It will be interesting to see how far the 3-D bandwagon can chug along before it runs out of gas. Consumers don't seem too excited about 3-D TVs or 3-D personal computers anymore, but nevertheless, Panasonic hopes that its new Lumix DMC-3D1 camera will inject some enthusiasm back into the market.
Being a 3-D-capable camera, the 3D1 naturally has two lenses and dual sensors — but cleverly the dual lenses also allow users to shoot in two modes at the same time. What this means is that users are able to shoot both still photos and video simultaneously, and shoot wide-angle and zoom in tandem. While it may be on the rare occasion that such functionality is actually needed, I'm sure many of us have been in situations where we had to whip out a phone to snap a photo while shooting video with a camera.
The 3D1 is a 12-megapixel camera that features 25 mm ultra-wide lenses, 4x optical zoom, and continuous shooting at up to 8 fps. The controls on the camera body aren't very complex, as functions can also be managed using its 3.5-inch touchscreen. It should be noted that the LCD display is not a 3-D display, but you can connect your camera using HDMI out to a 3-D TV, assuming that you have one. The 3-D video shooting function can also be easily toggled using a physical switch on the camera's body. Other functions include iA (Intelligent Auto) mode and Intelligent Handheld Nightshot, the latter allowing you to shoot and record in the dark without any need for a tripod.