Panasonic TS2 Rugged Camera: The Clumsy Photographer's Point-and-Shoot [Cameras]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/image...2d_-_slant.jpgRugged cameras aren't just for mountain climbers; Panasonic's excellent-looking TS2 point-and-shoot would be a good choice for sedentary folks like myself who simply drop shit all the time. It also features HD video recording and, no lie, a "happy mode."
Panasonic's introducing three new cameras today, the most interesting of which is the TS2, so let's start there. The TS2 is a 14.1MP update to the TS1, and in terms of ruggedness, it's waterproof to 10 meters, shockproof to two meters (which Panasonic oddly finds equal to ten feet—it's not, I'm pretty sure), dustproof, and able to withstand temperatures as low as 14° F. It's got the usual array of autofocus, face recognition, image stabilizer and a 6x optical zoom, but what I really like is the "happy mode":

Happy Mode – New Scene mode that optimizes color, saturation and brightness to make both photo and video more vivid and true to the color the users remember when they took it.

The TS2's pricing and release date are, annoyingly, still to be announced. Come on, Panasonic, haven't you learned anything from Apple?
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The next camera up is the ZR3, which also looks pretty damn nice. It's an ultra-slim point-and-shoot with a wide-angle Leica lens and an 8x optical zoom and HD video recording, just like the TS2. It, thank God, also features the happy mode, which should obviously become a standard feature on all cameras. The ZR3 brags of a 0.26-second autofocus, which is pretty good for a point-and-shoot, and is packing a fair-sized 2.7-inch LCD. Pricing and availability are yet again being withheld from us. WHEN CAN I USE YOUR CAMERAS TO MAKE MY LIFE APPEAR HAPPIER, PANASONIC? WHEN???
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The last camera is the ZS7, a fairly standard 12.1MP shooter, except it's packing GPS for geotagging—a feature I like in theory but would almost certainly never use. It's also got a huge 12x optical zoom, in case you're creepy, and (yay!) happy mode. Happy mode! Pricing and availability will, say it with me, be revealed whenever Panasonic feels like it. [Panasonic]


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