Panasonic has just announced their new compact point and shoot designed for travel photography – the DMC-ZS7 / TZ10 which has a 12x optical zoom, an even more effective optical image stabilisation system than MEGA OIS – this version is named POWER OIS, and built-in GPS with the capability of identifying more than 0.5 million places in its database and placing the location data in the image and video EXIF data.
Not only that, but it will automatically change the camera’s clock to local time wherever you go and has SDXC memory card support, while the improved Venus Engine HDII processor offers differential image processing based on image content – this Intelligent Resolution technology can detect 3 areas in images – outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas and give each a different image processing to optimise the image appearance.
The AF system has been improved – “the shutter release time lag is as short as approx. 0.006 seconds and the camera’s quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities together with the Sonic Speed AF (Auto Focus) that lets you lock on the subject minimum in approx. 0.35(wide-end) / 0.41(tele-end) second”
Presumably, this camera takes advantage of the new GPS chip that does not drain your batteries as current mobile phone GPS chips do.
Given Panasonic’s propensity to add their point and shoot technologies to their other cameras as they come out, one should expect than Panasonic’s next Micro Four Thirds cameras will also have these very handy features.