Panasonic has revealed the DMC-FZ28 camera to its FZ high-powered zoom range.

Featuring a 27mm wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with an 18x optical zoom, the camera also boasts 10.1 megapixels and a number of features to help boost usability and user fun.

The super-powerful 18x zoom lens is good for pulling in far away subjects, or for your dramatic close up. For an added boost, the zoom power can be increased to a whopping 32.1x with the Extra Optical Zoom function.

For image processing, the FZ28 features the high-speed, high-performance, Venus Engine IV. This allows the FZ28 to snap off consecutive shots at a fast maximum 13 frames per second for subjects with fast motion in High Speed Burst Shooting mode.

In High Sensitivity mode, the FZ28 can capture photos with sensitivity up to ISO 6400 in extremely low lit situations. The engine also allows the FZ28 to shoot up to 450 photos (CIPA) on a single battery charge thanks to improvements in power efficiency.

Panasonic’s iA (intelligent auto) mode has been further enhanced for new all Lumix cameras to be released this autumn. The newly added AF Tracking function automatically tracks the subject once the AF has been set even if the subject moves around, making it easier to capture well-focused photos.

However, the FZ28 also inherits and enhances the manual operation that has proven so popular with other members of the FZ family. The FZ28 manual controls are more versatile than in previous models and the control layout has been improved, making use of the manual controls easier and more intuitive.

The FZ28 features a large, 2.7-inch Intelligent LCD with 230,000-dot resolution, and also captures high-definition 1280 x 720p video at 30 fps. Lovely.

Available in black or silver, the DMC-FZ28 is available later this year.