
Panasonic has announced the Lumix DMC-FZ70, a 16.1MP compact superzoom with a 60x optical zoom. Spanning the equivalent of 20-1200mm it’s the largest zoom lens available in a consumer compact. The FZ70’s zoom lens has a maximum aperture range of F2.8-5.9, and the camera introduces a new 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor capable of 1080 HD 60i video. A wind shield built into the camera’s stereo microphone is designed to improve sound quality on windy days, and the microphone itself is designed to ‘zoom’ with the lens, though Panasonic reps couldn’t provide details on approximate range.
The FZ70 more than doubles the zoom reach of its 24x Lumix DMC-FZ60 predecessor, which it effectively replaces. Naturally with such a long focal reach, the FZ70 offers Panasonic’s Power O.I.S. optical image stabilization. Like its superzoom peers, the FZ70 provides auto and manual exposure modes, as well as Raw shooting.
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