Panasonic presented its PMA line-up showing three Lumix compact cameras each one with its own advantage.The 12-megapixel ZS7 has a “superzoom” shooting with a 12×, 25-300mm equivalent lens and is most of all noticed as Panasonic’s first GPS-capable camera. Shots taken with the camera can optionally be geotagged in order to allow iPhoto ’09 and other similar applications to map out photos.

The point-and-shoot is mostly meant to be used by hobbyists and semi-pros wanting manual control over exposure, aperture and shutter speed. The camera has relatively quick auto focus, even at the zoom’s far end (0.4 seconds maximum). The optical image stabilization is the most advanced at Panasonic, roughly twice the correction of its IS system. People looking for a slightly longer reach have an optional Intelligent Resolutions feature. It uses digital zoom and corrects for softness and the pixelated look for a maximum 16× zoom.

Video can be captured at 720-pixel in the AVCHD Lite (H.264) format and has a dedicated recording button. Full-auto and face detection features are also available on the camera that supports SDXC for storage capacity over 32GB.

The Lumix ZR3 is a simpler alternative with an 8×, 25-200mm lens and 10× with Intelligent Resolution. It does not have GPS, like the Lumix ZS7, but is significantly smaller and has a faster focus, at 0.3 seconds. It also can shoot AVCHD Lite video. Launch information is lacking.Another member of Panasonic’s PMA line is the Lumix TS2, an impressive upgrade to its predecessor in what concerns its rugged capability.

The camera features a hardened, rubber-sealed shell that is now waterproof to 33 feet and also conforms to US military standards, being shockproof to 10 feet, dustproof and freezeproof to 14F. The camera can also get a silicone jacket guarding against cosmetic scratches. It can shoot at 14 megapixels with a 4.6×, 28-128mm lens. The same optical IS, the AVCHD Lite video capability as well as other software features of the other cameras are also present.