New Panasonic FZ45 and FZ100 Go On Sale

Panasonic Lumix FZ45 MARCHANDS €     Batterie.fr  9.90  Amazon.fr m...  17.90  Aboutbatter...  26.90  Amazon.fr  28.15  Pixmania.com  254.00  La redoute ...  418.27  Compare prices

Panasonic's new FZ45 and FZ100, which replace the popular FZ38  are a key part of its line-up.  They're both on sale now, but the two cameras have a lot to prove: they represent the biggest technical innovation in the manufacturer's range for over three years.

Since the FZ18, Panasonic has relied on just a single model to cover this section of the market.  They're not the only ones: Nikon, Sony and Casio all have just one bridge in their range too.

The difference is that the other big names in this part of the market like Fujifim, Canon or Sony in the days of the H50 have at least two different bridge cameras: one introductory version and a second, flagship model with extra features like scroll wheels, rotating screens and mechanical zooms, and sometimes better optics and a different sensor.

At the start of 2010, the best-selling bridges were in Fujifilm's lightweight range, which came in at under £150.  However, Panasonic still had the best sales in terms of value.  To put it another way, the FZ38 made more money for its manufacturer than all of Fuji's bridges put together.

Panasonic Lumix FZ100 MARCHANDS €     Amazon.fr  9.76  100000volts  15.50  Amazon.fr m...  17.90  Batterieland  24.00  Digit-photo...  25.91  Aboutbatter...  26.90  Compare prices

Panasonic's decision to return to a catalogue of two bridges, which was its strategy until the FZ8 and FZ50, is backed up by a change in lens technology.  The FZ45 and FZ100 go from having an 18x zoom lens (which was first stabilized in 2007) to 24x, which is more up to date.  The camera bodies themselves have also been radically redesigned and take after µ4/3 cameras.  The FZ100 even has a rotating screen.

It's all new on the inside too, and the two new arrivals have nothing in common with the old FZ38, apart from the disappointing electronic viewfinder.

The FZ45 (known in some territories as the FZ40) follow on from the FZ38 at around £280, while the FZ100 is closer to £350.  Panasonic is hoping its new features will impress: it has a brand new MOS sensor promising a burst mode of 11 fps and Full HD video.

We've requested some test units, and hope to be able to tell you more before the Photokina show at the end of the month. We're especially keen to see how the MOS and CCD sensors compare. 

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