Panasonic announces three new Lumix cameras that take the hassle out of snapping pictures

I've always enjoyed taking pictures, however, try as I might, they never turn out looking all that professional. Then you have some people that just turn and snap a picture and it looks like it could make the cover of Times or something. Maybe I just need a better camera.

Panasonic has just launched 3 new cameras that take the guesswork out of photography. The three new models are the DMC-FZ18, FX33 and FX55 which all feature several cool pieces of technology. The first is the Intelligent Auto Mode which selects settings based on the lighting, the Intelligent Scene Selector determines when to use Macro Mode, and the auto-focus starts working even before you put your finger on the button.

The high-end FZ18 has the big 18x optical zoom, which will let you snap pictures from further away than any other consumer digital camera. The FX55 and FX33 are standard form-factor cameras that are around 22mm thick. The FX55 will have a 3-inch screen, while the FX33 will have only a 2.5-inch screen. Pricing has not yet been released, however, all three cameras will be available starting next month in Japan.

New Panasonic Lumix cameras include massive 18x optical zoom, eliminate us [via digitalworldtokyo]