Lumix FX500, Panasonic's First Touch-Screen Camera

Panasonic yesterday unveiled a digital camera that will most likely appeal to those users who enjoy operating things with the least amount of buttons and that's because the latest Lumix FX500 is the company's first touch-screen (by the way, the LCD measures a whopping 3 inches) point and shoot.

"In manual exposure mode, adjustments can be made using the on-screen sliders to adjust aperture and shutter speeds. Users can also set the auto focus and exposure in frames by simply touching the subject," the press release reads.

But that's not the only achievement boasted by the FX500. It's also one of the few compact cameras that goes wide. Well, not fisheye wide, but 25mm is more than most models on the market are capable of.

Speaking of the focal range, the FX500 uses a 5x optical zoom Leica lens that goes up to 125mm. As expected, the lens boasts the proprietary MEGA O.I.S. that compensates for unwanted camera movements and allows for slower than recommended shutter speeds to be used.

Back to the control system, the camera does not rely solely on touch commands; there's also a classic joystick seen on most current point and shoots on the market.

Imaging wise, the Lumix FX500 uses a 10.1-megapixel sensor and is able to record 1280 x 720p HD video content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio (excellent for HDTV sets). The Venus Engine IV also enables the already ubiquitous face detection, which detects up to 15 faces in a frame and automatically adjusts exposure and focus.

Also new to the FX500 is Auto Focus tracking, a feature that tracks the photo subject even if it moves after the AF is set.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX500 will be available in black and silver models for a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $399.95 in May 2008.

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