Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. and Sony Corp. unveiled new digital cameras Tuesday that will go on sale next month in a bid to get out in front of the pack amid intensifying competition.

Sold under the Panasonic brand, Matsushita's Lumix FX01 features a 28 mm wide-angle Leica lens. The 6-megapixel camera, weighing 160 grams, is the world's smallest that can handle that type of wide-angle lens, the company said.

Another Matsushita model, the TZ1, boasts a 10× optical Leica lens. The 5-megapixel camera features an automatic mode with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 1600, which allows a faster shutter speed and enables users to take pictures in dim lighting.