Whether you’re on a budget or want to go all out and the sky is the limit, Panasonic has a camera for you. This week the company introduced two new rugged outdoor digital cameras.
First up is the Lumix DMC-TS4, which includes GPS, compass, altimeter, barometer and truly lives up to the rugged moniker. A barometer log is even available to help users forecast the climate and log barometric trends, while the altitude measurements can be used in conjunction with GPS data. And speaking of GPS, the camera more than a million landmarks and 82 countries/regions cover in the maps available on the bundled DVD, allowing Geo-tagged images to be automatically sorted and played back along a map!
It is waterproof to approximately 40 feet or 12 meets, shockproof with a fall from about 6.6 feet and freezeproof to as low as 14ºF, and it is also dustproof so it can handle pretty much anything you might throw at it. The DMC-TS4 also takes rugged to a new level, featuring a Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with a 4.6x optical zoom. The 12.1megapixel camera features a hi-speed CCD sensor along with an advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine. It can also do the video thing, shooting HD video in AVCHD and MP4 formats at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution.
And while the TS4 is a point and shoot, it offers users manual operation, allowing for adjustments such as shutter speed and aperture. Other features include time lapse shooting, miniature effect and even panorama shot. And for those who like some help the TS4 also features the iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, which includes a suite of technologies that automatically select the most appropriate setting to take photos and videos. The Lumix TS4 will be available in March for $399.99.
For those with a tighter budget the Lumix TS20 also features a rugged design, which is waterproof to 16 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, and still dustproof and freezeproof to as low as 14ºF. The camera features a 4x optical zoom, which extends to 8x equivalent with Intelligent Zoom function. The TS20 is a 16.1megapixel camera that can also double as a video camera with 720p HD video in the MP4 format. It also offers the iA mode, and features the Panorama Shot for a maximum 360-degree of horizontal / vertical panoramic image by taking consecutive shots and overlaying the photos. The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TS20 will be available in late-February 2012 in orange, blue, black and red models for a suggested retail price of $179.99