Panasonic Lumix CM1: An Android-based camera phone with 1-inch sensor, RAW shooting mode

We have seen a couple of Android-based cameras so far from the likes of Samsung And Nikon, but the category has never really picked up. That hasn’t stopped Panasonic from throwing its hat into the right with its first-ever Android camera, the Lumix Smart Camera DSC-CM1 announced at Photokina in Germany.   The CM1 is not just a camera as it features full phone capabilities and runs stock Android 4.4 KitKat. Internals of the CM1 are also high-end, thanks to the 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 800 Soc, a 4.7-inch 1080p screen ala the HTC One M7, a healthy 2GB of RAM. Of course, thanks to the Lumix branding, the main focus is on the camera which is leagues ahead of anything else you can get on Android. It features a massive 1-inch, 20-megapixel sensor, and a Leica F/2.8 28mm lens with a manual focus ring. Take a gander at the video below to see the features in more detail.  

  The CM1 also features a physical button to access the camera and another shutter button, along with DSLR-style manual controls for exposure, aperture, and ISO. Like many recent smartphones it also boasts 4K video shooting. Panasonic says the phone can also shoot RAW images. Despite how it looks, the lens is actually fixed so you cannot use it to zoom in and out. That’s only possible through the software buttons.   The Android cameras we saw in the past looked rather camera-like but the CM1 brings a sleek body made of metal and leather (faux, not real a la Samsung). It’s fairly chunky for a phone at 20mm thickness, but when you consider the camera chops, it’s more like an advanced point-and-shoot so it’s quite sleek. The only worries are the 2600 mAh battery and the fact that it only takes in microSD cards, which don’t really fill us with a great deal of confidence as to its capability as a camera-only device.   Lastly, the price of the device puts it well ahead of regular Android smartphones. Then again the CM1 isn’t a regular phone. The Panasonic Lumix Smart Camera CM1 will retail starting in France and Germany this holiday season for 900 euros (approx Rs 72,000), which immediately makes it a niche product.