Ah, shucks—it looks like Panasonic's funky new non-DSLR DMC-G1 camera actually doesn't shoot HD video after all. What those photos most likely represent is a mock-up of a possible future version of the cam, that might launch next year sometime. We know this 'cause DPReview got their mitts on a pre-production G1, and found it only shoots video in the non-HD formats as per the press release. Now we can't wait to see if Panasonic actually comes good with the HD promise of that mock-up, and lets the camera join Canon and Nikon's HD shooting party. [DPreview]

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Panasonic's new high-end LX3 point-and-shoot totally bows out of the megapixel war, keeping the same 10-megapixel resolution as its LX2 predecessor for a 40 percent bump in sensitivity and 35 percent greater saturation, plus it can shoot up to 3200 ISO in full res, or 6400 at a reduced one. As a semi-pro point-and-shoot, it has an F2.0 2.5x 24mm ultra-wide angle lens, full manual controls and RAW output, though it still has more consumer-y stuff like Intelligent Scene Selector and HD video recording. Out in August for US$499.

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Panasonic has a nice set of digital camera summer sequels to last year's lineup. Here's the rundown, with full releases below:
•Panasonic's FZ28 updates its original 18x super-zoomer FZ18 with a higher res, and some new software features, autofocus tracking and more robust face detection, plus it shoots HD video, like every new Panasonic camera. Out in Aug. for US$399.
•The ultracompact FX150 bulldozes the FX100 with a ridiculous 14.7-megapixel resolution (hopefully not with meteor-size noise, but probably), RAW recording, HD video shooting, and a 28mm wide-angle lens. Available Aug. for US$399.
•Finally, the FX37's raison d'etre is its 25mm ultra wide-angle 5x zoom lens. It's tiny, has a 10MP resolution and also shoots 720p HD video. It's available in Sept. for US$350.

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As you can see in the clip above, Panasonic's Wi-Fi enabled Lumix TZ250 connects to most wireless networks—including T-Mobile Hotspots—and uploads your pictures directly to a Picasa account. It works in reverse also, photos placed online are browsable by the camera. When we tried it out, a picture took about 25 seconds to upload, which is a bit slow but a small price to pay to never worry about wires. The TZ250 will sell for US$450 starting in May. [Panasonic]

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I just got my greasy hands on the FX500, Panasonic's touchscreen point-and-shoot. As you see in the video, by pointing to a certain object in the frame, the camera stays focused on it even if either the camera or the object goes in motion. Also, manual options could be changed using a slider on the screen, which I found cool. If you don't always like using a touchscreen, you're in luck; there is also a joystick to control the action. The camera is US$400 and will be on sale in mid-May. [Panasonic]

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May sees the Japanese release of Panasonic's Lumix DMC-TZ50, a nine-megapixel point-and-shoot with built-in wifi, meaning you can upload your photos directly to the web. At the moment only the Lumix Club that gets to host your pics, but restrictions will probably be lifted when the TZ50 gets a global release. There's also a 10x zoom and Leica lens, a three-inch LCD screen, and night- and face-recognition abilities. [Panasonic Japan via Ascii through Google Translate]

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It may not be first touchscreen digital camera on the market, but Panasonic's new LUMIX FX500 is better late than never with a 3-inch touchscreen LCD and the same 25mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC lens 10.1MP resolution, intelligent ISO and face detection as the FX35. It also features a 5x optical zoom, auto focus tracking and the ability to shoot HD video (1280 x 720p) content and still photos with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Not too bad for the US$399.95 price tag. Expect to see it on store shelves starting this May. Additional pic and press release after the break.

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You know all those cool Panasonic cameras we looked at during PMA last month? Well, Panasonic has just announced local pricing and availability. Hit the jump for the full breakdown...

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First off, you can zoom while recording movies in 720p. It's a nice, slow 'n' steady zoom too, not a jerky or overly fast one, keeping things smooth while you shoot. The LCD is big and bright enough for HD video recording on this kind of level, though it's not astounding or anything. It's sorta hard to tell just how silky and pristine the video is without hooking it up to a real live HDTV, but based on our fondlage, this could be a great point-and-shoot for bloggers (or even regular people!) who want to be able to shoot quick clips in HD since it's light but feels up to taking some abuse.

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