LUMIX® FZ47 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera

Model number: DMC-FZ47K

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Introduction

If you are looking for a high-tech but easy to use compact camera, Panasonic have produced another high performer that would be ideal. The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ47K has a powerful optical zoom and plenty of enhanced features, including; manual controls, full-HD video recording and all-new Creative Control modes that let you get more out of your pictures. The top quality 25mm ultra wide-angle lens with 24x Optical Zoom has been treated with Panasonic's exclusive Nano Surface Coating, which minimizes the ghosting and flaring that can be caused by light reflection. The addition of Intelligent Resolution technology increases the zoom power to 32x equivalent without sacrificing image quality.

Technology

25mm Ultra Wide-Angle, Powerful 24x Optical Zoom Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT Lens with Nano Surface Coating: The DMC-FZ47 has been outfitted with a Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT 25mm ultra wide-angle lens with 24x optical zoom. The lens is treated with the new Nano Surface Coating, which drastically reduces light reflection across the entire visual range. You get a clear picture and significant minimization of image ghost and flare. The Leica lens incorporates Panasonic's black box technology, delivering images with exceptional clarity and offering impressive optical performance that adheres to Leica's strict standards.

The 25mm ultra wide-angle lens captures an angle of view that is approximately 196% wider than that of a standard 35mm camera. This makes it possible to capture a greater variety of shots with ease and confidence, from sprawling architectural structures, expansive landscapes and large group photos.

The 24x optical zoom is available not only for still photos but also for video recording. Intelligent Zoom extends the range to 32x equivalent, and the Extra Optical Zoom function lengthens zoom power even further, to a maximum 46.9x at 3-megapixel resolution. This allows for more flexibility in capturing spur-of-the-moment photos and videos, bringing even distant subjects in close, with stunning detail and clarity.

The newly developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-Speed CCD sensor supports the FZ47s 1920 x 1080 full-HD video recording capabilities in AVCHD format, as well as continuous shooting at high speeds. The Venus Engine FHD provides faster and more advanced image signal processing for both photos and videos, and allows the Intelligent Resolution technology to deliver optimum performance when processing signals at various points in a single image. The overall result is an image with outstanding clarity and fine detail. The Venus Engine FHD also powers the enhanced Sonic Speed Auto Focus, improves the accuracy and speed of AF Tracking, and enables the rapid start-up time that makes the FZ47K capable of capturing even the most spontaneous and brief photo opportunities.

The Venus Engine FHD incorporates simultaneous signal processing, separating chromatic noise from luminance noise and applying optimal noise reduction to each independently. This allows the DMC-FZ47 to capture beautifully clear images, even when shooting at a high ISO sensitivity. Chromatic noise is applied more precisely without compromising the borders between colors, so color separation is always crisp. When Intelligent Resolution is engaged, the Venus Engine FHD enables precise pixel-by-pixel signal processing; three distinct areas are automatically detected in every photo: outlines, detailed textures and soft gradation. Each element is optimized individually, providing a uniform improvement in sharpness and images that are naturally clean and detailed, whether shooting photos or live action movies.

The FZ47K has a generous 3.0-inch LCD display with 460,000-dot resolution and an electronic viewfinder with 201,600-dot resolution with a 100% field of view. The bright LCD display reproduces images with stunning clarity and detail, making it easy to compose beautiful shots in any lighting conditions; the large screen size allows for more comfortable image playback and sharing with friends and family right at the camera. The responsive EVF is a welcome option for experienced users who prefer to compose shots with a more traditional viewfinder. The wide field of view delivers plenty of versatility in setting up shots and arranging subjects in the frame.

Functionality

Panasonic's Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode gives you the power to take amazing photos and videos effortlessly. This intuitive feature offers the ultimate ease of operation and virtually eliminates bad shots. In iA Mode, the DMC-FZ47K does all the work for you; you're free to compose shots and capture all of life's best moments without having to worry about getting the settings just right. With no manual controls to bother with, and with the confidence that comes from Panasonic's trusted automatic optimization technology, all you have to do is point and shoot.

iA Mode uses numerous detection and correction functions that automatically adjust everything from exposure to shutter speed. In total, there are seven different settings that are activated when you engage iA Mode: Active Mode (for video recording), Motion Deblur Mode, Face Recognition, Intelligent Scene Selector, AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent D-range Control.

You normally don't associate motion blur with live action movies, but it can occur. Wide-angle recording is especially susceptible to blurring, and the addition of Active Mode effectively stabilizes your images to prevent blurring or streaking. Even if you are walking along whilst recording live video, the FZ47K will maintain high image quality for incredible movies.

Blur is reduced even more dramatically with the Motion Deblur Mode. Incorporating Intelligent ISO Control, which automatically adjusts shutter speed and ISO settings according to subject movement, and the advanced Intelligent D-range Control system, which adjusts contrast and optimizes exposure for more natural results, Motion Deblur detects the appropriate shutter speed and suppresses motion blur based on how your subject is moving. Whether you're shooting a high-speed auto race or a slow-moving parade, you will get optimal results without even trying.

If you love to shoot portraits, you're going to love the FZ47s Face Recognition feature. You can register the faces of your kids, your friends, your classmates or any of your favorite people, and the camera automatically detects their faces in the frame any time that you photograph them. Focus and exposure are fully optimized, so you end up with gorgeous portraits every time, in any setting. And registering a face is simple - just take full-face photos of the people you want to store in memory and enter a few details, such as names and birth dates. Their information pops up whenever you take a picture of them, which also allows you to easily sort and organize your photos by subject later on. The automatic digital red-eye feature removes this annoying effect and ensures a natural look in all your portraits.

The other iA Mode optimization settings include Intelligent Scene Selector, which automatically selects the best settings from six different scene modes; Macro, Portrait, Night Portrait, Scenery, Night Scenery and Sunset; and AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control and Intelligent D-range Control, which compensates for subject motion to prevent blurring. You can shoot in any light at any time of day, indoors or outdoors, whether your subject is moving fast or standing still, for easy travel photos, special event photos and dynamic everyday shooting with amazing results.

Intuitive Manual Controls and Creative Options: More experienced photographers and curious beginners will love the DMC-FZ47s easy to use manual controls. You can artistically enhance your photos and videos thanks to the increased creative control and expression offered by the camera's numerous manual setting options, including Photo Style and Creative Control.

Give your favorite photos dramatic effects that highlight your artistic expression with the host of options available in both Creative Control and Photo Style modes.

Creative Control has been equipped with the popular My Color Mode, which offers a wide range of artistic effects that you can apply to any photo quickly and easily. Choose from Expressive, High Key, Retro, High Dynamic, Miniature Effect, Sepia, Pin Hole and Miniature Effect. You can also adjust exposure to customized levels in Creative Control Mode, a new feature that's been added to the FZ47K.

Photo Style is a new addition to the FZ47s manual control settings. You will get even finer photo detailing with Photo Style various options, which include Standard, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, Scenery and Natural presets. These enable you to apply custom levels of contrast, color saturation, sharpness and noise reduction to your images. You can even combine your favorite settings and save them in Custom Mode, so they are always available with just the touch of a button.

With Creative Control and Photo Style, you can easily create impressive artistic effects on any photo, no matter how much knowledge of photography you may have.

You can take amazing 3D pictures using the FZ47Ks intuitive 3D function. In the newly added 3D Photo Mode, multi-dimensional images are automatically created inside the camera. You take up to 20 panned shots and the FZ47 intuitively selects the best two images (one for the right eye and one for the left eye) to create a 3D composite. Your 3D images can be viewed on any 3D-ready HDTV or compatible MPO devices such as digital photo frames or printers.

The FZ47 gives you the power of full 1920 x 1080 high resolution HD video recording in AVCHD format. With AVCHD, you get nearly twice the recording time of standard Motion JPEG with full HD quality and the benefit of improved compatibility with playback devices like Blu-ray players and HDTVs. A dedicated video button located at the top of the camera lets you begin recording video while you are shooting photos, without the need to make any complicated manual adjustments.

Videos are enhanced by the FZ47Ks high quality Dolby Digital Stereo Creator sound system, which offers truly lifelike audio to any live recording. There is also a useful Wind Cut feature that automatically blocks out background noise on a windy day.

Creative modes don't just apply to photos. The FZ47 features some of the most advanced live action recording capabilities of any consumer model digital camera. With Creative Video Mode, you can manually adjust the shutter speed and aperture for more expressive movies. The powerful 24x optical zoom lens can zoom in and out while you're recording video, and there is a special function that dampens the noise generated by the zoom and auto focus mechanisms. This means that your videos won't be subject to the annoying background noise from the camera's lens motor that can be recorded by some models. It is also notable for its Create Video mode that allows users to manually change exposure settings, including the lens aperture and shutter speed. This level of control is not often seen in a consumer model camera's video functions. Its 24x lens can also zoom in and out while recording video, and its zoom and autofocus mechanisms are designed to be quiet to prevent a video recording picking up the noise of the lens' motors. For greater versatility you can even capture 3.5-megapixel still shots while you are recording video.

Capture all your favorite memories on video and play them back easily on any PC or portable electronic device with the wide compatibility of MP4 file format. You won't have to worry about losing image quality during file conversion or dealing with special compatibility devices.

You can now share photos and videos instantly with the easy to use LUMIX Image Uploader. Post your photos to Facebook and upload videos to YouTube in just a few seconds by simply connecting your camera to your PC and following the on-screen instructions. You can share vacation pictures before you even get back home or post graduation photos before the ink on the diploma is dry. This allows you to maintain contact with family and friends through image sharing wherever you happen to be.

Summary

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ47K, with its stylish black body and compact frame, offers the ultimate in versatility and performance for confident shooting with totally optimized settings or greater creative expression with manual controls. Whether you have been taking photos for years or are new to the digital platform, the FZ47 makes it easy to capture all of life's most precious moments with high quality results. From outdoor sporting events to indoor portraits, the DMC-FZ47 is powerful enough to support the image quality you expect while incorporating the ease of use you need to record photo and video opportunities beautifully.