Panasonic Press Release Summary:

Panasonic Introduces Two New Stylish and Compact FX Series Lumix Digital Still Cameras

5-Megapixel FX8 and 6-Megapixel FX9 Feature Long Battery Life, Brilliant LCDs

Secaucus, NJ (July 20, 2005) ¾ Panasonic is updating its impressive sleek and stylish FX series of Lumix digital still cameras with the 5 megapixel DMC-FX8 and the 6 megapixel DMC-FX9, both coming to market later this fall. Both cameras incorporate Panasonic’s MEGA Optical Image Stabilization, a feature that counters shaky hands, the main culprit for blurry pictures.

“Unintentional hand movement is the leading cause of blurry pictures, so our MEGA OIS is absolutely necessary to good picture taking, especially in a cameras this small,” explains Monica Helmer, national marketing manager for Panasonic’s optical group. “At Panasonic, we want your pictures to be as sleek, stylish and satisfying as the cameras are themselves.”

Both the FX8 and FX9 have 3x optical zoom, a 2.5 inch LCD display, various scene modes for fun picture taking in all kinds of settings and situations, and a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens for high-quality image capture.

The 5 megapixel FX8 boasts a powerful and long lasting lithium-ion battery, providing up to 300 pictures on one charge. The 6 megapixel FX9 can capture up to 270 with each charge. Both cameras use Panasonic Venus Engine Plus to manage image processing, camera functions and features, and very efficient energy usage.

Both the FX8 and FX9 let you record VGA movies at 30 frames per second. New the FX series is audio playback capability, so you can enjoy both the video and the sound of your movies, right from the camera. Of course, the FX8 and FX9 utilize SD memory cards, which can be used with Panasonic Diga DVD recorders for easy playback and transfer to DVD-R discs or DVD-RAM discs.

“The Lumix FX8 and FX9 are sleek and small, but very capable,” Helmer says. “With MEGA OIS and with the Venus Engine Plus advanced power management, you have everything you need to get your perfect shot.”

Both cameras are coming to retail this September, with the FX8 at an MSRP of $349.95 and the FX9 at an MSRP of $399.95.