Measuring 98.6 x 58.9mm, the two cameras are just 18.6mm thick, and weigh no more than 125g without the battery. They pack a lot of punch into a tiny body; both cameras feature 4x optical zoom, which use folded optics to fit into the camera's slim design, and can shoot movies in 720p Motion Jpeg at a rate of 30 frames per second. The sliding lens cover also doubles as a power switch for the cameras.

Click to enlarge

The Lumix DMC-FP1 in blue

"With an impressive high-quality aluminium body which is available in a wide choice of colours and a 4x optical zoom, the new LUMIX DMC-FP3 and LUMIX DMC-FP1 are the ultimate choice for style and high image-quality and will suit a range of users' personal style and tastes," said Tanya Mudge, Product Marketing Manager—LUMIX, Panasonic Australia.

The cameras also feature Panasonic's Intelligent Auto, which uses MEGA Optical Image Stabiliser to minimise the effect of hand-shake, Intelligent ISO Control to detect moving subjects and adjust the shutter speed and ISO accordingly, Face Detection to detect human faces and make sure they are exposed correctly, and Intelligent Scene Selector to select the optimum settings for current conditions.

The DMC-FP1 and the DMC-FP3 both have a high-resolution 230,000-dot Intelligent LCD viewing screen with an automatic brightness adjustment so that images are always easy to view.

The DMC-FP3's LCD screen also has touch controls using a static sensor.

Both cameras are fully compatible with Panasonic's new SDXC memeory card format, as well as SD and SDHC cards. They are also compatible with Windows 7 and are sold with the latest version of PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0.

They will be available in March 2010.

Lumix DMC-FP1 $279
Available in silver, black, pink, blue or green

Lumix DMC-FP3 $329
Available in grey, black, light pink or red