Panasonic today at CES 2013 announced several camcorders and digital cameras that will allow users to upload and share their content to the cloud and social networks. Using built-in Wi-Fi, the cameras will connect to a smartphone, then can be controlled using Panasonic's free app. The camcorders can even double as remote room monitors for those times when you're away from home and want to see what's going on.
Here's a quick rundown of the cameras and camcorders introduced.
Designed for the adventurous type, the Lumix TS5 (pictured above) is waterproof up to 43 feet, can be dropped from 6.6 feet, can survive temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit and can withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure. Its 16.1-MP sensor can record 1080p video and, like the ZS30, has NFC and Wi-Fi built in. The TS5 will come in orange, blue, silver and black, and will be available in late March. Its price has yet to be determined.
The Lumix ZS30 boasts an 18.1-megapixel high sensitivity MOS Sensor, 20x Optical Zoom and 60p Full HD video recording. Assuming your smartphone has the same, the ZS30 can be paired with just a tap using its built-in NFC chip. Panasonic's smartphone app will let you frame and shoot photos and videos remotely, and you can also save content to the Lumix Club Cloud Sync service. While pricing has yet to be announced, the ZS30 will be available at the end of March in black, silver and white.
Using its built-in Wi-Fi connection, Panasonic's HC-X920 camcorder lets consumers stream events in real-time via Ustream. A function can even let the user notify others via email that the stream is about to start. The Panasonic Image app lets you check audio, zoom and playback video and photos on a tablet or smartphone. The camera can also be used as a home monitor. When set up, users can check in on and even talk to their pets or family and record images remotely from a smartphone. The HC-X920 has a 29.8mm lens with a 25x zoom with tilt and blur correction, and can take 20.4-MP still shots.
Designed for dim lighting, the HC-V720 has a high-sensitivity sensor and Crystal Engine Pro technology, which helps reduce noise in images and video when shooting with limited light. The camera has a dynamic wide 28mm lens with a 50x zoom, and can take 20.4-MP still shots. Like the HC-X290, the HC-V270 has Wi-Fi and NFC, allowing users to live-stream images to the Web via Ustream.
The HC-V520 is the super-zoom in the Panasonic lineup, featuring a 50x optical zoom and 80x digital zoom lens. Its 2.25-megapixel BSI Sensor can take 10-MP still images, too. As with the cameras above, the HC-V520 has Wi-Fi and NFC built in, can be controlled remotely and also act as a remote room monitor.
