins the LUMIX G10, also introduced today, as the latest models in the LUMIX G Micro System.

Using the touch-screen operation, consumers can snap photos by simply touching the LCD screen. This touch-screen operation excels not only for shooting but also during playback, where users can touch one thumbnail to quickly and easily see the full size of the desired photo. Photos can also be dragged across the screen to browse one at a time, as though flipping the pages of a book.

"With the LUMIX G2, Panasonic is pleased to continue to lead the evolution of the Micro Four Thirds platform and be the first in the industry to offer a touch-screen interchangeable lens system camera," said Doug Borbath, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Canada Inc. "Touch-operation is an interface that many consumers are familiar with and have come to expect - we think they will love how this feature makes it easier and quicker to take photos and videos with professional effects."

The LUMIX G2 also includes AF Tracking, a touch-screen operation which allows users to lock onto and follow a subject as it moves within the frame. The location and size of the AF Tracking area can be selected using the 1-area AF feature. While using the manual focus, consumers can enlarge a subject by 1x, 5x or 10x with one touch on the screen. With this touch operation, menu settings can be changed quickly; cutting the time it takes to navigate using standard cursors. However, all setting changes can still be done using the control pad, if preferred.

The LUMIX G2 records 1280 x 720 HD videos in the AVCHD Lite format, which increases recording capacity and is highly compatible with audio-visual equipment. And a dedicated video record button allows the user to easily start recording a video. To complement its high-quality video capabilities, the LUMIX G2 features advanced audio options - sound is recorded with Dolby Digital Creator and an optional accessory stereo microphone can be attached. A Wind Cut function further enhances sound, reducing noise caused from background wind.

The three-inch touch-operation LCD has a wide-viewing angle and rotates 180-degrees from side-to-side and tilts 270-degrees up and down, providing approximately 100 per cent field of view. This free-angle LCD with touch-screen operation makes it possible to both view and touch the screen from any angle. The double Live-View function offered by the high-resolution, 460,000-dot free-angle Intelligent LCD and 1,440,000-dot 1.4x (0.7x) Live View Finder allows consumers to see the results before pressing the shutter.

The 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the LUMIX G2 offers the best of both worlds - the outstanding image quality of a CCD sensor and the lower power consumption of a CMOS sensor. Advanced technology enables it to read four channels of data simultaneously, helping the LUMIX G2 deliver 60 frames-per-second Full-time Live View images, while faithfully reproducing high-resolution images with fine detail and rich gradation. The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II has also been re-engineered to further improve image quality.

The new high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II supports the new image processing technology Intelligent Resolution, which enables the recording of beautiful photo and HD video with high quality signal processing. With Intelligent Resolution technology, three areas are automatically detected - outlines, detailed texture areas, and soft gradation. The outline areas are enhanced effectively to give edges increased clarity, while simultaneously giving a moderate accentuation to the textured areas so they look finely detailed. For the soft gradation areas, the improved noise reduction system of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to achieve a smoother effect. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel-by-pixel in the most effective way, resulting in images that are naturally clear.

For consumers looking for additional creative options for both photos and videos, the LUMIX G2 delivers. While shooting HD video, users can set the camera in "P" mode - to change the aperture for professional-like movie effects where the images blur into focus. For still photos, the LUMIX G2 features the My Colour mode with a total of seven preset effects - Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, and Silhouette - while also keeping the Custom mode. These preset effects let consumers manually set the colour, brightness and saturation levels and save their favourite settings into memory.

For beginner consumers not yet ready for manual modes, the LUMIX G2 features iA (Intelligent Auto), a popular setting in the LUMIX point-and-shoot line-up that automatically engages features and settings for optimal image quality by detecting the shooting environment. Panasonic iA is available in both still photo and video recording settings and a new dedicated iA button, which illuminates when engaged, makes it even easier to use this handy feature.