Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new Lumix DMC-FT2, a successor to Lumix’s first camera geared for active outdoor use, the DMC-FT1. Featuring AVCHD Lite HD movie recording capability, the new 14.1-megapixel FT2 further strengthens its toughness to be waterproof to 10m, shockproof to 2m, freezeproof to -10 degrees C and dustproof. The camera is also empowered internally by the newly developed Venus Engine HD II integrating “Intelligent Resolution” technology.

Intelligent Resolution Technology Assures High Picture Quality for Both Photo & Movie
The high-speed, high-performance Venus Engine HD has been re-engineered to compile the new image processing technology “Intelligent Resolution”. It enables the recording of beautiful photos and high-definition movies with higher quality signal processing.

With the Intelligent Resolution technology, 3 areas –outlines, detailed texture areas and soft gradation areas are automatically detected. The outline parts are enhanced effectively to give edges more clarity while giving a moderate accentuation to the texture areas to look more finely detailed. To the soft gradation part, superior noise reduction process of the Venus Engine HD II is applied to make it smoother. Apart from the uniform enhancement of sharpness, the innovative Intelligent Resolution technology precisely performs signal processing pixel by pixel in the most effective way for it. As a result, images are naturally clear and crisp in both photo and movie recording.

28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 4.6x optical zoom
A retracting lens with folding optics is used in this 4.6x zoom lens system, which lets you take shots from 28mm wideangle to 128mm telephoto. This gives you the flexibility for virtually any shooting situation - even underwater, where your movement is restricted and the angle of view becomes especially important for composing your picture.

AVCHD Lite High Definition Video
The FT2 records HD motion images with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution while zooming in and out. It uses AVCHD Lite (MPEG-4/H.264), which achieves higher image quality and stores less data than the conventional Motion JPEG. You can also use the iA mode to shoot motion images, and let the camera do all the work for you. This user-friendly mode automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode and helps correct blurring, focus and brightness problems. All you do is aim and shoot. iA is the easy way to capture beautiful HD movies.

Intelligent Auto (iA)
Just set the camera to iA mode, aim and shoot. The camera does the rest, automatically activating seven detection and correction functions. These include:

• MEGA O.I.S. - helps prevent blurring due to shaky hands
• Intelligent ISO Control - helps prevent blurring caused by subject motion.
• Intelligent Scene Selector - selects the optimal scene mode for the situation.
• Intelligent Exposure - adjusts the brightness of dark areas in the image.
• Face Detection AF/AE - helps deliver clear portraits.
• AF Tracking - locks the focus onto your moving subject.

Face Recognition in iA Mode
iA mode now includes Face Recognition, a function that "remembers" registered faces. When there's a familiar face in the frame, it optimizes the focus and exposure so that the face is in sharp focus and bright. This newly evolved technology makes it easy to get beautiful photos of a loved one in a group of people. 
 
2.7" High Resolution LCD Screen
The DMC-FT2 incorporate an easy-to-see, large, 2.7-inch 230,000-dot high-resolution LCD for comfortable viewing while both monitoring shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects the light condition and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by max. 40% when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, and adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations.

Venus Engine HD
The imaging power of LUMIX has evolved even further. Improved circuitry greatly reduces picture noise while preserving exceptional resolution, sharpness and color reproduction. The Venus Engine HD boasts two CPUs which achieve the long-time HD motion picture recording in AVCHD Lite (MPEG-4/H.264) while maintaining low power consumption.

HDMI Output and Viera Link
The FT2 is equipped with an HDMI output terminal for direct transmission of digital image and sound signals. Just connect the camera to an HDTV using a single HDMI mini cable (purchased separately), and and it's even easy to enjoy slideshow, in which both still and motion images integrated in the recorded timeline. If you have a VIERA TV, you can control the camera's playback functions with VIERA's remote control unit.

Optical Zoom in Movie
The FT2 allows you to zoom in and out while shooting motion images.

Panorama Assist
A Panorama Assist mode makes it easy to take a series of images to combine into a panorama shot, while checking the degree of overlap between adjacent shots. This is great for shooting landscapes that are too wide to capture in a single shot.

Macro Zoom
Using the digital zoom function, you can pull subjects even closer than the closest point possible with the wide-angle setting, and capture dramatic close-ups.

Photo Frame Mode
In Photo Frame mode, you can compose your shot while displaying one of the frames registered in the camera. This is a quick, easy way to produce photos with attractive borders.

PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0
The latest version of PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 software has quick start-up and fast read-in of images, making it easier than ever to sort and organise photos. The Face Recognition function that recognises faces in pictures, automatically sorts the photos by the registered faces without picking out each photo one by one when you only want pictures of a specific person.  You can also enjoy slideshows with a variety of effects and use your iTunes music library as background music. Motion pictures can be uploaded directly to YouTube using the built-in YouTube uploader even in HD (High Definition)quality. The new PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 also lets you create a 360-degree rotation panorama file in MOV. The software is of course compatible with the Windows 7.