Lumix

Lumix logo
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1 (2004)

Lumix is Panasonic's brand of digital cameras, ranging from pocket point-and-shoot models to digital SLRs.

Compact digital cameras DMC-LC5[1] and DMC-F7[2] were the first products of the Lumix series, released in 2001. They are equipped with Leica lenses.

Indeed, many Lumix models are fitted with Leica lenses (e.g. Nocticron or Elmarit lenses), designed by Leica's German optical engineers, and are assembled in Japan. Others are rebranded as Leica cameras with different cosmetic stylings. Leica had a similar relationship with Minolta in the past, where late model Leica SLRs (and some 35 mm point-and-shoot models) were strongly based on Minolta bodies.

Most Lumix cameras use differing releases of the Panasonic Venus Engine for digital image processing; the original version (2002) was followed by II (2004), Plus (2005), III (2006), IV (2008), HD, V (2009), and VI, HD II, FHD (2010).

Panasonic produces most of Leica's branded digital point and shoot cameras in Japan, but not film cameras, the Leica M8 or Leica M9 digital rangefinder cameras, the X1 and X2 digital cameras or the Digital Modul R digital camera back for the Leica R9 film SLR.

Panasonic showed a prototype of a planned 3D Lumix camera in September 2011,[3] saying that it would have twin 4x zoom lenses with folding optics and optical image stabilization for both video and still images.[3]

In November 2015, Panasonic released a free firmware update for its Lumix G7, GX8 and FZ300 cameras. The update gives the cameras a new mode called "Post Focus," which can capture up to 49 points of focus in a single burst, and the mode works with any lens that offers autofocus capabilities.[4]

Model lines

Panasonic DMC-LS60
Camera Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60

Some cameras are available in a choice of colour, indicated by a suffix letter: K is black, S silver, A blue, R red, W white. Most lower-priced models have small sensors of about 10.2 mm / 1/2.5". More expensive ones often have sensors of about twice the area, 14.1 mm to 15.4 mm / 1/1.65" to 1/1.8". dSLRs and Micro Four Thirds cameras have much larger sensors. Larger sensors produce a better image signal-to-noise ratio and better dynamic range. The GH series of Micro Four Thirds cameras have a unique "multi-aspect" sensor, that is larger than the lens image circle. This allows three different aspect ratios, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9, to be used natively. As a result, the image diagonal remains the same in all three aspect ratios and provides full coverage of the sensor, and a larger field of view with higher resolution than one would get by simply cropping the 4:3 aspect to the narrower ratios.

Current

Discontinued

Model history

See also: Venus Engine
Type Venus Engine
Non-installing Venus I Venus II Venus Plus Venus III Venus IV Venus HDVenus VVenus VIVenus HD IIVenus VII FHDVenus IX
High-end
Ultra-Compact
FX100 FX150 FX580 / FX550 FX700
Ultra-Compact, Wide-angle FX01 FX50 / FX30 / FX55 / FX33 FX35 / FX500 FX48 / FP8 / ZX1 / FX550 FX66 ZR3 / ZX3 FX78
Ultra-Compact F7 F1 / FX5 / FX1 FX7 / FX2 FX8 / FX3 / FX9 FX12 FS3 / FS5 / FS6 / FS7 / FS15 / FS20 / FS25
High-end
Compact
LC5 LC1 LX1 LX2 LX3 LX5 / LX7 LX100
Compact, Wide-angle, Large Zoom TZ1 / TZ2 / TZ3 TZ4 / TZ5 / TZ15 / TZ50 / ZS1 ZS3 ZS5 / ZS8 ZS7 ZS10 / ZS15 / ZS20 / ZS30
Compact,
Medium Zoom
LZ1 / LZ2 / LZ3 / LZ5 LZ6 / LZ7 LZ8 / LZ10
Bridge,
Ultra Zoom
FZ1 / FZ2 / FZ10 FZ3 / FZ5 / FZ7 / FZ30 / FZ20 FZ50 / FZ18 / FZ8 FZ28 FZ35 / FZ38 FZ40 / FZ45 FZ100 / FZ48 / FZ150 / FZ200 FZ1000
Compact LC40 / LC20 LC33 / LC43 / LC70 LS1 / LS2 LS60 / LS75 / LS80 LS85
Four Thirds L1 / L10
Micro Four Thirds G1 / GH1 / GF1 G2 /G10 GH2 / GF2 / GF3 / G3 / GX1 / GH3 / G5 GH4 / G7
Waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof TS10 TS1 TS2 TS3 / TS4

Promoters

Panasonic Lumix sponsors German football player Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund and Germany

Panasonic Lumix sponsors German football player Marco Reus of German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund and Germany.[8]

In Japan, pop singer Ayumi Hamasaki promotes the Lumix cameras with her songs. She announced on May 8, 2007, that Panasonic would be releasing an Ayumi Hamasaki x Hello Kitty x Lumix collaboration camera, a Lumix FX-30 which sells for ¥54600 (about US$455). Recently Hamasaki promoted the Lumix FX 40.[9] Hong Kong actress and singer Karena Lam also appeared in a local Hong Kong Panasonic commercial for the now discontinued FX01.

See also

References

  1. DMC-LC5 (Japanese)
  2. DMC-F7 (Japanese)
  3. 1 2 Stephen Shankland, CNET. "Panasonic shows off 3D Lumix camera prototype." September 2, 2011. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
  4. Tim Moyhnihan, Wired. “Panasonic Cameras Get a Shoot Now and Focus Later Feature.” November 25, 2015. November 30, 2015.
  5. Richard Butler. "Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000 First Impressions Review". Retrieved June 12, 2014.
  6. "Panasonic announces DMC-SZ7 and DMC-SZ1 mid-level compact superzooms," Digital Photography Review.
  7. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Review, Digital Camera resource page, Jeff Keller, April 7, 2007. Accessed on line April 28, 2008.
  8. "Panasonic snaps up Marco Reus as brand ambassador".
  9. "Hamasaki promotes the Lumix FX 40".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Panasonic Lumix cameras.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, April 05, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.