Panasonic unveils hybrid smartphone-cameraSeptember 17, 2014 - 10:57 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Panasonic has unveiled a hybrid smartphone-camera, at the Photokina trade show in Cologne. More camera than phone, the Android device has a Leica lens and a 1in, 20-megapixel sensor more often found in Panasonic's dedicated cameras, BBC News reports. The 2.5cm sensor will help the camera take snaps in low light conditions and shoot ultra-high definition video. Panasonic said the Lumix DMC - CM1 would go on sale towards the end of 2014 in Germany and France. The phone is expected to cost about 900 euros when it goes on sale. It is widely seen as a rival to Samsung's Galaxy K Zoom, which also has a built-in large lens. The lens and its metal ring, to control aperture and shutter settings, make the CM1 21mm thick - considerably more than contemporary smartphones. The CM1 also has 11.9cm touchscreen and a dedicated switch that instantly flips it into camera-mode. Reviewing the gadget at tech news site Pocket-lint, Mike Lowe said it was an "interesting experiment" that "impressed" him more than he had expected. However, Marc Flores, at Tech Radar, was more critical, saying hybrids satisfied no-one. "We've tried this before, and it didn't work out so well," he wrote, adding that anyone looking for a good camera should buy a dedicated device. Anyone keen to take better pictures with a smartphone, he added, should just learn how the professionals did it rather than buy a CM1 and hope that would make all the difference to their snaps. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | European Parliament to discuss repression in Azerbaijan The European Parliament will discuss repression of civil society in Azerbaijan on April 24 PACE wants concessions from Azerbaijan to accept Baku back A PACE co-rapporteur said that Azerbaijani authorities must make certain concessions so that the country can return to PACE. Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. |