Pitched at families and those looking to trade up from a point and shoot, Panasonic has unveiled the successor to last year’s GF3 compact system camera (CSC) in the GF5. This comes on the back of news from industry watchers GfK that there has been a whopping 127% year on year growth for CSC’s. Panasonic also declared at the launch of the GF5 that it holds the number one position in this market for both value and volume.
Whilst outwardly not markedly different to the GF3, the GF5 retains its predecessor’s claim for the world’s fastest auto focus (here 0.9 seconds), and boasts a 12-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor. The camera also comes with a new Venus Engine 7HD processor and offers up to ISO12800 light sensitivity, Full HD movie clips, a 920k dot resolution 3-inch LCD, 23 scene modes and 14 filter effects.
“We’ve offered increased creative control with 14 different effects in response to people expecting them because they already have such apps on their iPhone,” says Panasonic’s Product Manager for Lumix Barnaby Sykes.
It also offers a newly designed handgrip plus a new user interface that allows photographers to save one of their own pictures as a background image.
The GF5, boasting aluminium mount and metal buttons, will be available in black and white in the UK, with kit options that include Panasonic’s TIPA Award winning ultra fast X series 14-42mm ‘power zoom’ for a SRP of £579, or with the standard zoom for £449. Availability is from June.
Panasonic’s Barnaby Sykes added that the GF5 will be supported by TV advertising and press campaign from mid May, plus online advertising and a Lumix ‘lifestyle’ website.
In related promo news for dealers, Panasonic is promoting a limited edition Olympics 2012 version of its G3 twin kit. Only 2012 models have been made and each comes with a Royal Mint Silver Olympics coin worth £99.99 alone. It is also offering its GX1 with power zoom and viewfinder bundled.
www.panasonic.co.uk
