Panasonic Lumix hybrid cameras record HD video in AVCHD Lite

Australian site Current.com.au says:

In a development that is set to continue, Panasonic has introduced a new range of ‘hybrid’ LUMX compact digital still cameras with High definition (HD) recording using the AVCHD Lite format, which improves the video recording capability.

These cameras are called hybrids because they not only shoot high quality digital still images but the video recording capability is now even more advanced and no longer a function that these cameras ‘also’ do.

Panasonic says that compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows almost double the recording time with HD quality.

Panasonic’s research suggested that consumers regularly used the video recording functions on their digital still cameras. So this year Panasonic is offering new LUMIX models with AVCHD Lite recording capability. The 2009 Australian LUMIX range will also include new TZ and FS series models.

The new Panasonic Australian LUMIX digital still camera range will be available from March and April this year, depending on the model, with RRPs starting at $249 for the new DMC-FS4, up to RRP $699 for the ruggedised DMC-FT1 and RRP $769 for the DMC-TZ7.

At the current time of launch, Panasonic has claimed its new LUMIX FT1 (RRP $699) to be the world’s first waterproof, shockproof and dustproof digital camera with AVCHD Lite High Definition video recording capability.

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