Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 8.1MP Digital Camera with 4x MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5 inch LCD (Black)

by Panasonic

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 2.5 x 1.2 x 3.9 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B001PTG2P2
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: LS85 Black
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,770 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 16, 2009

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Panasonic is pleased to introduce the new 8.1-megapixel DMC-LS85 camera. Running on AA batteries and featuring ultimate ease of use with iA (Intelligent Auto), the LS85 is a successor to the LS80. Setting itself apart from conventional AA battery operation cameras, the DMC-LS85 boasts a powerful 4x optical zoom and bright f2.8, high-quality Lumix DC Vario lens (equivalent to 33mm-132 mm on a 35mm film camera).

Panasonic Lumix LS85 Highlights

Intelligent Auto Mode
Panasonic believes that anyone should be able to take beautiful pictures with ease--this is where the iA(Intelligent Auto) mode steps in. Comprising of four major functions (MEGA O.I.S, Intelligent ISO Control, Face Detection and Intelligent Scene Selector) that work together to provide the best possible shooting results everytime. The two most advanced countermeasures against blurring--MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) to compensate for hand-shake and Intelligent ISO Control to detect and suppress motion blur--are built into the LS85. Both image stabilizing technologies have been further advanced in detection accuracy and correction effect thanks to the new image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV.

In addition to these two paramount anti-blurring technologies, the Face Detection system helps the camera to recognize human faces and to focus and set the exposure automatically. Up to 15 faces can be recognized simultaneously. Plus, the Intelligent Scene Selector automatically sets the appropriate scene mode according to the scene you're going to take from among the most frequently used scene modes, such as Portrait, Scenery, Macro, Night Scenery and Night Portrait mode. It now features an automatic backlight compensation function that activates whenever the camera detects that the light source is behind the subject. The Quick AF system allows the camera to keep focus on the subject while the camera is in recording mode even before without pressing a shutter button halfway, to get best result out of a shutter chance because the focus is always near the subject and the AF time is minimized.

Building on the successor of the highly successful LS80--the LS85 enjoys a newly added independent iA button on the top of the camera--allowing access to the iA mode directly. Once you enter iA mode, these multi-capable functions work automatically so you can shoot without the bother of adjusting settings every time conditions change. You can enjoy easy, trouble-free shooting in any situation and get the satisfaction that comes with capturing clear, beautiful images.

Zooming in on the Lens
The 8.1-megapixel DMC-LS85 packages a bright f2.8 Lumix DC Vario lens with 4x optical zoom (33-132mm) into a slim, compact body. Comprising 6 elements in 5 groups, including 3 aspherical lenses with 4 aspherical surfaces, this advanced lens unit realizes the compact body yet delivering an exceptional optical performance. Further, in 3-megapixel resolution mode, the Extra Optical Zoom function provides additional magnification, extending the zoom power to 6.4x (211mm) by using the centre part of the CCD.

Image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV for High Quality Images
The image-processing LSI, Venus Engine IV, features advanced signal processing technology for rendering high-quality images.

The multi-task image-processing engine Venus Engine IV supports a super-fast response time. The shutter release time lag is as short as 0.007 second. The camera's quick response makes it easier to capture sudden, spur-of-the-moment photo opportunities. In burst shooting mode, the LS85 can snap 3.0 shots per second at full resolution. And in High-Speed Burst shooting mode,it fires off an incredible 4.5 shots per second. You also get unlimited consecutive shooting, which lets you keep shooting until the memory card is full. The Venus Engine IV also supports a High Sensitivity mode that lets the DMC-LS85 record at a setting of up to ISO 6400, sensitive enough to capture subjects in near-total darkness without using a flash.

The LCD in More Detail
The DMC-LS85 incorporates an easy-to-see, 2.5-inch large 230,000-dot high-resolution LCD for comfortable viewing while both monitoring shots and playing back the results. The Intelligent LCD function detects the light condition and automatically boosts the LCD backlighting by a maximum of 40 percent when shooting outdoors in bright sunshine, and adjusts the frame rate when shooting in low-lit situations in addition to using the pixel mixed readout method to secure clarity in such situations. Detecting the lighting condition precisely, and automatically controlling the brightness with a total of 12 fine steps, this function gives the display the most appropriate clarity in any situation without using extra energy. The High Angle mode makes the LCD screen extremely easy to view when the camera is held high, such as when shooting over a crowd.

View your Photos with Pleasure
To increase your enjoyment when playing back your images, the LS85 provides slideshows complete with music. Just select the pictures you want to show and choose the mood that best matches your selection from natural, slow, urban or swing, and you'll get an emotion-filled slideshow with a variety of slide change effects and matching music without any annoying adjustments to the newly added speaker.

Additionally, all Lumix cameras can take 1920x1080 pixel high-definition quality photos that are ideal for full-screen viewing on a wide-screen (16:9) HDTV. Panasonic has long focused on making photography more enjoyable, such as by letting people view their images easily on a Panasonic Viera TV with Viera Image Viewer (internal SD card slot).

For movies, the DMC-LS85 can record WVGA (848 x 480) motion pictures at 30 frames per second in addition to standard VGA (640 x 480). The WVGA motion picture also fits a wide-screen (16:9) TV perfectly, to offer extremely impressive viewing.

Inherently user-friendly, the LS85 includes a host of features for your convenience. For example, start-up time is dramatically shortened by approx. 40 percent to be as quick as 1.8 sec while AF points are now increased from 5 to 9 for more accurate focusing. The internal memory is now doubled in capacity to approx. 50MB, which is good enough to use as spare memory when you don’t have an SDHC/SD Memory Card. Battery life is extended to shoot more than 270 photos (CIPA) with two AA batteries thanks to the low energy consumption of Venus Engine IV.

For more stress-free operation, cursor key and buttons backside are now made larger. The menus are also easier to navigate thanks to the new "Display Size" option which is set to "Large" by default. In addition, exclusively for the LS85, the level of easiness can be set by the user and if the user prefers the easiest way, additional setting menu will no longer be displayed to avoid confusion.

Included Software
The latest version of exciting software PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 comes bundled with the DMC-LS85. The PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 allows the user to edit or organize a collection of photos with more ease and fun. It features Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in the picture stored in your PC to sort the photos by faces. Conventionally, you had to pick up one by one out of hundreds of photos when you only want the picture of a specific person. But with the PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0, the software automatically does it once the face is registered regardless of the camera type you used. On the sophisticated interface, you can also enjoy emotional slideshow with a variety of effects. Motion pictures (MOV or MPEG2) can also be upload directly to YouTube.

What's in the Box
Battery Pack (AA Alkaline Batteries x 2), AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, Hand Strap, CD-ROM

Product Description

8. 1 MP CCD. 4x Optical Zoom. LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR Lens. 2. 5" (230k) Intelligent LCD. Optical Image Stabilizer. Intelligent ISO Control. Face Detection. Intelligent Scene Selector (Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Macro). Digital Red Eye Correction. iA Direct Button. Quick Auto Focus. Video mode. Microphone. Speaker.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Panasonic Lumix...VERY nice!, April 10, 2009

By 

Jennifer Rodriguez Bosque "JR" (Puerto Rico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 8.1MP Digital Camera with 4x MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5 inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

[...] I had a Sanyo that was AWEFUL! It was a 10MP one. I had it for a few days only and then had to exchange it. I purchased them at a Walmart store on Christmas. I then got myself the Panasonic Lumix 8.1MP BLACK. The price was higher when I got it than what it is showing on Amazon as I'm typing this [...]

Well, I LOVE the camera! It's very easy to use. Pictures look awesome! And I have to say they look so much better than in the Sanyo I originally got, which was 10MP. Video image and sound are extremely good also. I've used and had other digital cameras before. This is the best one I've got. The only down part is that it doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, which I strongly encourage everybody to get. I use the camera a LOT, and the batteries do not wear out as fast as with other cameras I've used. Of course, if you use the flash a lot...the battery will die faster.

Overall, I have to say, it is a very nice camera. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I love it!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, worth a lot more., October 15, 2009

By 

ReviewShop "RS" (Philly, PA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 8.1MP Digital Camera with 4x MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5 inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

Here are a few things you need to know about this camera.

- Very good sensor, which means excellent photographs
- Intelligent mode is very helpful for people who don't know too much about camera settings.
- I've owned a few cameras at this price range, none of which even come close to the picture quality that this camera gives.
- The only downside is that it doesn't feel strongly built and may not be able to take much punishment. I'm speculating as I have not thrown the camera against a rock.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great camera, great price!, September 14, 2009

By 

Sangria "Sandra" (Memphis, TN USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS85 8.1MP Digital Camera with 4x MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5 inch LCD (Black) (Electronics)

I purchased this camera to replace an older 5mp Nikon for our trip to Washington DC for 9/12. We set it to Intelligent Auto which does everything for you. It was easy to use and am very pleased with the pix. The battery life was very good and with a 4mg SDHD card it would hold 1000 pix so never had to worry I would run out of room. All in all, I think I made the right purchase for us and would definitely recommend to anyone who is not a shutterbug and just needs a simple to use camera that gets great results.