Panasonic Touch Lumix Recognizes Faces

Yesterday Panasonic revealed three new digital cameras, one of which uses touch-screen and face recognition technology.

Panasonic's new touch-screen LUMIX DMC-FX580 digital camera comes packed with a 25mm ultra-wide angle LEICA DC lens with F2.8 brightness, a 5x optical zoom, a 12.1-megapixel recording image (1280x720p at 30 fps), and a touch-screen 3.0-inch LCD mounted on the back.

Under the hood, the camera utilizes Panasonic's newly developed Venus Engine V processor, which according to the company, the processor features twin CPUs that boasts 2.4x processing capability while supporting a High Sensitivity mode, enabling the camera to record at a setting of up to ISO 6400.

“With the new LUMIX FX580, Panasonic provides for our digital camera consumers, by offering a touch-screen model, for those users who are accustomed to touch-screen technology,” said David Briganti, national marketing manager of Imaging at Panasonic. “With the FX580, we remain true to Panasonic’s commitment to providing high-quality photos, by advancing our Intelligent Auto mode and using a bright Leica DC lens, we want to help consumers capture beautiful photos, regardless of their interface preference.”

The LUMIX FX580's biggest selling point, however, is its use of Panasonic's iA (Intelligent auto) mode, a system of technologies including face detection, Intelligent Scene Selection, Intelligent Exposure, Intelligent ISO control and more. For 2009, Panasonic included Face Recognition into its iA as well, a new technology that recognizes individual faces.

According to the company, Face Recognition allows a user to give AF and AE priority to a single person in a group, ensuring that "a person’s face will be beautifully exposed." When the camera records a familiar face several times, it will prompt the user to register the face. Panasonic said that if the face appears again in a frame, it will display the name previously specified, and then prioritize focus and exposure "so that the face is bright and sharply focused." Using Category Playback, users can choose to display only photos that contain a specific registered face.

Additionally, the Panasonic LUMIX FX580 offers component video output, the new Panorama Assist mode allowing consumers to shoot a number of consistent photos, and many other features. Panasonic said the camera will hit retail outlets in April for a meaty price of $399.95. The camera comes in black and silver.