Panasonic continues on its tough campaign with LUMIX DMC-FT10
Entry level FT10 joins the successful LUMIX FT series

Panasonic Australia has extended its popular range of tough cameras with the introduction of the exciting new LUMIX DMC-FT10.  The slim, stylish 14.1 megapixel camera is waterproof to a depth of 3m, shockproof to 1.5m, freeze proof to -10º C and dustproof.

The DMC-FT10 is the ultimate active photographer’s companion.  Featuring HD Movie Recording in 720p Motion JPEG and a dedicated Intelligent Auto (iA) button on top of the camera body, the DMC-FT10 will ensure you snap crystal clear images and HD movies no matter what your shooting situation. The iA button allows the user to quickly switch into iA mode and shoot without the need to adjust settings every time the shooting conditions change.

The DMC-FT10 also has a 4x optical zoom LUMIX DC lens (35mm film camera equivalent, 35-140mm) with zooming available in still and movie modes, making it an easy-to-use, yet powerful camera that packs advanced imaging features to seize any photographic opportunity.  It incorporates an easy-to-see, 2.7-inch LCD screen with an anti-reflective coating for comfortable viewing.

“This new addition to our FT tough family is a fantastic milestone, with ruggedised design, great image quality and convenient movie recording capabilities at such an affordable price,” said Richard Phillips, Product Marketing Manager, LUMIX, Panasonic Australia.

“The DMC-FT10 is also our first tough model to be available in black and red as well as the popular blue - it will look great and keep pace with all your outdoor adventures,” continued Mr Phillips.

Panasonic’s popular iA (Intelligent Auto) is available in both still and movie recording ensuring the optimum settings are automatically selected for the best results, every time.  In iA mode the camera does all the work, leaving you free to compose shots and capture key moments. Just point and shoot.

iA modes include MEGA O.I.S which suppresses hand-shake, and Intelligent ISO Control, which prevents moving subjects from being blurred by optimising the shutter speed and ISO sensitivity setting, to render sharp, clear images whatever the shooting situation.  Faces are captured in focus with Face Detection.  Unwanted red-eyes are digitally corrected and backlight compensation also automatically activates.

Intelligent Scene Selector will automatically select whichever of 6 Scene Modes -- Macro, Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and Sunset -- best suits the shooting situation. The Quick AF system helps keep focus on the subject while the camera is in recording mode even before pressing the shutter button halfway, for a fast response to shooting opportunities.

Available in a range of vibrant metallic colours – Blue, Black and Red – the camera will suit the user’s own personal style. The DMC-FT10 is a fun and adventurous companion, ready for anything.

Pricing and Availability

LUMIX DMC-FT10      

$399 RRP                  

Available mid-September 2010
Available in Blue, Black and Red

Key Features

Tough Waterproof, Shockproof, Dustproof and Freezeproof Design

For the active photographer, the DMC-FT10 features all-weather, rugged design. The DMC-FT10 is water-resistant to a depth of 3m, and is dustproof equivalent to the ‘IPX8’ and ‘IP6X’ standards.

Thanks to rubber padding and reinforced glass and carbon resins inside the camera, the DMC-FT10 features an airtight body protected against water immersion, dust and sand.

The DMC-FT10 is freeze-resistant (to -10°C) so it will withstand severe cold temperatures on your next ski trip or mountain climb. The DMC-FT10 is also drop-proof from a height of up to 1.5m in accordance with the MIL-STD 810F standard. The lens unit is further protected by a supplementary damper to absorb the force from the shock of impact.

With added resilience in more extreme conditions, the DMC-FT10 is a truly versatile camera that is ready for any pursuit, from adventure sports, snorkeling, skiing, bushwalking or photographing the kids.

HD movie recording 

The new DMC-FT10 records dynamic HD movies in 1280 x 720p Motion JPEG at a smooth 30 fps, in addition to WVGA (848 x 480) and normal VGA (640 x 480). The movies can be edited and uploaded to YouTube with the included software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0.

High Performance Venus Engine IV

The image processing LSI, Venus Engine IV, features advanced signal processing technology for rendering high-quality images, and supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as approx 0.006 second, making it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the moment photo opportunities, together with Sonic Speed AF (auto focus).  The Venus Engine IV also supports a High Sensitivity mode that lets the DMC-FT10 record at a setting of up to ISO 6400, sensitive enough to capture subjects in dark photographic situations without using a flash.2

Alongside its outstanding performance, the engine also offers superior energy efficiency for a long battery life, with up to 300 shots (CIPA) per a single charge.

Convenience functions for greater control and enjoyment

A rich variety of scene modes make it easy to get beautiful photos in a range of photographic situations. Beach and Surf mode is perfect for beach activities, optimising auto white balance both on the beach and in shallow water up to 3m. Baby, Pet and Sports modes take advantage of Intelligent ISO Control to ensure great results even when the subject moves unexpectedly.

The functions and settings used most often, such as OIS, consecutive shooting, auto focus point, white balance adjustment, ISO level, image size and LCD mode are quickly and easily accessed via the Quick Setting function, so there’s no need to open menus to adjust them. With the convenient ‘My Scene’ setting, the user can assign a specific scene mode to that setting and switch instantly to the mode when desired.

In addition, you can record the name or birthday of your children or pet, including their age at the time the photo was taken.  You can then choose to print your subject’s name and age on the photo. Photo Frame mode lets the user put attractive borders round their images.  When printed, the photos look like postcards in picture frames.

Using the Macro Zoom function with 3x digital zoom, the photographer can frame subjects even closer than the wide-angle setting, to capture dramatic close-ups.

Easy-to-see 2.7-inch Large Intelligent LCD with AR Coating

The DMC-FT10 incorporates an easy-to-see, 2.7-inch 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD for comfortable viewing while both framing shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects lighting conditions and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by up to 40 per cent when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine and adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations.  The High-angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd. Plus, the AR coating suppresses reflections even under strong sunlight.

About Included Software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0

PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 makes it easy and enjoyable to view, edit and archive your photo and video library.  The software also features an independent Face Recognition function that recognises the faces in the images stored in your PC so you can sort pictures by person.  You can also shoot slideshows with a variety of effects and use your iTunes music library as background music.  Videos can be uploaded directly to YouTube using the built-in YouTube uploader.  You can also create a 360-degree rotation panorama file in MOV.

Included accessories: Li-ion battery, battery charger, USB connection cable, AV cable, AC cable, software CD, strap, protective silicon jacket and battery case.

Optional accessories:  Marine Case (DMW-MCFT2) (for depths to 40 metres), Battery Pack (DMW-BCF10), AC Adaptor (DMW-AC5) with multi-conversion adaptor (DMW-MCA1).

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT10 will be available from consumer electronics retailers and photographic specialists.  For more information call Panasonic on or visit www.panasonic.com.au/lumix