Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ40

A slight upgrade to the Lumix DMC-FZ35 ($399.95 list), the Lumix DMC-FZ40 ($399.95 list) by Panasonic boasts a 14.1 megapixel CCD optical sensor and a 25 millimeter wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with 24x optical zoom. Looking nearly identical to its predecessor, the Lumix DMC-FZ40 comes with a 3-inch LCD display, pop-up flash and more design features to speak of.

Design and Features
Just like the DMC-FZ35, this camera takes on the black frame of most D-SLR cameras, though it is not considered to be one. Up front, you'll find its 25 millimeter lens and the familiar extended shutter area with rubber grip. Of course, look up top to find the pop-up flash and standard controls like its precursor. In addition to its standard controls, a rubber grip and record button for 720p HD video, the back end houses its 3-inch LCD display and optical viewfinder just above. The Lumix DMC-FZ40 records HD video through the AVCHD Lite format. It also uses the Dolby Digital Stereo Creator to make stereo sound.
This compact digital camera can zoom from wide-angle up to a 600 millimeter equivalent using its Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens. The lens can also be controlled manually through a jog dial. Furthermore, the Lumix DMC-FZ40 Leica lens is interchangeable with a selection of attachments.
Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode (iA) makes an appearance in this shooter. This feature automatically adjusts its scene settings based on the contents of the frame and available lighting before firing the shutter. The company's Power Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) also returns to reduce the effect of camera shake on images when zoomed in or in low-light situations. Finally, a Face Recognition function allows the user to register faces with the camera's onboard memory. This way, it will automatically adjust its focus accordingly in the future while fixing red-eye.

Price Range $298.00 - $489.99

Specifications

Megapixels

14.1 MP

Optical Zoom

24 x

LCD size

3 inches

HD Video Capture

Yes

Posted in: Camera