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PANASONIC ANNOUNCES PRICING FOR LUMIX GH1, A NEW MICRO FOUR THIRDS DIGITAL CAMERA WITH FULL-HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO RECORDING CAPABILITY
Mississauga, ON (June 8, 2009) – Panasonic Canada Inc. today announced pricing for the highly-anticipated LUMIX DMC-GH1, the new Micro Four Thirds digital camera with Full-High Definition (HD) video recording ability, which will be available in early June for a suggested retail price of CAD $1,899.99. The LUMIX DMC-GH1 includes the unrivalled LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. lens as part of the kit. The new lens, designed to support HD movie recording, features a silent motor and continuous auto focusing (AF) capability – a differentiator from traditional DSLRs.
The LUMIX GH1 will be available in black and has advanced photography features, such as the ability to record AVCHD 1080p/24p High Definition video, yet is easy enough for entry-level users to understand and take beautiful photos and videos. With Panasonic’s iA (Intelligent Auto) mode1, a user-friendly setting made popular in the LUMIX line of digital point-and-shoot camera products, both entry-level and more experienced DSLR users can enjoy a complete suite of technologies that allow beautiful photo-taking and engage automatically – no setting adjustments needed.
For those looking for more creative control in their digital camera, the LUMIX GH1 can adjust shutter speed during motion recording, which gives users more flexibility when shooting fast-moving subjects. Also, the LUMIX GH1 allows users to control the aperture, which is convenient when there are several subjects at varying distances. By adjusting the aperture, the user can focus on the foreground and blur the background – or vice versa – even during video recording. And best of all, the LUMIX GH1 can continuously maintain focus while in movie mode – even while zooming.
“Since redefining the traditional DSLR category last year with the LUMIX G1, which eliminated the internal mirror and dramatically reduced the size of the camera body and lenses, Panasonic has been working to expand its award-winning LUMIX G Micro Four Thirds System line. Panasonic wants to offer increasingly innovative products and features that make photography fun and easy,” said Doug Borbath, Senior Product Manager, Imaging. “The introduction of the LUMIX GH1 allows photographers of all levels to take superior quality photos and shoot HD video with a more compact, easy-to-use camera that provides increased creative capabilities.”
The LUMIX GH1 provides cutting-edge video recording features, including the ability to record high-resolution full HD (1920 x1080) video at 24 fps or smooth HD video (1280 x 720) at 60 fps using an AVCHD format (MPEG-4/H.264), which provides the important benefit of doubling the HD quality recording time compared with Motion JPEG. The LUMIX GH1 features a dedicated video record button on the back of the camera which lets users instantly start recording videos, even while shooting still photos – removing the fear of potentially missing a must-see video moment.
1 Some functions in iA mode will not be available depending on the lens to attach.
Panasonic imaging products are marketed in Canada by Panasonic Canada Inc. (PCI). PCI is an affiliate of Panasonic Corporation (PC) of Japan, one of the world’s largest producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business, and industrial use. Consumers seeking more information on the company’s products can call Panasonic’s Customer Care Centre at 1-800-561-5505 or access Panasonic’s home page at www.panasonic.ca.
Panasonic US & UK prices (includes 14-140mm kit lens): US $1,499.95 / UK £1,299.99
