CES 2015: Panasonic launches range of Lumix and 4K cameras and Next-gen Blu-ray disc player

The HC-WX970 and HC-VX870 models are both equipped with 4K Video Recording and 4K Photo mode. It comes with Leica Dicomar Lens, an 8.29M back-illuminated sensor (BSI), and a Crystal Engine 4K processor. Panasonic’s HC-WX970, HC-VX870 and HC-V770 models include High Dynamic Range (HDR) Movie functionality and claims it to be the world’s first for Full HD consumer camcorders. Featuring a 4-Drive Lens System, the HC-WX970 and HC-VX870 models enable 20x optical zoom in 4K resolution.

Lumix SZ10

The Lumix SZ10 is the latest addition to its SZ range of compact cameras. The camera incorporates a large 2.7-inch 460K-dot LCD monitor that tilts up by 180-degrees. The camera also offers a number of beauty effect functions, including ‘Soft Skin’, ‘Defocusing’ and ‘Slimming’ modes, taking your selfies to a whole new level. Soft Skin mode lets you adjust the skin tones; Defocusing mode applies a soft focus effect to the background to clearly emphasize the face in the image; and Slimming mode processes the portrait’s face to look slightly slimmer.

The iA (Intelligent Auto) mode lets users leave everything to the camera to take beautiful images with its Optical Image Stabilizer, Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Intelligent Exposure and Face Detection.

Lumix TS6 and TS30 rugged cameras

Panasonic is introducing two new rugged cameras to its waterproof, freeze-proof, shockproof and dustproof tough camera range, the LUMIX TS6 and TS30. The 16.1-megapixel LUMIX DMC-TS6 (TS6) comes with a 28mm wide angle 4.6x optical zoom LEICA lens(35mm equivalent: 28-128mm). Featuring 1920×1080 60p full HD video recording capability, the new TS6 empowers its toughness with waterproof performance to 43 ft, / 220 lbf pressure resistance, Wi-Fi® connectivity with NFC(Near Field Communication) technology. The LUMIX TS30 is waterproof to 26 feet, shock-proof to 5 feet, freeze-proof to 14F and dust-proof. The camera features a LUMIX DC VARIO lens with 4x optical zoom from 25mm ultra wide angle.

Lumix ZS range

Panasonic LUMIX ZS range of premium compact cameras adds the LUMIX ZS50 and LUMIX ZS45 models. The 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor, ultra-wide-angle 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens and 30x optical zoom

The new LUMIX ZS45 comes with a 20x optical zoom lens and a 16-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor. The camera also includes high quality image recording capable of 1920 x 1080 Full HD video, as well as POWER O.I.S for vibration-free shots.

The resolution of the LUMIX ZS45’s 3-inch monitor has been increased to 1,040k-dot from 460k-dot. The monitor also tilts up by 180-degrees.

Next Gen Blu-ray disc player

Panasonic Corporation announced that it has developed the world’s first Blu-ray Disc playback technology supporting the latest technologies such as 4K and High Dynamic Range , which are expected to be adopted in the next generation Blu-ray Disc standards (ULTRA HD BLU-RAY). A prototype player was on display at CES 2015 in Las Vegas.

This prototype integrates video processing and optical disc drive technologies making it capable of reproducing 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixel)/60p[1]/10-bit[2] high resolution video, and supporting the latest technologies such as High Dynamic Range that marks a major leap in the brightness peak from the previous 100 nit3 to 1,000-10,000 nit to improve the power of expression; wide color gamut standard BT.2020[4], which greatly increases color reproduction; high-efficiency video compression technology HEVC (H.265)/ Blu-ray Disc playback at a high bit rate of 100Mbps.