Digital interchangeable lens system camera has movable LCD that allows for touch-control

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Panasonic on Tuesday unveiled the LUMIX DMC-G2, the world’s first digital interchangeable lens system camera with a movable LCD that allows for touch-control, and the successor to the award-winning and revolutionary LUMIX G1, which was the world’s first Micro Four Thirds digital camera.

The intuitive touch-control shooting elevates the camera’s operability, letting the user adjust auto focus (AF) simply by touching the subject on the large 3.0-inch 460,000-dot high-resolution LCD. The LUMIX G2 also shoots 720p High Definition video using the AVCHD Lite format.

With the touch-screen operation, users can even snap a photo by touching the LUMIX G2’snscreen. Additionally, the touch-screen operation excels not only for shooting but also duringnplayback. Users can touch one thumbnail viewed among many to quickly and easily see thenfull size of the desired photo. Also, to view images one-by-one, photos can be dragged across the screen to browse as though flipping the pages of a book.

Using the touch-screen operation, once a user locks onto a subject, the LUMIX G2 enablesnAF Tracking and will track the subject as it moves within the frame. Then, with a touch on the screen, users can select the part and the size of AF area with the 1-area AF. The Multi-area AF sets a group of AF points according to the composition. While using the manual focus, users can enlarge a subject by touching it and then choosing to enlarge it by 1x, 5x or 10x and then smoothly moving the part by dragging it 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. With a dedicated video record button, users can easily start recording a video. To complement its high-qualitynvideo capabilities, the LUMIX G2 features advanced audio options, as sound is recorded withnDolby Digital Creator and an optional accessory stereo microphone can be attached. A WindnCut function further enhances the sound as it helps reduce noise caused from backgroundnwind.

The 3.0-inch touch-operation LCD has a wide-viewing angle and rotates 180 degrees fromnside to side and tilts 270 degrees up and down, providing approximately 100% of field of view. This free-angle LCD with a 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 users to see the settings’ results before pressing the shutter.

The 12.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor featured in the LUMIX G2 offers the best of both worldsn– the outstanding image quality of a CCD sensor, and the lower power consumption of anCMOS sensor. Advanced technology enables it to read four channels of data simultaneously,nhelping the LUMIX G2 to deliver 60 frames-per-second Full-time Live View images, whilenfaithfully reproducing high-resolution images with fine detail and rich gradation. Plus, with thenhigh-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II, which has been re-engineered to furthernimprove image quality.

The new high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD II supports the new imagenprocessing technology Intelligent Resolution, which enables the recording of beautiful photonand HD video with high quality signal processing. With Intelligent Resolution technology, three areas – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation – are automatically detected. The outline parts 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, the innovative technology Intelligent Resolution precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way, resulting in images that are naturally clear.

Price is open.