Available from next year, the Horizon D-L3 is the fruit of a joint venture between Silvestri Italy and Zenit in Russia. The camera comes more than 40 years after Zenit first introduced the Horizont panoramic camera. Since then, the Russian firm has produced several other iterations of the camera - such as the Horizon 202 in 1989 or the Horizon Kompakt and Perfekt, produced in association with the Lomographic Society.

Today, Zenit, in association with Silvestri, is making the jump into the digital market with the upcoming release of the Horizon D-L3. First unveiled at this year's Photokina, BJP was able to get a closer look at a prototype of the camera (see video below).

The Horizon D-L3 is based on three digital modules - each sporting a five-megapixel sensor - that acquire three images simultaneously. "This makes it possible to shoot freehand subjects of all kind, including those in motion," says Silvestri. The three images are then automatically stitched together to produce a 12-megapixel panoramic image.

The camera is fitted with three 28mm equivalent f/3.5 lenses, an optical viewfinder with a level, as well as a 4.3-inch touch-screen. It uses SD memory cards, weighs 900g and measures 110x90x195mm.

The Horizon D-L3 will be available in 2011, and is aimed at advanced amateurs and professional photographers, says Silvestri. While pricing has yet to be confirmed, Silvia Silvestri tells BJP that the final recommended price won't exceed €1500.

Italian camera maker Silvestri is collaborating with Russian firm Zenit to release, next year, a new model of panoramic camera which uses three lenses to produce a 12 megapixels picture.

British Journal of Photography talks to Silvia Silvestri, who presents this upcoming camera.