Panasonic introduces a digital camera with a 16:9 aspect ratio CCD
Next month, Matsushita will launch the DMC-LX1 digital camera, which has a 16:9 aspect ratio CCD image sensor.
What does it mean? Unlike most digital camera which hve a 4:3 aspect ratio (the proportions of a standard screen, TV or computers), the DMC-LX1 sensor’s resolution will reach 8.4 megapixels on a 16:9 format (wider, like you find on cinema display TV sets and wide screen computers screens). Originally, the 4:3 CCD sensors were designed this way to be used on video cameras at a time when most TV and computer displays were on 4:3, but now that 16:9 is becoming more widely available and affordable, it makes sense to start offering this format on digital cameras, as it is closer to the range of human vision and renders space and depth better than the usual 4:3.
The camera will still be able to take pictures in 4:3 or 3:2 too of course. It will also feature a wide-angle (equivalent to a 28mm), and a 4x optical zoom with a Leica lens. Expected to sell around 62,800 yen (about US$ 560).
Via Tech-On!
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