The previously rumored camera model will be called Panasonic ZS-7 (not sure if they will use the same model name in the US). Some more detailed specs emerged today (Google translated – not sure how accurate this translation is):
- HD video with 720p 30fps
- Built-in stereo microphone
- 12x optical enabled zoom
- New IS system in camera
- New, dedicated movie mode button
- New implementation of the exposure button for easier manual settings
- Built-in GPS: each photo will be tagged with the geo-location and time stamp and those parameters will be searchable
- SDXC cards compatible
- HDMI and USB ports
- New digital zoom solution – it will guarantee high resolution images, without any loss of quality even when using digital zoom
The second expected camera will be the Panasonic TS2 (replacement of the Panasonic TS1). Again, the translation is not easy to understand, but it seems that this camera can survive very deep waters, free fall from substantial height and operate under some extreme weather conditions.
No word on the G model yet.
Expected release: end of January, beginning of February 2010.
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13 Comments
“without any loss of quality even when using digital zoom”
That is instead of blowing up the pixels (1 becomes 4) keeping the pixels 1:1 and so reducing picture size?
“”" without any loss of quality even when using digital zoom “”"
WHAT A MARKETING BULL SHIT
“Give me 4$, I give you back 1$ without any loss.”
digital zoom, is purely & simply cropping a picture. even if it uses a powerful algorithm such as genuine fractals to recover a bit the awfull pixels, there’s loss.
“Give me 4$, I give you back 1$ without any loss.”
Exactly
Just what I thought
Isn’t this called “Crop Mode”………
well they could do the reverse take a extremely high mp sensor (say a 28mp in 1/2.3″) that they can not achieve higher ISOs at and link pixels together. then when entering digital zoom unlink pixels. this would only give 3x digital zoom in steps but it would give the same amount of mp and still good images at lower ISOs so they could make that clam.
Key I= Linkage, L= Linked Pixel, P= Unlinked pixel,
Normal 1X 2X 3X
P – P L, L L , P P , P
I I I I I
P – P L, L L , P P , P
*Interpolation would be needed for the 2x zoom. as the images would be stretched.
so advertise the camera as a 7mp camera with great high ISO and the no IQ loss in digital zoom but with only selected ISOs available (say 1x 100-800 2x 100-400 3x 100-200) they could even advertise it as a higher mp camera then just have restriction for lower MPs at higher ISOs. but no P&S consumer needs that many MPs and they will just get mad at the restrictions so what they dont know cant hurt them.
Or i could be way wrong and the digital zoom will still sux .
*sry if the format does not work out on the linked pixel diagram.
ya wish i could edit that so the diagram would work…. But this should show what i mean. that is if anyone reads the response b4 responding…
1x
L-L
I / I
L-L
2x
L, P
I
L, P
3x
P,P
P,P
That would be a solution. but still; 28mp for 1/2.33″ sensor, the diffraction would be awful!
Think that such a sensor is diffraction limited at around f/2.8 when 12mp.
I’m not sure that considering that amount of diffraction would yield a lot better images than carefully interpolating.
It has not been shown that having less MPs is any sharper than more MPs with diffraction. (It is more lens dependent.)
and diffraction would not occur at he same 28mp level when the pixels were linked bc they would be acting as one so any overlap would still be on the “same pixel” it would only be with Digital zoom diffraction would be awful. but its a p&S so how gives a hoot.
27MP sensor if you do 3x zoom than you have 3MP camera at 1x. Not to many will buy that.
Another possible way of achieving that would be by super-resolution techniques.
It could capture some frames really fast and then combine them to create a somewhat better image.
There is a program called PhotoAcute that does exactly that…
is this not the same as panasonics previous super zoom with 720p recording??????