PANASONIC launched Tuesday the new DMC-SZ5, a compact digital camera that integrates Wi-Fi connectivity and boasts a 10x optical zoom.The SZ5 features enhanced optical versatility and ease of use. Users can connect the camera directly to their smartphone, which will serve as wireless router without a need of cabling or searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Furthermore, when using the wireless router at home or in the office, users can channel images and video without having to eject and re-insert the SD Memory Card to other devices such as the DLNA-compliant Viera TV and Panasonic's cloud service Lumix Club. "The SZ5 is for users who want to push their cameras to the limit. In an age dominated by social media, the ability to share images and videos quickly and seamlessly is a big task by consumers and the SZ5 is designed to meet this need. We at Panasonic are constantly innovating to bring to consumers in the Middle East the Best line-up of cameras," said Hitesh Ojha, Deputy General Manager - Digital Imaging Group, Panasonic marketing Middle East and Africa. The SZ5 integrates Wi-Fi connectivity (802.11 b/g/n). The camera is compatible with smartphones and remote shooting is available which means that users gain another control and monitor to utilize. What the camera captures is displayed on the smartphone and it is possible to zoom, set focus position and shoot with a control on the smartphone. Playing back to confirm the image is also possible so that the user can continue shooting right at the spot without moving back to the camera to reset like a self-timer function. In addition, it is possible to tag the location information to the image by utilizing the GPS (Global Positioning System) log of a smartphone. All these flexible shooting, browsing, sharing style are made possible with the SZ5 and the Panasonic's dedicated application software "Lumix Link" for iOS/ Android smartphones. Archiving images is troublesome as they increase but the SZ5 does it all for you during battery charging by transferring the data to PC or other compliant Panasonic AV devices such as Digital Photo Frame or DIGA Blu-rayTM Disc Recorder automatically via the wireless access point (router) at home. The camera always tells what images are new and automatically upload them. Also, users can save images and videos at Panasonic's exclusive cloud service "Lumix Club". In this cloud service, a personal folder is allotted to the SZ5 users to upload image data anytime and they can choose to transfer the image saved at this space to Facebook, Flickr, PicasaTM, Twitter or YouTube. The Wi-Fi function also allows playback of images on the DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance)-compliant Viera HDTV. The high-quality Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens system is even more versatile with 25mm ultra wide-angle to powerful 10x optical zoom (35mm camera equivalent: 25-250mm). Comprising 9 elements in 7 groups including 4 aspherical lenses with 6 aspherical surfaces, adoption of ultra thin lens and its special mechanical structure makes the unit's overall length short to fit in the slim body despite its versatile zoom range from ultra wide to telephoto. Passing Leica's stringent standards, SZ5 boast exceptional optical performance with stunning clarity with minimum distortion and flare. Thanks to the Intelligent Resolution technology, the Intelligent Zoom is available with the SZ5 which extends the zoom ratio up to 20x equivalent maintaining the picture quality even combining a digital zoom. Blurring image caused by a handshake often occurs in shooting using high zoom however; Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) prevents it without deterioration of image quality. – SG
