Panasonic adds toughness to style with the Lumix DMC-FT10

Slimline action compact with 2.7-inch screen

Panasonic adds toughness to style with the Lumix DMC-FT10

21 July 2010 6:00 GMT / By Dan Sung

If a tough man were to buy his children a camera for Christmas, he might well choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT10.

It's a slimline compact with a 21.6mm profile, just 157g in weight and it comes with a healthy 14.1-megapixel CCD sensor to do all the work. The 35mm Lumix lens will let you zoom to 4x optical but the real fun is the hardiness of this little machine.

It's freeze proof down to -10 degrees C, shockproof at a 1.5m drop, waterproof to 3m and it's dustproof as well. Now that wouldn't be enough to survive the tough man's own adventures but maybe his family holiday, it might well cover.

The FT10 records HD video at 720p/30fps and features all the core imaging technology you would hope for - Mega OIS, face detection, Intelligent ISO control as well as Panasonic's Intelligent Auto mode; which has a dedicated button on the body all of its own for quick return to automatic scene selection shooting - advanced point and press photography, if you like.

Should our tough guy also have a teenage offspring Panasonic was kind enough to offer a second option. The company has upgraded its recently announced FX70 touchscreen compact by boosting the HD video shooting up to a fuller 1080p recording and adding Dolby Digital sound capture as well.

Both cameras are available in the autumn with prices to follow.

Full tags

Cameras, Panasonic, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT10, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX700, Compact cameras, 14 megapixels