Panasonic shocks IFA with new D-SLR

 

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By Ross Burridge in Berlin

Posted on 30 Aug 2007 at 16:26

Panasonic has made a surprise addition to the consumer D-SLR market at IFA 2007, with its new Lumix DMC-L10.

This comes 18 months after the company's first D-SLR effort, the DMC-L1. A 10.1 megapixel sensor, combined with its Leica 14-50mm stock lens, puts this model into direct competition with the leaders in the burgeoning low-end consumer SLR market, such as Canon and Sony.

Notable features include a 270-degree free angle flip-out LCD screen with live view, optical image stabilisation in the camera body and the Supersonic Wave Filter system to deal with the perennial dust situation.

It's also the first consumer D-SLR we've seen to incorporate face detection algorithms, in a clear attempt to appeal to inexperienced photographers.

After claiming this camera would boast the best noise performance in its class, Panasonic also revealed ambitious plans to claim 10% of the consumer D-SLR market by 2010.

The chances of achieving that lofty goal will naturally hinge on the quality and the price of the camera. We'll bring you details of those once we have them.