Panasonic has just introduced the Lumix DMC-FZ70, a 16-megapixel superzoom camera with a 60x optical zoom lens--the longest we've ever seen on a fixed-lens camera and longer even than most full-sized camcorders now on the market. (Camcorders typically have longer zoom lenses than cameras.)
When zoomed in fully, the Lumix DMC-FZ70 should be able capture such details as the craters on the moon or perhaps the logo on a soccer ball when shooting from the sidelines.
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The lens on the Lumix DMC-FZ70 also has extremely wide-angle capability: 20mm. (The 35mm equivalent total zoom range for this camera is 20mm-1200mm.) This can be great for capturing panoramic-style landscapes or squeezing more people into group portraits. When we get this camera in our labs, we will check whether or not its long zoom or wide-angle feature introduces significant distortion or degrades image quality in other ways.
Up until today, the longest zoom on a digital camera was 50x, on such advanced point-and-shoots, like the Canon PowerShot SX50, and superzooms, like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX300.
Here are some additional features and specs for the Lumix DMC-FZ70:
A hot-shoe for an external flash.
The ability to capture RAW files, making it an advanced point-and-shoot model.
Full HD-resolution video in 1080i at 60 fps.
The stereo microphone includes a unique protective covering to minimize wind noise.
It's as large if not larger than some SLRs, although it's not as heavy.
The ability to capture 3D images.
It can fire off 5 frames per second using autofocus tracking, and 9 fps in burst mode.
The camera is expected to cost around $400 and will be available at the beginning of August.
