A glance at Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1, 12MP dual lenses digital camera

First Look

Today we are living in a world of 3D and the 2D technology is becoming obsolete with passing days. We are going towards the 3D technology through which we can enjoy our movies, games, animation and many virtual simulations in 3D. So why we are not thinking about 3D still photographs?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1

To answer this, the electronics giant Panasonic has announced their new Lumix 3D1 digital camera with dual lens to shoot both 2D and 3D images simultaneously or to shoot and record HD video at the same time. Panasonic’s Lumix range of camera is quite popular among photographers and one can get the basic point and shoot camera to digital SLR cameras as well. This series of camera was first launched in 2001 and after ten years it is still a very strong brand because of its quality and brand name.

What’s new

The new Panasonic Lumix 3D1 has dual lens/sensor to produce 3D and 3D still images and at the same time this camera enables users to record 2D or 3D video. It also comes with not one but two lenses with 25-100 mm optical zoom and in 3D mode it can zoom up to 30-120mm. The images are sharper and clearer with dual 12.1 megapixel 1/ 2.3 inch sensors. Two lenses and dual sensors make it a hot favorite among those who love to record stereoscopic 3D video. Also the dual zoom lenses can operate individually as well. Imagine one is taking a wide angle photo with one lens and a photo in Macro mode with the help of the other lens. Lumix series of cameras are well known for their images at low light situation and this model also is no exception to that. In low light situation this camera is also able to get some great images without creating too much noise/ISO level in the photo. One can operate the camera and select different modes using the 3.5 inch touchscreen at the back of the camera and thus makes life easier for the photographers.

What’s been refreshed

Lumix 3D1 can capture two 2D images at simultaneously using the dual lenses. It also has wide angle facility through which the scope of the photos can be increased. In continuous mode it can shot up to 8 frames per second which is a great for enthusiasts and for professional photographers as well. Also Lumix can shoot 2D photo in a lenses where as at the same time it can record 3D HD video using the other. This 3D1 also able integrated with the famous Panasonic Intelligent Auto mode and Intelligent Handheld Nightshot features.

Features walk-through

Panasonic has made these features in a compact camera and the dimension is of 108 (L) X 59 (W) X 24 (D) mm. With all these features and dual lenses Lumix 3D1 weighs just 193 g. The censors are created with CMOS digital peripherals and it has 12.80 mega pixels in total but effective mega pixel is only 12.10.

Lumix is able to capture photos or videos at 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratios that means the pictures or videos can be seen in a traditional monitor or in wide screens as well. The resolution is ranging from 640X480 up to 4000X2000. Lumix dose not have a view finder but the users can able to view their subject in the 3.8 inch touch screen.

There are various scenes mode to choose for to cater different lighting condition. The different scene modes are Portrait, Soft Skin Portrait, Soft Skin Transform, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Handheld Night Shot, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, High Sensitivity, Flash Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial Photo, Pin Hole, Film Grain, High Dynamic (Standard / Art / B&W) and Photo Frame mode. It also has self timers to shoot pictures when there is no one around. The self timer has two mode to shoot the picture; 2 seconds and 10 seconds. It also has 70MB memory integrated and one can expand the memory up to 32 GB using SD cards.

What’s good

Lumix is the smallest 3D camera in the world with dual lenses. The good news is that now user can capture photos and videos together using the dual lens capability of this model. Also viewers can now shoot 3D video using their Lumix 3D1 compact camera at 12 mega pixels or high efinition. This camera is built using the Venus Engine which has a quad CPU that can handle data like 3D images or high resolution pictures at high speed.

What’s not so good

The Lumix doesn’t have any view finder and that may be a concern for many. Also due to its dual lenses sometimes it is difficult to navigate among the menu and to choose the perfect setting for a particular lens.

Price and availability

Lumix 3D1 was announced in November only and it will be available in the market for commercial purpose from the end of December’11for $499.

Wrap-up

Today as we are moving towards more 3D oriented application, this compact camera from Panasonic may open up many new doors for the other manufacturers as well. There are not too many dual lens cameras in the market which has the capability of shooting 3D images or videos. As this is the one of the first in the market, Panasonic have a first mover’s advantage and I am sure in future they will also release some more 3D based compact camera that can be used by anyone.