Panasonic's new camera gets touchy

This year, we're going to see some pretty sweet point-and-shoot digital cameras (Robin has the scoop here, but I don't think any of them are as user-friendly as Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX500. Panasonic made this model very intuitive with features novices and experts can appreciate. Many beginners are not familiar with their camera's settings because, let's face it, not everyone reads the manual or takes special photography classes.

That's why I love how the LUMIX DMC-FX500 has 3-inch touch screen on the back that allows users to quickly change the settings depending on the situation. For example, by selecting a person on the touchscreen, you activate the auto focus lock feature on the camera that keeps the subject in focus no matter what they do. Now you don't have to worry about readjusting the camera every time. This is perfect for people who often take photos of moving subjects that won't keep still, like fidgety children or pets.

Using the touch panel, you can also tap on a subject and let the camera choose the right mode depending on the subject's position. By touching a person's face, the camera switches to portrait mode, or you can switch to macro if you want a close-up of a flower instead. Zooming in or out of a photo in playback mode is also possibly by moving sliders left or right on the touch screen.

What's also nice about the 10-megapixel LUMIX DMC-FX500 is that it can record video in high-definition at 720p and take still images in a 16:9 aspect ratio that can be viewed on a widescreen television. Other features include image-stabilization, face detection, automated scene-detection, a 25mm wide-angle lens, and 5X optical zoom. The camera will be released in May with a price of about $400.