The Panasonic DMC-GH1 interchangeable lens camera will retail for ¥150,000 (about US$1,530) when it comes out on April 24 in Japan. The price includes a 45-200-millimeter lens which in the GH1’s Micro Four Thirds format will translate to an equivalent 90-400mm zoom.
Panasonic likes to call the GH1 a CREATIVE HD HYBRID because it records not only high-quality photos but also high definition 1080/24p or smooth 720/60p HD (High Definition) movies in AVCHD format.
And get this: unlike the Nikon D90, Canon EOS 5D MkII and the just-announced Canon EOS 500D DSLRs, the GH1 does have continuous autofocus in movie mode. The new GH1 has a 12.1-megapixel high-speed Live MOS sensor and the Venus Engine HD image processor with two CPUs for speed.
The GH1 follows its older sibling DMC-G1 in the Micro Four Thirds stable of Panasonic interchangeable lens cameras. They function like DSLRs, without the bulky pentaprism/pentamirror mechanism.
[Site: Panasonic]