Panasonic introduced the latest additions to its LUMIX ZS range of premium compact cameras, the LUMIX ZS50 and LUMIX ZS45. Combining powerful optical zoom, stunning Leica lenses and a host of creative features in a small and sleek design, both cameras allow to take professional quality photos and videos while travelling light. The cameras' extensive connectivity options also enable to share photos and videos more easily than ever, wherever in the world adventures take you.

The LUMIX ZS50 and LUMIX ZS45 will be available at panasonic.com [1] and valued channel partners. Versatility and performance, even at high-zoom: The LUMIX ZS50 features a 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor, ultra-wide-angle 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens and 30x optical zoom for amazing versatility and performance. With a larger viewing space than that of a 28mm camera, the LUMIX ZS50 enables to frame and capture wide shots easily, so can really do justice to expansive vacation landscapes.

The camera's 30x optical zoom features lens technology, offering outstanding performance in its class. From wide-angle photos and videos of sweeping landscapes right through to long-distance telephoto shots, the LUMIX ZS50 is perfectly suited to all kinds of adventure. Intelligent Zoom further extends the zoom ratio to 60x while maintaining the best picture quality possible.

When combined with the LUMIX ZS50's advanced HYBRID O.I.S.+ (Hybrid Optical Image Stabilizer Plus) 5-Axis system, even high zoom video shots can avoid the problem of unwanted vibration. With the LUMIX ZS50 one can also capture amazing quality video to accompany gallery of travel images. The camera's advanced Venus Engine enables the camera to record astonishingly smooth 1,920 x 1,080 60p Full HD video recording in AVCHD Progressive format, so even fine details on fast moving objects such as fleeting wildlife can be captured clearly.

In order to provide enhanced low light performance, the LUMIX ZS50 incorporates a 12.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor. The pixel size is over 1.5 times larger than with the sensor found in the LUMIX ZS40, enabling to take crisp and clear pictures and video, even in dark situations such as a moonlit stroll on the beach. The LUMIX ZS50 also offers image recording in RAW format, enabling dramatically higher quality image development from the data captured, so each photo can be reproduced sharply and with minimal noise.

Easy to achieve professional results: The LUMIX ZS50's control ring, located on the lens barrel, provides an intuitive way to capture creative vision with ease and precision. Smoother control of exposure and zoom allows to concentrate on framing the perfect picture and pressing the shutter at the perfect moment. It also provides easier access to frequently-used settings such as aperture, shutter speed, focus, filter effect, and scene mode.

The LUMIX ZS50 also sports a 0.2-inch Live View Finder (LVF) with an eye-sensor. Its crystal clear 1,166k-dot resolution is for stable, accurate framing when using zoom or manual focusing. It's ideal for following the movement distant objects, or when the sunlight makes it difficult to see the camera's 3-inch LCD screen.