Panasonic Updates Firmware of DMC-LX3 for Further Improvement in Functions and Performance

A new firmware update is released for Panasonic’s premium manual compact camera DMC-LX3. Firmware version 2.1* supports several new functions and improves various performances to elevate shooting convenience and fun. The firmware also rectifies several minor issues to enhance operation.

The adoption of new algorithm makes it possible to speed up the AF time by reducing it approx.20% to 0.50 sec at wide-end. Now the 1:1 aspect ratio recording mode is added as a shooting option in addition to the conventional 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The white balance bracket shot is available. The new scene mode High Dynamic is newly incorporated in the scene mode, which helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure even though the scene contains both bright and dark area together. You can select either of 3 options, Standard, Art, or B/W, depending on the desired effect and personal taste to make the photo look natural to artistic. The white balance adjustment performance is greatly improved especially under fluorescent lights, daytime sunlight and low light.

As well as those mentioned above, the new firmware incorporates attractive advancements for enthusiastic photographers. The exposure compensation range as well as its bracket setting is widened. The fixed composition guidelines are now movable to the intended position with the control of cursor or joystick for free framing. Over exposure part of the picture is shown not only in the preview but also in the...

Panasonic's development of the four-thirds sensor format (17x13mm approx.) continues apace with the DMC -G1 and its HD video endowed sibling, the GH1. Both cameras are fitted with the latest LIVEMos sensor developed by Panasonic in partnership with Olympus Optical Co Ltd.


1. The new Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera E-P1. The company promises further developments for this format and one can hope there might be an all black version, preferably in Urushi lacquer.

Thus far, products from both companies deliver an extraordinary level of equipment and image sophistication for their sensor size, although it is apparent that both also arrive at visibly different levels of image aesthetic and technical quality.


2. This was made on the Panasonic G1 at approximately four times life size using an old Visoflex mirror box, a set of M bellows and the lens head from of an Elmarit f/2.8 90mm (first launched in 1959.). The image is exceptionally micro-detailed and sharp right in the centre of the full size image.

I have limited experience of exploring files from Olympus kit. It includes hands-on an OM e400 and subsequent screen use and printing from that model; handling and inspection of large scale prints (A2) out of an e3 and whenever possible, assessing mechanical print reproduction of OM digital files from the earliest days of the e10 through...

span style="font-weight: bold;"/spanspan style="font-size:85%;"span style="font-style: italic;"Press release: Panasonic/span/spanbr / br /span style="font-weight: bold;"Panasonic is pleased to announce two new mount adaptors, the M Mount Adaptor DMW-MA2M and R Mount Adaptor DMW-MA3R, to further enhance the photographic experience with cameras from the Lumix G Micro System. /spanbr /br /The M Mount Adaptor and R Mount Adaptor are developed under support of Leica Camera AG, making it possible to attach a href="http://leicalenses.ajaxnetphoto.com/leica-m/"Leica M lenses/a (DMW-MA2M) or R lenses (DMW-MA3R) on DMC-G1 and DMC-GH1. Users can enjoy outstanding image rendering offered by the combination of high quality Leica lenses and Lumix G cameras that are full of Panasonic's cutting edge digital technologies. These adaptors also allow users to use the movable MF assist function, which enlarges the selected area when focusing manually.br /br /The compatibility information of Leica M/R lenses are on a href="http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/"http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc//abr /br /span style="font-size:85%;"br /span style="font-style: italic;"Visitors, users and viewers of the foregoing content may copy and re-use it in other internet content sites on condition the source of all material so used is acknowledged with the attachment of the following.br /a href="http://www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com/"www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com/a 2009.br /a href="http://www.ajaxnetphoto.com/"www.ajaxnetphoto.com/a 2009.br /This content may NOT be used in any media made available for commercial resale.br /The products and companies named in this website content are trademarks , registered trademarks or servicemarks of their respective owners or licensed user./span/spandiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/22300009-2951522062551926177?l=ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com'//div

bybr /span style="font-weight: bold;"Jonathan Eastland/spanbr /br /Photokina 2008 is almost upon us once more and there is much talk in the wings of how silly some manufacturers who have invested heavily in recent times into the production of special glass for the smaller APS-C type sensors are beginning to look now that a href="http://nikoncameras.ajaxnetphoto.com/"Nikon/a is ramping up its full frame programme.br /br /It hardly seems likely a company like Nikon is about to dump its DX line and focus all attention on FX. Enthusiasts and many pros are more than satisfied with the image quality the smaller sensor delivers and many also prefer the slightly less bulky hardware designs of the DX systems. With new models for this format being introduced now (D90), the speculative scenario seems way off track.br /br /What I find more curious is the recent announcement from a href="http://olympus.ajaxnetphoto.com/"Olympus/a and a href="http://lumixcameras.ajaxnetphoto.com/"Panasonic/a concerning their micro-four thirds system aimed, it seems, squarely at capturing a segment of the market that does not want to be encumbered by hardware that will not fit into a handbag. The companies involved are going down this road because they can and no doubt the tactic will, in the short to medium term, jack up additional and much needed sales.br /br /In the past, I have been sorely tempted on occasion by the innovative design of Panasonic's L1 camera (aka Leica Digilux 3) and although in the several tests I made of both models the 25mm f/1.4 Leica designed lens used produced...

Panasonic is pleased to announce that the Lumix DMC-FX500 digital still camera has received the prestigious TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) Award for the Best Compact Digital Camera in Europe 2008.

TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) is an independent association of photo and imaging expert editors, representing 12 countries across Europe. The eminent TIPA Award is presented honouring the product for its superiority in quality, performance and value to distinguish the best in each classified category.

The DMC-FX500 features intuitive touch-screen operation on a large, 3.0-inch LCD to provide an advanced hybrid control system with both touch-screen and joystick control. In addition to the 25mm ultra-wide angle Leica DC lens with 5x optical zoom, manual operation controllability give users great creative freedom. A variety of advanced functions, including Intelligent Auto mode, HD motion picture recording and HD component output, together with slideshows enhanced with music, further enrich the camera and user experience. The official TIPA comment is as below.

“The FX500 is the first of a new family of compact cameras with a 5x, image-stabilized zoom that covers the 25 to 125mm range – ideal for any subject from wide-angle landscapes to telephoto portraits. The images captured by the 10.1 megapixel sensor are processed by the new Venus Engine IV, and ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1600, and from 1600 to 6400 in High Sensitivity mode. The 3-inch touch-screen LCD offers an easy image composition and review. For the more advanced photographer, the FX500 offers a...

Press Release: February 2007

Panasonic Include a Complimentary 16GB, Pro High Speed, SD card with the DMC-L10 DSLR

Panasonic is pleased to announce that when purchasing a DMC-L10 before the end of April 2008 consumers will also receive a Panasonic16GB Pro High Speed SD card (RP-SDV16GE1K*). This promotion is offered via participating retailers only – the perfect partner for your DSLR.

Panasonic’s second SLR, the DMC-L10, has continued to push the boundaries with an advanced 2.5 inch free angle LCD to full time view offering 270 degree rotation and a versatile shooting style. For a limited period, Panasonic is pleased to include one of its high capacity 16GB SD cards with the L10** When purchased before the end of April 2008 for consumer’s ultimate convenience.

Enabling over 6000 still images to be captured*** The number of images may vary depending on file size the16GB high data storage capacity is ideal for making the most of the DMC-L10. Consumers can enjoy full performance of consecutive shooting on their L10 without worrying about overflow of buffer memory. Add to this a fast data transfer speed of up to 20MB/S and users can easily upload high quality images taken with the DMC-L10 onto their PC. A further benefit is that the Panasonic 16GB card is perfect for RAW shooting.

With the DMC-L10 and SD card in unison, consumers can not only capture beautiful images, but also view them at their leisure. Simply slot the 16GB SD card...

Press release, Panasonic, Jan 2008

Panasonic introduces the 9.1-Megapixel DMC-TZ5 and 8.1-Megapixel DMC-TZ4, two new Compact Digital Cameras, achieving 28mm Wide Angle and 10x Optical Zoom* and featuring advanced Intelligent Auto Mode
*35mm film camera equivalent: 28-280mm

Panasonic is pleased to introduce two new Lumix digital cameras, the 9.1-megapixel DMC-TZ5 and 8.1-megapixel DMC-TZ4, each featuring a 28mm wide-angle 10x optical zoom Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera). The 28mm wide angle lens can capture the subject or scene wider at the same standpoint than a normal 35mm camera, zooming in or out with the 10x powerful optical zoom.

The DMC-TZ5 and DMC-TZ4 are the latest members of the Lumix TZ family, which is renowned for packaging a remarkable 28mm wide angle 10x optical zoom lens in a compact body. The new DMC-TZ5 newly integrates recording capabilities for 720p HD (high-definition) motion pictures, together with its direct output function as a stills camera, allowing users to enjoy watching both still and motion images in impressive HD quality on a large-screen HDTV via an optional component cable.*

The DMC-TZ5 and DMC-TZ4 boast Intelligent LCD function, which detects lighting conditions and controls brightness levels of the LCD in 11 steps, to offer a display with the clearest image in any situation with newly developed 460,000-dot high resolution in 3.0-inch (TZ5) and 230,000-dot in 2.5-inch (TZ4).

Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto mode, comprising various shooting-assist functions, has been developed further for the DMC-TZ5 and DMC-TZ4. New...

Press release, Panasonic, Jan 2008

Panasonic announces the Lumix DMC-FX35 Camera with 10.1 mega pixels, 25mm Ultra Wide-Angle Lens Featuring Advanced Intelligent Auto Mode
*35mm film camera equivalent: 25-100mm*

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new Lumix DMC-FX35, its first 10.1-megapixel camera with astonishing 25mm ultra-wide-angle LEICA DC lens and 4x optical zoom (equivalent to 25mm to 100mm on a 35mm film camera). Capturing almost double the viewing space at the same shooting distance compared to ordinary 35mm cameras, the DMC-FX35 records remarkable images with unprecedented width and depth.

The new DMC-FX35 integrates 720p HD (high-definition) recording capabilities for capturing motion pictures alongside its primary function as a stills camera, allowing users to watch both still and motion images in impressive HD quality. The DMC-FX35 comprises a variety of additional shoot-assist functions on top of Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto Mode with conventional Mega O.I.S which suppresses hand-shaking, and its Intelligent ISO Control prevents motion blur. New Intelligent Scene Selector Function chooses the appropriate scene mode by automatically selecting the most frequently used setting from modes Portrait, Scenery, Macro, Night Portrait and Night Scenery. New Face Detection System automatically detects human faces to set the focus of potential shots and insure the best possible exposure. Unwanted red-eye effects caused by the flash can now be digitally corrected, and newly added Intelligent Exposure Function controls ISO sensitivity to partially increase the exposure of darkened areas in shot, allowing users to capture scenes suppressing extreme brightness or darkness in images.
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Written by Ajax on February 11th, 2008 with no comments.
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