Along with the Lumix LS5 budget shooter, Panasonic has also announced an update to its FZ line of megazoom cameras. As with the rest of the FZ megazooms, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47 sports a 25-600mm 24x zoom lens and uses a traditional SLR-style body design. Though the body hasn’t changed much from its predecessor, the DMC-FZ40 (nor has overall functionality changed dramatically), the improvements that have been made are welcome, starting first with the unusual (for Panasonic) move of dropping resolution from 14.1 megapixels in the FZ40 to 12.1 megapixels in the FZ47. According to Panasonic, the move was made so the FZ47 could benefit from the performance boost of its 12.1 megapixel high-speed CCD. And indeed, the FZ47’s rated continuous shooting speed at full resolution is a significantly peppier 3.7fps (up from 1.8fps in the FZ40). The reduction of resolution is also likely to improve image quality, especially in low light, as the sensor doesn’t have to cram as many pixels into a same-size chip. Autofocus speed has also been improved and the camera’s startup time is 35 percent faster than the FZ40’s, according to Panasonic.
The FZ47’s LCD remains at 3 inches in size, though its resolution has been bumped up to 420,000 dots. Video recording capabilities have also been improved, with the FZ47 delivering full 1080i HD recording at 30fps. Panasonic also promises that the 24x optical zoom has been optimized for video (i.e., to minimize the sound of the autofocus and zooming mechanisms). The addition of a Creative Video mode allows you to control aperture and shutter speed manually.
Other features include:
- 3D photo shooting
- Optical Image Stabilizer
- Motion Deblur
- Face detection and recognition
- Intelligent scene selection
- 18 scene modes, including Panorama Assist, High-speed Burst, and 3D Photo
- Eight creative special effects filters, including Pinhole, Film Grain, and Miniature Effect
The camera will ship in August for $399.99 and will be available in black only.
For more information, read the press release »
