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Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Red)




  • 1 : You don't have to haul around a bulky SLR on your neck to get great photos . 2 : You don't need large lenses to get high zoom levels . 3 : You don't have to haul around a bulky camcorder to get great video with stereo audio and zoom . 4 : If fits in your pocket . 5 : The battery lasts all day . I brought my ZS3 on a long vacation , visiting my grandmother , Yellowstone National Park and Las-Vegas . I took over 3 hours of video and over 500 photos with only two battery charges required . The zoom lens was perfect for taking great images of the wildlife in Yellowstone . I was able to capture great looking photos from a long ways off without the bulk of a SLR lens . I have one photo of the Grand Tetons that looks like I hiked the mountain to get it , but in fact I was over a mile away in the valley below . I have video of two Hawks in flight that I could barely see with the naked eye , yet the camera was able to capture them with ease . An often overlooked feature on this camera is the zoom-macro capability . It allows you to stand a few feet from a subject such as a butterfly or small animal , yet get a photo as if you were taking a up-close macro , complete with sharp focus , and blurred background . I was able to capture full-frame images of a few chipmunks that would have surely ran away if I got too close . The video on this camera is the single best feature that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd . On most digital cameras you can get video , even high-definition video . But take a look around , nearly ALL digital cameras that have video lock the zoom level while recording . This means you have to stop your video , re-zoom , and start again if your subject moves . The ZS3 can do optical zoom while recording video , this makes it as powerful as any camcorder you can buy . It is also high definition , and the frame rate and quality is great . On top of all that it records stereo audio in Dolby Digital , another feature not found on other digital cameras . Don't under-estimate the importance of stereo sound for video . Both the video and audio quality are phenomenal . The camera captured the tiniest sound of chipmunks running across the ground . Another important feature of a portable camera is battery life . There is not sense in having a compact camera if you have to haul a pound of batteries to power it . My mother recently found this out on a trip , she had a compact entry level Canon camera . She bought it because it took double AA's and she would be out of country , so thought she would need that feature to buy batteries locally . She ended up having to replace her batteries every few hours . My ZS3 ? It could go a whole day taking video and photos . I never ran the battery down to even a warning level before the day was done . I took two batteries on the trip , and only need to charge each one once over . The ZS3 is also pocketable . This was important in the crowded streets of Las Vegas . I was able to easily carry the camera and a gorilapod with me while walking for miles in Las Vegas . We covered nearly the entire strip in our visit , not once did the camera get in the way , it was easy to pull out , capture a great photo and continue on our way . You really can't go wrong buying the ZS3 .
    • 011 4  I am a professional portrait photographer who is incredibly picky about cameras . I've owned 3 point-n-shoots in the last few years , because I am also a Mom and wanted something small to keep in my purse for the random moments when my DSLRs weren't around . Every one of those cameras drove me batty and proved a waste of my money . I decided to give the pocket camera One More Try when I read about the ZS3 , especially with its inclusion of HD Video . I LOVE this camera ! Love it ! ! On my family beach vacation , I only broke out the DSLR twice for some artistic shots of my kids . The ZS3 stayed in my beach bag the rest of the time , and I am thrilled with the shots it captured . The images are clear , crisp , with beautiful color and detail . The exposures have been excellent . The 12X zoom is a great reach , and the shots are still clear zoomed in . The shutter lag on this camera is better than any PNS I've ever used . It's no SLR , but it's darn good for what it is ! The burst mode also works great for stopping the action . And the HD video is just as great . I don't know that I'll bother picking up my camcorder again now that I have this . My only two minor negatives : the video record button is in an awkward spot , and I've accidentally hit it a few times just holding the camera . But it's not bothersome enough that it would affect my 5 - star rating for the camera . Negative #2 is the ACVHD Lite video / software which is not Mac compatible . All of my computers are Mac , so this hiccup is disappointing , but again not bothersome enough to alter my opinion of the camera . I just shoot regular HD video instead and the problem is solved for me . Ok , so maybe I'd give this camera 4.5 stars if I could , but 4 stars would be too low so I stuck with 5 . I never imagined I could like , much less LOVE , a point and shoot camera like I do this one . It's fantastic .
    • 117 4  I had a long awaited trip to Yellowstone National Park and I didn't want to go away with poor quality photos . So I read just about every single review for compact zoom cameras I could find . Most all pointed to the ZS3 as the best compact you can buy , and they are right . The ZS3 is the perfect vacation camera for a lot of reasons : 1 : You don't have to haul around a bulky SLR on your neck to get great photos . 2 : You don't need large lenses to get high zoom levels . 3 : You don't have to haul around a bulky camcorder to get great video with stereo audio and zoom . 4 : If fits in your pocket . 5 : The battery lasts all day . I brought my ZS3 on a long vacation , visiting my grandmother , Yellowstone National Park and Las-Vegas . I took over 3 hours of video and over 500 photos with only two battery charges required . The zoom lens was perfect for taking great images of the wildlife in Yellowstone . I was able to capture great looking photos from a long ways off without the bulk of a SLR lens . I have one photo of the Grand Tetons that looks like I hiked the mountain to get it , but in fact I was over a mile away in the valley below . I have video of two Hawks in flight that I could barely see with the naked eye , yet the camera was able to capture them with ease . An often overlooked feature on this camera is the zoom-macro capability . It allows you to stand a few feet from a subject such as a butterfly or small animal , yet get a photo as if you were taking a up-close macro , complete with sharp focus , and blurred background . I was able to capture full-frame images of a few chipmunks that would have surely ran away if I got too close . The video on this camera is the single best feature that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd . On most digital cameras you can get video , even high-definition video . But take a look around , nearly ALL digital cameras that have video lock the zoom level while recording . This means you have to stop your video , re-zoom , and start again if your subject moves . The ZS3 can do optical zoom while recording video , this makes it as powerful as any camcorder you can buy . It is also high definition , and the frame rate and quality is great . On top of all that it records stereo audio in Dolby Digital , another feature not found on other digital cameras . Don't under-estimate the importance of stereo sound for video . Both the video and audio quality are phenomenal . The camera captured the tiniest sound of chipmunks running across the ground . Another important feature of a portable camera is battery life . There is not sense in having a compact camera if you have to haul a pound of batteries to power it . My mother recently found this out on a trip , she had a compact entry level Canon camera . She bought it because it took double AA's and she would be out of country , so thought she would need that feature to buy batteries locally . She ended up having to replace her batteries every few hours . My ZS3 ? It could go a whole day taking video and photos . I never ran the battery down to even a warning level before the day was done . I took two batteries on the trip , and only need to charge each one once over . The ZS3 is also pocketable . This was important in the crowded streets of Las Vegas . I was able to easily carry the camera and a gorilapod with me while walking for miles in Las Vegas . We covered nearly the entire strip in our visit , not once did the camera get in the way , it was easy to pull out , capture a great photo and continue on our way . You really can't go wrong buying the ZS3 .
    • 170 4  A superb camera in a small package . Great still photo quality and tons of pre-set variety . Excellent , sharp 24x zoom . Great night photos . Super-easy and high quality video . Macro function is very handy and excellent . If you don't want to carry around an SLR but demand high-end results , AND you want HD video , this is the camera for you . I love this camera !

  • 054 4  I used to have the TZ4 but lost it on a trip and I didnt know how much I missed the great ability to shoot wider angle shots ! So when it came to looking for a new camera and found out a new model of the TZ / ZS series was coming out with even greater wide-angle ability I had to get it . The wide angle lens ( ~ 24mm ) and 12X zoom gives this point and shoot camera the great ability to shoot all types of pictures in different situations ( indoor / outdoor / sweeping landscapes , etc . . . ) and some manual controls for flexibility . Has the ability to shoot 720p movies and zoom in / out during shooting . It also has a pretty big LCD screen . While certainly not a subcompact camera , this will still fit comfortably in a jacket pocket or even shorts pockets . The main drawback I've seen on this camera after a month is that the flash on the camera isnt the greatest and indoor shots can come out a bit dark in larger rooms .
    • 036 4  Short and simple review . Took over 480 pictures , only a few were out of focus , still had a small portion of battery left as well ! Takes pictures pretty quick , focus is very quick for this type of camera , neat design , sturdy casing , neat / professional small packaging by Panasonic . This point-and-shoot hybrid is one of the best out on the market ! I've tested numerous point-and-shoot based cameras and have to say this is just simply worth every single penny ! I recommend getting a nice case , a spare battery , and a 8 GB memory card for endless fun ! : ) Trust me , you won't be sorry with your purchase .

  • 065 4  I just love this camera . I was looking for a smaller camera with equivalent features to replace my DMC-FZ10 . I take a lot of action shots of my kids with their sports and activities . They really didn't like dad dragging around his large camera case to all their events . With this camera I can stick it in my pocket and pull it out without embarrassing them . The quality is awesome and the HD video is fantastic . My 8th grade son was on the track team and high jumped , 6'0 . I was able to take some camera shots with the burst mode that were awesome . Then at the higher heights I switched to HD video to capture unbelievable details of his jumps . I get it all with this camera and very pleased I was an early adopter of this model .
    • 181 4  Delivers amazing still pictures without the bulk of an SLR . The video recording quality is close enough to my HD camcorder so when I need something compact and convenient , I only take my Panasonic DMC with me . Well worth the price . . . you won't regret this purchase !

  • 084 4  Buyer beware ! ! This camera does not even survive the warranty period and Panasonic does not honor its warranty for the Lumix ZS3 . If you have to send something to Panasonic be sure to completely document it - 3 - D pictures of the item , serial number , . . . This camera was a big waste of money - Panasonic has lost a customer for life . For the first couple of months the camera took excellent pictures no complaints . One day walking through a park I pulled it out to take some animal pictures and the image was fuzzy / blurred . I'd done nothing different , weather was clear , no reason for it not to work . . . I called about the warranty and after being put on hold for over 20 minutes I finally got a live being who told me to send the camera in . They said they would call or email me once the camera arrived and they examined it . After waiting three weeks I finally called to see 1 ) if the camera arrived and 2 ) how long the under warranty repair would take . Surprise it was there but they never contacted me ! The warranty company told me I damaged the camera because there was a scratch on the side . There was no physical damage on the camera when I mailed it - I packed it in bubble wrap in peanuts in a cardboard box . No way was that camera scratched when I sent it to them - my word against theirs of course and I did not take a picture of the camera before I sent it in so I lose . But it was clear from speaking to the warranty customer support that Panasonic had no intention of honoring the warranty no matter what . A camera at this price should function properly for more than three months . By the way I own a larger Cannon Powershot that I've had for 2 years and taken hiking and it still works perfectly - it was a little big for a pocket camera and I thought the Panasonic Lumix would be the answer - NOT ! I do not recommend this camera or any Panasonic photographic product based on the complete farce of a warranty for a defective product .
    • 112 4  This camera replaced my Canon Powershot . After about 6 weeks of usage , the inside pictures are just not measuring up to my Canon . What attracted me to the camera was its wide angle and zoom features - after the first week we were going to return it , but chose to give it some more time - now its really too late to return it , but over all this is going to be more of an outdoor camera . Also , you should know that this camera now has firmware that prevents any battery other then a Panasonic battery from working , so all the generic brands that are sold on Amazon will not work . What is most disturbing about this is Panasonic made this decision without ensuring adequate supply . The battery is not available on Panasonic's own web site , my local camera stores , and its very difficult to find on the web . Amazon will have it in stock the end of December , for $50.00 , a mark up over Panasonic's list price of 40 .

  • 092 4  After much research and use I have concluded that as of the date this is posted there is no camera that offers such wide angle and zoom combination in such a small form factor . I am also unaware of any camera that captures HD video in stereo AND can zoom during capture . I have compared the HD video taken with this camera to the video taken with my Sony HD video camera ( a 1080i camera ) and can't appreciate much difference in the quality until there is very fast motion - - ie balls thrown etc . I leave my camcorder at home now and have captured more moments with my kids than ever because I take the ZS3 everywhere . I have a Nikon D200 with a very nice nice fast lens ( AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17 - 55mm f / 2.8G IF-ED ) . I hardly break out that camera anymore because the ZS3 gives me such very fine results . The battery life is the best I have ever had in a small camera . My only gripe is that the video format AVCHD-Lite is not yet adopted by editing software .

    • 142 4  Who would have belived that this little marvel would put a high-end Canon to shame ! I got a top of the line Canon this summer for recording my week at Disney and was very excited about the HD video and all of those mega-pixels . Long story short , the Canon was a flop and it got returned ( paying the restocking fee at BB was bad , but the camera was worse ) so a long time loyal Canon fan was in the market again . Thanks to the shoppers here at Amazon , I decided to try this camera - the reviews were just too good ( and I can always return it , right ? ) No way would I want to return this great little camera ! Pictures are clear and look great . The HD video is replacing my old Sony video camera - wonderful from a pocket sized camera . The zoom lens is also much better than I expected - love it ! The software is so-so , so I use some higher end software but everything else just rocks . This camera lives in my purse now and is getting alot of use with my kids activities and events . I like the solid feel of the camera , too - the metal and paint job give it a slight texture that does not feel like it is going to slip . Very pretty blue , too .
      • 134 4  This camera is simply awesome . I owned two panasonic DC ( FX7 and TZ3 ) and was disappointed at their performance under low-light condition . And the color of the pictures is always a bit washed out compared to my Sony and Nikon DCs . I bought this one as a gift to my boyfriend ( he has a DSLR , just wants a cheap p & s as a back-up ) , and we brought this camera to a festival this weekend . The result blown us away . This is a much much appreciated upgrade to my TZ3 . The picture and video quality is superb . Yes , the AVCHD video file is rare , but luckily I've had some video-editing softwares which can handle that . For just watching the videos , VLC player does a good job . Low-light performance is fair , definitely much better than my previous panasonic models . A tripod is still strongly recommended .

    • 173 4  I bought this camera two weeks ago . Used it for one day . I am a professional videographer . Won't go into the still quality as I didn't use it long enough to comment . The HD quality is adequate for utube HD but don't expect HD quality for blue ray . I used the camera one day when multi-colored lines started to appear on the LCD screen . Now I can only see a shadow of a picture on the screen . Now the real frustration begins . After 4 days and hours on hold with PANASONIC , I have not spoken with a tech support human . Once I got an administrative person but they are in the phillipines and sent me to the same cue and I hung up after another hour . When you call tech support , they say an agent will be with you in 8 - 10 minutes . An hour later after listening to the recording over and over no one ever comes . It is like they are torturing you ! ! This is the tech support number listed on the manual that comes with the camera . I approve professional camera purchases for our company . I not only won't recommend PANASONIC , I don't even want to hear the name PANASONIC after this ! !
      • 033 4  I like every aspect of this camera . It takes sharper pictures than some of the hybrid cameras and even DSLRs . The video quality is also fantastic with the camera . It is better than many stand-alone video cameras . I am very amazed at the quality and features packed into the compact body of ZS3 . It is my favorite camera now . I would give it 5 if Panasonic can solve the battery problem right . The camera is a battery drainer , especially when shooting videos . However , it is almost impossible to find a backup battery for ZS3 right now without any firmware change . I downgraded the firmware from 1.2 to 1.1 following the online googled-out instructions . The main reason is to downgrade is to use 3 party batteries . ZS3 batteries are sold out everywhere in US right now . And it is said that the Panasonic brand batteries won't be available till the end of Sept 2009 or even mid-Oct 2009 . Even it is available , the MSRP is $60 . The downgrading process took me 5 minutes and allowed to use 3rd party batteries .
      • 049 4  All the other reviews already rave about the camera enough but I'd like to address 3 small concerns . 1 . A previous reviewer said speed too fast to write to memory error was appearing when recording a movie . This will happen if your flash memory card isn't fast enough . SDHC memory cards are rated based on how fast they can transfer data , Class 6 is the fastest and is recommended for this camera . Any lower class would probably cause writing problems when recording HD video . 2 . The mode knob is a bit loose , it'll roll out of position once in a while but it's not terribly inconvenient . 3 . The LCD screen protrudes a bit on the back . DO NOT lay the camera down on the LCD side ! I learned the hard way by placing it in a center console in my car , the rocking motion back and forth has scratched the screen already .

    • 183 4  Took the camera out first day to a local florist shop and a nursery to test it on flowers . Very pleased with the result . Auto focus worked perfectly , images are sharp , high in detail , well saturated , true greens , reds , blues ; no color cast problem , no fringing . The tele macro pulls in flowers from 15 feet away , or longer if you go down to 3 mp , as if they were inches from the lens . Can't complain . Next day took it to the local produce market to test macro , and was again very pleased with focus , sharpness , color , everything . Last night put it to its real work at an art opening doing casual posed shots with celebs and video of speakers . Flash worked fine for the posed shots . The high-speed burst mode is great for doing talking heads ; just hold down the button and out of 20 shots you can pick the good ones . The best is the video . You can zoom to the full 12x and fill the frame with the head from 18 feet away , and the sound is excellent for a built in mike . The MPEG video mode yields sharp , clear images . The multi-layer menu structure lets you pick from a simple menu , a medium menu , and a full menu with zillions of options . I have a big 35mm digital with a stack of lenses from 12 to 1000 mm , and it can make fine pictures , but it weighs a ton . I also have a little Kodak V1003 10mp pocket digital that takes good pictures within its range . But the ZS3 runs rings around the Kodak , and still fits in a shirt pocket . Both the Kodak and the big 35 mm are going to be gathering dust , I'm afraid , now that I have this talented little performer . The downside is the software . The Panasonic Photo Fun app crashed on Win RC7 so many times in so many different ways that I uninstalled it after 48 hours . Google's Picasa3 does so much more , and it works . But the ArcSoft video utility and the panorama stitcher , separate programs supplied with the Lumix , are OK . Bottom line , great camera , five stars from me .
      • 119 4  First day checking out my new ZS3 , and so far i'm impressed . To get the photos / avchd movies off the camera I just pop out the memory card and put it in my Acer One netbook's multicard slot , and transfer the movies and pics direct to a usb drive . I can then stick that in my PS3 and copy the pics and movies to my PS3 ' s 250 gig hard drive , and also plug the usb drive into my regular pc to back-up . I won't even use any of the software supplied with the camera . The pics look great and the movies play great on the PS3 , hooked up to my 1080 tv . No conversion needed , the PS3 can play the avchd lite files natively . I also can burn the AVC's to a dvd for back up , and play those in the ps3 ' s blu-ray drive . The easiest and best pic / movie taking and displaying setup I ever had .
      • 143 4  this camera has met all my expectations . takes quality , super sharp pictures even when using substantial zoom shots of my son playing tennis . intuitively easy use of functions . video capabilities were easy to use and also happy with results . i think that I made a good choice .
      • 162 4  It took me a while to research point and shoot cameras to replace my canon and I was concerned about moving to a Panasonic . But clearly I made a great decision with this camera . It was easy to operate right out of the box . I recently took it to a NY Yankee game ( the ALCS vs the Angels ) and took some great nighttime shots inside and outside of the stadium as well as a video . Everyone who looked at these thought they were great , especially the video . Once I actually read the manual and figure out everything this camera can do I expect even better results . While it is a bit larger than my old canon , I absolutely love the bigger zoom range which I think is a major selling point on this little beauty ( at least it is for me ) .
      • 168 4  The picture quality and features of the camera definately rate very high . Images were very clear in many types of light and the zoom was impressive . You can't rely on the auto mode to select the best setup for every shot so you do need to select the proper shooting mode from time to time . . . especially in low light . This is pretty easy though since the dial has a few programmable settings for your more frequently used modes . Battery life was so-so . I was only getting about 160 shots compared to Panasonic's claim of 300 . This is probably not an issue for most , but it definately caused me issues on my vacation where the wife and I were taking photos all day long . I think I'm going to buy an extra battery next time .
      • 175 4  I was a professional photographer for seventeen years so I know a little about the subject . . . . I will be short , all things considered this is the best digital camers on the market in it's price range .
      • 208 4  A very good point & shoot camera for the money . It takes surprisingly clear shots under darker lighting conditions , contrary to a few of the claims made by others in their reviews . Although this camera packs many features , I am disappointed at the fact that I cannot remove red-eye conditions through the unit itself without having to rely on software removal after the fact . Unfortunately , the red-eye control option does not always prevent the red-eye effect , and it would be nice to correct this problem with the click of a button .

    • 186 4  I have been following this camera and reviews of it ever since it debuted in late spring 2009 . I'm going to Europe in September and knew I needed something to live up to its grandeur . I didn't want to be that typical tourist with their 3 pound dSLR . The ZS3 , although not compact , is much more versatile than an SLR in terms of grabbing it and going somewhere on a whim . You also don't have to make a scene if you just want to take a simple photo during dinner . It fits easily in a jacket pocket or sweatshirt but still packs a lot of features . The lens is AMAZING - there is no other point and shoot on the market with a 25mm wide angle to 12x optical range . The intelligent auto mode works very well , I love not having to worry about tweaking small flash or iso settings . The HD video is also very good . They claim 720p video , but it is not like watching a blockbuster dvd . However , it is still very good quality video and the sound it picks up is terrific ( used it at a concert and it sounded just like I was there , no fuzz ) . Battery life is good , although Panasonic seems to have sold out of the replacement battery , I hope they get on that soon . Overall , I'm so glad I bought this camera , way better than other compacts on the market .
      • 114 4  I love this camera . . I had to return it the first time because the screen was damaged but amazon replaced my camera . Even my DSLR-loving friends cannot praise this camera enough for its super-fantastic 12x zoom which is really great for concerts and shows ( if you're sitting far far away ) . The night modes are really good because even with a flash the photos look naturally lit . The iA ( intelligent auto ) detects virtually any kind of scenery automatically and adjusts settings automatically . In short , I love this camera - it takes beautiful pictures with very little effort required .
      • 136 4  After a lot of research and reading countless reviews I decided to go with the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 . I have never owned a Panasonic camera before and am very pleased with my purchase . I have always bought Canon or Sony cameras with no major complaints . Last Dec ( 2008 ) I purchased a Casio Elixim when the button broke on my Sony . Mainly because of it's small size . This was a major mistake . . . I have never owned a worse camera ! ! This time around I decided to check professional and private reviews and saw the Lumix ZS3 pop up on the majority of top 10 lists . I was between this camera and the Canon IS990 . The Lumix however has a 12x optical zoom which I did not find on any other compact digital . This is a huge plus when traveling . It has only been about 1 month since I've owned the camera but I have nothing bad to say about it . We bought it for our trip to Barcelona and took 600 + photos which came out great . The HD video is amazing but the software is a little tricky . Also , the burst mode allows you to take continuous shots for moving objects . The only down side is that there is obviously no flash so make sure you have good lighting .

    • 210 4  Just Received the camera and visited the Grand Canyon . The zoom is unbelievable ! As is the wide angle lens ! The picture quality and video quality are both great ! Just be sure NOT to use the AVCHD lite video mode , because most video editing programs won't recognize it . Use the Quicktime HD mode to edit and make movies . Be sure to get a high speed card for the movies , like the Sandisk Extreme III . This is the best point and shoot camera available , according to all the camera review sites and in my experience with it so far .
      • 099 4  I have the TS1 with the AVCHD Lite like the ZS3 and now I can edit movies with the free Windows Movie Maker ! The programs that come with the camera can't even do that ! You must have Vista or Windows 7 sorry xp people . : ( Finally no more $100 programs !

    • 223 4  The Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS3 camera is the new version of the Lumix TZ5 . After one year of loving my TZ5 , and hearing similar devotion from my son and daughter-in-law about theirs , I decided to get one for another son . Unfortunately , ( or so I thought ) that model was no longer available . I reluctantly upgraded my search , figuring I would have to settle for the slightly-less-endowed ZS1 to keep within my budget . I was thrilled to find a great price on the ZS3 on Amazon , and bought it quickly before they changed their minds . This is a terrific camera for the money - - it would be a terrific camera for even more money ! My son is enthralled with this camera . It does everything well . The screen is larger than average , so the images are easy to review . The controls are clear . The picture quality is great . The intelligent auto setting allows you to just point & shoot when you don't want to take the trouble to do more , while the other settings let you fool around all you want . Even the video quality is quite good . The ability to send pictures wirelessly to your computer lets you know you've really entered a new era . We had to purchase a case and memory card separately , but that is easy and cheap from many vendors . Unless you are a photography nut who must have an SLR camera , buy this camera . You'll love it .
      • 004 4  Although I have a Nikon D80 DSLR , I needed a more compact point and shoot camera replacement for my aging Canon S60 with dying batteries . After reading a couple of reviews and a visit to a local camera store I decided to choose the ZS3 over the competing Canon SX200 IS with very similar features . Although the Canon is more familiar to me and has more manual features , the compact size of the Panasonic with better battery life , robust video functions and the fact that it's still made in Japan ( versus the Canon which is now manufactured in China ) edged out the Canon for me personally ( you may want to try both to decide for yourself ) . So far I have been very happy with this versatile camera - screen is big and bright , facial recognition is neat , zoom is remarkable for a camera of its size and the video quality is excellent for a camera . Only downside is that like the camera store employee said - the autofocus motors inside the Panasonics do seem to be quite loud - i.e . if you are aiming the camera around randomly you can hear the motors whirling away as it refocuses at different potential targets . I enjoyed this purchase and I would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a easy-to-use , high quality point and shoot with 12x optical zoom .
      • 218 4  Although I haven't had this camera long , I already like it . I read numerous reviews and comparisons and finally ended up with the ZS3 ( the Zs7 was still to much $ $ $ ) . After having a much larger camera , I LOVE the small size . It is small enough for a pocket yet has great handling and weight to it . Once I use it a bit more , I will update my review .

    • Bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 a few days ago . Will write my review on that camera eventually . As always , thanks for your comments ! Update 2009 / 11 / 17 : I am noting this at the top of the review to make something clear . A few days ago , I dropped my ZS3 on the concrete ( while photographing construction site ) about five feet up and it doesn't power on anymore . Now I am looking for a new camera in the meantime . Having said that , if you can't power it on , you can't get the data off the SD or SDHC card , right ? If you have a photo printer , for instance , that can read SDHC cards , just put the card in and you can get the data off the card pronto ! Transfer may be a bit slow . Hope this helps in case you think you may be stuck for a while . . . Now on to my original review ( May 2009 ) . . . This review is long , but will be useful to the more tech-savvy ( I guess as the saying goes , Buyer beware ) . . . ( Notice I rated this camera 4 / 5 stars - - after all , it is ' primarily ' a high-MP camera , not a HD camcorder , although some HD camcorders probably aren't better than the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 . ) The Panasonic DMC-ZS3 could literally serve as a paperweight and what it is intended for ( unless it stops working by popular terminology ) . It feels solid and heavy ( made of metal ) , but lest its screen can easily be scratched ( does fingerprint easily ) , and if dropped , may be damaged . This camera has a wrist strap , no neck strap like some cameras have . Buy a camera case such as Lowepro - - inexpensive and durable , e.g . if you would rather carry it securely looped through your belt . I bring up a few other cameras in this review ( either have them or have compared their features / reviews on other sites ) . Start with memory cards - - you can't use MultiMedia for movies , just photos . Standard SD cards work in this camera but will take several seconds to write photos or movies . You can't record but the lowest MJPEG movie res on internal memory . High-speed SD cards can't be read on older and some newer card readers ( surprised the local Best Buy did not carry high-speed card readers ) . You can always copy directly from the camera via USB cable . : - | You don't need the software CD to read on Mac and PC , unlike some cameras that need the drivers from it for Plug-in-Play ( at least on XP and Tiger ) . : - ) Received this new Panasonic camera yesterday ( May 11 ) . The small included battery out-of-the-box had enough power to change settings and try it out before the full charge ( about two hours ) for its firmware update . I'd not recommend updating the firmware unless you enjoy updating anything ( some people can't stand updating , but it's my favorite thing aside from productivity on a computer ) . If you don't feel comfortable updating the firmware , heed your instinct . I went ahead and updated the firmware without a problem ( read the instructions several times , easier than it looks ) , but it did not change the behavior of the AVCHD readability , and the ' noise ' during zoom while recording movies was as noticeable - - updater beware ! Zooming is noisy and somewhat fast taking photos , but very slow recording movies . Most , if not all compact cameras zoom slower than larger cameras would to compensate for size - - it is common sense ! Taking pictures and motion pictures is a breeze , and best of all , as in my old Panasonic camcorder ( which is much too intolerant in cold and humid environments , causing the tape not to play / record properly , and nearly damaged the unit ) , the camera will tell you which mode you have changed , if using internal memory , and if the card is full ( but all cameras do that to my knowledge ) . It reads three bars on its battery level meter , unlike some cameras like the Canon PowerShot S1 IS with only a blinking low battery icon . Disclaimer the following explanations : I am basing the following on my experience only . I'd not bother to enable sound recording ( warning - - don't confuse with the Canon PowerShot that creates a separate WAV file ) while taking photos . It takes the photo then creates a still video file from whatever setting the camera's movie recording happens to be set to , and will record the few seconds . In other words , it uses the picture you shot and turns it into a video file that plays back still with the audio . It takes up little disk space and clutters the media card . Not too annoying for me , but don't expect individual voice memos with the DMC-ZS3 . The default setting is off anyway . Memo-taker beware ! To find the AVCHD Lite files quickly , memorize where to go ( there may be more folders / files on the card than on the internal media ) : LUMIX ( ROOT ) > PRIVATE > AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM > # # # # # . MTS ( MTS the file extension of the AVCHD Lite file ) . The following may be helpful for Mac users . . . If you have Roxio Toast ( probably version 9 or later recommended ) installed , double-click on the AVCHD file , choose to open with Roxio ( or Roxio Toast ) Video Player , and it will then play for you . It won't show the time ( at least by default settings ) . Another but free option is VLC you can download ( its icon the white & orange striped cone ) . Its interface is like simplified iTunes . To associate the AVCHD Lite ( MTS extension ) in the future so that VLC will always play ( show terminal-like icon with ' exec ' in small print on the icon - Toast Video Player won't change the white generic icon , usually files not associated with any known program on the OS ) . Select the file , Get Info , choose Other to select which application to open with , choose application ( navigate to where VLC located and will be unavailable - to make it available , drop-down where it reads Recommended Applications and choose All Applications ) . Select VLC program ( with the cone icon ) , choose , and then make default and confirm ( changing to the terminal exec icon ) . Double-click on the file and enjoy watching AVCHD Lite ! Low-quality AVCHD Lite is very good quality and will save substantial memory card space , but not suitable for zooming and fast motion , as the colors and compression artifacts appear patchy , making the video look cruddy . I have not tried the high-quality setting , but for fast motion or zooming ( very slow , and it does not matter how slow - - you can still hear the motor - - this is not a professional $25,000 camera for the big screen , so you get what you pay for ) . Use MJPEG for smooth playback and compatibility with most software , but use the HD quality setting . Actually , the VGA and QVGA modes look very pixilated compared to other cameras in the league of Canon PowerShot S series - - my old 2004 S1 IS takes better VGA movies and much smoother than this new Panasonic ( especially the 320 X 240 on the PowerShot is somewhat better ) . : - ( In addition , the Canon's movie mode is better ( at saving disk space ) because you can choose 15 or 30 fps for 320 X 240 and 640 X 480 / Fine , unlike this Panasonic 30 fps ( well , it is the standard anyway ) . Overall movie recording feature on the DMC-ZS3 = 4 / 5 for stereo recording and HD , but substandard quality on VGA settings to Canon PowerShot S series and possibly the new Samsung HZ10W or HZ15W models . On the other hand , of all the cameras mentioned , this Panasonic has the best photo quality IMO - - maybe better than some entry-level SLRs ! The picture quality on this Panasonic given 5 / 5 , better than most cameras in its price range ( checked Google Image Search and YouTube for samples ) . Even some SLR cameras don't take quite as clear photos . JPEG compression is quite low on the DMC-ZS3 , but probably due to the high MP for its small lens , graininess appears in low lighting on any ISO setting , but subtle , and even ISO 1600 is not bad in well-lit outdoor environments . Indoors , yes , color artifacts and noise are apparent , but probably just good enough for printing at ISO 800 . ISO 1600 might be decent for printing on bright , sunny days , i.e . if you want a perfect shot of a water sprinkler in action . Let the automatic ' intelligent ' setting ( s ) do the rest . I have not done extensive testing yet ( duh , have had it one day now ) , but believed to work very well . Sometimes I had to set the flash not / to fire manually , a minor annoyance . If minor grain / noise in any ISO setting for pictures , very low JPEG compression artifacts ( no RAW support ) , any random photo in moderate to ambient lighting is almost free from blur , and to expect decent movie recordings in HD only , this camera is for you . If you want any movie recording to look decent at any resolution / quality setting but can do with more grain , noise , and some blurry photos , Canon or Samsung might be your ticket . Do keep in mind that the settings and environment will yield results for better or for worse . ( In fact , I ordered the Samsung HZ15W at first sight , but then canceled as it was not yet available , and felt the reviews on the DMC-ZS3 were better received . Happy with my alternated decision ! Who knows , the HZ10W / HZ15W may be just as capable - - you can pause and resume movies without starting a new movie file , you can't do on the Panasonic and any camera as of current , but I am not sure if MJPEG is available on the HZ15W . ) Keep in mind that neither the Canon PowerShot S1 IS nor the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 focus well in low lighting in movie mode , but does fine for photos in my experience . Battery life is very good , but if you are planning on recording at a ball game or an amusement park , consider purchasing a spare battery ( expensive but any proprietary battery of such will be ) , a couple of 16 GB or 32 GB memory cards , record in HD , and transfer to PC via high-speed card reader or the camera ( with sufficient battery life ) for best performance . ( Just one hour of HD video may be enough to fill a Dual Layer recordable DVD . ) Despite its minor shortcomings , this camera is one of the best in its class . Very well worth the wait ( at least a week for free shipping in my case ) . Happy Panasonicking , Samsunging , or Canoning ! Hope this helps other reviewers and others who have this model or ready to purchase one . Most say this camera competes with the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS , but IMO its closest competitor ( because of optical zooming unlike the Canon ) is the Samsung HZ15W ( HZ10W its predecessor ) . P.S . This review took a few hours of careful writing and proofreading . Thank you for your time .
      • 001 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) I have owned two prior digital cameras - the first was a Canon that took good pictures , but was too bulky to pocket around and required AA batteries to power it . The second was a Sony CyberShot DSC-W150 that took crappy , blurry pictures in low light . Needless to say , I felt an upgrade was in order . So I'm going on an east coast trip next month . My buddy and I are avid baseball fans . One problem : as we do not always have great seats , taking close-up pictures of ballplayers is a real pain with 99% of the compact point and shoots out there . This is because the camera's size will only allow it 5X optical zoom . You can combine this with digital zooming , but I don't need to tell you how terrible and pixilated this looks . Thus my conundrum . So I really wanted a compact , pocketable camera with a long range optical lens , without having to lug around an expensive digital SLR . Enter the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . When I read the specs on it , I was in awe . 10 megapixel , 12X OPTICAL zoom . Here's the sweetest part about the zoom - if you planning to use smaller prints ( i.e . 4X6 ) , you can quickly adjust the camera's Megapixel ( MP ) count from 10 to 7 , 5 , and 3 to yield maximum OPTICAL zooms of 14.3 , 17.1 , and 21.4 respectably , without much loss of detail on such prints . I wish Panasonic would have allowed the camera to adjust the MP count automatically as you zoom , but it's not too much trouble to change the MP settings manually from the quick menu . Another great feature : the camera's screen is beautiful at 460,000 pixels , twice the count as the rival Canon Powershot SX200 IS ( more on that camera later ) . From the moment you view your first picture , you'll quickly notice how much sharper photos look on this camera . It's a nice convenience to view photos on the camera in a manner closer to the quality that will actually be seen when you're viewing them on the computer ( and ultimately printing them ) . I also want to give Panasonic kudos for the build quality and compactness of this camera . The ZS3 is a replacement for the popular TZ5 model , which was 9MP and 10X Optical Zoom . So they increased the resolution , and added a wider range lens , and REDUCED the size by .4 cubic inches . Specifications aside , I was more than pleased that this camera will comfortably fit inside my jeans pocket . It's a bit bulkier than an ultracompact for sure , but not objectionably so . Note that the SX200 is a full 2.0 cubic inches thicker , another reason I passed on the Canon . Here's a few more reasons the Canon falls short : the Canon has a cheesy looking popup flash that sticks out at the top of the camera , whether you're using flash or not ( bad design decision ) . It has less rated battery life than the Lumix . Also , when shooting video , the Canon does NOT allow you to use optical zooming . Photo quality on the Lumix is excellent , although I've only snapped samples around my place so far . However , I've taken quite a few pictures at low light , and at maximum zoom levels to try to get a bad shot . So far , there's none to be found . I'll put this through its paces more when I travel next month , but I'm extremely pleased so far . As for video shooting , I've sampled it a bit , and it seems pretty solid . The camera gives you the choice of shooting video in its touted AVCHD Lite format ( ideal for watching it on your TV in HD with an optional mini to standard HDMI cable ) , or JPEG if you prefer to email video clips to friends . This year's model also added stereo sound on video playback versus last year's monaural effort . One thing I found a bit strange , was the incredibly slow zooming when shooting video . I guess Panasonic was trying to give the user a more controlled , deliberate zoom , but unlike the snappy photo zooming , it's a bit slow for my liking . Some other minor quibbles : The dial that controls the shooting mode is extremely loose . If you lightly rub it against anything ( a camera bag , your pocket ) , there's a good chance it will shift . When you turn the camera on , it will digitally tell you what mode you're in , but it's still annoying when it happens by accident . Second , when making a quick zoom on an object , it will appear blurry on the camera's screen until the shutter button is pressed . There are modes to continually focus the object when zooming , but this drains the camera's battery life more rapidly . It would be nice if this feature was incorporated automatically without any such sacrifice . Also , I'm not a huge fan of the included PhotofunStudio software bundled with this camera , as there are other , more compelling programs to view , edit , and print photos ( I like Canon's Zoombrowser program better ) . Finally , this is not the camera to buy if you're into manual controls . There's a ton of preset scenes that can be used ( nighttime , portrait , baby , sunset , food , etc . ) , and you can adjust items like flash , white balance , and max ISO level , but this is meant to be a simple point and shoot for casual photographers . Note that the Lumix has an intelligent auto mode ( IA ) that will analyze the shooting conditions and pick the right scene , flash , and exposure without any adjustments by the user . This camera screams simplicity , but there's enough tweaking on the Normal and Scene modes to keep the vast majority of amateur photographers happy . Regardless of these nitpicks , the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is an awesome camera , unbeatable for those that want the best of both worlds - a great zoom lens and compact body . It's a bit pricey at $399 , but you're getting quite a lot of camera for your hard earned dollars . I have no doubt that my third digital camera is a terrific buy and a long-term staple for my travels .
      • 002 4  I have owned two prior digital cameras - the first was a Canon that took good pictures , but was too bulky to pocket around and required AA batteries to power it . The second was a Sony CyberShot DSC-W150 that took crappy , blurry pictures in low light . Needless to say , I felt an upgrade was in order . So I'm going on an east coast trip next month . My buddy and I are avid baseball fans . One problem : as we do not always have great seats , taking close-up pictures of ballplayers is a real pain with 99% of the compact point and shoots out there . This is because the camera's size will only allow it 5X optical zoom . You can combine this with digital zooming , but I don't need to tell you how terrible and pixilated this looks . Thus my conundrum . So I really wanted a compact , pocketable camera with a long range optical lens , without having to lug around an expensive digital SLR . Enter the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . When I read the specs on it , I was in awe . 10 megapixel , 12X OPTICAL zoom . Here's the sweetest part about the zoom - if you planning to use smaller prints ( i.e . 4X6 ) , you can quickly adjust the camera's Megapixel ( MP ) count from 10 to 7 , 5 , and 3 to yield maximum OPTICAL zooms of 14.3 , 17.1 , and 21.4 respectably , without much loss of detail on such prints . I wish Panasonic would have allowed the camera to adjust the MP count automatically as you zoom , but it's not too much trouble to change the MP settings manually from the quick menu . Another great feature : the camera's screen is beautiful at 460,000 pixels , twice the count as the rival Canon Powershot SX200 IS ( more on that camera later ) . From the moment you view your first picture , you'll quickly notice how much sharper photos look on this camera . It's a nice convenience to view photos on the camera in a manner closer to the quality that will actually be seen when you're viewing them on the computer ( and ultimately printing them ) . I also want to give Panasonic kudos for the build quality and compactness of this camera . The ZS3 is a replacement for the popular TZ5 model , which was 9MP and 10X Optical Zoom . So they increased the resolution , and added a wider range lens , and REDUCED the size by .4 cubic inches . Specifications aside , I was more than pleased that this camera will comfortably fit inside my jeans pocket . It's a bit bulkier than an ultracompact for sure , but not objectionably so . Note that the SX200 is a full 2.0 cubic inches thicker , another reason I passed on the Canon . Here's a few more reasons the Canon falls short : the Canon has a cheesy looking popup flash that sticks out at the top of the camera , whether you're using flash or not ( bad design decision ) . It has less rated battery life than the Lumix . Also , when shooting video , the Canon does NOT allow you to use optical zooming . Photo quality on the Lumix is excellent , although I've only snapped samples around my place so far . However , I've taken quite a few pictures at low light , and at maximum zoom levels to try to get a bad shot . So far , there's none to be found . I'll put this through its paces more when I travel next month , but I'm extremely pleased so far . As for video shooting , I've sampled it a bit , and it seems pretty solid . The camera gives you the choice of shooting video in its touted AVCHD Lite format ( ideal for watching it on your TV in HD with an optional mini to standard HDMI cable ) , or JPEG if you prefer to email video clips to friends . This year's model also added stereo sound on video playback versus last year's monaural effort . One thing I found a bit strange , was the incredibly slow zooming when shooting video . I guess Panasonic was trying to give the user a more controlled , deliberate zoom , but unlike the snappy photo zooming , it's a bit slow for my liking . Some other minor quibbles : The dial that controls the shooting mode is extremely loose . If you lightly rub it against anything ( a camera bag , your pocket ) , there's a good chance it will shift . When you turn the camera on , it will digitally tell you what mode you're in , but it's still annoying when it happens by accident . Second , when making a quick zoom on an object , it will appear blurry on the camera's screen until the shutter button is pressed . There are modes to continually focus the object when zooming , but this drains the camera's battery life more rapidly . It would be nice if this feature was incorporated automatically without any such sacrifice . Also , I'm not a huge fan of the included PhotofunStudio software bundled with this camera , as there are other , more compelling programs to view , edit , and print photos ( I like Canon's Zoombrowser program better ) . Finally , this is not the camera to buy if you're into manual controls . There's a ton of preset scenes that can be used ( nighttime , portrait , baby , sunset , food , etc . ) , and you can adjust items like flash , white balance , and max ISO level , but this is meant to be a simple point and shoot for casual photographers . Note that the Lumix has an intelligent auto mode ( IA ) that will analyze the shooting conditions and pick the right scene , flash , and exposure without any adjustments by the user . This camera screams simplicity , but there's enough tweaking on the Normal and Scene modes to keep the vast majority of amateur photographers happy . Regardless of these nitpicks , the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is an awesome camera , unbeatable for those that want the best of both worlds - a great zoom lens and compact body . It's a bit pricey at $399 , but you're getting quite a lot of camera for your hard earned dollars . I have no doubt that my third digital camera is a terrific buy and a long-term staple for my travels .
      • 005 4  You really have to work hard to take a bad shot with this camera . Also the 720p HD video is amazing . Very happy overall . Below I've put together a few notes on getting the most out of the camera and avoiding some of it's minor foibles . . It's not as obvious as it should be when video is recording . . I liked my old camera's blinking led . . The ZS3 ' s on screen record indicator ( especially when you have the display set to view histogram and a bunch of other info ) . . is not distinctive enough . The record button is also not as easy to press as it should be . I may add one of those small little self-adhesive rubbery sticky dots on the button and see if that helps . Highlights can end up clipped in videos ( and pictures to a much lesser extent ) . . This can be fixed by putting camera in normal mode on the dial and pressing up on the D-pad . This is the ONLY place you have access to exposure control that works for both video and pictures . I would recommend - 1 / 3 for pictures and even - 2 / 3 for video . For some reason the camera is very aggressive at brightening video . . I've taken video of my son playing lacrosse at night on a lighted Football field . . looks almost like broad daylight using default exposure and still clipped the whites even in that low light . One other note on video . . and I was burned by this . When you hit the record / stop button at the end of shooting a video , it does NOT continue to process video left in the buffer . . it just dumps it . That means the actual end of the video is about a half second before when you hit the record / stop button . I lost one of my son's goals that way . . Hit the button to stop recording right after he scored , and the video ended up clipped right as he was shooting . : ( My old camera had very limited recording length per card ( no SDHC support ) , so I am still a little trigger happy . . will have to adjust for this minor flaw . Video does stutter slightly on panning . . I think this is a function of the imager only recording at 30fps while video is converted to 60fps for AVHDC . . it is either duplicating frames , or averaging one in between which causes it to not be as smooth as I might like in that situation . Seems most noticeable in very bright light with something like bricks in the background . Might try MJPEG mode ( 30fps only ) and see if that changes anything . I was surprised by the camera's focal depth while shooting video . People in the stands right in front of me seemed as clear as the players on the field 50 + yards away even in fairly low light . I also use Intelligent ISO800 in picture mode . . nice feature that boosts ISO automatically when it detects motion in the frame . As for the flash . . which BTW is perhaps the camera's weakest feature . I find a much cleaner way to deal with turning it on or off , is by using the quick menu and turning Unlimited burst mode on and off . . In burst mode , the flash is forced off . I leave burst mode on most of the time . . you can click and just get one shot , or hold shutter down and snap off a series of quick shots . . Great for group and individual candid photos . Software that comes with the camera is not great . . I am using my old Cannon Zoombrowser software for pictures . I am forced for now to use Panasonic's provided software only for video . The Software provided is also far worse at playing back video clips on my slow computer than a couple of other players I use . Video trimming feature , while nice to have , is counter intuitive . . you select the part of the video you want to delete , and not the part you want to keep . . that threw me for a while . Also frustrating that there is no easy way to rename videos and there's also no way to set a star or favorite rating for videos ( on or off the camera ) . Good news is the AVCHD ( mt2s ) video files can be directly uploaded to YouTube ( which will convert them to their HD format for you ) Flash burst mode ( in scenes ) while limited in resolution ( 3mpix at 3 : 2 ) works well for capturing quick snaps of kids playing around in poorly lit rooms . Wide angle really is nice . . so much easier to compose shots than with my old Powershot S2 . . Can't believe I have so much more resolution , effortless shooting with snappy focus and amazing HD video quality , All in a camera 1 / 3rd the size and weight and it still has the 12x Zoom . Stuff it in my pocket and take it anywhere . Good ridance to extra batteries and the man purse I had to carry with that S2 clunker ! The big bright high res screen on the back is a wonderful addition as well .
      • 008 4  I love my ZS3 . First of all , I am not a camera person . I don't want to have to go to school to learn how to operate a camera . I want a point and shoot that takes great pictures with only a push of the button from me . I want a camera that forgives my shaky hands . I want a camera that can figure out the best way to to take the picture without me going through a ton of menus trying to figure out what they mean - - and missing the perfect shot . AND , I want a camera I can throw in my purse and not really know it is there . I began my pursuit of the perfect camera in February of this year . I started with a bias towards sony as I have always had a sony . So , I purchased the top of the line sony point and shoot that wasn't a touch screen . Let's just say , I was horribly , horribly , horribly disappointed and would rather have a 35 mm disposable than that camera . Panasonic had great reviews and camera people that I spoke to spoke highly of it . But at that time , the tz5 was out and not this . I found out about this and waited and waited . I was holding out for this camera over the tz5 because the zoom was greater and the video allowed you to zoom while you were taking it . So , I can't compare this to the TZ5 in real life - - just from what I read . I haven't had this camera very long so I can't give tons of detail . But one thing that struck me was that I was able to take a beautiful picture of my family about 15 feet away when the lights were very dim in the room . The sony couldn't even do that when the lights were bright in the room . I didn't expect that of this camera - - after all , it is just a point and shoot with a simple flash . I was blown away . The other thing that I loved is that I took shot after shot , close up , far away , zoom , and macro . I left the camera on the intelligent setting and it took each picture great . I had one picture that was slightly blurry but i think it was my dogs fault because he was moving some . Although it is quite possible that someone with better picture taking skills would have gotten a fine shot . I hooked the camera up to my mac via the included cable and effortlessly downloaded the pictures into iphoto . I have not yet figured out the process for downloading video to the mac - - although based on other reviews here , it can be done . I am looking forward to being able to do that . the video this camera took seemed superior to my camcorder ( but it is about 5 years old ) . More importantly , for me , is the fact that I don't have to miss video shots because i didn't lug my camcorder around . Another thing to note is that if you change the size of the MP , you can increase the optical zoom . With 10MP it zooms 12X but with 3 MP ( i think ) , it zooms 21 times . Since I don't take pictures so that I can blow them up to poster size , reducing the MP isn't a problem for me . And I can see great benefit to having 21X OPTICAL zoom . Over the last few months of searching for the perfect camera I have read many reviews , talked to many people and I certainly feel that I have made a wise decision . I also think it is worth every penny - - even if you have to pay full retail price . I did choose to get the extended warranty because with the TZ5 there were some reports of the shutter not always opening or the zoom breaking . I never got the impression it was a large amount of cameras with the problem but I didn't want to risk it . I haven't heard those same reports with the ZS3 , but it is still very new so I wanted to be cautious . UPDATE : after playing with the camera another day , we discovered the AF locking feature . I don't know what that means and don't care to look in the manual - - but what it does is astounding . you push the button to lock in on the subject object you want to get a picture of . the subject can be moving - - i moved my head around in circles nonstop , rocked back and forth , etc . and the picture took a clear picture of me - - how did that happen ? I didn't stop moving . Then we tried it while making the camera go in circles but the object stayed in place . we also bounced the camera - - again , clear pictures - - - - WOW . You could take great pictures while riding a bumpy train ! I didn't know about this feature when I bought the camera and I have to say that this is an awesome , exciting surprise ! ! I can't wait to find out if there are any more ! Also , I was able to turn off the sound through the menu and I don't notice the motor motor noise zooming in and out since then . I also turned off the sound effect of it clicking when taking a picture . Some people complained about the zooming sound and it was loud out of the box . Instructions for turning off the noise is in the instruction booklet in an easy to understand way . After using this camera , I have discovered how much I was missing by not having a wide angle lens . this is the widest angle lens that I could find on point and shoot cameras . I didn't realize how much of the shot I missed with just a regular lens until I compared it to this . This is such an awesome camera , I wish everyone could have one .
      • 009 4  Purchased this recently for both work and non-work purposes , with the following observations : Pros : 1 ) Outdoors , in daylight , amazingly good photos 2 ) Excellent battery life 3 ) Pretty user friendly 4 ) Compact , easy to carry around in a coat pocket 5 ) HD video from such a small camera is a major plus 6 ) Zoom great for pictures of screen from distance , either standard outdoors photo or rear of conference hall 7 ) Wide angle works very well 8 ) fast focus , even in low light ( see other low light comments below , however ) Cons : 1 ) Flash is good for about 5 to 8 feet , if you're expecting to see the same quality for indoor images as you will see for outdoor photography . If used beyond 10 feet or so , it will illuminate subjects , image on camera LCD will look GREAT , but image and subjects will look grainy on your computer due to high ISO setting ( 400 , 800 , etc ) made by camera . While this graininess is to be expected at these settings , it is easy to be fooled by how good image looks on camera LCD right after photo is taken . Another reviewer commented earlier on these same issues with flash . Message to Panasonic : more power to flash in future versions . Message to user : indoor flash use will produce excellent , detailed photos if subject 6 to 8 feet ; ok photos that are acceptable , if somewhat grainy if beyond this . 2 ) As others have mentioned , the dial on top right portion of camera that selects shooting mode is very loose , and will change settings on its own going into / coming out of your pocket . The camera is so good overall , that this is a minor nuisance , and one learns to check this as camera is turned on for use . 3 ) Extra batteries , cables , are hard to come by . DO NOT buy spare batteries listed with product as accessories on Amazon or other web sites without checking battery # and ensuring a match : there are some listed on the ZC3 ' s product page that do not work with this camera . Save yourself expense / hassle of return . Panasonic web site lists correct battery product number . ( BCG10PP is correct battery number at the time of this writing ) . 4 ) Need to remember to reset white balance . If you take photos indoors in NORMAL mode and set WB for indoor lighting , put camera away for the night , then turn camera on the next day , it will still be set for indoor lighting . Would be nice if there was an option to retain this setting / auto return to default when camera is turned off / on ( the camera has this feature to retain current zoom level / reset to default setting when camera turned on / off ) 5 ) It is possible some casual users may find it a bit of a challenge to take advantage of all the pre-set exposure options , while some experienced users will find it frustrating that there is not more control . 6 ) Found it difficult to get as good results with night shots as the camera seemed to over-ride my manual attempts to open shutter by 1 to 2 stops . 7 ) Also with regard to night shots , low light photos , etc . . . For taking pictures in low light setting , a few adjustments are needed to NORMAL mode . In low light , the camera will not use settings below ISO 200 ( i.e . ISO 100 , 80 , etc . . ) unless you specify that . This accounts for part of the graininess of low light photos . This is partly necessary because the shutter speed default setting will not allow exposures beyond 1 / 8 second . So , if one wants to take higher quality picture in low light with longer shutter speed , both the ISO SENSITIVITY and the SHUTTER speed need to be manually adjusted in NORMAL mode ( as best I can tell , to set ISO below 200 , and use longer exposure [ maximum exposure I found in NORMAL mode is 1 second ] ) . While longer exposures are available in the pre-set modes ( such as Starry sky mode ) , these are still somewhat grainy , I believe , due to high ISO setting used by camera . These are good precautions for casual photographer who is OK with modest quality low light photo , may have shaky hand , or does not use tripod , but an obstacle for more experienced user with a tripod , steady hand , etc . . . who want really high quality pictures . Perhaps I've missed something in instructions , but this is best I understand things at this time . Overall , I am very happy with the camera and glad I made the purchase . Would have given it 4.5 stars if had the chance , except for the low light issues .
      • 010 4  As they say ( remember this one ) . . . The BEST camera is the one you have with you . TRUE . . . right ? Now you can actually HAVE the best camera WITH YOU all the time ! * * * Here is why THIS camera is better than the other HD point and shoot camera-recorders available : 1 ) TWICE the resolution on the LCD screen than virtually EVERY OTHER CAMERA of its kind . . . super bright . 2 ) DOLBY STEREO MIKE ( and you can TELL it's stereo during playback . . . . cool ! ) 3 ) CAN SWITCH BETWEEN HD MODES ! IF YOU NEED IT . . . AVCHD Capability is available which uses about 30% less memory than the MPEG 4 QT HD ( though included software is awful for editing , and not much is available except maybe roxio or other expensive AVCHD editing programs ) . . USE the MPEG 4 QT HD recording method available in the camera 4 ) . . That 12X otical is at the full 10 megapixels . . . it goes to 24X OPTICAL with slightly lower resolutions , but still excellent quality and over 40X zoom with digitital zoom ( limited to 12X optical on the full AI mode ) 5 ) Motor sound on zooming is almost nonexistent ( unlike the Sony . . . you need only watch a few YOUTUBE videos of the cameras you like to hear the zoom motors ) Aside from the obvious ( 12X OPTICAL + zoom ) , the small size ( in a pocket ) and the decent battery life ( buy extra battery if traveling ) , the HDMI mini cord for direct to TV , ( buy one on ebay for about $6 ) the Panasonic ZS3 is just plain COOL ! You will LOVE the simple pre-set modes , and there are PLENTY of adjustments on the modes for everyone but the most professional photographer . The loose dial that some people complain about is NOT really loose , just easy to switch . . . smooth . OK , heres the deal on HD video . . . . USE the standard HD format ( Quicktime ) INSTEAD of the AVCHD format for now . WHY ? ( 1 ) The QT ( MPEG4 HD ) uses a bit more memory than the AVCHD option , but AVCHD software STINKS right now except for a few . ( 2 ) The savings in memory space using the new AVCHD lite method WOULD have been more useful 6 months ago , but now you can get 16 and 32 gig cards , so use the QT standard HD format because it is WAY MORE UNIVERSAL and the quality is EXACTLY THE SAME . . . I TESTED IT . ( 3 ) You can more easily edit and burn ( and people can play easier ) the MPEG4 Quicktime HD format . ( 4 ) The MPEG4 format is easier to find on your drive and fits into the file storage method you are likely using now . If you try to find the AVCHD file you made . . . good luck . Its auto named VERY FUNKY and wierd . DONT USE THE INCLUDED SOFTWARE . . . IT SUCKS . . . BIG TIME . Use whatever photo editing software you like EXCEPT the included software . So , again , when you store the HD as a QT ( MPEG4 ) format , it fits in with everything you are used to doing , buit now you get HD in STEREO ! WOW ! AGAIN , SAVE USE of the AVCHD for the future IF you ever will really need it . Basically , I look at it this way . . . the AVCHD is cool , but the need for it is ALREADY obsolete with large hard discs and large storage capacity on SD cards nowadays . Besides , you WANT to share these videos anyway , and most of them are only about , what ? . . .10 - 60 seconds long anyway ? Filming a graduation ceremony or a play . . . FINE , THEN use the AVCHD . . . it's an easy switch IF you have to use it . FINALLY , USE YOUTUBE VIDEOS to see how any camera you are interested in works . I also found that using Firefox browser is better to avoid the youtube choppiness that happens when you aometimes view HD on internet explorer on youtube . Hope this info helps . NEW COMMENT UPDATED 06 - 27 - 09 : Constant Clicking In Viodeos . . SOLUTION In many of my videos , I heard a constant clicking . This is the continuous auto focus which you do NOT need for 99.9% of your videos . Simply disable the continuous auto focus in the video mode . You go to the main settings menu using the center button ( when in camera mode ) , and on the left is a video camera icon . Choose that , then go to the page where it says CAF and disable it . This will take care of the constant clicking .
      • 012 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics )
      • 015 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I'll compare ZS3 with TZ5 in this review if you want full review about ZS3 read other reviews , I wanted to buy new camera and TZ5 was already available for 210 $ and ZS3 sold out and costs 399 $ , since ZS3 is an upgraded TZ5 from last year i was thinking if its worth the wait and the extra 200 $ ~ to get the ZS3 ( Been trying to get it for weeks but couldn't find it anywhere ) Anyway here we go ZS3 got everything that TZ5 have with extra stuff which is * ZS3 is slimmer / smaller / lighter and the battery is a little bit better * ZS3 got brighter screen ( Good when you shoot during sunlight ) * ZS3 record HD 1280X720p in AVCHD high quality 17mpbs format * Better placed microphone , in the TZ5 your hands end up on the microphone * ZS3 record in High Quality Stereo , TZ5 record in low quality mono sound * better cleaner picture and less noise thanks to the newer Sensor / tech * ZS3 got Extra 2x Zoom and better 25mm wide angle instead of 28mm * New Auto mode is so smart even the inexperienced gets good pictures * Faster and stronger auto focus with face Recognition and Face Detection * Dedicated recording button for videos ( Take videos during photo mode ) * 10MP without any quality loss thanks to the newer sensor * HDMI Output that can be used for both videos and pictures In the other hand ZS3 VS ZS1 ( ZS1 is cheaper by 100 - 150 $ right now ) * ZS1 lacks the HDMI output that can be found in the ZS3 * ZS1 Can not record in HD at all and AVCHD format not available * ZS1 record in low quality mono sound * ZS1 got no dedicated button for fast access to video recording * ZS1 LCD is smaller ( 2.7 vs ZS3 3.0 ) and less resolution * ZS1 got 1 / 2.5 CCD vs 1 / 2.33 CCD on the ZS3 ( ZS3 a little better ) * ZS1 Image stabilization is not great during video capture unlike ZS3 * ZS1 Does not have the wind noise reduction option unlike the ZS3 So after my research i decided that i want the ZS3 and it was worth it because i care a lot about high quality HD videos with High quality Stereo sound so it was no brainier to me specially the fact its smaller even when they added more zoom and extra wide angle lens with more MP and less noise I hope this was helpful
      • 016 4  I'll compare ZS3 with TZ5 in this review if you want full review about ZS3 read other reviews , I wanted to buy new camera and TZ5 was already available for 210 $ and ZS3 sold out and costs 399 $ , since ZS3 is an upgraded TZ5 from last year i was thinking if its worth the wait and the extra 200 $ ~ to get the ZS3 ( Been trying to get it for weeks but couldn't find it anywhere ) Anyway here we go ZS3 got everything that TZ5 have with extra stuff which is * ZS3 is slimmer / smaller / lighter and the battery is a little bit better * ZS3 got brighter screen ( Good when you shoot during sunlight ) * ZS3 record HD 1280X720p in AVCHD high quality 17mpbs format * Better placed microphone , in the TZ5 your hands end up on the microphone * ZS3 record in High Quality Stereo , TZ5 record in low quality mono sound * better cleaner picture and less noise thanks to the newer Sensor / tech * ZS3 got Extra 2x Zoom and better 25mm wide angle instead of 28mm * New Auto mode is so smart even the inexperienced gets good pictures * Faster and stronger auto focus with face Recognition and Face Detection * Dedicated recording button for videos ( Take videos during photo mode ) * 10MP without any quality loss thanks to the newer sensor * HDMI Output that can be used for both videos and pictures In the other hand ZS3 VS ZS1 ( ZS1 is cheaper by 100 - 150 $ right now ) * ZS1 lacks the HDMI output that can be found in the ZS3 * ZS1 Can not record in HD at all and AVCHD format not available * ZS1 record in low quality mono sound * ZS1 got no dedicated button for fast access to video recording * ZS1 LCD is smaller ( 2.7 vs ZS3 3.0 ) and less resolution * ZS1 got 1 / 2.5 CCD vs 1 / 2.33 CCD on the ZS3 ( ZS3 a little better ) * ZS1 Image stabilization is not great during video capture unlike ZS3 * ZS1 Does not have the wind noise reduction option unlike the ZS3 So after my research i decided that i want the ZS3 and it was worth it because i care a lot about high quality HD videos with High quality Stereo sound so it was no brainier to me specially the fact its smaller even when they added more zoom and extra wide angle lens with more MP and less noise I hope this was helpful
      • 019 4  I purchased this camera just before I left for a trip to the Galapagos Islands . I'm not a whiz kid when it comes to cameras , but I knew the Galapagos Islands would have once-in-a-life-time photo opportunities that I didn't want to miss due to poor quality equipment or equipment that was too complicated for me to use . This camera DELIVERED on all my needs ! ( except battery incompatibilities , mentioned later ! ) I recommend spending an hour or two with the camera and instruction book . The 130 page instruction book was easy to navigate through , but it takes a while to familiarize yourself with everything this amazing little camera is capable of doing ! ! The quality of my vacation photos and videos were amazing ! I was able to record a video of the mating dance of two blue-footed boobies , iguanas fighting , and sea lions and penguins playing . My landscape photos have such detail that it's hard to believe these were not taken with a more expensive SLR digital . When I returned home , I projected the video onto a giant classroom screen during a lecture and the quality was amazing . Everyone asked what type of camera I was using ! I connected the camera to my Samsung 46 inch 1080i HDTV . The photos and videos looked so good I couldn't believe they were really MY photos ! The large 3 inch LCD monitor on the SZ3 is large enough to review photos and videos so I could easily determine which photos and videos were worth keeping while I was still on vacation . The size and quality of the LCD was even good enough replay videos and scan through photos for fellow travelers . The 12X optical zoom on this camera allowed me to zoom up on animals and landmarks otherwise too far away to photograph . I did not try out the 21X extended optical zoom . Thanks to the setting made for photos from airplane windows , my on-flight photos turned out better than any on-flight photos I've ever seen . There is a setting on the camera that allows you to hold the shutter down . It will continue to take photos until you release the shutter . This allowed me to take photos of animals in motion and later choose to save which photo caught the animal in that ideal position ! No more pushing the shutter only to have the subject move and you've missed the shot ! If you don't want to change settings on the camera , there is an Intelligent Auto Mode that adjusts automatically to light , movement , scenery ( adjusts to take sharp pictures near and far landscapes ) , recognizes faces to adjust light to create optimal settings for portrait lighting , etc . The FACE RECOGNITION setting isn't always accurate . I tried to train it to recognize my dad , and several other faces were later incorrectly identified by my camera as Dad . Hopefully re-training it will resolve that glitch . I eventually had to turn off . It was even labeling photos of women as Dad ! The Travel feature allows you to set the dates of your vacation into the camera memory . It also allows you to change the time zone during your vacation and automatically returns to home clock at the end of the ' Vacation mode dates ' . This creates a time stamp that is not only accurate to your vacation time zone , but allows you to record when & WHERE each photo was taken ! This is especially great if your travels include several cities or islands . The on-screen menu tells you what day of your trip you are on ( Galapagos Day 1 , Galapagos Day 2 , etc . ) . It's really nice for later when you are trying to sort through photos and remember what day and where they were taken . Especially when you have more than one SD card ! You can increase the size of the on screen menu to a larger font if you have problems with reading small print . I have to say I was impressed with the different settings for taking photos of babies , sunsets , portraits , food , etc . It was amazing how many differnt settings were available and the instruction book gives great hints on how to maximize the use of each of those settings . I think this is one of the best instruction manuals I've seen for cameras . Again , my only hesitation with this camera is with the battery , and it's more of an idealogical complaint against Panasonic . I just don't think they should create a camera with a battery that is so difficult to find and doesn't have a compatable generic . SO . . . . . . . . . WARNING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! THE ONLY battery that is compatable with this camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMW-BCG10PP . USE CAUTION when ordering batteries advertized on Amazon's website that claim to be compatible with this camera . I ended up going on vacation without a second battery and due to the high volume of photos and videos I was taking each day I ran out of battery before the end of the day . Luckily most days I had a lunch period where I was able to recharge the battery . The instructions say you can get 300 photos from a battery charge , but I got more than twice that amount and somedays got almost three times that many . Still , If I didn't recharge mid-day , I ran out of battery before I ran out of photo opportunities each day . I'm sure it's because I took those shots so close together . One battery is probably good enough for almost every situation except special vacations where photos are a huge part of your day ! ENJOY !
      • 021 4  Update 2010 / 1 / 3 : Bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 a few days ago . Will write my review on that camera eventually . As always , thanks for your comments ! Update 2009 / 11 / 17 : I am noting this at the top of the review to make something clear . A few days ago , I dropped my ZS3 on the concrete ( while photographing construction site ) about five feet up and it doesn't power on anymore . Now I am looking for a new camera in the meantime . Having said that , if you can't power it on , you can't get the data off the SD or SDHC card , right ? If you have a photo printer , for instance , that can read SDHC cards , just put the card in and you can get the data off the card pronto ! Transfer may be a bit slow . Hope this helps in case you think you may be stuck for a while . . . Now on to my original review ( May 2009 ) . . . This review is long , but will be useful to the more tech-savvy ( I guess as the saying goes , Buyer beware ) . . . ( Notice I rated this camera 4 / 5 stars - - after all , it is ' primarily ' a high-MP camera , not a HD camcorder , although some HD camcorders probably aren't better than the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 . ) The Panasonic DMC-ZS3 could literally serve as a paperweight and what it is intended for ( unless it stops working by popular terminology ) . It feels solid and heavy ( made of metal ) , but lest its screen can easily be scratched ( does fingerprint easily ) , and if dropped , may be damaged . This camera has a wrist strap , no neck strap like some cameras have . Buy a camera case such as Lowepro - - inexpensive and durable , e.g . if you would rather carry it securely looped through your belt . I bring up a few other cameras in this review ( either have them or have compared their features / reviews on other sites ) . Start with memory cards - - you can't use MultiMedia for movies , just photos . Standard SD cards work in this camera but will take several seconds to write photos or movies . You can't record but the lowest MJPEG movie res on internal memory . High-speed SD cards can't be read on older and some newer card readers ( surprised the local Best Buy did not carry high-speed card readers ) . You can always copy directly from the camera via USB cable . : - | You don't need the software CD to read on Mac and PC , unlike some cameras that need the drivers from it for Plug-in-Play ( at least on XP and Tiger ) . : - ) Received this new Panasonic camera yesterday ( May 11 ) . The small included battery out-of-the-box had enough power to change settings and try it out before the full charge ( about two hours ) for its firmware update . I'd not recommend updating the firmware unless you enjoy updating anything ( some people can't stand updating , but it's my favorite thing aside from productivity on a computer ) . If you don't feel comfortable updating the firmware , heed your instinct . I went ahead and updated the firmware without a problem ( read the instructions several times , easier than it looks ) , but it did not change the behavior of the AVCHD readability , and the ' noise ' during zoom while recording movies was as noticeable - - updater beware ! Zooming is noisy and somewhat fast taking photos , but very slow recording movies . Most , if not all compact cameras zoom slower than larger cameras would to compensate for size - - it is common sense ! Taking pictures and motion pictures is a breeze , and best of all , as in my old Panasonic camcorder ( which is much too intolerant in cold and humid environments , causing the tape not to play / record properly , and nearly damaged the unit ) , the camera will tell you which mode you have changed , if using internal memory , and if the card is full ( but all cameras do that to my knowledge ) . It reads three bars on its battery level meter , unlike some cameras like the Canon PowerShot S1 IS with only a blinking low battery icon . Disclaimer the following explanations : I am basing the following on my experience only . I'd not bother to enable sound recording ( warning - - don't confuse with the Canon PowerShot that creates a separate WAV file ) while taking photos . It takes the photo then creates a still video file from whatever setting the camera's movie recording happens to be set to , and will record the few seconds . In other words , it uses the picture you shot and turns it into a video file that plays back still with the audio . It takes up little disk space and clutters the media card . Not too annoying for me , but don't expect individual voice memos with the DMC-ZS3 . The default setting is off anyway . Memo-taker beware ! To find the AVCHD Lite files quickly , memorize where to go ( there may be more folders / files on the card than on the internal media ) : LUMIX ( ROOT ) > PRIVATE > AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM > # # # # # . MTS ( MTS the file extension of the AVCHD Lite file ) . The following may be helpful for Mac users . . . If you have Roxio Toast ( probably version 9 or later recommended ) installed , double-click on the AVCHD file , choose to open with Roxio ( or Roxio Toast ) Video Player , and it will then play for you . It won't show the time ( at least by default settings ) . Another but free option is VLC you can download ( its icon the white & orange striped cone ) . Its interface is like simplified iTunes . To associate the AVCHD Lite ( MTS extension ) in the future so that VLC will always play ( show terminal-like icon with ' exec ' in small print on the icon - Toast Video Player won't change the white generic icon , usually files not associated with any known program on the OS ) . Select the file , Get Info , choose Other to select which application to open with , choose application ( navigate to where VLC located and will be unavailable - to make it available , drop-down where it reads Recommended Applications and choose All Applications ) . Select VLC program ( with the cone icon ) , choose , and then make default and confirm ( changing to the terminal exec icon ) . Double-click on the file and enjoy watching AVCHD Lite ! Low-quality AVCHD Lite is very good quality and will save substantial memory card space , but not suitable for zooming and fast motion , as the colors and compression artifacts appear patchy , making the video look cruddy . I have not tried the high-quality setting , but for fast motion or zooming ( very slow , and it does not matter how slow - - you can still hear the motor - - this is not a professional $25,000 camera for the big screen , so you get what you pay for ) . Use MJPEG for smooth playback and compatibility with most software , but use the HD quality setting . Actually , the VGA and QVGA modes look very pixilated compared to other cameras in the league of Canon PowerShot S series - - my old 2004 S1 IS takes better VGA movies and much smoother than this new Panasonic ( especially the 320 X 240 on the PowerShot is somewhat better ) . : - ( In addition , the Canon's movie mode is better ( at saving disk space ) because you can choose 15 or 30 fps for 320 X 240 and 640 X 480 / Fine , unlike this Panasonic 30 fps ( well , it is the standard anyway ) . Overall movie recording feature on the DMC-ZS3 = 4 / 5 for stereo recording and HD , but substandard quality on VGA settings to Canon PowerShot S series and possibly the new Samsung HZ10W or HZ15W models . On the other hand , of all the cameras mentioned , this Panasonic has the best photo quality IMO - - maybe better than some entry-level SLRs ! The picture quality on this Panasonic given 5 / 5 , better than most cameras in its price range ( checked Google Image Search and YouTube for samples ) . Even some SLR cameras don't take quite as clear photos . JPEG compression is quite low on the DMC-ZS3 , but probably due to the high MP for its small lens , graininess appears in low lighting on any ISO setting , but subtle , and even ISO 1600 is not bad in well-lit outdoor environments . Indoors , yes , color artifacts and noise are apparent , but probably just good enough for printing at ISO 800 . ISO 1600 might be decent for printing on bright , sunny days , i.e . if you want a perfect shot of a water sprinkler in action . Let the automatic ' intelligent ' setting ( s ) do the rest . I have not done extensive testing yet ( duh , have had it one day now ) , but believed to work very well . Sometimes I had to set the flash not / to fire manually , a minor annoyance . If minor grain / noise in any ISO setting for pictures , very low JPEG compression artifacts ( no RAW support ) , any random photo in moderate to ambient lighting is almost free from blur , and to expect decent movie recordings in HD only , this camera is for you . If you want any movie recording to look decent at any resolution / quality setting but can do with more grain , noise , and some blurry photos , Canon or Samsung might be your ticket . Do keep in mind that the settings and environment will yield results for better or for worse . ( In fact , I ordered the Samsung HZ15W at first sight , but then canceled as it was not yet available , and felt the reviews on the DMC-ZS3 were better received . Happy with my alternated decision ! Who knows , the HZ10W / HZ15W may be just as capable - - you can pause and resume movies without starting a new movie file , you can't do on the Panasonic and any camera as of current , but I am not sure if MJPEG is available on the HZ15W . ) Keep in mind that neither the Canon PowerShot S1 IS nor the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 focus well in low lighting in movie mode , but does fine for photos in my experience . Battery life is very good , but if you are planning on recording at a ball game or an amusement park , consider purchasing a spare battery ( expensive but any proprietary battery of such will be ) , a couple of 16 GB or 32 GB memory cards , record in HD , and transfer to PC via high-speed card reader or the camera ( with sufficient battery life ) for best performance . ( Just one hour of HD video may be enough to fill a Dual Layer recordable DVD . ) Despite its minor shortcomings , this camera is one of the best in its class . Very well worth the wait ( at least a week for free shipping in my case ) . Happy Panasonicking , Samsunging , or Canoning ! Hope this helps other reviewers and others who have this model or ready to purchase one . Most say this camera competes with the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS , but IMO its closest competitor ( because of optical zooming unlike the Canon ) is the Samsung HZ15W ( HZ10W its predecessor ) . P.S . This review took a few hours of careful writing and proofreading . Thank you for your time .
      • 022 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) For sometime now I have been in the market for a point n shoot replacement for my wife's Sony Cybershot DSC-W30 which turned out to be a complete lemon ! Two thirds of the photos made with the sony were out of focus . Also the standard default 50mm angle of view is just plain boring . So after looking around for one with ultra wide angle capability I selected the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . The wide angle capability ( 25mm ) is spectacular . It opens a a whole new perspective on the point and shoot camera . The images just have a spacious quality to them that really grabs your attention . And the wide angle allows for and extra creative element to your photos . The LCD is very high quality . It's a generous 3 inches and is absolutely outstanding in it's color and clarity . The camera is small and compact but has a very solid and quality feel to it . Seems to be all metal with exception of the battery / SD chip cover . The photos I have taken so far have turned out excellent , super clear and sharp .
      • 025 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) I have finally settled on a camera . I have tried many , from the higher echelons ( Canon DSLRs ) to the low-end ( Canon SD1000 ) , trying to alternately to get the most photo pizazz and then to just get the most enjoyment out of them as fast & painlessly as possible . It always seemed that it was one or the other : have a camera that could take good pictures with a long lens but put up with the hassle of transporting it and operating it , or have an easily-pocketable camera that will not be up to par in a lot of situations and thusly miss a lot of potential shots . Then my significant other stumbled upon these Panasonic Travel Zooms . I was apprehensive at first , so I let her be the guinea pig . After she received hers I took it away and played with it myself . I was impressed enough that although I had recently gotten a new DSLR ( again ) to replace a broken low-end Pocket Camera ( SD1000 ) that I bought because I was initially tired of lugging around a large DSLR that I never took out of the bag in the first place , I decided to SELL the new DSLR and get one of the Panny's for myself . The largest lens you're getting for a DSLR is going to be in the 300mm range . To get much longer a reach you have to deal with an enormous lens that you probably can't afford and is too bulky to be with you at all times . With the Panasonic , I get the same focal range at the long-end - - 300mm - - and can skinny down to 25mm at the short end . The images are very good - - not as good as a good DSLR shot , missing some clarity at 100% magnification - - but for the needs of the masses they are far more than adequate in quality . The colors are realistic & warm . The videos are sharp and clear as long as you're not trying to focus on heavily backlit subjects , as the camera will choke on the dust on the lens that gets lit up . But otherwise , if you have a program that can load the videos you'll be impressed ( iMovie ' 09 on the Mac can import them fine , VLC player can play them although in my experience isn't as good as iMovie's quality ) . I'm not going to delve into the specifics of each mode as it's been done many a time . Suffice to say that there's multiple modes and the Intelligent Auto mode is great for quickly getting good shots without fuss , which is sort of what this camera is all about and what other pocket cameras strive to be . Instead I want to explain my rationale for moving to this camera , and what functions and qualities I touch on will be touched on ! I went back & forth from DSLR to pocket cameras . Reason being , I wanted at times to have fine control over my shots to really make them shine and wanted them tack sharp ( DSLR ) , and at other times I just wanted to be able to take a picture and load it onto my computer and share it and look at it without loads of aftershot post-processing . It was always one or the other . The biggest problem was that the DSLR - - while it took great shots - - is bigger , bulkier , and requires more of you pre - and post-processing to get those shots . The pocket camera however , is easy to pull out and take that shot of the moment , and most of the time its quality is 80 - 85% at least of the shot you'd have gotten with the DSLR ; its real drawback was the lack of effective range , and losing shots of BALD FREAKIN ' EAGLES just beyond those trees , if only you had a DSLR and a lens . . . I tried to just jump back to a DSLR after playing around with a pocket camera until I killed it . I thought that for sure , I would be happier having the range , and I could put up with the initial time & effort investment as well as the post-processing requirements to have that extra 15 - 20% quality back . But I was wrong . As the saying goes , the best camera is the one that you have with you , and to that I would add the trailer and are willing to take out of the case . I settled on the ZS3 because it has successfully managed to fill the roles of both long-range DSLR & quick-draw pocket camera rather well with very insignificant costs : it's as pocketable as the pocket cameras but has the range of a long lens DSLR setup ! the quality is better than a regular pocket camera if not quite on par with a DSLR rig , but for the slight ( ever so slight ) quality hit , you are removed from all the pre - & post-processing requirements of a heavier-duty camera setup . The HD video capabilities put it in a class by itself right now - - you can't get the lens reach AND video quality that this camera offers short of the Canon Rebel XTi ( arguable ) or the mid-range Nikon DSLRs right now , which to compete would need a good 300mm lens which would put the total cost well above the $1K mark with just ONE lens and only half the lens range of the Panny , and it doesn't fit in a pocket ( unless you have extremely large , freakish pockets ; - ) ) . To me it seemed that in order to outshoot the ZS3 in both stills & motion pictures , I'd have to aim a little higher in the DSLR market than where I was and talk myself into investing more into lenses as well . All that money spent it would seem , just to equal the power & ability of what Panasonic was able to fit into my shirt pocket , and for 1 / 4 the proposed cost either Canon or Nikon was asking me for . It was a no-brainer . If you're in that boat , if you're looking to get that one shot that you missed with the other pocket cameras but you're also quite tired of carrying around a BIG DSLR and missing the shots anyway because you aren't taking it out of the bag , let me assure you that the ZS3 is a very capable shooter . The focus time leaves a little to be desired sometimes , but digital shots are dirt cheap with a 16GB card inside so I just try try again and I find I'm rarely disappointed at any missed shots . The sharpness I get is on par with my old Canon DSLRs and far exceeds my experience with other pocket cameras . I cannot recommend this camera enough . My only compliant - - besides the focus time - - is lack of GPS tagging , but alas , for the cost , I can't complain too much . If you're still lugging around that DSLR to take pictures of your dogs & family & your trips ? Shame on you . this review was long enough that you should have hit add to cart a long time ago .
      • 026 4  I have finally settled on a camera . I have tried many , from the higher echelons ( Canon DSLRs ) to the low-end ( Canon SD1000 ) , trying to alternately to get the most photo pizazz and then to just get the most enjoyment out of them as fast & painlessly as possible . It always seemed that it was one or the other : have a camera that could take good pictures with a long lens but put up with the hassle of transporting it and operating it , or have an easily-pocketable camera that will not be up to par in a lot of situations and thusly miss a lot of potential shots . Then my significant other stumbled upon these Panasonic Travel Zooms . I was apprehensive at first , so I let her be the guinea pig . After she received hers I took it away and played with it myself . I was impressed enough that although I had recently gotten a new DSLR ( again ) to replace a broken low-end Pocket Camera ( SD1000 ) that I bought because I was initially tired of lugging around a large DSLR that I never took out of the bag in the first place , I decided to SELL the new DSLR and get one of the Panny's for myself . The largest lens you're getting for a DSLR is going to be in the 300mm range . To get much longer a reach you have to deal with an enormous lens that you probably can't afford and is too bulky to be with you at all times . With the Panasonic , I get the same focal range at the long-end - - 300mm - - and can skinny down to 25mm at the short end . The images are very good - - not as good as a good DSLR shot , missing some clarity at 100% magnification - - but for the needs of the masses they are far more than adequate in quality . The colors are realistic & warm . The videos are sharp and clear as long as you're not trying to focus on heavily backlit subjects , as the camera will choke on the dust on the lens that gets lit up . But otherwise , if you have a program that can load the videos you'll be impressed ( iMovie ' 09 on the Mac can import them fine , VLC player can play them although in my experience isn't as good as iMovie's quality ) . I'm not going to delve into the specifics of each mode as it's been done many a time . Suffice to say that there's multiple modes and the Intelligent Auto mode is great for quickly getting good shots without fuss , which is sort of what this camera is all about and what other pocket cameras strive to be . Instead I want to explain my rationale for moving to this camera , and what functions and qualities I touch on will be touched on ! I went back & forth from DSLR to pocket cameras . Reason being , I wanted at times to have fine control over my shots to really make them shine and wanted them tack sharp ( DSLR ) , and at other times I just wanted to be able to take a picture and load it onto my computer and share it and look at it without loads of aftershot post-processing . It was always one or the other . The biggest problem was that the DSLR - - while it took great shots - - is bigger , bulkier , and requires more of you pre - and post-processing to get those shots . The pocket camera however , is easy to pull out and take that shot of the moment , and most of the time its quality is 80 - 85% at least of the shot you'd have gotten with the DSLR ; its real drawback was the lack of effective range , and losing shots of BALD FREAKIN ' EAGLES just beyond those trees , if only you had a DSLR and a lens . . . I tried to just jump back to a DSLR after playing around with a pocket camera until I killed it . I thought that for sure , I would be happier having the range , and I could put up with the initial time & effort investment as well as the post-processing requirements to have that extra 15 - 20% quality back . But I was wrong . As the saying goes , the best camera is the one that you have with you , and to that I would add the trailer and are willing to take out of the case . I settled on the ZS3 because it has successfully managed to fill the roles of both long-range DSLR & quick-draw pocket camera rather well with very insignificant costs : it's as pocketable as the pocket cameras but has the range of a long lens DSLR setup ! the quality is better than a regular pocket camera if not quite on par with a DSLR rig , but for the slight ( ever so slight ) quality hit , you are removed from all the pre - & post-processing requirements of a heavier-duty camera setup . The HD video capabilities put it in a class by itself right now - - you can't get the lens reach AND video quality that this camera offers short of the Canon Rebel XTi ( arguable ) or the mid-range Nikon DSLRs right now , which to compete would need a good 300mm lens which would put the total cost well above the $1K mark with just ONE lens and only half the lens range of the Panny , and it doesn't fit in a pocket ( unless you have extremely large , freakish pockets ; - ) ) . To me it seemed that in order to outshoot the ZS3 in both stills & motion pictures , I'd have to aim a little higher in the DSLR market than where I was and talk myself into investing more into lenses as well . All that money spent it would seem , just to equal the power & ability of what Panasonic was able to fit into my shirt pocket , and for 1 / 4 the proposed cost either Canon or Nikon was asking me for . It was a no-brainer . If you're in that boat , if you're looking to get that one shot that you missed with the other pocket cameras but you're also quite tired of carrying around a BIG DSLR and missing the shots anyway because you aren't taking it out of the bag , let me assure you that the ZS3 is a very capable shooter . The focus time leaves a little to be desired sometimes , but digital shots are dirt cheap with a 16GB card inside so I just try try again and I find I'm rarely disappointed at any missed shots . The sharpness I get is on par with my old Canon DSLRs and far exceeds my experience with other pocket cameras . I cannot recommend this camera enough . My only compliant - - besides the focus time - - is lack of GPS tagging , but alas , for the cost , I can't complain too much . If you're still lugging around that DSLR to take pictures of your dogs & family & your trips ? Shame on you . this review was long enough that you should have hit add to cart a long time ago .
      • 027 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) My family and I own five other cameras - all Canons , from their little Elph to a high-end DSLR . My wife thought I had changed religions when she saw the Panasonic / Leica Lumix . I take a LOT of pictures . I have a color-calibrated monitor and printers and a 5000 ° K ( color ) room , with special paint , lights and carpet . In other words , I am PICKY ! I wanted a camera I could take everywhere , and use everywhere . That meant that PORTABILITY was my number one criteria for this purchase . The camera HAD to fit in shirt pocket or pants pocket . Than means that the lens had to retract with a cover , like it does on the Lumix . That said , the question was , How good of a camera can you get in that small package ? The answer is , UNBELIVABLE . The most important thing for any photographer in a camera is the optics ( glass , we call it ) . The Leica lens has to be the most sophisticated lens in a camera this size . Although the motorized lens folds flat into the body , it has 10 elements ( pieces of glass in the lens ) , including three aspheric surfaces and two made out of extra-low dispersion ( ED ) glass . A couple of years ago a single piece of aspheric glass in a lens meant that lens would sell for $800 or more . In other words , Leica used amazing new technology inside this lens , which is why the pictures look so amazing . I can't say enough positive about the picture quality from this small camera . For most people , the most important thing in a point-and-shoot camera like this is USABILITY . What that means is getting the pictures you want with the least amount of fuddling around . It is one thing to read a list of 50 features before you buy ; it is quite another thing to hunt through dozens of tiny , cryptic menus to figure out how to turn off the flash , or whatever . It is in creating a new standard of USABILITY that I think Leica / Panasonic deserves an award . The buttons are easy to get to and despite their size , they have confident feel with a real click . And they are LABELED ! The on / off switch says , ON OFF . There is a dedicated flash button and a dedicated delete button ( with a high contrast picture of garbage can next to it ) . There is a dedicated movie button , although I won't be taking any videos with this camera . The menus are in ENGLISH . ( Can whoever decide that reverting to Egyptian icons from written language be taken out and cut into 10.1 million pieces , please ! ) The menus use color intelligently , and are in type on the 3 LCD screen large enough for people to read without putting on reading glasses . The most important features are the fastest to get to . Somebody talked to real photographers in designing the user interface . There are too many well-thought-out usability features to list here . For example , the top knob has two programmable positions where you can store your favorite settings . I love that ! For me , the feature that triggered my purchase decision was the ability to record five or ten seconds of audio annotation with each photograph . If you are at a party , you can speak the name of the person after you take the shot . If you are on a trip , you can name the location . This , for me , is HUGE ! I have to talk about the zoom lens . Obviously , 12X optical zoom is unusual . Most photographers don't like zoom lenses because the sacrifice in image quality is too great . However , the optical quality out of this camera is AMAZING . The wide-angle setting is unusually wide . I have used it liberally . The word is , FUN . You can shoot in a crowded room full of people and get every single person . You can shoot a big scenic and get all the mountains , lake , sunset - - everything . You can shoot a puppy's nose from three inches away . All wide-angle lenses suffer from a problem known as chromatic aberration , which means that at the corners of the picture you get green and purple fringe around objects . This lens does not do that . I don't know what magic they used . Panasonic includes an optical image stabilizer . I have used this feature in the past on my high-end DSLR , and it is magic . However , until this camera , I had never seen it work well on a small camera . I have taken some ultra-zoom pictures that came out 100% sharp . I haven't done enough testing to know the limits of stabilizer , but under average conditions the results are AMAZING . There is macro capability , which means the lens can focus as close as few inches . I took a photo of a bumble-bee . Battery-life . We went on a three-hour hike . I had the camera on nearly all the time , with the display on , and the flash forced on , and the lens in auto-focus . One hundred photos later , the battery showed two-thirds left . Your mileage may vary , but I think that kind of battery life is amazing . And yes , I always carry a spare , charged battery with me . The camera does not come with accessories . Plan on buying : a soft case , an HD-SC memory card ( the faster the better - look for a minimum speed of 6 ) , and an extra battery . The camera has a tiny amount of internal memory - I could take about nine photos with NO memory card installed . So I could play with the camera while I waited for my later purchase to arrive . Thank you , Panasonic . I should name some negatives . There is one big one and one small one . The big one is that the LCD is not visible in sunlight . Nobody has an LCD that fixes this problem , yet . But I wish they did . There is no viewfinder , so for outdoor photography you are pretty much blind . I know you can buy sun-shades , but you shouldn't have to buy some after-market , glue-on band-aid to this problem . And , you need more than a sunshade to see the screen in daylight . The small problem is that there is no raw mode . Us picky types like to adjust contrast and color in post-production software . A camera like this goes to a lot of trouble to give you an acceptable picture with no tweaking . The camera does a good job , but I like my sky blue , not white . I have found a work-around , but what I really want is , raw . The user manual is printed paper and well written . Very well written . My biggest complaint is that nobody makes a small case for this camera with a dedicated compartment for the user manual . I almost gave this camera a rating of 3 stars , just so people would read my review . But that wouldn't have been fair . You have to buy the products you respect so the manufactures build more good products like this wondrous camera , instead of the discount drek you see everywhere . Thank you for reading . I have never written a review longer than a couple of sentences before .
      • 034 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I've had a variety of great digital cameras , but recently found myself wanting / needing a compact , super-zoom , HD video camera . The choices came down to the Panasonic ZS3 and the Sony CyberShot DSC-H20 . Hands on is the only real way of determining which is best for a person , so I bought both to do a direct comparison . After a week of comparing these two cameras in daylight , low light , night shots , and video here is MY conclusion ( individual mileage may vary . . . ) : I'm keeping the Sony H20 ; it has to be one of the most underated cameras being sold today . I'll only summarize at the end of this review why it is so much better for me than the Panasonic . But now for some specifics about the Panasonic ZS3 . Pros : Great screen Optical zoom while video recording Small size Wide angle lens ( 25 - 300mm ) Excellent IA mode High quality video Cons : Terrible low light and night shot capability Very poor strength flash Inability to alter shutter speed / aperature Poor color reproduction ( compared to Canon and Sony ) Focus when zooming during video not very accurate or rapid . . . even when continuous AF and Pre-AF have been turned off ( or on for that matter ) Excessive noise at telephoto end unless bright sunshine Can't use 3rd party batteries as a backup with the 1.2 firmware update which my model came with No fluorescent light white balance The Panasonic ZS3 is not a bad camera ( It was better in some ways . . . video primarily , than the Canon SX200is ) , but it's picture quality is not up to some of the Canon and Sony models I've used . I've also owned the Panasonic TZ5 and came to the same conclusions . The biggest problem for me however , was the dismal low light capabilities . I'm not trying to shoot in the dark , but I'm also not always in a small room and close to the subjects where the flash MIGHT work . I like to use the camera at concerts and in cities using the ambient street / sign lighting . The Sony H20 on the other hand has EXCELLENT low light and night shot capabilities ! Also the video is just as high quality , you can optically zoom during video recording , and the focus seems quicker during zooming . You have an abundance of manual controls in addition to an IA mode that seems just as smart as the Panasonic ZS3 . And the final point in favor of the Sony is the image quality comparing identical pictures taken under the same lighting , time , zoom , etc . conditions was much better with the Sony , especially at the 5 - 10X zoom level . The noise level was much less even at ISO 800 with the Sony . The cons for the Sony would be the lens cap , slightly larger camera thickness , and the not so wide-angle lens . However for me , the wide-angle lens issue did not bother me as I rarely take any type of group pictures needing a super wide-angle lens . Remember , that's how I use a camera ; this may not work for you , but don't count out the Sony because of that . Control responsiveness and shot to shot speed was similar in both cameras . Both cameras have excellent build quality . Battery life was similar . . . around 250 pictures with 30% of that using the flash and 30 minutes worth of video . Hope this has been helpful and at least gives you some things to consider about you camera needs .
      • 041 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics )
      • 046 4  Ok . I am not a pro , just a P & S user . I have a Fuji F30 and my brother has a Canon SD 850 . I would say F30 takes incredible pictures in low light ( I still remember how disappointed was a friend comparing the performance of his new canon G series with my F30 during sunset on a cruise ship ) and in daylight scenery . I also think Canon takes great pics in good light with a lower indoor performance than F30 . When I decided that its time for an upgrade , I determined that I need something that will enable me to increase my technical skills with at least 10x zoom for close ups and my wife insisted we have something taking decent videos ( preferably HD recording ) . As I did 2.5 years ago I went online dpreviewdotcom , found the superzoom comparison read it to the end , downgraded my options to Panny ZS3 , Canon SX200 and Sony H 20 . I went on with amazon reading almost every posting about them . I ordered ZS3 . It came in 2 days and here is what we think of it : Build : Its solid and have a sturdy feeling , I would not criticise anything Design : I think usage of buttons was pretty practical however you got to used to the menus . Battery I could take 153 pictures and 18 small clips ( less than a minute ) with a fully charged battery Zoom + Focus I think the major strength of this camera is its decent wide angle zoom and focus . Video HD video is a great plus and its stereo sound is amazing we connected the ZS3 to our HD LCD TV and did really enjoy the outcome . Plus my wife loved the dedicated camera record button . . . However for me it all comes down to image quality . So I will share in brief of my experience in different conditions : INDOOR unbelievebly poor . We were not able take a good pic of our 1 year old standing accross the room . You would not believe how poor quality ( dark and grainy ) was the images ok it took slightly better one in 6 - 10 pics however still not comparable to my old friend F30 . Where is the difference between a 10Mp and a 6 Mp gone ? I went to the manual . read from the beginning but there is actually little you can do about it and it helps only 1 in 5 pics . I could never understand how a camera takes incredibly different pictures in the same mode just between couple of seconds on and on . OUTSIDE DAYLIGHT I took some pics with friends than took several more from the top floor scenery at 4.30 pm with ZS3 and F30 , came home and looked at my computer . I was totally disappointed with the performance of ZS3 comparing to f30 . BEACH Than we went to beach , it was almost 7 pm and took a dozen more pics , same scenes with different modes . When I reviewed them on the computer I decided to send it back and order Canon sx 200 . ( Ok some will say ( posted here already ) that this is a superzoom suffering in low light because of smaller ccd sensor , there are a alot of details or print outs will be good and I should have practised more . . . etc . My answer is , I am sorry but thats not my problem . When I pay a camera over 300 , I want to be able to take a decent picture of my kid when I want to without suffering taking 5 pictures for a good one . Plus I hate photography processing with software on the computer , simply dont like spending time for it . ) This time I did not want to make a mistake and went to a bestbuy and came across Canon and Sony H20 . I will not make another comparison just say that I ordered Sony H 20 giving Canon couple of more years to improve on the compact superzoom segment . Hope this helps and saves time . Thank you for your time .
      • 055 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) Originally looking to replace our prior camera - a Nikon Coolpix S600 , which got lost at a family reunion back on Labor Day ( Some Family ! you say ; don't ask - its a long story ! ) . Also own a Nikon D70s DSLR , so was looking for something a bit more feature-laden than the S600 . I spent a few weeks doing some research , reading reviews , etc . , and finally decided on the ZS3 for a number of reasons : 1 . Wide angle lens ( the extended zoom was also a big plus ) ; 2 . 3 - inch high-resolution screen ; 3 . GREAT picture quality ; 4 . Ease of use , relatively intuitive ; 5 . Features and controls , lots of flexibility ; 6 . Relatively short shutter lag ; 7 . High-def video ; 8 . Compact size ; 9 . Amazon price ( then $276 ) , and Prime free shipping ; 10 . Excellent reviews on digital camera websites . After owning this camera for about a month , I am pleased to report that it has operated flawlessly . Great pics , great video , and all the features one could ask for in a point-and-shoot ( but no speed - or aperture-priority override ) . Some items to consider to complete the package : - - 8GB , Class 6 SDHC memory card - - spare battery ( a must ) - - Lowepro Ridge 30 camera case ( the camera fits great ) Also got the Mediabridge - HDMI-Male to Mini HDMI-Male - 10ft - Version 1.3 Category 2 - 1080p - Blu-ray : ( Caution : DO NOT spend 70 bucks for this cable at Best Buy or anywhere else ! Anything over $20 is absolutely ridiculous ! $11 is more than reasonable price , and the true value of this item . ) As for some other reviewers'comments : Have not had an issue with the [ reportedly ] loose / easily rotating control knob , flimsy trap door for battery compartment , or noisy zoom motor . Bottom line : Like the camera so much , I went out and got a SECOND one for my wife . Local big box warehouse store ( that starts with a ' C ' ) had it on special for two-fifty ( with instant mfr rebate ) , in black only , including 2 GB class 4 memory card , and a nice compact leather case . Good deal , but no spare battery , and I personally prefer a greater capacity and higher speed SDHC card . Also , the case is very nice and well made , but holds the camera only ; no spare room or pockets for anything , not even a tiny memory card .
      • 056 4  Originally looking to replace our prior camera - a Nikon Coolpix S600 , which got lost at a family reunion back on Labor Day ( Some Family ! you say ; don't ask - its a long story ! ) . Also own a Nikon D70s DSLR , so was looking for something a bit more feature-laden than the S600 . I spent a few weeks doing some research , reading reviews , etc . , and finally decided on the ZS3 for a number of reasons : 1 . Wide angle lens ( the extended zoom was also a big plus ) ; 2 . 3 - inch high-resolution screen ; 3 . GREAT picture quality ; 4 . Ease of use , relatively intuitive ; 5 . Features and controls , lots of flexibility ; 6 . Relatively short shutter lag ; 7 . High-def video ; 8 . Compact size ; 9 . Amazon price ( then $276 ) , and Prime free shipping ; 10 . Excellent reviews on digital camera websites . After owning this camera for about a month , I am pleased to report that it has operated flawlessly . Great pics , great video , and all the features one could ask for in a point-and-shoot ( but no speed - or aperture-priority override ) . Some items to consider to complete the package : - - 8GB , Class 6 SDHC memory card - - spare battery ( a must ) - - Lowepro Ridge 30 camera case ( the camera fits great ) Also got the Mediabridge - HDMI-Male to Mini HDMI-Male - 10ft - Version 1.3 Category 2 - 1080p - Blu-ray : ( Caution : DO NOT spend 70 bucks for this cable at Best Buy or anywhere else ! Anything over $20 is absolutely ridiculous ! $11 is more than reasonable price , and the true value of this item . ) As for some other reviewers'comments : Have not had an issue with the [ reportedly ] loose / easily rotating control knob , flimsy trap door for battery compartment , or noisy zoom motor . Bottom line : Like the camera so much , I went out and got a SECOND one for my wife . Local big box warehouse store ( that starts with a ' C ' ) had it on special for two-fifty ( with instant mfr rebate ) , in black only , including 2 GB class 4 memory card , and a nice compact leather case . Good deal , but no spare battery , and I personally prefer a greater capacity and higher speed SDHC card . Also , the case is very nice and well made , but holds the camera only ; no spare room or pockets for anything , not even a tiny memory card .
      • 067 4  I spent a lot of time lately reviewing compact digital cameras . I knew that zoom was one of my highest priorities so I ended up settling on the panasonics . I have now owned both the ZR1 and ZS3 and I prefer and will keep the ZS3 , although it is a very close call . Both cameras are pretty much the exact same as far as operation and menus go . They each have iA and normal modes , to go along with twenty something scene modes like high sensitivity , high speed burst , portrait , starry sky , fireworks , etc . . . There is definitely the most control in Normal Picture mode , and that is the mode I take almost all of my pictures in . I never use the iA ( intelligent auto ) mode . While they are billed as fully automatic cameras with no manual controls , you can choose the sensitivity ( ISO 80 - 1600 , auto ) , adjust the exposure ( - 2 to + 2 eV ) , choose a minimum shutter speed ( 1 to 1 / 125 for ZR1 , 1 to 1 / 250 for ZS3 ) , which , while it is not capable of extremely long exposures , it is effective at forcing a very fast shutter speed if you are trying to get action shots . You can also set the white balance . Both cameras also have a button for a quick menu which brings up relevant parameters you might want to alter in that mode so you don't have to scroll through the menus . For instance , in normal mode , if you press the quick menu button , Auto focus mode , white balance selection , ISO , picture size , aspect ratio , burst mode , LCD power all pop up on the top of the screen for easy access . I only wish that the minimum shutter speed control would also pop up with the quick menu , Each camera also comes with an extended optical zoom , where you can get an extra zoom by reducing the picture size . With this feature , the ZR1 moves from a 8x zoom to 15.6x , and ZS3 goes from 12x to 21.4x . Here I must give a point to the ZR1 . The ZS3 puts a much greater emphasis on video , and I really don't care about video . There is a little red button on the back of the ZS3 that automatically records video , you don't have to be in motion picture mode . In its place on the ZR1 is an E . zoom button . This button automatically zooms the camera to full tele ( 8x ) and if you press it twice it automatically extends the lens to its full capabilities , 15.6x . On the ZS3 , you have to go to the menus and manually lower the picture size to attain your extended zoom , rather than just press a button . I like the ZR1 ' s take on this much better , but if you care about video , yo might like this part of the ZS3 better . The ZS3 is supposed to have much better video quality , but I don't really care about that so I haven't really checked it out . I do wish that the ZS3 recorded in AVCHD instead of AVCHD lite so I could use the same program as I use for my panasonic camcorder , but oh well . The main reason I chose the ZS3 over the ZR1 is that it is hard to get a clear shot ( not blurry ) with the ZR1 at low light conditions when the lens is in any position besides the widest one . From what I understand this comes from the aperture of the two cameras . Aperture , the hole in the diaphragm that controls how much light hits the sensor , is given as reciprocal numbers , so larger numbers , ie f10 , is a smaller aperture than say , f2.8 . The ZS3 goes from f3.3 to f4.9 ( max of f6.3 ) and the ZR1 goes from f3.3 to f5.9 ( max of f18 ) I'm not really sure when the camera chooses f18 over f5.9 , but at any rate , the ZR1 has a much smaller aperture at zoom than the ZS3 , and neither has an aperture control setting so you use the minimum aperture . This means that the ZS3 can let in much more light at the same zoom setting as the ZR1 . This allows you to use faster shutter speeds which reduces blur . Overall the ZS3 just has a much easier time taking pictures in low light because of the bigger aperture ( also referred to as a faster lens ) . Because it is letting in more light , you can also take pictures with the ZS3 at lower ISO levels than you need to use with the ZR1 to get the same exposure , which will result in a higher image quality for the ZS3 . The faster aperture also has an effect when taking pictures outside at full zoom , but not as bad because the image stabilization for both cameras seems to do better in good light . I also didn't notice any difference in the Power O.I.S . vs the older Mega O.I.S . With the Power O.I.S . the ZR1 has a default minimum shutter of ¼ of a second , where the ZS3 ( Mega O.I.S ) has a default of 1 / 8 of a second . This might be where the two times faster than previous models claim comes from . Anyhow , I found that the ZS3 actually took clearer pictures with a shutter speed of ¼ of a second than the ZR1 . Part of this is probably because the ZS3 doesn't have to use stabilization as much because of the wider aperture , but at any rate , a greater percentage of my shots with the ZR1 were blurry than the ZS3 . Interestingly enough , the newest panasonic models , introduced in January 2010 , are equipped with Mega O.I.S . and not Power O.I.S . Since I never use a tripod and am always taking handheld shots , many with zoom engaged , this was a huge point for the ZS3 . Also , the 12x zoom is significantly more than 8x , and I think it will really come in handy in the mountains . For me the 50% more zoom is more important than the 50% less weight . ZR1 Pros - SMALLER SIZE AND WEIGHT ! - Feels more comfortable in hand , looks sleeker , more attractive - E . zoom button in place of movie record button - Better battery life - Slightly faster focusing , especially when zoomed in under low light - Faster response in general ( very slightly ) - Has two additional scene modes that ZS3 doesn't have ZS3 Pros - Wider minimum aperture lets it take much CLEARER HANDHELD PICTURES - EXTRA ZOOM - BETTER LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE - Better HD video , with an HDMI out port - Better overall image quality - Shutter control down to 1 / 250 second instead of 1 / 125 - I believe the ZS3 burst mode is a little better - Higher resolution screen For me it was a really hard decision which one to keep for one reason , size . While the specs make it look like the zr1 is not much smaller than the zs3 , when you are actually holding them , it is clearly noticeable . The ZS3 actually weighs as much as one and a half zr1 ' s and the ZR1 feels much more comfortable and natural in the hand at first . After using them both for a couple of days I got more used to the feel of the ZS3 so the weight didn't make as much of a difference , but the difference is still there . The ZS3 just takes more consistent pictures , especially when zoomed , or indoors , and has a much greater reach . Since both fit in my pocket , I can get over the extra weight in order to gain these mentioned tradeoffs . The ZS3 takes good pictures , has intuitive menus and is very easy to operate , and I believe it has a good amount of features for a camera with no real manual controls . And of course it has that awesome zoom for a camera this small . If you really must have a super compact camera , go with the ZR1 , it takes just as good of pictures in good light and is faster to respond , but if not , the extra reach , clearer shots , and better indoor performance make the ZS3 well worth it to me , especially if they are close in price .
      • 069 4  I purchased this camera as an upgrade to my aging Canon A520 camera . 2 things that were prompting me to upgrade - pictures taken of my daughter's basketball games in the dimly lit gym were not very good ( either too dark and grainy or a streak of blur instead of a clear action shot ) . Second was video capabilities - the Canon just took 30 sec . max of small grainy video . I got this camera a week ago and have to say I am very impressed with it ! For issue #1 , I took it to my daughter's ball game on Saturday and tried it out . The pictures were definately an improvement . I will say that this scenario is very difficult for any point and shoot ( low light - fast action - needing to zoom to get a close enough shot - not a good combo for a small lens ) . So , I wasn't expecting miracles , just an improvement over the Canon and that is exactly what I got . The pictures were brighter and sharper - very usable . There was still some blur in extreme situations - shooting the basketball . There just isn't enough light to completely stop the action . And if you look closely at the brighter shots , they are a little grainy due to higher ISO settings . But , unless you blow the picture way up , you don't see it at all and it is still a huge improvement over the aging Canon . The part that I didn't expect was issue number 2 . I expected longer recording times and better video quality . But what I got was nothing short of absolutely stunning video . I took video of my daughter's choir concert . The stage is well lit with spotlights and I expected good video . What I got was razer sharp wide screen video that looks so good on my 50 1080p Plasma ( Panasonic - so I can play the AVCHD video right from the card ) it was hard to believe . Next I tried the basketball game - much less light . Again the video was nothing short of amazing . The picture looked just as good as it did with the well lit stage . Absolutely no noise or grain - just bright , colorful , beautiful video . I even compared it to my older Canon true camcorder ( digital , but not HD ) and the picture is better by far in bright light . In dim light , it is even more pronounced - the camcorder has a washed out grainy look - the ZS3 looks stunning . I always hated finding a tape with room , getting it to the right spot , charging the battery and lugging the camcorder along with a normal camera . Now , I don't have to and I can still get stunning video . Condition 2 met wonderfully . I haven't tried all the features and modes yet , but with the auto mode working so well , I probably won't use them much . A few thoughts : - The mode wheel isn't super stiff like on the Canon , but it's tight enough that it doesn't move on its own . - The battery lasted for about 45 min . of video , about 30 flash pictures and a whole lot of playing around with menus , settings , etc . It charged in just under 2 hours . - If you look around you can find a couple batteries that do work with firmware 1.2 . I ordered on from Amazon for $25 that should arrive soon . The two hour charge time compared to my old 15 min . AA charger has me wanting the second battery for backup . - The AVCHD plays wonderfully ( no additional software ) on my Windows 7 Core2 Quad machine . I had to install the included software and it still plays a little jerky on my Core2 Duo laptop . So I'm thinking you may need a decent machine to play the native video . However , I believe the included software can convert it to a less demanding format ( with probably some quality loss ) - I haven't tried it . - The zooming works well in video mode - it is plenty fast and while I did notice an occassional tiny amount of refocusing during the ball game while zooming , it was very slight and nothing more than my old camcorder did - especially in the low light . - It appears to be very solidly built . I haven't dropped it - yet , but even the controls and doors are hinged and solidly built - unlike the rubber covers on my Canon . - The record button for video is a little awkwardly placed - I have to hunt to find it to stop recording and I think I will probably end up hitting it accidentally a few times when I don't mean to . For now , I am very happy with the still picture quality ( understanding the limits of a compact point and shoot ) and am totally amazed by the AVCHD video quality . I can see I'll be purchasing a 1 TB drive soon to house all the video I'll be taking now that it is much more convenient than my dedicated camcorder . Edit - Since my last review I have used the camera a little more and have a couple minor complaints : - The video I just took using the AI mode was a little overexposed - a band concert on a spotlit stage . Same stage as the Choir concert so I'm a little surprised by the different results . There is probably a better setting to have used , but I didn't try . That leads to one of my minor gripes . Because you can't see what the video mode will look like until you press the button and start recording , it's kind of hard to tell if you need a different mode . It would be nice to be able to preview ( and see how much time is left ) before starting the video recording . If there is a way to do that I haven't found it yet . - I still don't find the zoom too slow in video recording ( like some other reviewers ) , but I did find it a little touchy . It was a little difficult to get just the zoom I wanted . I found myself zooming in and out too much trying to get just right framing . Might just be a getting used to it thing . These are minor quibbles and don't do anything to reduce my love of the camera . Just something to be aware of . . . One final thing - I am using a class 4 8GB SD card and it is works fine for AVCHD video - not sure about Motion JPEG , but the AVCHD works fine with class 4 .
      • 070 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) My wife had purchased a Panasonic point-and-shoot in the past , and frankly , the image quality was fantastic . Now , truth be told , I have too many digital cameras ; I have some very nice DSLR's and some standard Canon point and shoot , and a tiny little Casio that is so portable . But what I was looking for was a point and shoot with an extreme telephoto to wide angle , reasonable size and HD movie capability . I was traveling to a race , and I wanted to take all the kinds of shots my DSLR would take , but without the bulk . And this camera does all of that . Whatever processing Panasonic applies to the pictures , things really pop on the screen . It's almost hard to take a bad picture . It's beautifully made , and you can set up modes that can be customized to what you need . It's well thought out enough that you can actually get deep into the camera without a manual . Is it perfect ? Oh no . First of all there are two major flaws that detracts from the camera significantly : first the battery life is poor . You get about 100 photo taken and you can see you're running out of juice . I've tried all kinds of tricks , reducing the view-screen time to minimal , have it shut off very aggressively ; there's simply no way to have the battery last the entire day . Normally , you'd just buy another battery , but this actually has some sort of chip in the battery which will not accept anything other than Panasonic batteries . And what's worse , original batteries are hard to find and expensive when you do . The other flaw is that shutter lag is long for a camera in 2009 . This will affect action shots ( like races ) . You should also realize that unlike other high end cameras , the Panasonic does not let you set either shutter speed or aperture ; instead you choose from many modes and adjust specific parameters . I don't think this is worse for just snapshots , but it's a mind-set change . The good outweighs the bad however . Unlike the Canon line , this actually has a very usable 720p video mode , and it has stereo microphones . The pictures are fantastic when you stay within the parameters the camera was designed for , and physically , the camera is rugged and solid feeling . It's good at what it does , but the battery issue ( both life and availability ) should be considered in your choice .
      • 077 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I've had the camera for a little over a month . I bought it as a backup for when I didn't feel like lugging my DSLR around . On paper it's great . 12x zoom , image stabilization , HD video , cool look and feel and compact for all it offers . The problem for me is image quality . I didn't expect it to be incredible . Even with somewhat low expectations I was still disappointed . Noise is the main issue . Even in daylight with low ISO some shots seem to have some serious noise and graininess . It's not just in the shadows either . There is color noise , especially with yellows and greens . I also found the exposure and white balance to be hit and miss . I played around with all the settings and modes and took hundred of pictures . It just doesn't cut it for me . There's just a certain grainy look to all the pictures . I'm really surprised at all the rave reviews . The image quality of my 4 year old Canon A620 ( which I sold to get this ) blows the ZS3 away . I have to admit that I am probably more critical of image quality than most . It is a point and shoot camera geared towards using the auto settings . It may be that the consumer this is targeted at is not as critical as I am , although I have seen even some casual users mention some of the same things that bothered me . I will be selling the camera and replacing it with something that has better image quality . On a side note , the battery situation is riduculous . The software only allows for a genuine Panasonic battery to be used and it was very challenging to find any in stock . It chews through a battery pretty quick and it's a necessity to have a second as backup .
      • 083 4  Quick note for Macintosh users : The best way to get the AVCHD Lite video files off the camera and into your iMovie editing program is as follows : ( 1 ) Get a card reader for the SDHC flash card . ( 2 ) Use the card reader to copy the buried AVCHD Lite files to your Desktop from the following folder path on the card : / PRIVATE / AVCHD / BDMV / STREAM ( 3 ) Use a third-party software program called VoltaicHD to convert the AVCHD Lite files to Mac-friendly QuickTime files Those QT files - - such as . MPG or . MP4 - - will work directly in iMovie , QuickTime Player or really any Mac program . This all works best with an Intel-based Mac computer . Oh yes , if you just want to view AVCHD Lite files and don't need to edit them , use steps #1 and #2 to copy them to your Desktop , and then use the free VLC video player to watch them . O'wise , I love this camera . Great pix and video , rare wide angle , strong zoom , clear menus , nice size .
      • 085 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I own a Canon G7 and have been pleased with it , but I am tired of having to add attachments for wide angle and telephoto . ( I also use DSLRs at where I work for professional photo shoots . ) Canon's G-series cameras are great , but bulky and I wanted a smaller camera that would easily fit into a jacket or shirt pocket . I always research my purchases thoroughly and so having read at least a half dozen or more reviews of the Panasonic ZS3 and the Canon SX200 , including comparison reviews , I decided on the ZS3 . The optical zoom in video feature , and sharpness of the detail of the sample photos on the review sites , are what swung my decision . I ordered the camera from Amazon and waited a month for it to be delivered . Once I got the camera I tested it for several days . My first tests were indoor portraits and stills . These came out comparatively poor to what I was used to with my Canon , and the shots were just plain bad if they were done in low-light even with the night portrait setting enabled . The camera does not do well in low-light conditions , a problem compounded by a VERY weak flash . For example , if you are trying to take a photo in a room that is not well-lit , unless you get within a few feet of the subject , the camera's auto-settings will jack up the ISO and shutter speed to compensate for the weak flash and you will get a dark , noisy photo . I tried adjusting the limited manual overrides so it would not adjust the ISO above 400 , but the photos continued to come out noisy . I then broke out my monopod to help stabilize the camera . This helped quite a bit as the camera was able to lower the ISO and shutter speed significantly and the photos came out much brighter , but still not nearly as good as any Canon I had used . From what I can tell , the optical image stabilization on this camera is not as good as what Canon uses . I figure what Panasonic is doing is simply increasing the ISO and shutter speed to compensate for hand movement , rather than using optical stabilization . The result being dark , noisy photos in low light . As I had my old G7 at hand . I was able to take comparison photos from the exact same position and lighting and they all came out looking much better . OK , low-light interior shots are not great , but what about outdoor day shots ? I took the camera for a stride through downtown Dallas about lunchtime , and took a variety of shots , including some interior shots at a brightly lit restaurant . These all came out looking great . In particular , the sharpness of detail was excellent . However , late in the day ( about 7pm in late June ) I took some shots when the sun was lower in the sky , certainly not twilight by any means , but simply not direct sunlight . Now the shots looked like they had a blue film on them to me . The skintones of my subjects ( my family swimming in the pool ) were way off , contrast was low . Generally the shots look flat and lifeless compared to what I was used to with my old Canon . So I took out my Canon and in the same light conditions took some photos . They looked superb compared to the Panasonic . That sealed it for me and I decided to send the Panasonic back to Amazon . The next day I bought a Canon SX200 and was pleased with every aspect of the camera . Color balance of the photos is much better , contrast , powerful flash , good low-light performance ( for a point-and-shoot ) , and better build quality than the Panasonic . The video on the Panasonic was better than the Canon , not only could you optically zoom , but I think the video may be just a little sharper . So if video is the most important feature to you , then the Panasonic would be the better choice . I would also say that , if your subject is very well light , you may be able to get better detail out of the Panasonic lens on at least some shots . But in general in my opinion it is so difficult to get a really high-quality photo out of the ZS3 that I don't think this is a good enough reason to recommend it over the Canon . Summation : Pros : Excellent video quality Optical zoom in video Excellent photo detail in well-lit conditions Small and light ( fits easily in a shirt pocket ) Cons : Poor low-light performance Weak flash Relatively slow zoom ( the SX200 is faster ) On-camera software is primitive looking Color balance and contrast lacking Expensive considering the photo quality
      • 087 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I am not a pro , don't own a SLR . I have been using Canon Point and Shoot Cameras last 10 years or so . I wanted a new small camera with HD capability and picked Panasonic ZR1 . After few weeks of use , i was not satisfied so returned it . I ordered ZS3 based on the reputation and all the customer / editor reviews and technical specs . I used the ZS3 at current vacation and took around 1h motion picture and around 200 photos with IA mode . Was i happy with photo quality ? Not really . . Photos did not have good saturation or exposure . They did not look sharp as well compared to my old Canon SD850 which i had for few years . I thought about returning the camera based on photo quality , noise at indoor photos especially . I ended up reading the manual twice and found some useful videos at youtube which explains Aperture , ISO and Shutter Speed . After experimenting for a day , took around 100 photos indoors and outdoors with different settings , finally managed to get photos to my personal taste from the ZS3 . Overall , once you learn the basics and set the camera correctly you will get great photos . I am now using normal mode and scenes when needed . I try to avoid IA mode , colors are not to my taste and sometimes ISO set seems to be incorrect by camera ( causing noise ) . With normal mode you can set the ISO , shutter speed , focus mode , color mode ( i like vivid ) and few other parameters and with correct settings photos will turn out great . IA mode seems to best to go when taking motion pictures as camera adjusts to correct scene automatically . If you are only using IA mode for photos , you might not get the best shot in all cases . This is the issue i had at first which was frustrating . Now i know more about the camera , what it can do and i am quiet happy with it . I like : 12x zoom , Wide lens , Size of camera ( portable ) , Lcd screen quality , Scene options , optical stabilization works very good I don't like : Location of dedicated movie button , battery life is average , very few manual control , no vivid color option with IA mode Overall , this is a very good camera in my opinion and i recommend it .
      • 090 4  WOW ! ! ! PURCHASE Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 $239 FREEE SHIPPING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 meets all the positive reveiws written . Expert reweiw from [ . . . ] . Video was great ! But use indoors have enough lighting to bring out colors and clarity . If you shoot with low or normal lighting video appears dark . ENJOY AND HAVE FUN ! ! ! ! Suggestion : 1 . Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E fast and penty of storage . 2 . Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable ( 6 feet ) $1.96 plus shipping works great ! 3 . Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 ClearTouch Crystal Screen Protector ( Single Pack ) $6.95 plus shipping Fits perfect had no trouble with bubbles or dust clean surface and lcd completely will do the job . 4 . Joby GP1 - D1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod ( Grey ) What a great tripod ! mini and flexible $21.95 free shipping . 5 . [ . . . ] I kept wondering about reveiws on battery purchase and worry about 1.2 version firmware . No problem ! went to bestbattery website found DMW-BCG10 Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery ( For All Firmware Versions ) for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 DMC-ZS1 DMC-ZS3 . Battery cost $16.75 plus shipping $4.78 fast delivery . I put this battery in camera first and work fine ! ! ! 6 . SqaureTrade 3 - Year Camera Warranty : Cameras / Camcorders $250 - $300 Well organized website . $34.95 7 . Lowepro Rezo 30 ( Black ) Carring case useful $11.18 free shipping
      • 091 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) After much research and use I have concluded that as of the date this is posted there is no camera that offers such wide angle and zoom combination in such a small form factor . I am also unaware of any camera that captures HD video in stereo AND can zoom during capture . I have compared the HD video taken with this camera to the video taken with my Sony HD video camera ( a 1080i camera ) and can't appreciate much difference in the quality until there is very fast motion - - ie balls thrown etc . I leave my camcorder at home now and have captured more moments with my kids than ever because I take the ZS3 everywhere . I have a Nikon D200 with a very nice nice fast lens ( AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 17 - 55mm f / 2.8G IF-ED ) . I hardly break out that camera anymore because the ZS3 gives me such very fine results . The battery life is the best I have ever had in a small camera . My only gripe is that the video format AVCHD-Lite is not yet adopted by editing software .
      • 097 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I am a long time photo enthusiast and even worked at it professionally for a while . My main camera is a pro-level Nikon with lots of lenses . I love that camera and use it whenever I can , but there are times and places where it's just too much to carry . I just finished a week long bicycle trip and kept the DMC-ZS3 in my jersey's back pocket for over 400 miles . It performed flawlessly . I have had the camera for several months now and can't find much to fault . The stills are the best ever out of a point-and-shoot , and the HD video is incredible . The video uses a codec which is still not widely recognized , but there are several video editing programs out there that handle it . For viewing , I use VLC media player which is free , fast , and solid . You may find that you need to upgrade your computer , or at least your video card , to handle HD video . My video card was only two years old , but it would drop frames and leave lots of digital artifacts . Plan on spending an extra $100 for that upgrade . As for shortcomings , the battery life is not as good as some other small cameras I have owned . Low light performance is iffy and the flash is pretty anemic , but I have never seen good low light or strong flash performance from any compact . I think the menus and controls could be more intuitive too . Features have been well covered by other reviews , but I can't overstate the usefulness of the extremely wide angle to long telephoto zoom on this camera . You will be able to get shots that other cameras simply can't make .
      • 107 4  Finally realized it was time to upgrade from the 2 meg . Kodak DC280 I paid an incredible $600 + for a decade ago , when I saw my sister taking pics AND video with a new camera the size of half a deck of cards , and doing so for like a week on a single charge . The old DC280 took many 1000s of good pics for me and is still so reliable , but gotta change batteries after just every 10 or 15 pics . So I searched and searched and the DMC ZS3 finally emerged as the clear choice for me . This model is heavily reviewed here by much better photographers than me , so I'll just provide a few low-tech observations : 1 ) Bought it a week ago from Amazon for $290 , and they came through with overnight delivery . Good job . 2 ) Also , since the ZS3 has little built in memory , got the Transcend 16GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card with Reader . Card works fine , and reader works great with no hassles and allows me to avoid screwing around with a cord . 3 ) Loading the PhotoFunStudio software that comes with camera was a breeze and I've used it to view videos and photos on my laptop . I like the software and find it easy to use . 4 ) The camera has a ton of features , and the hardcopy manual is thus extensive . Unlike some reviewers , I find the ZS3 menus and controls pretty intuitive and the manual helpful . Also , the mode dial on top of camera is ' tight ' , so either Panasonic has corrected the ' looseness ' issue , or I got lucky . 5 ) Camera case - It was harder to settle on a case than it was to settle on the ZS3 . Most cases seem made to fit the ridiculously dinky half-deck-of-cards sized cameras , whereas the ZS3 is a bit bigger , which is one of the main reasons I bought it - it fits the hand nicely . I recommend the Norazza Ape Case AC165 for around $9 . It is affordable , well-built , has a good shoulder / neck strap with anti-slip stuff on it , and has room for some extras like battery charger with extra battery pack in it ( gotta get an extra and rotate battery packs - that is a no-brainer ) , extra card , and even my Ipod Nano . Plus , I fold the manual into a U shape and stick that snugly in the case ( bound edge out ) as well , and place the camera within the U , and that serves beautifully to protect the amazing 3 screen . Sounds weird , works great ! Plus , the manual will be there when you need some help . 6 ) So far have snapped a handful of pics , and video in both the Panasonic format and mpeg format . The vids in mpeg format load up to my newly established youtube account no problemo . And they look great , even those shot in low light . And the stereo audio is excellent . I think I'm going to have a whole lot of fun on youtube . . . . So for like $450 all-in I got a really good looking ( black-color ) , solid camera with great range , that is easy to use and takes excellent photos , a really , really good camcorder , plenty of battery power , and ample memory ( two 16GB Transcend cards ) , all stuffed into a slick little nylon case . I am now all set to head off on an African safari , where I expect the ZS3 will shine . . . . What a deal !
      • 109 4  I always wanted a real serious camera . Was thinking of getting into professional photography and so was seriously thinking of getting one of those photographer-type camera and lens , but with the prices of them bad-boys and my loss of interest in lugging something so big around me , I opted to just get want I always wanted ( a compact camera with ALOT of Optical zoom ! ) and this is what I found ! PROS * * * * * * * PROS * * * * * * * PROS * * * * * * * * * * PROS 1 ) ZOOM-ZOOM-ZOOM : 12X Optical Zoom ! It's range is 25mm wide-angle to 12x telephoto . Now I've just had this camera for 2 weeks , but I took it on my vacation recently and was able to get amazing pics from the airplane as I flew over ( what I believe is ) the Grand Canyon and Colorado River . . . ( plus I always read reviews on CNET.com and is STILL #3 from THE TOP 5 BEST ALL-AROUND CAMERAS - and that's good enough for me ! [ 2 ) AMAZING MOVIE OPTIONS : - It records in HD ( Formats are Motion-JPEG or AVCHD ) - Digital Video Format ( QuickTime & AVCHD Lite ) - You can zoom while recording ! - Has a dedicated button for recording movies 3 ) MANY , MANY Scene modes for great photos : - Portrait , Soft Skin , Self-Portrait , Scenery , Sports , Night Portrait , Night Scenery , etc . . . ( plus I especially love the ' Aerial Photo ' Mode since I am always flying ) [ there is even a scene that distorts a portrait so the camera actually does make you ' lose ' 10 pounds , lol . 4 ) LARGE 3 - inch LCD window : My last camera had a 1.5 inch LCD , so YOU KNOW this is a huge jump for me ! ! ! 5 ) Shooting Modes : There are six : - Intelligent AUTO ( which does all the hard work for ya ! ) - Normal Picture ( which is like the one before ) - MS1 & MS2 ( they stand for My-Scene - 1 and 2 ) : so can quickly pick scenes you used frequently - SCN ( stands for Scene ) and allows quick access to changing to a new scene - Clipboard : this is a neat one : it ONLY saves pics on the camera memora , but its for pics or documents you may always need access to ( AKA , a train schedule , or your itinerary , etc . . ) 6 ) BRIGHT , AMAZING PICS / VIBRANT COLOR 7 ) USES SD & SDHD cards ( My memory card of choice ! ) 8 ) RECHARGEABLE AND AMAZING BATTERY LIFE : ( plus , the battery charges MUCH faster than it losses charge , so a big plus there ! even when taking video ! ) 9 ) Surprisingly great night pictures ! 10 ) COMPACT ! 11 ) SOooooo many more . . . . . . . . ( plus you can get it in other colors than the typical silver color . I purposely got the black one , and its a beaut ! ) CONS * * * * * * * * CONS * * * * * * * * * CONS * * * * * * * CONS 1 ) No Memory card - Yeah , not even a 32MD one . . . which wouldn't do anything anyway . I have a 2GB card with mine ! 2 ) Few Manuel Controls - Now this is a big set-back for this camera , one of the biggest I heard , but hey , I am no professional , I still don't mess with the ISO's and the exposures and such , so if the camera is already set to do its own hard work , then let it . THIS IS NOT A ' CON ' for me , but just want you to know since it may be for you 3 ) No camera case - but that's not too much of a big deal 4 ) Can't think of anything else actually . . . . Hope this helps . . . I am SO glad I got this camera . I am still playing with it , so if you have any questions , ask away . . . I am SO glad I got it ! It is worth every buck ! ! !
      • 111 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) This camera replaced my Canon Powershot . After about 6 weeks of usage , the inside pictures are just not measuring up to my Canon . What attracted me to the camera was its wide angle and zoom features - after the first week we were going to return it , but chose to give it some more time - now its really too late to return it , but over all this is going to be more of an outdoor camera . Also , you should know that this camera now has firmware that prevents any battery other then a Panasonic battery from working , so all the generic brands that are sold on Amazon will not work . What is most disturbing about this is Panasonic made this decision without ensuring adequate supply . The battery is not available on Panasonic's own web site , my local camera stores , and its very difficult to find on the web . Amazon will have it in stock the end of December , for $50.00 , a mark up over Panasonic's list price of 40 .
      • 122 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) The Lumix ZS3 is an outstanding pocket camera , offering telephoto and macro capabilities , in addition to 720 HD video . Compared to other point-and-shoot cameras , the image quality is quite good . Pros . . . A lot in a pocket sized package . Great image / video quality . Macro setting is very good . Durable aluminum build . Auto setting works well ( except action shots ) . Cons . . . Few manual controls . You have to go through the menu to change shutter speed . You can't adjust the aperture . Telephoto image quality suffers . Macro uses digital zoom , and image quality suffers if you zoom in . As with most point-and-shoots , it is difficult to focus on smaller abject in the distance , or when that object is surrounded by other objects ( i.e . a bird in a tree ; the camera will tend to focus on the branches around the bird . ) . If you're looking for a pocket camera in this price range , this is the camera to buy . If you don't mind something a little more bulky , and $50 more , I'd recommend the Lumix FZ35 . The Lumix FZ35 offers many of the same features that the Lumix ZS3 offers , but has more manual options , a design that offers filter and conversion lens options , higher shutter speed range , great optical range , higher resolution , and more scene selections .
      • 125 4  First , this is a pocket camera . Before buying I read a TON of reviews , both professional and from buyers . The overwhelming complaint , beside the attempt at a proprietary battery , was that it did not have a lot of manual controls or that it did not capture the same color depth as a DSLR . Second reminder , this is a pocket camera . For a pocket camera with a BIG zoom , this camera is awesome . IAuto and the face recognition work very well . Using the half button push focus produced great pictures . - you would be surprised to find out how many friends / family don't know you can pre-focus . I took pictures at my 7yo daughters recital from across the auditorium in the dark and got good pictures . I took pictures of my son running in the house at night using corner lamps as lighting , I've taken HD video of snowshoeing and ice fishing ( where white glare can kill some camera's contrast ) . All in all , I am extremely satisfied . Benefits : - Size - 12x Zoom - Very good preset modes - HD Video ( 720p is good enough for YT and relatives ) - 10MP is end of scale for this size sensor but works well . - Wife likes the red . Niggles : - Took a little bit to get used to the trigger being on the inside of the mode dial . - LCD is not recessed , but I get glass GSS covers anyway - AVCHD tool a bit of research before I could find a good free joiner / splitter ( Videopad ) - Pana trying to lock you into an OEM battery ( already hacked )
      • 129 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) My family has had a DSLR for the past 4 years . It is a great Canon EOS Rebel , but portability and taking a spontaneous photo is not a strong suit . We have purchased two different great HDTVs from Panasonic and really didn't consider them for this purchase initially , as they are not what I consider to be a real camera company . We did a lot of research before making this purchase . We looked at Best Buy , Target , Sam's Club , HH Gregg , and looked throughout 4 different online resellers ( including Amazon ) . After finding the top 5 cameras , we did more research on ratings of each at Amazon , plus many other sites . We also went to independent websites focused on camera reviews . CNet was another that was very helpful of seeing videos on each camera . After looking at a specific website , they mentioned this Panasonic as a great camera . We were able to eliminate one of our top 5 and added this to the list . CNet gave a lukewarm review of this , but most of the smaller independent sites loved it . I wasn't particularly impressed by the CNet reviewer as all of her reviews took a negative tone ( this was more positive a review ) . We were able to find every camera at a local retailer , but this Panasonic . Ease of use is important , but let's face it , picture quality is more important than anything else . Most digital cameras come out grainy or , in some cases , so clear that people look nearly transparent ( and really require a little softening ) . The only camera we found in the $250 - $400 price range with great picture quality was the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 . It is a point-and-shoot , but it is a hybrid between a DSLR and point-and-shoot . Really what this means is it isn't something you can easily slip into your pocket . It also relies on Sony's proprietary memory stick technology which doesn't fit into a computer without an adapter ( easy to lose ) , not something sold at all retailers , and tends to be a bit more expensive . We really liked the camera , but these are concerns . Now to this camera . We decided to take the leap based purely on suggestions online . A big leap . The camera is small , functional , lightweight , and also takes digital video . It has to auto picture-taking settings ( standard and intelligent auto ) with 3 additional settings that you can set ( shutter speeds , etc . for specific types of settings ) . We have yet to use the manual settings , but have found the other two settings to be quite good . The pictures are clear , but soft enough where the pictures look great and print well . The videos have a great quality , can zoom during recording ( most can't ) , and taking multiple photos in a row wasn't a problem . More than 90% of the photos turned out great , but we suspect the only photos needed for manual settings are extreme low-light ( but even concerts look great ) and for true close-up action photos . Overall , this is definitely superior to most , if not all point-and-shoots in the price range , and definitely worth the risk . Brick and mortar stores are foolish not to carry this camera , but I would suspect this camera would raise the bar for most of the horrible point-and-shoots they carry on the low cost side . If you are considering a camera for under $200 , do yourself a favor and wait another couple weeks for the money to purchase this one .
      • 135 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) After a lot of research and reading countless reviews I decided to go with the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 . I have never owned a Panasonic camera before and am very pleased with my purchase . I have always bought Canon or Sony cameras with no major complaints . Last Dec ( 2008 ) I purchased a Casio Elixim when the button broke on my Sony . Mainly because of it's small size . This was a major mistake . . . I have never owned a worse camera ! ! This time around I decided to check professional and private reviews and saw the Lumix ZS3 pop up on the majority of top 10 lists . I was between this camera and the Canon IS990 . The Lumix however has a 12x optical zoom which I did not find on any other compact digital . This is a huge plus when traveling . It has only been about 1 month since I've owned the camera but I have nothing bad to say about it . We bought it for our trip to Barcelona and took 600 + photos which came out great . The HD video is amazing but the software is a little tricky . Also , the burst mode allows you to take continuous shots for moving objects . The only down side is that there is obviously no flash so make sure you have good lighting .
      • 138 4  Great camera , excellent picture quality , ok video functions - TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WARANTEE ! I purchased my camera and when I plugged in the charger it would not stop blinking - with or without the battery inserted . After a day of charging the battery was still dead . When I called customer service , they insisted that I send the the batter and charger ( at my expense ) then wait for the technical verdict ( 7 to 14 days ) THEN they would send me another battery / charger in 7 to 14 days after the problem . That means that I would have to wait approximately 1 month to resolve this problem - ON A NEW CAMERA . The representative stated , that they have had several calls in refrence to this problem . When I requested a supervisor to assist me , the supervisor OMAR , stated that this was the first time he had heard of this problem and then requested that I FAX him the receipt , then they would analyze the situation and get back to me in 2 business days . Save yourself the potential headaches and go with CANNON , their service is 10x better and they resolve issues immediately . I am reporting them to the Better Business Bearue .
      • 139 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) If Canon were to ever be nervous about the competition in point and shoot camera's , they are likely crapping themselves at this moment . I've owned 5 of the past Canon digital elph's ( the most recent the SD790is ) , and I just returned the Canon SD940is . I am blown away by the panasonic ZS3 ! It does everything the Canon does , and more . First , the response time of the camera is excellent : shutter lag is minimal , autofocus is very quick , flash recharge times are quick as well . I felt the Canon 940 was inferior to even the 790 in shutter lag and autofocus ( I was missing shots waiting for the camera to fix on the subject ) . The Panasonic has more pleasing photo quality , albeit slightly softer than the Canon . Colors are more vibrant on the Panasonic , as is overall tone . I feel like I don't have to mess with the image on the Panasonic like I did with the Canon . Overall , a great point and shoot . Now for the true differentiating feature . . . . . This camera doubles as an excellent video camera . I am blown away by the quality of the video captured in the AVCHD-lite format . Even in low light situations , the video blows away any other point and shoot , and rivals the super compact $1000 Sony TG - 5 . Where it surpasses the TG - 5 is in the optical stabilization ; the Panasonic shows far less handshake than the TG - 5 ( which is a huge issue for these ultra compact video cameras ) . Finally , there is a point and shoot camera that can capture excellent video for those times where you don't want to drag along a larger video camera . I own the Sony CX - 12 AVCHD camcorder , and the Panasonic is not in the same league as that camcorder . However , playing the files I shot with the Panasonic on western digital's WDTV via HDMI , video looks fantastic : sharp , vibrant colors with smooth panning . I would not feel bad trading the portability of the Panasonic , and leaving the Sony camcorder at home ( unless I was on a trip to Ireland or something of the like ) . The video is truly remarkable for the size of the camera . Also worth noting ; Panasonic was very smart to include HD motion JPEG as an option for video recording . So if AVCHD-lite isn't your thing , you can capture HD video footage in the mp4 quicktime format . I will say , however , the video is cleaner and smoother when shot in AVCHD-lite . Overall , for the cost of the camera , you cannot go wrong . It is an excellent point and shoot with very responsive shooting times , and a great portable HD camcorder to boot . I never thought I would own ( or like ) a Panasonic camera ! Pros : Wide angle lense Excellent image stabilization Excellent AVCHD-lite video camera Excellent shooting times Great battery life Full Zoom ability while video recording Cons : LCD screen resolution not the crispest I've seen Some images could use sharpening Menu system a bit cumbersome Larger than most point and shoots Manual exposure in video mode would be nice
      • 140 4  If Canon were to ever be nervous about the competition in point and shoot camera's , they are likely crapping themselves at this moment . I've owned 5 of the past Canon digital elph's ( the most recent the SD790is ) , and I just returned the Canon SD940is . I am blown away by the panasonic ZS3 ! It does everything the Canon does , and more . First , the response time of the camera is excellent : shutter lag is minimal , autofocus is very quick , flash recharge times are quick as well . I felt the Canon 940 was inferior to even the 790 in shutter lag and autofocus ( I was missing shots waiting for the camera to fix on the subject ) . The Panasonic has more pleasing photo quality , albeit slightly softer than the Canon . Colors are more vibrant on the Panasonic , as is overall tone . I feel like I don't have to mess with the image on the Panasonic like I did with the Canon . Overall , a great point and shoot . Now for the true differentiating feature . . . . . This camera doubles as an excellent video camera . I am blown away by the quality of the video captured in the AVCHD-lite format . Even in low light situations , the video blows away any other point and shoot , and rivals the super compact $1000 Sony TG - 5 . Where it surpasses the TG - 5 is in the optical stabilization ; the Panasonic shows far less handshake than the TG - 5 ( which is a huge issue for these ultra compact video cameras ) . Finally , there is a point and shoot camera that can capture excellent video for those times where you don't want to drag along a larger video camera . I own the Sony CX - 12 AVCHD camcorder , and the Panasonic is not in the same league as that camcorder . However , playing the files I shot with the Panasonic on western digital's WDTV via HDMI , video looks fantastic : sharp , vibrant colors with smooth panning . I would not feel bad trading the portability of the Panasonic , and leaving the Sony camcorder at home ( unless I was on a trip to Ireland or something of the like ) . The video is truly remarkable for the size of the camera . Also worth noting ; Panasonic was very smart to include HD motion JPEG as an option for video recording . So if AVCHD-lite isn't your thing , you can capture HD video footage in the mp4 quicktime format . I will say , however , the video is cleaner and smoother when shot in AVCHD-lite . Overall , for the cost of the camera , you cannot go wrong . It is an excellent point and shoot with very responsive shooting times , and a great portable HD camcorder to boot . I never thought I would own ( or like ) a Panasonic camera ! Pros : Wide angle lense Excellent image stabilization Excellent AVCHD-lite video camera Excellent shooting times Great battery life Full Zoom ability while video recording Cons : LCD screen resolution not the crispest I've seen Some images could use sharpening Menu system a bit cumbersome Larger than most point and shoots Manual exposure in video mode would be nice
      • 146 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) So this is the new version of the venerable DMC-TZ line now renamed DMC-ZS ( why I will never know . TZ stood for Travel Zoom and made sense . ZS stands for ? ? . I am sure some marketing research indicated that people think TZ was perceived as Toe Zits and therefore had to be changed ) . I had a TZ5 for two years and loved it . I traded up mainly for the stereo movie mode and maybe a little more wide angle . I never needed more zoom . The ZS3 is certainly a cut above the TZ 5 in many respects , but there are some significant drawbacks anyone considering it must know . - The noise at any ISO above 80 is pronounced and becomes significant at ISO 400 and above . It is not so much affecting regular picture size but if you look at 100% crops you might be surprised how noisy the images are . Detial is still good and thats great but the noise is ever present in almost all pictures . This is an area where the ZS3 is significantly worse than my old TZ5 . Make sure to be aware of this if you want to upgrade ! The TZ5 made better ( less noisier ) pictures . Believe me ! In general the ZS3 is one stop worse than the TZ5 . Noise at ISO 800 on the TZ5 is similar to the noise at ISO 400 on the ZS3 . - This is mainly due to the pixel race Panasonic is also getting sucked into . There was absolutely no need to increase the already high pixel count of the TZ5 . Anyone knowing anything about digital cameras knows that 6 to 8 MP is by far enough for any purpose . More pixels than that is unfortunately a marketing need for uneducated customers who buy whatever has more pixels . This is actually wreaking havoc in the entire digital camera market . My best pictures come out of my Nikon D40 with only 6 MP and they are just as good or better than what I can do with my Nikon D90 . So don't fall into the ridiculous pixel race . I applaud Nikon on the DSLRs for not getting sucked into more pixels . - The selector dial was moved from the top center on the DMC-TZ5 to the top right corner of the camera behind the shutter release on the DMC-ZS3 . I don't know what Panasonic thought that was a good idea . It's not ! Now I often inadvertently move it with my finger when shooting and get a dial in between settings warning . A very dumb design and Panasonic knows it . The new coming DMC-ZS7 that was just announced a few days ago ( with built in GPS geo-tagging . . . yeah I REALLY was missing that feature ! How did I ever take pictures without it since I don't know where I was when taking them . I am sure the next DMC will have full feature auto routing so you find your way back home from where ever you are ) has the dial again to the left of the shutter release . So there you go . I most likely will go back to the TZ5 since the noise issue is one of my pet peeves . Don't get me wrong this is a great camera with outstanding build quality and tons of feature , but not for pixel peepers like me .
      • 147 4  So this is the new version of the venerable DMC-TZ line now renamed DMC-ZS ( why I will never know . TZ stood for Travel Zoom and made sense . ZS stands for ? ? . I am sure some marketing research indicated that people think TZ was perceived as Toe Zits and therefore had to be changed ) . I had a TZ5 for two years and loved it . I traded up mainly for the stereo movie mode and maybe a little more wide angle . I never needed more zoom . The ZS3 is certainly a cut above the TZ 5 in many respects , but there are some significant drawbacks anyone considering it must know . - The noise at any ISO above 80 is pronounced and becomes significant at ISO 400 and above . It is not so much affecting regular picture size but if you look at 100% crops you might be surprised how noisy the images are . Detial is still good and thats great but the noise is ever present in almost all pictures . This is an area where the ZS3 is significantly worse than my old TZ5 . Make sure to be aware of this if you want to upgrade ! The TZ5 made better ( less noisier ) pictures . Believe me ! In general the ZS3 is one stop worse than the TZ5 . Noise at ISO 800 on the TZ5 is similar to the noise at ISO 400 on the ZS3 . - This is mainly due to the pixel race Panasonic is also getting sucked into . There was absolutely no need to increase the already high pixel count of the TZ5 . Anyone knowing anything about digital cameras knows that 6 to 8 MP is by far enough for any purpose . More pixels than that is unfortunately a marketing need for uneducated customers who buy whatever has more pixels . This is actually wreaking havoc in the entire digital camera market . My best pictures come out of my Nikon D40 with only 6 MP and they are just as good or better than what I can do with my Nikon D90 . So don't fall into the ridiculous pixel race . I applaud Nikon on the DSLRs for not getting sucked into more pixels . - The selector dial was moved from the top center on the DMC-TZ5 to the top right corner of the camera behind the shutter release on the DMC-ZS3 . I don't know what Panasonic thought that was a good idea . It's not ! Now I often inadvertently move it with my finger when shooting and get a dial in between settings warning . A very dumb design and Panasonic knows it . The new coming DMC-ZS7 that was just announced a few days ago ( with built in GPS geo-tagging . . . yeah I REALLY was missing that feature ! How did I ever take pictures without it since I don't know where I was when taking them . I am sure the next DMC will have full feature auto routing so you find your way back home from where ever you are ) has the dial again to the left of the shutter release . So there you go . I most likely will go back to the TZ5 since the noise issue is one of my pet peeves . Don't get me wrong this is a great camera with outstanding build quality and tons of feature , but not for pixel peepers like me .
      • 148 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I bought this camera for our recent trip to Italy . I wanted a camera that was very easy to use and took good photos . I don't know anything about photography , it's not a hobby of mine at all , and I wasn't interested in learning . I just wanted photos to remember our trip and share with friends . I also wanted to avoid the huge wait between pictures that our old digital camera had . This camera is very easy to use . I never took it off of the iA mode . The only thing I adjusted was turning off and back on the auto-flash option when in places that allowed non-flash photography only . It's really easy to toggle it . . . two button presses . The pictures of ruins in Rome , art and buildings in Florence and landscapes everywhere look great . I purchased an 8GB card to go with it and that was plenty of space for our pictures ( I think it would have held about 1200 ) . I took perhaps a thousand over the two-week trip ( but we uploaded them to a computer periodically and subsequently deleted them from the memory card , which is very easy to do ) . The iA mode does really well with varying lighting conditions . Only the very darkest corners of churches disallowing flash photography were a problem for the camera . I was very pleasantly surprised that it was able to take such good photos of some very dark places without flash . The only caveat here was I had to hold my hand pretty steady to avoid blurring . My largest criticism is that the battery does not charge via the USB connection . There is also still some pause between pictures , but I don't know if this is adjustable . . . I never tried to find out because the pause showed me the previous picture , which is what I wanted ( and may be it's only function ) . The battery lasted a full day , but not much more . I turned the camera on and off depending on what we were doing . I didn't try to adjust the power-saving options because the battery never ran out if I started the day with a full charge ( at the end of one day it ran out because I hadn't charged it the previous night ) . We didn't use the software that came with it , just imported the photos into iPhoto . I am very happy with the camera . It is almost exactly what I wanted and worked great throughout the trip .
      • 152 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) It took me about a month choosing a camera . My last camera was small and slim , but it took really bad quality pictures with lots of noises - I hated it . HATED IT . . . and it broke too . with no apparent reason . So i was looking for a camera with better quality , and i didn't mind if it was a little costly or bulky . I wanted a good camera . I was actually looking for high-end cameras , actually debating over two of them , saving up money . Then i found this one . OMG this camera seemed so good . it can zoom like crazy and takes super quality pictures , videos are awesome ( zoom-able too ) , and not as big or expensive as a high-end camera . I read almost all the reviews out there on this camera - in two languages that i know : ) And this camera is GOOD . It met my expectations and did everything that all the reviews promised , it's just awesome . I love my camera . All my aunts love my camera , and one of them actually bought the same one after me , and today i just ordered another one for my mom - she wanted one too . Some pros and cons : - pros : takes really good pictures , image stabilization actually works unlike many other cameras , wide angle , great video with zoom , 12x ( or more ) zooming depending on the picture size , long battery life , you can delete multiple pics at a same time , etc . - cons : cannot make panorama pics directly in the camera ( comes with a program in a CD in the box so you can make one in the computer ; never tried ) , zooming knob seems little loose ( not to worry too much ) , and it's NOT A SLIM & SKINNY camera . If you're looking for a case for this camera , here's one that I recommend : Built E-SSC-MDT Soft-Shell Camera Case ( Micro Dot ) I'm using this and it fits perfect . I bought this camera when it was $300 and I don't regret : ) I'm not a pro photographer or anything , I'm just a student who likes to take pictures a lot but can't afford DSLR cameras , and if you have any questions about this camera please feel free to comment on this review .
      • 154 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) We were upgrading from a camera that was at least 5 years old and did * * lots * * of research both online and in stores . We wanted a megazoom camera that would take good video , and we wanted one that performed well in low light . We are adventurous but still amateur photographers , so we needed a camera with a good automatic setting but also plenty of manual options . After an extensive search in the $200 - $300 price range we came down to just a few cameras , and this one won out . We'd read about the ACVHD video problem - that you can only play it on TV and can't post it online - but were encouraged by the fact that there was an alternative ( non-HD ) mode and that there was a zoom option during video recording . We knew it was a little larger than the ultracompact cameras but were satisfied that it was smaller than our old camera . We knew there was at least one other camera out there that probably had better low-light performance but we figured it would be much better than what we were dealing with at the time . ( We were right . ) And we were excited about the awesome viewfinder on the Lumix DMC-ZS3 . It was crucial to read the reviews on websites like this - they all brought up good points . Some people gave the camera only 1 star because of the HD video issue ; some mentioned the same problem and gave it 5 stars . This is not a standardized system ; these are people's opinions ( and this is mine ) . Because we knew what to expect and what ' imperfections ' to anticipate , we have been completely satisfied . There have been no surprises . This camera delivers the kind of quality and performance you should expect to get from a $200 - $300 gadget in 2009 . I obviously haven't owned any of its competitors , but I cannot imagine they would be significantly better . In summary , if you go looking for problems you'll always find them . If that's the kind of consumer you are then you won't be satisfied unless you spend at least twice what this camera costs . But if you have realistic expectations this camera will easily surpass them .
      • 156 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) I love the new Lumix ZX3 . This camera has an amazing 12x zoom lens and a fantastic 3 upgraded display . For the price and the size of the camera , I don't think there's a better choice . Using HD video ( 720p ) is a snap with the dedicated video button . The AVHCD lite format integrates perfectly with iMovie on the Mac . Even the higher ISO pictures ( up to ISO800 ) are usable , which is a far cry from other cameras this size . There are some negatives with the camera . While operation speed is decently quick , it is not class-leading . Takes a second or two to start up and there is a bit of shutter lag . Also , the face identification system is mostly inaccurate . The camera thinks that my 5 year old daughter and her friend who has a significantly darker complexion are both me , a man in his 30 ' s with glasses and facial hair . The battery life is decent , but for shooting a full day likely will need a recharge or second battery . My primary camera is a Nikon D90 but for a second camera that's highly portable , takes great pictures , has a massive zoom , and terrific HD video , the Lumix ZX3 stands above the crowd . I highly recommend buying this model if you are in the market for something in its class .
      • 159 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) I bought this camera for my recent two-weeks vacation trip . Previously I was using Canon A510 and I loved that camera , thinking , that I'd be Canon's fan for many future models . At the time I wanted to upgrade I made several-month-investigation looking forward to seeing Canon releasing a perfect camera for me . Perfect for my requirements would be small sized , a nice 10x + zoom , around 10Mpx matrix , good picture quality and good video quality ( preferably HD ) . Months were passing and nothing new apart of IS SX200 appeared on the market . The latter after summarizing all pros and cons lost the fight with Lumix ZS3 . I've chosen ZS3 for its compact size , nice zoom , optical zoom capabilities while filming , wide angle and HD movies . I have to admit , that lumix did a pretty good job with my pictures I was taking for the last month . I regret though that it tends to change colors completely where my old Canon very adequately transferred real-world colors into the digital pictures . During the day I think ZS3 did very well easily leaving A510 behind because of the zoom capabilities and ultra-wide angle ( 25mm ) view . It's amazing how many objects can now fit into the picture compared to my previous photos . During the night however or at the sunrise I'd say I liked the Canon better . The reason for that is the sky , although looking pretty warm , had totally different color at the picture compared to what I saw with my eyes . Beach during the night in ' starry night ' mode ( 15 / 30 / 60 s exposure time ) ended up in being GREEN ! ! ! That is not acceptable for me . Other pictures in night light also had mangled colors , which could only be fixed with manual ' white balance ' set ( you can set it with ZS3 ) . I was expecting from Intelligent Auto present at ZS3 something more accurate . I also cannot understand why iA mode can't take pictures in 16 : 9 format in higher resolution than 2.5MB ! ? ? ? Shooting a fullmoon was also hard to do . Using all possible tricks I finally managed to take its picture after doing 30 + pictures earlier . With my previous Canon it only took few to make a nice sharp photo ( with worse zoom though of course ) . One advantage of the new ZS3 is ability to do pretty sharp night photos without using flash - Optical Image Stabilization is doing a great job , allowing to catch more of the background behind the object sharply . Overall I would recommend this camera to people who want to do nice wide-angle pictures during the day and don't expect doing any artistic photography . Camera is small taking into consideration it's 12x zoom and has a nice large LCD screen with excellent resolution ( 460K pixels ) . When I look at movies on a regular TV ( no-HD ) motion picture looks much better on the small screen of the camera , than the big tube ; On a HD-ready 16 : 9 screen - movies are excellent ! What I'm missing in the camera are manual settings I had in my simple Canon . I don't think that will come as a firmware upgrade though , cause they want to you to buy even more expensive model to have that . Weird thing is that cheaper models tend to have manual settings available . As for battery - I thought my batteries would do a little better than what I have observed . I managed to do around 200 pictures mixed with video shooting + some reviewing . For that reason I have bought 2 additional batteries and degraded firmware to 1.1 to allow third-party manufacturer savings . At the end I wish Amazon hasn't changed their price a couple of days after I ordered my product , which would save me around 25 $ . Customer service didn't want to hear about that refund : / / / / To sum up here are Pros : - 12x optical zoom ( also while filming ) - 460K pixels LCD bright screen - stereo microphone - ultra wide angle ( 25mm ) - pretty decent small size compared to functions - AVCHD ( makes great quality movies with less storage needed ) Cons : - No manual controls - Some colors tend to be changed during evening / sunrise - I think I had smoother pictures with Canon earlier - menu changes depending on the mode you're shooting in , which tends to be confusing ( like economy options not available in iA )
      • 164 4  I bought this camera for a trip to Europe . My SLR was simply too large to lug around , and my tiny Canon took horrible low light pictures . Pros : The Lumix's wide-angle lens is amazing because it allows you to capture so much of a scene , and in low light situations the pictures are spectacular . The anti-shake feature works like gold ( I tend to be a little shaky ) , and it focuses wonderfully . The IA ( intelligent auto ) feature is great - it almost always selects the right scene mode . You can turn off flash and it recalls that setting . The 12X OPTICAL zoom allows you to take detail pictures from a distance . Best of all , the camera is small enough to throw in a bag or a jacket pocket . Cons : In bright situations , sometimes the lighting is a little wonky and it is impossible to specifically adjust . In fact , the colors overall are a lot less saturated than a typical camera takes ( probably more natural , in reality , but I like saturation ) . There is basically no manual control . It's too big to fit in a woman's jeans pocket . I will admit it was an investment on my part , but I would definitely say it was worthwhile . It allowed me to take 2,000 pictures of my trip , the battery lasted for 2 to 3 days at a time ( constantly turning the camera on and off ) , and let me capture scenes I never would have been able to otherwise . If you have the money , go for it !
      • 165 4  I have the Lumix TZ1 , this is a great upgrade . . . . The ZS3 ( TZ7 ) is slimmer than the Lumix TZ1 and weigth less . I didnt like the switch of position between the shooter button and the mode button . The battery is not compatible between this two models its a new design that aparently last longer ( ZS3 one ) . The Zoom was a incredible improvement . Also I like the Auto mode . . . . Face recognition helps to focus well pictures when many people is on the photo .
      • 172 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I bought this camera two weeks ago . Used it for one day . I am a professional videographer . Won't go into the still quality as I didn't use it long enough to comment . The HD quality is adequate for utube HD but don't expect HD quality for blue ray . I used the camera one day when multi-colored lines started to appear on the LCD screen . Now I can only see a shadow of a picture on the screen . Now the real frustration begins . After 4 days and hours on hold with PANASONIC , I have not spoken with a tech support human . Once I got an administrative person but they are in the phillipines and sent me to the same cue and I hung up after another hour . When you call tech support , they say an agent will be with you in 8 - 10 minutes . An hour later after listening to the recording over and over no one ever comes . It is like they are torturing you ! ! This is the tech support number listed on the manual that comes with the camera . I approve professional camera purchases for our company . I not only won't recommend PANASONIC , I don't even want to hear the name PANASONIC after this ! !
      • 178 4  I am delighted with my Panasonic Lumix DMC SZ3 ! Overall , this is a fantastic camera that enables me to take great photos in even in very compromised light . I compared shots with friends using huge SLRs with heavy lenses and was surprised to see that our results were comparable ! The wide angle lens and 12X Zoom are phenomenal features for such a small camera ! I had originally purchased the SZ1 but returned it because the HD Video really appealed to me . I especially like that I can start to record video with the touch of a button on the back . Shortcomings - yes a few : - Although the LCD screen is big and bright , I would have liked a viewfinder to use in bright sunlight . - When using a high capacity card ( 8 or 16 GB ) for many photos , the download time to the computer is longer than the battery life . Consequently , an optional AC adapter and Multi Conversion Adapter ( or an USB card reader ) must be purchased separately . - Battery life is good , but for loads of shots all day long , you should plan on having an extra one . - The automatic settings on the camera are fantastic , but when taking backlit pictures ( sunlight behind subjects ) , it is necessary to use the manual settings and I was often disappointed with the results . I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone who wants an easy to carry camera that takes excellent photos and even works well as an HD camcorder !
      • 189 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I find myself taking this camera with me everywhere to snap pictures of whatever interests me , spur of the moment . I mostly take pictures of my pets and things that interest me in my neighborhood . I usually see things and want to shoot them immediately , without waiting to fiddle with the camera . This camera powers on fast , and for most situations leaving it set to automatic everything produces a clear shot with true colors . This is just what I need to catch my pets in the act . The pictures are so sharp I can see every little hair in their fur . The flash is bright enough that I can get a sharp picture 10 feet away in dim light . The zoom is impressive - it's very fast and produces really sharp pictures . I tried one HD video , and played it on my computer . It was very sharp on my 24 LCD screen .
      • 192 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I dropped my 6 y.o . Nikon Coolpix in the ocean this past March . It made it through my kid's first 4.5 years , but the biggest beef I had with the thing was the slow shutter speed . Literally , people would smile , the flash would buzz , and they'd start walking away as the shutter finally fluttered . I'd tell them to wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . for it . . . . But I always got people after their expression changed . I got the ladybugs after they'd left the leaf . My kid's slow , cute , clumsy somersaults were executed well before the flash , and the video was often my only option to capture the adorableness . My shaky hands ( seriously , I could capture stuff on other cameras , so I knew it was mine that was so reactive to my shakiness ) caused LOTS of blurs . I got some good shots the day I dropped that thing in the ocean ( by accident . ) It ruined both SD cards , but I got them uploaded . I turned to my husband and said NOW can I buy a Lumix ? ? I'd had my eye on them for awhile . I got the red one . I love it ! I took it on a work trip , captured some great rainbow shots after a big northern california rainstorm . I took some close up of a scabiosa flower , and zoomed in , and caught a tiny little semi-microscopic mite in the middle of the pollen . My kid's smiles are caught in a fraction of a second . My hand shakiness is virtually unnoticed . I shot a duck on a pond about 500 feet away , and was able to zoom in to see the eye , and the feathers around the eye , and only these were slightly blurred . I love this camera . I love the zippy red , the ease of handling , the zoom , everything . Most especially , the shutter speed . To me , it's just magical . Great camera ! !
      • 197 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) While the camera itself is great , if it breaks down for any reason you are basically screwed . When my camera broke , I was never able to speak to a real person . Panasonic's automated phone line and web help both directed me to send the camera and all its accessories to their center in Texas . I shelled out $15 to send the camera back . I then received a letter telling me my warranty was rejected but that I could get a reconditioned camera that was about $50 below what I could I get the camera for on amazon . If you buy this camera I would HIGHLY recommend getting additional warranty protection outside of Panasonic .
      • 199 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) I wanted a 10 - 12x zoom capability without carrying around a big SLR type camera . After doing my research I got down to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 ( the ZS1 has a smaller screen so I took that one out ) , the Samsung HZ15W and the Casio EX-H10 . After reading reviews on c-net and elsewhere I ended up picking this Panasonic . I'm so glad I did . Aside from the 12x zoom ( which I've been playing with since I got the camera and it works great ) , I like the burst mode feature . This camera also takes great indoor pictures . I very much like the pictures in low light situations ( a vast improvement over my Sony Cybershot T - 77 ) . Unlike some others I don't believe this camera is pocket sized , maybe your jacket pocket but certainly not your pants . Like I said , I also own a the Cybershot T - 77 . THAT is a very small pocked sized camera but the pictures it takes pale in comparison to the Panasonic ( apples and oranges I know , but that's what I can compare it to ) . Overall I'm extremely pleased with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . It's comfortable to hold , the screen is bright , the pictures are excellent , there are plenty of options for taking those pictures , face recognition , burst mode and of course the zoom . LOVE the 12x zoom . Update , April 27 . It's been four months since I've purchased the DMC-ZS3 and I'm EXTREMELY happy with the quality of the pictures , the awesome zoom and the battery life . I'd purchase this camera again in a heartbeat and I've recommended it to several friends looking for a new camera .
      • 201 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I love this camera , it takes great pictures , and you can zoom while taking HD videos . Not many pocket cameras can do that . This is the best value for a pocket camera , without spending far more . Be very cautious ordering a backup battery for this camera on Amazon , or anywhere else . Although you will find batteries available , Panasonic released firmware that causes the camera to reject the alternate batteries , and will shut the camera down . Rude , and overkill on their part . I almost wish I had not purchased the camera due to this snafu . Amazon has nothing to do with this , and continues to be my favorite website for online purchases . Panasonic / Leica buyers beware ! Update - 6 / 2010 , six months after purchase I now have numerous fibers inside the camera , and am very afraid to recommend this to others . The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD seems to have a flaw , that allows dust to enter the lens barrel and accumulate on the lens . I have kept the camera inside the white cloth shipping bag inside its case , and the fibers caught between the lens and lens cover are all white . They have ruined the camera for me . In my 40 years of shooting , this has never happened to me . I have sent an email to Panasonic , waiting for their response . . .
      • 215 4  Text says IA does NOT function in movie mode . If you scroll up it says that IA DOES function in movie mode . Someone didn't proof read for content . Don't believe everything you read . FWIW . . . the camera still shows hand shakes in movie mode despite the software . It is NOT a steady cam . You have to use panasonic batteries ONLY , and of course panasonic makes them expensive . If you want to use ac adapter they charge you big bucks for the cables which are NOT included . Watch out for vertical lines when shooting video in sunlight . Even the owners manual cautions this behavior . If you want to watch your stills / videos direct from camera to HDTV you must buy panasonic HDMI cables which cost $ $ $ and are of course NOT included . When using zoom in movie mode you WILL hear the whirring gear noise . Get used to it . Digital zoom at HIGHEST magnification will get really close up but the images will be blurry so what's the point . LCD monitor display can be difficult to see in bright sunlight despite adjustments . Now that all that's out of the way , it is still a good camera that delivers excellent quality photos and videos with minimal manual adjustment . Flash could be better but I can live with it . I'm a scuba diver and use it for underwater documentation and by the way I had to go the EBAY Japan to get an underwater housing . Almost impossible to get any in USA without big bucks . All in all I actually LIKE the camera and would probably buy another if my original was damaged beyond repair . I just don't like panasonic's built in SCREW , misrepresentation of features , and blatant methods to extract more money from the customer . SHAME on Panasonic . I've lost all respect for you . Despite all of this rant , it REALLY is an excellent point and shoot tool , with nice features . Just thought I'd add my $ .02 cents worth so the potential buyer knows what you're getting into . If you're willing to put up with all of the above you'll enjoy it .

    • I'm a retired / recovered lawyer , who now runs a small web / print / new media design and technology consulting shop for other small businesses . I'm a reasonably competent ( largely self-taught , not a true expert ) Adobe Photoshop , Premiere Pro , and After Effects CS4 ( Windows ) user . I also consider myself a semi-advanced amateur photographer ( but who doesn't ? ) . The motivation for making this purchase is that I succumbed to my adult daughter's admiration ( and constant use ) of my Canon SD700IS and finally I just gave it to her . My wife would undoubtedly say that I engineered the whole thing so that I could buy a new , more advanced point and shoot with a longer zoom and better video quality / capability and that giving the SD700IS to our daughter was simply a vehicle for assuaging my own guilt about spending the money and getting her ( my wife of 30 + years ) to approve the transaction . Can you believe that anybody could be that cynical ? To me , the camera is a little gem of compact , useful technology / engineering . The fit and finish are very nice ( the equivalent of the SD700IS ) . I have not encountered the too loose problem with the mode-selection knob / wheel that others have mentioned ; however , I bought a recent shipment model from a well-known , reputable photo equipment reseller ( BH ) , which may account for the improved fit / action of that item . I am a long-time , reasonably loyal Amazon buyer , but I was able to get a better price from the other vendor at the particular time I was ready to buy . The 25 - 300mm ( 35mm equivalent ) 12x Leica zoom lens is just amazing for such a compact form . Subjectively , it's great little piece of glass that , coupled with effective auto-focus , consistently produces very sharp , well-exposed images with surprisingly little distortion for a such a compact , wide-tele zoom lens ( there are always trade-offs ) . There's a nice review of the camera and lens at DigitalCameraReview , which you may find helpful . As noted by others , the camera lacks manual shutter-speed and aperture settings / control ; however , in the Normal mode , you are able to manipulate various parameters of the camera's automatic functions , which I thought were fairly useful / intelligent . The no-brainer iA ( intelligent Auto ) mode seems quite effective as a fully automatic shooting mode , but I'll leave the full assessment of that to others who have used that mode under more / different conditions than I . If you like scene-oriented automation , other modes provide a veritable s * * tload of scene models to choose from . The camera has a macro capability and other goodies too numerous to get into here . The 1280x720 HD video capabilities of this compact camera are almost sure to bring a smile to your face . Although , certainly not the equivalent of a dedicated , high-end consumer video camera like the Canon Vixia HFS100 , the ZS3 produces sharp 720p HD videos with surprisingly good color balance and stereo sound ( for such a compact camera ) . Trust me , you won't be embarrassed to put your ZS3 - HD videos up on YT or on a widescreen dvd . There's been much discussion about the compatibility of the AVCHD-Lite video recording format with various editing packages . I can speak from first-hand experience that Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 ( with the 4.1 update installed ) WILL edit the AVCHD-Lite format natively . The non-RAM preview function is a little choppy ( even on a pretty powerful computer ) , but the Premiere Pro editing function is more than serviceable and produces nice , smooth results at AVCHD 30fps / progressive sequence settings and comparable h .264 / . mp4 output . I haven't tried the other available AVCHD settings / outputs , so I can't comment on them at this point . My understanding is that Sony Vegas Pro 9 , too , natively handles the AVCHD-Lite format ( others may as well ) . If your software doesn't handle that format natively , take a look at VoltaicHD by ShedWorx and / or HandBrake ( open source ) , which claim to convert AVCHD-Lite files ( the . mts files located in the AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM folder ) to other , more editing-friendly formats . I can't comment on the included Panasonic software , because I haven't installed / used it . Also , there is a camera firmware update ( ver 1.2 ) currently available at Panasonic's update site , which , apparently , prevents non-compliant batteries from being used in the camera . Wish-list : a little faster zoom and focusing speed while shooting video ( I'm not sure , but at this time the ZS3 may be the only compact point & shoot / HD camera that zooms / focuses while shooting HD video ) . More manual controls would be nice ( not a deal-killer by any means ) . The battery life ( subjectively ) doesn't seem all that fantastic , although DigitalCameraReview places it in the top-tier of comparable battery-camera combinations . All-in-all , this is a very nicely made , super-zoom , compact p & s camera that produces great images and surprisingly good HD video that , taken together , seem well worth the purchase price . UPDATE : Thanks to commentator , Matt Eye , for pointing out that the Samsung HZ10W and HZ15W , like the ZS3 , also allow zooming ( and presumably focusing ) on the fly while while shooting HD video .
      • 003 4  I have a pro friend who got a review copy of this for a couple of days . He let me use it for one of them , as he hasn't shot with a point and shoot in a long time . I ordered my own within the first hour . What a camera . The zoom on this baby is amazing . It has a true wide angle and a long reach . Photos on both ends of the reach are sharp and have good color and saturation . I almost drooled when I printed out the samples . They are flat out the best point and shoot jpegs that I've had the pleasure of taking . Raw files would be nice but aren't available , nor is much in the way of manual exposure control . As a bit of a control freak , I thought that would be a problem but honestly , Panasonic's smart mode selection is brilliant at getting good , sharp exposures . Focusing is fast , even in low light . Flash seems fine , neither superior nor awful . I took 400 images and a short movie on my first outing and the battery still had some juice . It also has fast and accurate face detection . Holding the camera in my hand , pointing it in the general direction of people on the street without being obvious got consistently good focus . Oh , the image stabilization works very well , too . The camera is just small enough to fit in a shirt pocket but unless you're wearing heavy denim it's just to heavy to be comfortable there . It slips fine in a vest pocket or jacket , though . Point and shoots have definitely improved in low light performance since I bought my last one . I got perfectly usable shots at 400 ISO . A little noise touch up and they print fine at 11x14 . At 1600 ISO you can still get a usable Flickr sized image , again with a run through a noise processor like Noise Ninja . It has a new video mode that uses half the memory of the normal mov files that it also supports . But finding where they are on the card is a bit of a treasure hunt the first time . They are also a pain to process . I ran a conversion program to turn them into H .264 format . That makes editing much easier . Do that first thing . You can even run the optical zoom while shooting movies , though focus can be a bit slow . Videos are much better than those from the Flip that is all I own for movies . Great zoom , great photos , great lens , reasonable size , scary accurate automatic mode switching , wow ! . If it had a bit more manual control it might be better , then again , I've got a few hundred really nice images . So no complaints .
      • 006 4  To get the best photos , you obviously need an SLR and some great lenses . Hmm . Well , I have an SLR and some great lenses , but I tend to leave them at home when I go on a trip . So I bought this TZ7 ( which is what it's called in the UK where I got mine - the ZS3 is exactly the same camera ) to take with me when I can't be bothered to take my SLR , which is nearly all the time . The TZ7 ( ZS3 ) is small enough to go in a jacket pocket , or to hang unobtrusively from your belt . But is it good enough for anyone used to the quality of an SLR ? For me it is good enough , as long as you adjust your expectations . Which you have to do when you have such a small camera with a 25 to 300 zoom . Try getting a 25 to 300 zoom for an SLR ! Even more amazing is that it's a very decently sharp lens . It's a little bit less than razor sharp at the extremes of the zoom range , but almost all my shots came out nice and sharp ( but not too sharp , meaning the camera isn't over-processing things ) . So the lens is good , and since the lens is the TZ7 ' s party piece , that's a good thing . Next on the list of killer features is HD video . This is 720p video , not ` full ' HD , but what do you expect ? The great thing is that you can use the optical zoom while taking video , which is rare in these cameras . It zooms slowly so the noise of the zoom isn't picked up by the microphone but works very well . You get stereo sound too , and the quality of the sound is way ahead of any camera like this I've tried before . You might think that you wouldn't get proper stereo with microphones so close together , but it does a decent impersonation of it . Videos look pretty good , with the image stabiliser smoothing things out even at full zoom . Hold it carefully and it looks like you're using a tripod . You will need a decent computer and graphics card to play HD video though , or a compatible HD TV . You may need to buy an HDMI cable since you don't get one in the box . The next great thing is the LCD . It has 460,000 pixels and looks fantastic . It even brightens and dims automatically depending on the ambient light . If you know what you're doing you can use the good smattering of ` manual ' features to good effect . I'm not talking about changing the aperture or shutter speed , but you can adjust exposure compensation , bracketing , white balance , ISO etc . You can set auto ISO to not go higher than 400 or 800 , which is useful since things look less than great above ISO400 . If you can't be bothered with all that , set the mode dial to iA ( intelligent auto ) and leave everything to the camera . It works remarkably well , and you'll see the symbol change in the top corner of the LCD to tell you what scene it thinks you're taking . It even automatically goes into macro mode when set to iA . But I use mine mostly in standard mode , and I keep the ISO to 80 for the very best results . One of the best things about the TZ7 is the superb auto exposure system that gets the exposure spot on in an amazing variety of challenging situations that would completely fool my other cameras . Reliable auto-exposure , top-notch image stabilisation , really quick and accurate autofocus , a great LCD . . . these are the things that give you the confidence to pack the TZ7 as your only camera on a trip . There must be downsides though . . . mustn't there ? Not many , to be honest , unless you expect the unreasonable , like good performance at ISO1600 , or in very low light . The TZ7 doesn't overcome the laws of physics . But minor niggles for me are that there's a physical switch between record and playback mode , so unlike some cameras , you can't just half-press the shutter to get to record mode if you're in playback mode . Also , I'd prefer to have the metering options in the quick menu , which is otherwise very useful for changing settings . Actually , there is one other thing , and it's the battery . The TZ7 uses a battey with a Panasonic microchip in it . If you want a spare battery , and you probably will , since battery life is just average ( HD video seems to sap battery life quite quickly ) , you'll have to buy a proper Panasonic one , and they're quite expensive . Third party batteries won't work , at least for now . I nearly knocked off the fifth star because of this . But the bottom line is that the TZ7 captures sharp , well-exposed images pretty much all the time with the minimum of fuss . I like mine very much indeed .
      • 014 4  First , I want to preface this by saying I mostly shoot with a professional dSLR , so to me , Image Quality is the most important aspect of photography - - but I will be the first to say that there are times that I would never lug around a dSLR - - to an amusement park , a family picnic , a night out with friends , a weekend at the beach , a walk with the dog . . . I had been using a Canon G9 as my backup camera for point-and-shoot situations , but over the last couple years I have had many situations where it has been just too heavy and as cumbersome as bringing along my dSLR . . . I looked at the G10 , which was even heavier and even bigger ! . Hm . . . . Having played around with several top of the line compact point-and-shoots , and having even bought a few of them and returned them , there was nothing that I deemed high Image Quality until I read all the reviews on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 coming out of Europe and Asia ( who had it before we did under a different name ) . . . I couldn't want to try it - and BOY was the wait worth it . This camera produces far and away the best Image Quality I have ever seen on a small point-and-shoot that is lightweight , small , and has an amazing 12x zoom . It's 1 / 2 the size of the Canon G10 . But the real test came when I took the camera to a weekend at Cedar Point and got daytime as well as nighttime shots that were simply stunning . While you can't really set any of the manual settings , there are plenty of shooting modes , but right out of the box , the camera has the smarts to just take great photos - auto setting the ISO , auto setting the shutter and aperture settings as needed , and just having a knack to produce sharp and brilliant jpg photos ( there is no Raw setting for those who want it - - I don't so I am perfectly happy ) . Photos of neon lit roller coasters and LED light strewn trees at night just looked amazing , all hand-held , all just a snap . Putzing a bit with the scene modes gives you a little bit of creativity with flash - - but it's hardly necessary . This camera now stays in my work messenger bag 24 / 7 for photos on the fly . It simply has stunning IQ , photos are sharp and well exposed , and I can not recommend it more . Re-reading this starts to sound like an advertisement for the camera ! You can read through my reviews and see that I primarily shoot only with Nikon equipment , occasional Canon equipment . This Panasonic camera is just a total surprise . It shouldn't be - since people have been touting how great Panasonic's point and shoots have been for years to me , but seeing is believing . I wish I could give it 6 stars . Nothing else compares . One word of warning : the camera is massively underproduced so it is out of stock most places - - look around and you should be able to find it - don't pay the over-inflated prices that some people are gauging because they know how popular this camera now is , and are asking 4 - 5x the asking price . The list price is 399.99 - - anything over that is price gauging . I got mine through pre-order , and paid about 349.00 for it through a reputable dealer .
      • 017 4  Leica is famous for the quality of their lens designs . A 24mm super-wide angle lens provides a much greater field of view than the more common 35mm wide angle lens . A 24mm ultra-wide lens makes it possible to take interior photos that show a large portion of a room , or to take architectural photos of entire buildings , even in tightly packed urban areas . The problem is that Leica's famous 24mm super-wide angle lens costs about $3,500 . But , now Leica has designed a 25mm to 300mm zoom lens for the Panasonic ZS1 and ZS3 which has even LESS visible distortion ( bowing of straight lines , such as doors and window frames ) and vignetting ( darkening of the photo's corners ) than does Leica's famous 24mm lens . The Panasonic DMC-ZS1 and DMC-ZS3 share a superb Leica-designed zoom that provides outstanding performance from the super-wide 25mm range , through to the 50mm normal range waaay up to very long telephoto zoom of 300mm . . . and the lens provides excellent color and contrast in every part of that very long range . There are NO zoom lenses or digital cameras available at ANY price level that will outperform the Panasonic ZS series for ultra-low distortion , rich colors and excellent contrast throughout the entire ultra-wide to long telephoto range of the ZS cameras . The Panasonic ZS series cameras are designed to be easy to use . Putting them in the intelligent auto mode enables the camera to make all of the decisions . You simply zoom in on your subject , press the shutter very slightly to pre-focus , wait a second to see the focus confirmation dot , then press the shutter to take your photo . The camera will automatically switch to the macro mode if you are taking a photo of something a few inches from your lens , it will recognize a person's face and switch to the portrait mode for natural skin tones , and it re-adjusts the ISO level and shutter speed to match the lighting conditions for each photo . Outdoors , the intelligent auto mode delivers consistently fine photos with natural color tones and contrast . The photos are sharp due to Panasonic's auto stabilization mode , which makes it possible to get hand-held photos that are tack sharp , even at the full telephoto range of 300mm . WARNING : Flash photos tend to be mediocre unless you are careful . The intelligent auto mode is most effective in with subjects that are very close . . . about three feet to six feet from the camera . Beyond six feet , many flash photos are darker than most people would prefer . The solution is to switch to the manual mode , and select a higher ISO of 200 or 400 . The flash results are best in a well lighted room . However , the tiny flash , and a mediocre indoor white balance results in flash photos that are too dark , and with skin tones that are off . As a indoor flash camera , the Panasonic is average . . . or even less than average . Panasonic provides many scene options , including a night mode that takes beautiful time exposures in dim lighting . I took some night mode shots in a dark coffee shop without flash that perfectly recreate the mood of the dimly lighted room . Also , in the manual mode , users can set the maximum ISO they want to use , and set the minimum shutter speed they prefer . So , for a sports photo , you can chose to use ONLY shutter speeds of 1 / 250 of a second or faster to freeze the action . Or , you can switch to the sports mode , and the camera will select a fast shutter speed , and lock the focus to keep subjects beyond about 16 feet away in sharp focus . The manual options give users dozens of ways to tailor their photos , including ways of fine-tuning the color balance . The instruction book uses 140 pages to detail all of the options for every type of photo . It is worth an owner's time to work page by page through the entire 140 pages to learn everything this camera can do . But , MOST people will be happy to simply put the camera in intelligent auto mode and let the camera make all of the decisions . With just a hour or two of practice , anyone should be able to obtain fine photos consistently . Digital noise is always an issue with pocket sized compact digital cameras . However , with the ZS cameras the digital noise is well controlled . In an 8 x 10 inch enlargement , it would take a very keen eye to see any noise in the ISO 80 to ISO 200 range . At ISO 400 , a small amount of noise be visible in an enlargement , but only if you are looking for it . For people who are fanatics about reducing digital noise , the ZS enables you to select an auto mode that locks the ISO to the 80 ISO to 400 ISO range , or you can lock the ISO at 80 , 100 , or 200 for low noise photos . In bright sunlight , locking exposure at ISO 80 results in photos that can match up well with those from $3,000 pro DSLR cameras . The battery will last about 300 photos without using the flash , depending on how much time you spend reviewing and editing them , and about 200 photos if you use the flash for half your photos . The battery gauge tell you how much power is remaining with three segments followed by a flashing red warning . The battery charges in two hours or less . WARNING : The size and shape of the LS cameras make them VERY easy cameras to drop . It would be wise to ALWAYS wrap the strap around your wrist BEFORE you pull the camera out of its case . The LS will fit into a jacket pocket , but it would be better protected in a case . Cameras this nice , with such an astounding zoom lens deserve being treated with care , and a padded case is an inexpensive way to protect your investment .
      • 023 4  For sometime now I have been in the market for a point n shoot replacement for my wife's Sony Cybershot DSC-W30 which turned out to be a complete lemon ! Two thirds of the photos made with the sony were out of focus . Also the standard default 50mm angle of view is just plain boring . So after looking around for one with ultra wide angle capability I selected the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . The wide angle capability ( 25mm ) is spectacular . It opens a a whole new perspective on the point and shoot camera . The images just have a spacious quality to them that really grabs your attention . And the wide angle allows for and extra creative element to your photos . The LCD is very high quality . It's a generous 3 inches and is absolutely outstanding in it's color and clarity . The camera is small and compact but has a very solid and quality feel to it . Seems to be all metal with exception of the battery / SD chip cover . The photos I have taken so far have turned out excellent , super clear and sharp .
      • 024 4  Simply an amazing camera . Amazing pics , especially in low light ( where so many digitals fail ) . Can't go wrong with Leica lens . Lighting-fast start up . Shutter lag ? ? ? What shutter lag ? ? ? There is none - the first digital camera I have used that feels like a film camera - point at the subject , press the button , take a picture . Why does that seem so hard ? Intuative controls - pretty much no reason to read the manual . Compact size . Things I love : a ) amazing pics - true to life color and light and beautiful resolution b ) easy to use right out of the box c ) can take stills in 16 : 9 aspect ration for beautiful scenery pics d ) video in HD AND zoom while videoing ( very few cameras offer this option ) I am a former pro-photog ( many years ago , during film age ) , exclusively used Nikon F2 and Leica M4 . I have owned a variety of digital Nikon , Olympus , Canon , as well as sampling friends ' digital cameras . I had gotten to the point where I expected never to be impressed by a digital camera - as convenient as they are , they just don't render images with the detail that film does . I am now admitting I was wrong - this camera renders images so true in color and resolution , I would have thought I took them with my Leica . I have been reading some of the negative reviews about grainy indoor shots and poor low-light shots . I think I have an idea why some users have experienced this . No pics are going to look good or be free of grain or noise above 400 ISO . DO NOT USE IA ( intelligent auto ) feature - in low light it will automatically use higher ISO and you will end up with grainy , noisy pics . Instead , use normal mode and go to menu - intelligent ISO and select ISO 400 max . I just tried both modes side by side - with IA and flash off in a semi-dark room , the ISO was 1250 . Using Normal mode and ISO 400 max , the aperature and shutter speed adjusted and the resulting pic was much sharper - incredible difference . User error will get you every time ! A bit more expensive than your average digital camera , but so worth it . If you are looking for a simple camera for pics of kids and vacations , you can spend less , but you will not find better image quality . If you are a frustrated digital user who can't understand why a digital can't seem to take a decent picture in extreme conditions ( low-light , for example ) , or want digital images that rival film images - you have found your nirvana . I would wager that this compact camera stacks up to the digital SLRs costing many hundreds more .
      • 028 4  My family and I own five other cameras - all Canons , from their little Elph to a high-end DSLR . My wife thought I had changed religions when she saw the Panasonic / Leica Lumix . I take a LOT of pictures . I have a color-calibrated monitor and printers and a 5000 ° K ( color ) room , with special paint , lights and carpet . In other words , I am PICKY ! I wanted a camera I could take everywhere , and use everywhere . That meant that PORTABILITY was my number one criteria for this purchase . The camera HAD to fit in shirt pocket or pants pocket . Than means that the lens had to retract with a cover , like it does on the Lumix . That said , the question was , How good of a camera can you get in that small package ? The answer is , UNBELIVABLE . The most important thing for any photographer in a camera is the optics ( glass , we call it ) . The Leica lens has to be the most sophisticated lens in a camera this size . Although the motorized lens folds flat into the body , it has 10 elements ( pieces of glass in the lens ) , including three aspheric surfaces and two made out of extra-low dispersion ( ED ) glass . A couple of years ago a single piece of aspheric glass in a lens meant that lens would sell for $800 or more . In other words , Leica used amazing new technology inside this lens , which is why the pictures look so amazing . I can't say enough positive about the picture quality from this small camera . For most people , the most important thing in a point-and-shoot camera like this is USABILITY . What that means is getting the pictures you want with the least amount of fuddling around . It is one thing to read a list of 50 features before you buy ; it is quite another thing to hunt through dozens of tiny , cryptic menus to figure out how to turn off the flash , or whatever . It is in creating a new standard of USABILITY that I think Leica / Panasonic deserves an award . The buttons are easy to get to and despite their size , they have confident feel with a real click . And they are LABELED ! The on / off switch says , ON OFF . There is a dedicated flash button and a dedicated delete button ( with a high contrast picture of garbage can next to it ) . There is a dedicated movie button , although I won't be taking any videos with this camera . The menus are in ENGLISH . ( Can whoever decide that reverting to Egyptian icons from written language be taken out and cut into 10.1 million pieces , please ! ) The menus use color intelligently , and are in type on the 3 LCD screen large enough for people to read without putting on reading glasses . The most important features are the fastest to get to . Somebody talked to real photographers in designing the user interface . There are too many well-thought-out usability features to list here . For example , the top knob has two programmable positions where you can store your favorite settings . I love that ! For me , the feature that triggered my purchase decision was the ability to record five or ten seconds of audio annotation with each photograph . If you are at a party , you can speak the name of the person after you take the shot . If you are on a trip , you can name the location . This , for me , is HUGE ! I have to talk about the zoom lens . Obviously , 12X optical zoom is unusual . Most photographers don't like zoom lenses because the sacrifice in image quality is too great . However , the optical quality out of this camera is AMAZING . The wide-angle setting is unusually wide . I have used it liberally . The word is , FUN . You can shoot in a crowded room full of people and get every single person . You can shoot a big scenic and get all the mountains , lake , sunset - - everything . You can shoot a puppy's nose from three inches away . All wide-angle lenses suffer from a problem known as chromatic aberration , which means that at the corners of the picture you get green and purple fringe around objects . This lens does not do that . I don't know what magic they used . Panasonic includes an optical image stabilizer . I have used this feature in the past on my high-end DSLR , and it is magic . However , until this camera , I had never seen it work well on a small camera . I have taken some ultra-zoom pictures that came out 100% sharp . I haven't done enough testing to know the limits of stabilizer , but under average conditions the results are AMAZING . There is macro capability , which means the lens can focus as close as few inches . I took a photo of a bumble-bee . Battery-life . We went on a three-hour hike . I had the camera on nearly all the time , with the display on , and the flash forced on , and the lens in auto-focus . One hundred photos later , the battery showed two-thirds left . Your mileage may vary , but I think that kind of battery life is amazing . And yes , I always carry a spare , charged battery with me . The camera does not come with accessories . Plan on buying : a soft case , an HD-SC memory card ( the faster the better - look for a minimum speed of 6 ) , and an extra battery . The camera has a tiny amount of internal memory - I could take about nine photos with NO memory card installed . So I could play with the camera while I waited for my later purchase to arrive . Thank you , Panasonic . I should name some negatives . There is one big one and one small one . The big one is that the LCD is not visible in sunlight . Nobody has an LCD that fixes this problem , yet . But I wish they did . There is no viewfinder , so for outdoor photography you are pretty much blind . I know you can buy sun-shades , but you shouldn't have to buy some after-market , glue-on band-aid to this problem . And , you need more than a sunshade to see the screen in daylight . The small problem is that there is no raw mode . Us picky types like to adjust contrast and color in post-production software . A camera like this goes to a lot of trouble to give you an acceptable picture with no tweaking . The camera does a good job , but I like my sky blue , not white . I have found a work-around , but what I really want is , raw . The user manual is printed paper and well written . Very well written . My biggest complaint is that nobody makes a small case for this camera with a dedicated compartment for the user manual . I almost gave this camera a rating of 3 stars , just so people would read my review . But that wouldn't have been fair . You have to buy the products you respect so the manufactures build more good products like this wondrous camera , instead of the discount drek you see everywhere . Thank you for reading . I have never written a review longer than a couple of sentences before .
      • 029 4  I am a point and shoot kind of guy . Don't want to touch any button or dial but the ' take the picture ' button . I have had the TZ1 , TZ3 , TZ5 and now the TZ7 / ZS3 . After one days experience with the ZS3 I am in love with the Intelligent Assist computer in the ZS3 . It makes my pictures look great - even under difficult lighting conditions . And a bonus : I have never been tempted to even try video before but with it being so simple on this camera I found myself taking video of my father's 94th birthday and the video looks damn good , especially since I hand held the camera and shot inside under less than perfect lighting . Another bonus : The 21.5x zoom . This is going to get a lot of use . Color me VERY satisfied . PS : I am using Total Video Converter program to convert the video files to WMV format .
      • 031 4  The reason I purchased this camera was to use it for both pictures and video when I don't want to carry my DSLR and HD video camera . It is a mistake to compare it to either , rather it is more fair to compare it to other P & S cameras available in the $400 price range that are capable of video . 1 . Still Camera Features : The AF modes and multi-point AF tracking is quite good and allows you to get the shot . This is probably the best feature of this camera and hats off to Panasonic for doing this right . However , comparing to Canon P & S , the AWB and color balance is definitely lacking . It is particularly bad when shooting in ambient artificial light , but outdoors it is a little bit better , but not much . If RAW shooting was permitted , this could easily be fixed . For such a good lens , the picture quality of the files don't hold up well to the Canon G9 , it just seems to lack fine detail . Now again , you could say I'm being picky , but remember I'm comparing it to other P & S and I would think that this camera's shots should be comparable to say the Panasonic LX3 or a Canon G9 . 2 . Video Camera Features : The AVCHD Lite will NOT work on a Mac with iMovie , which is the best inexpensive video editing software available , that comes standard on all Macs . You have to use Motion jpeg which takes up more memory card space and you can only shoot in 15 min . increments . The zoom feature while doing video is nice , but it is slow to auto focus . Finally , this camera is made in Japan and is solid and has a good feel . It is small enough to fit in a man's shirt pocket or a woman's small purse . The 3 LCD screen is nice and you can see all of your settings on it . In the real world price vs . performance is key and you can't have everything . That said , this camera is more appropriately priced at $300 and would then merit 4 stars . At nearly $400 , for what you get , 3 stars is the best one could give it . EDITED 26 OCT 2009 ( updated from 3 - stars to 4 - stars ) : 1 . AVCHD Lite format can now be read by iMovie 09 on all Macs . It works great , and although I didn't play the video on a large screen , on a 24 LCD monitor the 720p video looks good . The microphone pickup is quite good too . On a 16GB SD card you can get well over 2 hours of video , but battery life is eaten up even without zooming so actually getting continuous 2 hours is not possible . 2 . Setting a maximum ISO will help in reducing noise , particularly chroma noise , but it will drop the shutter speed too low where image stabilization becomes less useful . 3 . The price is now approximately between $270 - $290 which makes this P & S camera a better deal , but if you have to spend full retail , then research what the alternatives are since color balance is an issue . For the money , its a good deal .
      • 035 4  I've had a variety of great digital cameras , but recently found myself wanting / needing a compact , super-zoom , HD video camera . The choices came down to the Panasonic ZS3 and the Sony CyberShot DSC-H20 . Hands on is the only real way of determining which is best for a person , so I bought both to do a direct comparison . After a week of comparing these two cameras in daylight , low light , night shots , and video here is MY conclusion ( individual mileage may vary . . . ) : I'm keeping the Sony H20 ; it has to be one of the most underated cameras being sold today . I'll only summarize at the end of this review why it is so much better for me than the Panasonic . But now for some specifics about the Panasonic ZS3 . Pros : Great screen Optical zoom while video recording Small size Wide angle lens ( 25 - 300mm ) Excellent IA mode High quality video Cons : Terrible low light and night shot capability Very poor strength flash Inability to alter shutter speed / aperature Poor color reproduction ( compared to Canon and Sony ) Focus when zooming during video not very accurate or rapid . . . even when continuous AF and Pre-AF have been turned off ( or on for that matter ) Excessive noise at telephoto end unless bright sunshine Can't use 3rd party batteries as a backup with the 1.2 firmware update which my model came with No fluorescent light white balance The Panasonic ZS3 is not a bad camera ( It was better in some ways . . . video primarily , than the Canon SX200is ) , but it's picture quality is not up to some of the Canon and Sony models I've used . I've also owned the Panasonic TZ5 and came to the same conclusions . The biggest problem for me however , was the dismal low light capabilities . I'm not trying to shoot in the dark , but I'm also not always in a small room and close to the subjects where the flash MIGHT work . I like to use the camera at concerts and in cities using the ambient street / sign lighting . The Sony H20 on the other hand has EXCELLENT low light and night shot capabilities ! Also the video is just as high quality , you can optically zoom during video recording , and the focus seems quicker during zooming . You have an abundance of manual controls in addition to an IA mode that seems just as smart as the Panasonic ZS3 . And the final point in favor of the Sony is the image quality comparing identical pictures taken under the same lighting , time , zoom , etc . conditions was much better with the Sony , especially at the 5 - 10X zoom level . The noise level was much less even at ISO 800 with the Sony . The cons for the Sony would be the lens cap , slightly larger camera thickness , and the not so wide-angle lens . However for me , the wide-angle lens issue did not bother me as I rarely take any type of group pictures needing a super wide-angle lens . Remember , that's how I use a camera ; this may not work for you , but don't count out the Sony because of that . Control responsiveness and shot to shot speed was similar in both cameras . Both cameras have excellent build quality . Battery life was similar . . . around 250 pictures with 30% of that using the flash and 30 minutes worth of video . Hope this has been helpful and at least gives you some things to consider about you camera needs .
      • 037 4  I waited everyday until it's release , then purchased as soon as it became available . I believe it sold out in about a day and I am so very happy I purchased this camera . I really love the Nikon D90 , but for the active person / everyday camera , this camera is the one to get . When I go backpacking , go to work , wherever , I take this camera with me everyday . If I want the shot of all shots , I will use a SLR . But most often , I want to take home some pretty photos and memories . I am not going to write a technical review here , because they are everywhere on the web . The purpose of this review is to inform people who may be considering to purchase this camera is that they will not regret the purchase . I was tired of my other point and shoot camera as the 5x zoom was inadequate for any close up ( Casio Exilim 7.1MP ) . It is a nice slim pocket camera , but the photo quality was satisfactory at best . This panasonic camera has the best selection of variability for a point and shoot camera as far as wide : zoom ratio with optical lenses , and good MP . This 10 MP takes more clear / pristine photos than my girlfriends 12MP camera . She loves my camera and would like one for herself . I find the auto selection plenty adequate . So look , if you want a camera that can produce excellent photo quality for clarity and color and you just want to have fun and not overthink every shot , this is your camera . If you want a camera with the manual controls and have the ability to control every aspect of your photo , go with a DSLR . Of course it is ridiculous I would compare the two . What I am saying , is if you want great photos without having to go to the expense of a Nikon DSLR , you want ease , functionality , and practicality , this is a great choice and one I researched for many months before it's anticipated release .
      • 043 4  I've had this camera for 4 months now , and overall I'm very happy I purchased it ( even at the time for $369 ) . But , though it takes respectable photos , I think I might have had higher expectations than I should have . I also own a Nikon D40 DSLR and the ZS3 ' s photo quality and versatility really doesn't compare , especially in low light . But , I can't fit the D40 in my coat pocket . I can't shoot HD video with my D40 . And , I can't match the convenience and portibility of the ZS3 with the D40 . Essentially , these two cameras compliment each other nicely . The PROS of the ZS3 : - Small . Not miraculously small , but small enough for a coat pocket or little bag . - Solid Construction . A nice weight and sturdiness . It feels really nice in the hand . - Excellent photo quality in daylight . Really nice looking photos up to 200 film speed . - Optical Range . 25 - 300mm equivilent . Honestly , 300 is more than enough for me ( I'll break out the DSLR if I'm doing some nature stuff that requires 300mm ) . But , every once in a while it's handy . It's the 25mm that is vital , especially for small rooms or spaces . Or , if you have a toddler coming at you really fast . I find it's a huge advantage compared to the other super-zooms . - HD video . The quality is exceptional for a camera . Additionally , it does relatively well in low light conditions - or indoors . The ability to zoom optically is very useful . It's extremely convenient . I absolutely love this feature . I'd almost be happy with this camera if it only took video ! - Impressive iA / AUTO feature , if you don't want to think or are handing the camera to anyone who hasn't used it before . The CONS of the ZS3 - Very few manual settings . No setting Apeture . No setting Shutter . Though , you can set Film Speed which is nice ( I tend to set mine to 80 - or max 200 - when I'm concerned about noise ) . It feels like the dslr Program setting in that sense . - Really confusing menu . My wife ( who's an excellent photographer , but doesn't use this camera much ) still can't figure this thing out . Heck , I still get disoriented figuring out where things are and when to press what . It's FAR from an intuitive camera if your not just using iA for everything . - Really bad low light color photo quality ( though I should note that low light video is pretty impressive ) . Lot of yellow fringing at high ISO's . But , more respectable ( and usable ) low light results when set to BW . - Really annoying toggling between Photo and Playback settings . Basically , after you take a photo you can only review the one photo that you just took ( without being able to zoom ) . If you want to review further , you have to switch out of Photo and toggle to Playback which closes up and shuts down the lens . It can be tedious and make you miss some shots . - Slippy Menu Dial on top . I read other people's complaints about this and thought them silly , but having owned the camera , I've discovered it is more than annoying . I've taken dozens of photos not realizing I slipped my camera onto a night setting by mistake because the dial is so loosy-goosy . How did I not notice ? See above - I didn't bother going to Playback to review because it's tedious and I didn't want to miss any action . - Battery life - even when not shooting video , this thing eats through batteries . If you are on a day trip , you'll have to be cognizant of your battery power . As of now it's hard to find affordable back up batteries . To review : The ZS3 is pocketable and can take some fantastic photos , especially in good light . Just don't expect photo miracles - It's still a point and shooter , though a better than average one with pleasing results overall . The miracle on this camera is in the video . I love the video on this camera and find it easy , convenient and excellent in quality .
      • 045 4  I got the ZS3 for my wife as we have been very pleased with the quality of construction of the former models which we had ( TZ3 and TZ4 ) . However when i received it i noticed that that the construction quality was definitely not in the same league as our former TZ3 and TZ4 cameras : ( The battery too was MADE IN CHINA compared to the former Made in Japan batteries : ( We have barely used it for 2 weeks and yes the picture quality was definitely better than the TZ4 by a mile . The video was also great and the stereo mics gave much better voice quality than the previous model . The custom mode also allowed you to tweak options that allowed some level of control for creative photography and non flash photography . The high ISO quality was also much improved over the former models . However the saddest part was that the lcd screen just cracked , and the outside screen has no damage indicating that the quality of the lcd screen inside is very poor . Seems like Panasonic has dropped its legendary quality which has made it famous in the P & S superzoom market : ( I am hoping to send the unit back to amazon for replacement since this happened without any drop or misuse and there is no damage outside . Searching on the Internet showed that this was a common problem with the ZS3 ( also called TZ7 ) and the problem seems to be in the lower part of the lcd unit . Many users have got the screen replaced based on the fact that its an issue with the construction quality as the outside glass like cover has no damages , though Panasonic has in some cases refused to honor the warranty and asked over 150 $ to replace the lcd ! ! ! which is ridiculous . Check flickr for images of damaged units posted by other customers of the same camera . The issue is not with the external cover outside , so pasting a screen protector is of no use since the crack come in the lcd panel that is inside ! Once this happens the screen also has vertical purple / pink bars that completely shuts of any photography capability since you only have the lcd to focus ( as there is no viewfinder in this camera ) . I contacted Panasonic support and seems they do not respond to customer issues , and will now have to depend on Amazon's customer support ( whom i am told are much better thankfully ) to get a replacement since i am still within the return window . UPDATE > Amazon was VERY very prompt and shipped a replacement the very next day i started the return process . The kept me fully updated of the process . Superb stuff amazon . Panasonic support finally woke up and agreed to provide a replacement unit as well as long as the unit was within the 1 year warranty period , the only difference being that they will only provide a refurbished item . However my confidence in the build quality of this model is now low , and would most probably be switching to the new Sony HX5V as the ZS7 seems to be going on the marketing line and forgetting what made the lumix compact superzooms so great .
      • 048 4  It seems like I get a new digital camera every year or so . . . and I can finally say this is the one I've been trying to buy for years . For years I've been trying to find a digital camera that is : small , fast , long optical zoom , good video quality , small enough to fit in a pocket , has great lens quality , and has image noise patterns I can live with . This camera has all of that and more . Some of the pluses to my list above include the Intelligent Auto mode that does a frighteningly good job of choosing the best settings for the scene , face recognition ( something I thought I'd never use , but does make popping off snapshots a breeze ) , and the wide angle lens . I've just started house-hunting , and a wide angle lens is crucial when photographing interiors of houses . The ZS3 doesn't have many manual settings , but it sure makes up for it with automatic Scene settings , and there are so many that you're sure to find one or two that will work for almost any circumstance - especially when this camera is used for snapshots and on vacations . I'm a graphic designer & illustrator and have worked with all the major camera formats since the 1980 ' s , so I have some basic standards I look for in both professional grade cameras and snapshot cameras - and the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 comes in a clear winner for snapshot cameras .
      • 050 4  This camera is a great package , and other reviwers have done a great job highlighting the features of the product . The positive aspects of this product are quite clear . I will highlight a few deficiencies that I think merit concern : ( 1 ) The LCD screen is very fragile . Mine broke under normal usage , and while panasonic replaced the camera , they sent me the wrong color replacement ! ( 2 ) The white balance is often wrong : This is the deal breaker . It often casts a bluish / purplish overtone to the pictures . Its a well known problem , you can search the web to find out more . For some strange reason , many seem to just ignore this fault . Admittedly , it can be corrected in post-processing , but why bother with that when many other cameras do so much better ? Panasonic needs to issue a firmware update , then I would give the product 4 stars , and with a more durable screen , I would give it 5 ( after all , you buy a compact also for its robustness ) !
      • 051 4  Let me start by saying that I did quite a bit of research before I bought this camera . Prior to buying the Panny ZS3 , my other digital camera buys had all been been Canons ( Rebel XT and XTi , various lenses / flashes , and a Powershot SD700IS Elph - - all fine digital cameras ) . My background : I'm a retired / recovered lawyer , who now runs a small web / print / new media design and technology consulting shop for other small businesses . I'm a reasonably competent ( largely self-taught , not a true expert ) Adobe Photoshop , Premiere Pro , and After Effects CS4 ( Windows ) user . I also consider myself a semi-advanced amateur photographer ( but who doesn't ? ) . The motivation for making this purchase is that I succumbed to my adult daughter's admiration ( and constant use ) of my Canon SD700IS and finally I just gave it to her . My wife would undoubtedly say that I engineered the whole thing so that I could buy a new , more advanced point and shoot with a longer zoom and better video quality / capability and that giving the SD700IS to our daughter was simply a vehicle for assuaging my own guilt about spending the money and getting her ( my wife of 30 + years ) to approve the transaction . Can you believe that anybody could be that cynical ? To me , the camera is a little gem of compact , useful technology / engineering . The fit and finish are very nice ( the equivalent of the SD700IS ) . I have not encountered the too loose problem with the mode-selection knob / wheel that others have mentioned ; however , I bought a recent shipment model from a well-known , reputable photo equipment reseller ( BH ) , which may account for the improved fit / action of that item . I am a long-time , reasonably loyal Amazon buyer , but I was able to get a better price from the other vendor at the particular time I was ready to buy . The 25 - 300mm ( 35mm equivalent ) 12x Leica zoom lens is just amazing for such a compact form . Subjectively , it's great little piece of glass that , coupled with effective auto-focus , consistently produces very sharp , well-exposed images with surprisingly little distortion for a such a compact , wide-tele zoom lens ( there are always trade-offs ) . There's a nice review of the camera and lens at DigitalCameraReview , which you may find helpful . As noted by others , the camera lacks manual shutter-speed and aperture settings / control ; however , in the Normal mode , you are able to manipulate various parameters of the camera's automatic functions , which I thought were fairly useful / intelligent . The no-brainer iA ( intelligent Auto ) mode seems quite effective as a fully automatic shooting mode , but I'll leave the full assessment of that to others who have used that mode under more / different conditions than I . If you like scene-oriented automation , other modes provide a veritable s * * tload of scene models to choose from . The camera has a macro capability and other goodies too numerous to get into here . The 1280x720 HD video capabilities of this compact camera are almost sure to bring a smile to your face . Although , certainly not the equivalent of a dedicated , high-end consumer video camera like the Canon Vixia HFS100 , the ZS3 produces sharp 720p HD videos with surprisingly good color balance and stereo sound ( for such a compact camera ) . Trust me , you won't be embarrassed to put your ZS3 - HD videos up on YT or on a widescreen dvd . There's been much discussion about the compatibility of the AVCHD-Lite video recording format with various editing packages . I can speak from first-hand experience that Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 ( with the 4.1 update installed ) WILL edit the AVCHD-Lite format natively . The non-RAM preview function is a little choppy ( even on a pretty powerful computer ) , but the Premiere Pro editing function is more than serviceable and produces nice , smooth results at AVCHD 30fps / progressive sequence settings and comparable h .264 / . mp4 output . I haven't tried the other available AVCHD settings / outputs , so I can't comment on them at this point . My understanding is that Sony Vegas Pro 9 , too , natively handles the AVCHD-Lite format ( others may as well ) . If your software doesn't handle that format natively , take a look at VoltaicHD by ShedWorx and / or HandBrake ( open source ) , which claim to convert AVCHD-Lite files ( the . mts files located in the AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM folder ) to other , more editing-friendly formats . I can't comment on the included Panasonic software , because I haven't installed / used it . Also , there is a camera firmware update ( ver 1.2 ) currently available at Panasonic's update site , which , apparently , prevents non-compliant batteries from being used in the camera . Wish-list : a little faster zoom and focusing speed while shooting video ( I'm not sure , but at this time the ZS3 may be the only compact point & shoot / HD camera that zooms / focuses while shooting HD video ) . More manual controls would be nice ( not a deal-killer by any means ) . The battery life ( subjectively ) doesn't seem all that fantastic , although DigitalCameraReview places it in the top-tier of comparable battery-camera combinations . All-in-all , this is a very nicely made , super-zoom , compact p & s camera that produces great images and surprisingly good HD video that , taken together , seem well worth the purchase price . UPDATE : Thanks to commentator , Matt Eye , for pointing out that the Samsung HZ10W and HZ15W , like the ZS3 , also allow zooming ( and presumably focusing ) on the fly while while shooting HD video .
      • 053 4  Like many here , I looked at many cameras and read many reviews before deciding on this one , so I thought I should ' pay it forward ' and share my impressions of the Lumix DMC-ZS3 . The upshot is that , to me , this is the only camera on the market that successfully - - and at $240 , affordably - - combines : - - a high quality Leica lens - - 12x optical zoom - - HD video capability - - intelligent autofocus - - pocket-sized portability I was in the market for a point-and-shoot , because I realized that I was missing a ton of good shots simply because I rarely break out my Canon DSLR . I love my Rebel XTi and its ability to use $1,500 zoom lenses and polarizing filters . And like many , I had considered myself a Canon loyalist prior to purchasing the Lumix . But even with my Lowepro easy-open sling bag , the memory of carrying that thing all over the streets of Dublin last summer made me admit that I needed to find a compromise . But in my heart , I suspected that a compromise would pit portability squarely against image quality , and that I would be using my new P & S exclusively at drunken office parties . So I began my research into the P & S category pessimistically . It seems that most people these days seem to be content with taking horrible pictures with their cell phones , and most compact cameras seem to be marketed along the lines of fun new colors and have names like Coolpix ( shudder ) . And the thought of buying a camera from Panasonic ( over Canon no less ! ) , well , that didn't make much sense to me . But I couldn't ignore the hundreds of rave reviews , or its status as a top seller on Amazon , so I grudgingly checked it out . The single biggest differentiator , for me , was the Panasonic's incorporation of a Leica lens ( an absolutely brilliant move on their part ) . Even decidedly amateur photogs like myself are aware of Leica's stature . Leica is to cameras , what Ducati is to motorcycles . So when I repeatedly read reviews that compared the Lumix's image quality favorably to that of Canon's SX200 , I was open enough to the possibility that I decided to see for myself . Since unwrapping the Lumix two days ago , I have taken roughly 300 pictures . And while it struggles somewhat in low light ( a handicap that is shared by every digital I've used ) , the clarity , color balance and warmth easily rivals my DSLR . In fact , at the risk of betraying my photographic naivete , I would be hard pressed to tell the difference in most shots . Beyond the pixel metrics and histogram comparisons , the Lumix produces images which possess that ethereal ' photographic ' quality which I have found elusive among digital cameras . It's hard to describe , but shooting with the Lumix quickly felt warmer , more analogue , perhaps even more organic , than countless other digital camera experiences I've had . Ordinarily , I would chalk up those impressions to ' new buyer euphoria . ' But in this case , the Panasonic could've easily fallen short of this Canon-loyalists expectations . The fact that it instead exceeded them - - I foresee my DSLR's role shrinking further than expected - - is a testament to what relative newcomer Panasonic has done here . So , in short , I am extremely impressed and happy with my purchase . I've been using Adobe Lightroom 2 as a digital darkroom , and the results have been extremely impressive . In fact a few photos of my dog , after some tinkering and applying a selenium tone filter , are actually breathtaking . Its HD video capabilities , while not a core need for me , are nevertheless a core capability of the camera , and a simply remarkable bonus for a $240 camera . I do wish the files it produces were more universally manageable , but my initial impressions of VideoPad video editor ( free , but not included ) indicate that it won't be too much trouble . HDMI output is also a wonderful bonus . The camera's size , while certainly not as comfortable in the hand as my DSLR , is almost exactly the same size as a pack of Marlboro Light 100s , and thus can easily fit in my pocket ( presuming I quit smoking soon , as planned ) . The lack of an included case is easily remedied by the Lowepro Rezo 30 , which I almost buy because one reviewer said it was too small for this model . Ignore that review , as it fits absolutely perfectly , has great features , and runs about $11 . Of my only two complaints , the first is really a quibble : battery life . It's not horrible , but not praiseworthy either , so I would recommend a backup . Panasonic appears to have made its proprietary ' chipped ' batteries an issue here as well , so - 2 for that . Ny other complaint is the camera's lack of total manual control . There's no messing with the f-stop and shutter speed here , so you have to trust the Lumix's ability to make smart decisions . Thus far , I'd have to say that it makes better decisions than I probably would , and while I don't like creative control being taken away from me , I confess that most of my creative efforts are better expended in post-processing . So there's my review . At $240 , the Lumix is an extraordinarily robust mixture of performance and portability . For those looking to give their necks and shoulders a break from their DSLR , this packs 90% of the performance into a 7oz . package .
      • 058 4  Great camera . I liked it a lot - it took really nice photos and movies , looks nice , easy to use , good . Or at least , that was my initial impression until after having it for about 8 days , the lcd screen developed a whole bunch of blurred , distorted lines and a black section . Making the lcd screen , and hence the camera , useless . And i have not dropped it , or really manhandled it in any way - unless keeping the camera in a bag with just itself is manhandling when i took it down to the park for some photos , or leaving it on a shelf is somehow manhandling it . And that's pretty weak if so . I don't know what the camera problem is , the lcd screen itself isn't cracked in any way , but whatever is under it is very very broken . [ Aside ] Called amazon , and they put me through to jewellery repairs team , who weren't there . So that was . . . um , not very useful ?
      • 059 4  I'm returing the Canon . I've historically enjoyed Canon camera's ( I owned an S3 IS ) . I completely agree that the Canon is capable of taking great pictures by tweaking the settings but I needed something that I could hand off to my wife or a friend to snap a quick picture and have it turn out well . For some reason , in auto mode , the Cannon SX200 jacks the ISO to 800 for an indoor picture . In addition , I found the pop up flash to be a neat concept , but in the end , annoying . I agree with the other reviews about build and video quality of the ZS3 . This is a nice , versatile camera and it seems noticeably smaller than the TZ5 . I print many 4x6 pictures out on my Epson printer so print quality is important to me . The ZS3 has not disappointed me .
      • 061 4  I bought the ZR1 and was extremely Disappointed . So I decided to return it . Then I ordered for a ZS3 considering that it has been in the market for quite a while and that its reviews are quite positive . After I recieved the camera , I fell in love with the camera general performance . However , the screen seemed to flicker with a specific pattern everytime I turned it on from the first time . then within a week the LCD failed and the screen seemed to be cracked from inside with the same pattern as that of the beginning . I am really sad as I liked it very much . MANY people seems to have this problem with this camera and I believe this is a major manufacturing defect . Update : : : : : sony HX5v is out . go to imaing resource . com to compare the newer zs7 to hx5 . HX5 rules ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
      • 062 4  I purchased the DMC-ZS3 as a traveling complement to when I don't want to lug around my Canon EOS 5D and assorted lenses . I've had the camera for over five months now and have taken it on two cruise vacations totaling twenty-tree days . Pictures are very sharp . Color rendition is good to excellent . Noise becomes noticeable above 400 ISO , but that's the nature of such a small sensor and anyone bothered by that is not using the camera's incredibly small size to full advantage . To compensate for the noise , I set maximum ISO to 400 . When I need to take available-light photographs , I find the small ZS3 perfectly suited and balanced for placement on steadying objects . Then , setting the Mode Dial to Normal Picture Mode and using the two-second shutter release delay , I depress the shutter release and wait for the camera do its thing . When balancing the camera on a stationary platform is not possible , I stand with my back to a wall , column , or any other stationary surface , reach over my head , brace the camera , and snap the shot . Try doing THAT with a full-frame DSLR . As for the complaint that the camera has no manual mode , just how much control does one need ? The ZS3 comes with controls for ISO , white balance , and limited control over exposure time and aperture ( if you understand how to get to them ) . That in conjunction with an astounding twenty-three Scene Modes ( including the best panoramic setup I've ever seen on a camera ) gives even the most experienced photographer more control than they will likely ever need during most snapshot applications . The only thing required to get the best out of this camera is a thorough understanding of the owners manual , which I went through twice immediately upon purchase , and have gone through twice again just to maintain familiarity with everything this camera has to offer . The only things really lacking in this wonderful package are : no RAW capability , battery life is limited at best ( get a spare ) , built-in flash limited to between ten and fifteen feet , no built-in sharpness control , no filter capability ( and I love polarizing filters ) , and limited color saturation and correction control . In exchange for giving that up ( most of which can be post processed anyway ) , you get more than adequate snapshot capability with an incredible 25mm - 300mm ( 35mm equivalent ) focal length in a moderately fast f3.3 - f4.9 lens , all in a package you can fit in your shirt pocket . A single 8mb SDHC will get you almost 1,400 photographs in standard 3 : 2 photo ratio ( 9.5mp ) and only slightly less in the 10mp 4 : 3 TV / Monitor ratio . The camera will also take 9mp photographs in 16 : 9 HD Screen ratio . Bottom line : Great snapshot camera for when you don't want to lug around your full-framed DSLR and assorted interchangeable lenses .
      • 064 4  . . . that basically sums up the camera . This thing does everything and it does it all well . I was looking for a good point and shoot that would handle HD video . I have to say that I am blown away with the quality of this camera . First , it feels fantastic . Very solid and buttons are set up nicely . Second , still shots are amazing . Not only are they clear but when you have the camera tuned in to your shot the color and contrast is about as good as I can get with my DSLR . Lastly , the video is incredible . I really still have a hard time believing that this camera is so much better than my SONY camcorder from a couple years ago . I did have a brief issue importing the video into imovie 09 . It seems that the version I had ( 8.0.2 ) didn't handle the AVCHD properly . Fortunately , a quick update via Apple's website solved that . For those with the same issue you need imovie 8.0.3 update which is available for a free download . [ . . . ] I am very pleased with this purchase and would recommend anyone in the market will also be pleased .
      • 066 4  I got this camera and really liked it but in less than three months , it developed a severe problem ( A dark crescent on every image ) . I returned it and said I wanted them to either fix MY camera or give me a new one . I did not want a refurbished one . They have changed their policy . They do not replace your camera for a new one even if you have used it less than three months . I really didn't want a camera someone else had used . That is why I paid for a new one when I bought it . I spent considerable time trying to get Panasonic to change their policy for me . Not possible . I will not buy another Panasonic camera . Remember when you could buy refurbished cameras for less ? Their policy is about Panasonic's bottom line , not about being fair to consumers . I am guessing that they are having manufacturing problems if they needed to change to this policy . Buyers should be aware .
      • 071 4  My wife had purchased a Panasonic point-and-shoot in the past , and frankly , the image quality was fantastic . Now , truth be told , I have too many digital cameras ; I have some very nice DSLR's and some standard Canon point and shoot , and a tiny little Casio that is so portable . But what I was looking for was a point and shoot with an extreme telephoto to wide angle , reasonable size and HD movie capability . I was traveling to a race , and I wanted to take all the kinds of shots my DSLR would take , but without the bulk . And this camera does all of that . Whatever processing Panasonic applies to the pictures , things really pop on the screen . It's almost hard to take a bad picture . It's beautifully made , and you can set up modes that can be customized to what you need . It's well thought out enough that you can actually get deep into the camera without a manual . Is it perfect ? Oh no . First of all there are two major flaws that detracts from the camera significantly : first the battery life is poor . You get about 100 photo taken and you can see you're running out of juice . I've tried all kinds of tricks , reducing the view-screen time to minimal , have it shut off very aggressively ; there's simply no way to have the battery last the entire day . Normally , you'd just buy another battery , but this actually has some sort of chip in the battery which will not accept anything other than Panasonic batteries . And what's worse , original batteries are hard to find and expensive when you do . The other flaw is that shutter lag is long for a camera in 2009 . This will affect action shots ( like races ) . You should also realize that unlike other high end cameras , the Panasonic does not let you set either shutter speed or aperture ; instead you choose from many modes and adjust specific parameters . I don't think this is worse for just snapshots , but it's a mind-set change . The good outweighs the bad however . Unlike the Canon line , this actually has a very usable 720p video mode , and it has stereo microphones . The pictures are fantastic when you stay within the parameters the camera was designed for , and physically , the camera is rugged and solid feeling . It's good at what it does , but the battery issue ( both life and availability ) should be considered in your choice .
      • 072 4  I bought this camera mainly because I seriously HATE not being able to take non-blurry photos at concerts . So far , I have only taken it to an outdoor amphitheater concert ( i assume indoor concerts would be even harder to take ? ) where it performed beautifully . everyone who has seen the pictures have thought that I had great seats . not really . i was up in the stands but with the zoom on this baby , it seemed like i was much closer ! the guy next to me asked me about the camera because he was impressed . look , bottom line , this is cutting edge stuff , and it's going to be worth the $400 . stabilization is awesome for those concerned about that when zooming ( even with optical only , i had doubts ) . but no more ! the HD video is also pretty awesome . compared to my past concert footage , wow . . night and day . . LASTLY , i would like to say , ? ! ? to everyone who has complained about the lack of manual controls . i was almost going to pass up on this camera because ppl were discussing this ' deficiency ' profusely . but umm . . no ? this camera lets you manually control everything from EV to shutter speed to WB . granted , some features like high ISO will lock up the use of other controls , but i had no issues with that . i got great concert photos with 2MB pix ( i was running out of space ) . i almost want to say ' overall ' , but i think ' through and through ' is more apropos . this camera is worth the buy !
      • 074 4  I considered this and the Canon SC200IS . I went with the Panasonic and am convinced that I made the right choice . Couple of things that I had issues with . Make sure the SD card is Class 6 . Shooting full quality HD video quit because the older cards I had could not keep up . Older cards are great for pictures . Biggest thing I did not care for on the Canon was the pop up flash . The Panasonic is a very solid offering .
      • 076 4  I can only hope that I am not going to come across as a salesman . I have no connection whatever with Panasonic and they are not paying me for this review in any way shape or form . That being said , I LOVE my new camera ! I have had it a little more than a month now , and I truly believe it is the best camera on the market today . It's got a 3 inch LCD with 5 step brightness adjustment , HD video capture and incredible sound quality , a burst mode that seems to take about ten shots a second , the best optical image stabilization around ( so that even if you've got the shakes from too many nightcaps and have the thing set on maximum zoom , you will still get a crystal clear picture ) , a 25mm wide angle lens with 12X optical zoom and up to 21.4X extra optical zoom ( which , no matter what you might read or hear , really does work - just set the camera to a lower megapixel resolution and you will get more zoom ) . It's got two scene modes that you can set your scenes to so you just spin the dial to MyScene 1 or MyScene 2 and take a picture with whatever scene you prefer . I have one of mine set to burst mode and for the other I have it set to panorama assist mode , which is awesome for taking pano shots ( which I do a frequently ) . All this and it's got excellent picture quality that , in all the reviews I read , was consistently ranked among the best picture quality in the business . In fact , every time I came across a top five or ten list of cameras , this camera was always somewhere in the list , which should say quite a lot . Plus , it's red ! ! ! ( At least mine is ) . I should also say that , at least compared to the cameras I have owned and operated before , the menus on this one are extremely easy to use and make a whole lotta sense . Most of the controls are pretty much just where you might want them , too . The one exception I could name to this would be the button that records video , which is right where I want my thumb to be when I am carrying it around . Consequently , I have ended up taking a number of unintentional videos . The things that are lacking , in my opinion , would be the in-camera panoramic mode that allows you to actually stitch a panoramic scene together without having to put all the shots on your computer first . However , the panoramic assisst mode that it does have is worth a whole lot more since it lets you line your shots for a pano up perfectly . The one scene mode it lacks , in my opinion , is one for taking shots of things behind glass , though honestly I have taken several shots of things behind glass with the iAuto mode and it seems to work totally fine . Lastly , I really wish it had a viewfinder , but then I guess they would have had to make it bigger , and I probably wouldn't want it any bigger . At this point , it's right about the size of my wallet and fits into my front or jacket pockets just fine . I have read that the rechargeable battery has a somewhat shorter lifespan than most , but I really wouldn't know from personal experience . Some of the cool features it has is a scene mode that actually slims or plumps up the people you are photographing . I didn't realize at first what it was for and took some shots of my already very skinny self and was quite alarmed when I looked at the pictures on the computer ! It also has not only color , B & W , and sepia , but a cooling and warming mode that lends a blueish and reddish quality to the pictures respectively . And it has one mode that turns all your pictures or video grainy . Not really sure how I would ever use that , but it's still kinda fun to know that it is there . Oh , and it has a special setting on the dial that allows you to take pictures of documents or whatever that you might want to have stored in your camera ( and can access or erase at any time ) . I used this once to take a picture of my school class schedule for the semester from the computer screen when I couldn't figure out how to print it out . Saved time and paper ! Also , it comes with an AV cable so you can hook the camera right up to your TV and play video or a slideshow right from your camera ! I have just a couple of recomendations if you do decide to buy this camera . First is that you might wanna get a screen protector for your LCD . It's really nice having the large 3 inch screen , but , unfortunately , I scratched mine on some rocks in Sedona the very first week I had it . The second recommendation I have is that you buy nothing less than a Sandisk Ultra II memory card . The camera specifies that for HD video you should have a card with at least 10 mbps . The Ultra II , with 15 mbps , is what I use and it has worked great . I only mention it because I had trouble figuring out which card to get . Ummmm . . . anyhow , that's all I can think to say other than if you buy this camera , I really don't see how you could be disappointed . Cheers !
      • 078 4  I've had the camera for a little over a month . I bought it as a backup for when I didn't feel like lugging my DSLR around . On paper it's great . 12x zoom , image stabilization , HD video , cool look and feel and compact for all it offers . The problem for me is image quality . I didn't expect it to be incredible . Even with somewhat low expectations I was still disappointed . Noise is the main issue . Even in daylight with low ISO some shots seem to have some serious noise and graininess . It's not just in the shadows either . There is color noise , especially with yellows and greens . I also found the exposure and white balance to be hit and miss . I played around with all the settings and modes and took hundred of pictures . It just doesn't cut it for me . There's just a certain grainy look to all the pictures . I'm really surprised at all the rave reviews . The image quality of my 4 year old Canon A620 ( which I sold to get this ) blows the ZS3 away . I have to admit that I am probably more critical of image quality than most . It is a point and shoot camera geared towards using the auto settings . It may be that the consumer this is targeted at is not as critical as I am , although I have seen even some casual users mention some of the same things that bothered me . I will be selling the camera and replacing it with something that has better image quality . On a side note , the battery situation is riduculous . The software only allows for a genuine Panasonic battery to be used and it was very challenging to find any in stock . It chews through a battery pretty quick and it's a necessity to have a second as backup .
      • 080 4  For a long time , I assumed that Canon made the best cameras . I have had Canon ultra-zooms ( and have posted good reviews of some of them ) and Canon Elphs ( with mixed reviews ) . Panasonic and Lumix were not even on my radar screen until I saw one that a friend had ( a prior model with 10x zoom ) . Being the rather impulsive person I sometimes am , I purchased both a Canon SD940IS and this Panasonic ( DMC-ZS3 ) . To me they are roughly in the same class , although to be fair the Canon SD940 is a lot smaller . However , for practical purposes , they are both pocketable point-and-shoot cameras . The Panasonic surprised me and beat the Canon in every way except for size ( see my Canon 940 review ) . I sold the Canon and kept the Panasonic . What do I like about the Panasonic ? - Intelligent Auto almost always gets it right . If I want to take a picture but don't want to think about the settings , Intelligent Auto works better than I have ever experienced on other cameras . - The 12x zoom . I often forget that it has a 12x zoom because it is not as bulky as cameras that have a long zoom . The zoom is very nice , and even at full zoom the details are very clear . - Very nice , high-resolution LCD . The resolution and size of the LCD makes it easy to compose pictures and a pleasure to review them . One downside is that when I took pictures on a sunny day the display was hard to see . There is a setting for the display that may help and I've ordered a protector that may cut down on glare . I don't have enough experience with the camera yet to know if this is going to be much of an issue . - Thoughtful and useful features throughout . Just one example ( out of way too many to list ) is multi-aspect bracketing . With wide-screen computer and HDTV displays , it's hard to keep track of what aspect ratio to use , and depending on what a photo is used for , viewing on HDTV , wide computer screen , printed on certain sizes of photo paper , who wants to decide in advance whether to use 4 : 3 , 3 : 2 , or 16 : 9 aspect ratio ? Even though I have a minor in math , there are just too many other details in life to try to keep track of . The multi-aspect function takes a single photo and saves it in all 3 aspects so that whatever aspect is later needed is available . This kind of thoughtfulness shows up in many other features . - Very accessible menus for quickly applying settings . - Great movie recording features - - dedicated button , new format for longer videos as well as a more common format . Video quality is better than what I experienced on the Canon SD940IS - - much more stable . - 25mm wide angle . Recently cameras have been offering 28mm wide - - this camera takes it a step further and goes even wider . This is a camera that I can honestly say that I will probably be using for several years , rather than upgrading more frequently , that satisfies my need for both an ultra zoom as well as pocketable point and shoot , and that exceeds my expectations both in terms of features available as well as the consistently excellent pictures that it produces . Five stars from someone who is usually very critical of products I review .
      • 081 4  After watching the last couple of generations of TZ cam from Panasonic I finally bought the ZS3 . One of the prior complaints about the TZ cams ( and Pany cams in general ) was the way they handled noise reduction . Prior Pany cams smeared lots of detail away . W / the most recent generation of cams Pany has really improved handling of noise reduction and much more detail is retained . Compare sample images side by side w / other cams ( especially Canon's SX100 [ . . . ] ) . So that was a plus for me . There's still noise for sure , I'm not comparing this cam to a dSLR but to its peers that I've owned and / or used . On that count I think the ZS3 is a great cam in general due to overall feature wealth and capability . Other p / s digicams may do better in a certain area but not overall . The fantastic range from very wide ( 24mm equiv ) to 12x zoom combined w / multiple aspect ratios is lots of fun for playing with composition as well as having practical flexibility . . The optically stabilized 720p video w / zoom and AF enabled is wonderful ! better than any video implementation in any other compact digicam yet . My PS3 reads the AVCHD video straight from the card for playback on my TV . BTW the PS3 is a fantastic slideshow presentation device controlled from the game controller . In an outdoor setting zoom and AF really improve the quality of video . The audio pickup is sensitive to wind and seemed to be better at times capturing surrounding noise rather than what was in front of me . If there isn't much audio the focusing is barely audible . If there is audio its imperceptible , hidden under the more present sounds . AF during video can lag if there is an abrupt distance to subject change . But its still ok and much much better than the nothing in most other dicam video implementations . The ZS3 is fully automated to the exclusion of any manual control . This is fine if you just want to point and shoot but basic control is lacking . In any case I decided that the overall combination of features and my intended use out-weighed missing manual controls . Intelligent Auto seems to work pretty nicely and the intelligent exposure is nice to sort of improve dynamic range a bit . Regarding automation , it can be a maze at times trying to understand how selecting one mode impacts automation in other areas . The manual covers this for the most part with lots of notes , but its still a head scratcher in the field when i select one mode which results in another being grayed out . And I disagree with some of the button logic Pany chose , like the button sequence to enable then lock the focus point for focus tracking is more cumbersome than i think it could be . Nicely , Pany has constrained how the ZS3 selects ISO in auto in that it tries to use a lower ISO to keep noise lower . Other p / s cams seem to go for the highest ISO possible . On that end there's a manual ISO setting as well several settings for limiting ISO while allowing the cam to set ISO under that limit . The focus tracking works pretty well for larger subjects that move in a mostly predictable manner . It would be nice if the font size of display elements were smaller to reduce screen clutter . The Mega OIS works really well . Using full 12x zoom I've taken pics at 1 / 4 second hand held that have been quite sharp even when enlarged on screen . I've used 12x zoom and the extended optical zoom outdoors , no flash w / sharp results there . Its not a for sure proposition , but the MegaOIS really improves the probability of sharp images . I wish the macro could focus closer than the 0.1 ft . But at least at that range the lens does not cast a shadow from the flash . And with 10Mp of resolution macros can be enlarged to reveal detail . The ZS3 does seem to tend towards underexposure indoors w / flash ( and the subject was close enough for the somewhat underpowered flash ) . In the end , its really pocketable , with a great lens and takes good pictures w / well controlled noise reduction ( compared to peers , not DSLR ) . Video is fantastic . But control is via tweaking automation rather than direct manual control .
      • 082 4  Great camera . I have had it for about 3 weeks and it's been everything I wanted and more . I used to have to carry my Nikon D70 with a 35 - 70mm lens and a 70 - 200mm zoom , and my high def video camera . All this required a large back pack which made me not want to bother with it . The lumix zs3 is the answer to all this . It does everything my old set up does but in a nice tiny little package . The optical zoom with image stability , the super wide angle , the hd video . . . . . it does everything very well . Takes great photos and video clips . The size makes it extra convenient so there's no excuse not to bring it along with you . It links up easy to a MAC or PC and the video clips automatically are viewed with quicktime player . No regrets . . . very happy with my new purchase .
      • 086 4  I own a Canon G7 and have been pleased with it , but I am tired of having to add attachments for wide angle and telephoto . ( I also use DSLRs at where I work for professional photo shoots . ) Canon's G-series cameras are great , but bulky and I wanted a smaller camera that would easily fit into a jacket or shirt pocket . I always research my purchases thoroughly and so having read at least a half dozen or more reviews of the Panasonic ZS3 and the Canon SX200 , including comparison reviews , I decided on the ZS3 . The optical zoom in video feature , and sharpness of the detail of the sample photos on the review sites , are what swung my decision . I ordered the camera from Amazon and waited a month for it to be delivered . Once I got the camera I tested it for several days . My first tests were indoor portraits and stills . These came out comparatively poor to what I was used to with my Canon , and the shots were just plain bad if they were done in low-light even with the night portrait setting enabled . The camera does not do well in low-light conditions , a problem compounded by a VERY weak flash . For example , if you are trying to take a photo in a room that is not well-lit , unless you get within a few feet of the subject , the camera's auto-settings will jack up the ISO and shutter speed to compensate for the weak flash and you will get a dark , noisy photo . I tried adjusting the limited manual overrides so it would not adjust the ISO above 400 , but the photos continued to come out noisy . I then broke out my monopod to help stabilize the camera . This helped quite a bit as the camera was able to lower the ISO and shutter speed significantly and the photos came out much brighter , but still not nearly as good as any Canon I had used . From what I can tell , the optical image stabilization on this camera is not as good as what Canon uses . I figure what Panasonic is doing is simply increasing the ISO and shutter speed to compensate for hand movement , rather than using optical stabilization . The result being dark , noisy photos in low light . As I had my old G7 at hand . I was able to take comparison photos from the exact same position and lighting and they all came out looking much better . OK , low-light interior shots are not great , but what about outdoor day shots ? I took the camera for a stride through downtown Dallas about lunchtime , and took a variety of shots , including some interior shots at a brightly lit restaurant . These all came out looking great . In particular , the sharpness of detail was excellent . However , late in the day ( about 7pm in late June ) I took some shots when the sun was lower in the sky , certainly not twilight by any means , but simply not direct sunlight . Now the shots looked like they had a blue film on them to me . The skintones of my subjects ( my family swimming in the pool ) were way off , contrast was low . Generally the shots look flat and lifeless compared to what I was used to with my old Canon . So I took out my Canon and in the same light conditions took some photos . They looked superb compared to the Panasonic . That sealed it for me and I decided to send the Panasonic back to Amazon . The next day I bought a Canon SX200 and was pleased with every aspect of the camera . Color balance of the photos is much better , contrast , powerful flash , good low-light performance ( for a point-and-shoot ) , and better build quality than the Panasonic . The video on the Panasonic was better than the Canon , not only could you optically zoom , but I think the video may be just a little sharper . So if video is the most important feature to you , then the Panasonic would be the better choice . I would also say that , if your subject is very well light , you may be able to get better detail out of the Panasonic lens on at least some shots . But in general in my opinion it is so difficult to get a really high-quality photo out of the ZS3 that I don't think this is a good enough reason to recommend it over the Canon . Summation : Pros : Excellent video quality Optical zoom in video Excellent photo detail in well-lit conditions Small and light ( fits easily in a shirt pocket ) Cons : Poor low-light performance Weak flash Relatively slow zoom ( the SX200 is faster ) On-camera software is primitive looking Color balance and contrast lacking Expensive considering the photo quality
      • 088 4  I am not a pro , don't own a SLR . I have been using Canon Point and Shoot Cameras last 10 years or so . I wanted a new small camera with HD capability and picked Panasonic ZR1 . After few weeks of use , i was not satisfied so returned it . I ordered ZS3 based on the reputation and all the customer / editor reviews and technical specs . I used the ZS3 at current vacation and took around 1h motion picture and around 200 photos with IA mode . Was i happy with photo quality ? Not really . . Photos did not have good saturation or exposure . They did not look sharp as well compared to my old Canon SD850 which i had for few years . I thought about returning the camera based on photo quality , noise at indoor photos especially . I ended up reading the manual twice and found some useful videos at youtube which explains Aperture , ISO and Shutter Speed . After experimenting for a day , took around 100 photos indoors and outdoors with different settings , finally managed to get photos to my personal taste from the ZS3 . Overall , once you learn the basics and set the camera correctly you will get great photos . I am now using normal mode and scenes when needed . I try to avoid IA mode , colors are not to my taste and sometimes ISO set seems to be incorrect by camera ( causing noise ) . With normal mode you can set the ISO , shutter speed , focus mode , color mode ( i like vivid ) and few other parameters and with correct settings photos will turn out great . IA mode seems to best to go when taking motion pictures as camera adjusts to correct scene automatically . If you are only using IA mode for photos , you might not get the best shot in all cases . This is the issue i had at first which was frustrating . Now i know more about the camera , what it can do and i am quiet happy with it . I like : 12x zoom , Wide lens , Size of camera ( portable ) , Lcd screen quality , Scene options , optical stabilization works very good I don't like : Location of dedicated movie button , battery life is average , very few manual control , no vivid color option with IA mode Overall , this is a very good camera in my opinion and i recommend it .
      • 094 4  Here is my background : I have owned over 20 point and shoot cameras and now shoot with Nikon DSLRs D300 and D40 and I also owned Canon 40D . I also owned Fuji F10 and F30 and S6000fd so I know that you are thinking between this and Fuji F70 / F72 and maybe also Casio H10 which is an interesting model . Here is my review : I owned TZ3 and TZ5 before and ZS3 is better . The quality of my concert photos and videos I've been getting with ZS3 is better . Here is why ZS3 is great : 1 ) for all intents and purposes you can place it in iA mode and it will give you a proper shot 99 out of 100 times . Don't need to fiddle with anything . Also useful when you give your camera to strangers to take your photo . They won't screw it up for the most part 2 ) ability to take concert videos and photographs . As TZ5 before it , ZS3 allows you to preset minimum shutter speed down to 1 / 250 in the normal camera mode . This is the most important feature you need because it acts as a pseudo-shutter priority . At 1 / 60 to 1 / 125 you will freeze people's movement on stage . And this camera is easy to sneak in to concerts because it is small . 3 ) AVC HD light 720p is the most advanced video format currently available for p & s cameras . It is amazing . the video quality is out of this world . You need to see it to believe it . And AVC HD Light videos can be natively burned to any regular dvd and then played by any blu-ray player . In fact , PS3 plays them natively off the card reader plugged into USB slot . Because Sony supports AVC HD Light format . ANd Blueray format does as well What is not so great ? The battery life is worse than on TZ5 which is a disappointment . The battery is smaller because they made the camera smaller . Unfortunately while I was getting 400 + photos at a concert routinely with TZ5 ( no flash ) ZS3 batter is at least 1 / 3 worse . I've heard that Fuji F70 battery is even worse . So I took off one star for poor battery performance . After Fuji F10 and F30 with its 600 shots per charge , this is not acceptable in my book . However , I feel currently this is the best point-and-shoot camera in its class .
      • 098 4  I am a long time photo enthusiast and even worked at it professionally for a while . My main camera is a pro-level Nikon with lots of lenses . I love that camera and use it whenever I can , but there are times and places where it's just too much to carry . I just finished a week long bicycle trip and kept the DMC-ZS3 in my jersey's back pocket for over 400 miles . It performed flawlessly . I have had the camera for several months now and can't find much to fault . The stills are the best ever out of a point-and-shoot , and the HD video is incredible . The video uses a codec which is still not widely recognized , but there are several video editing programs out there that handle it . For viewing , I use VLC media player which is free , fast , and solid . You may find that you need to upgrade your computer , or at least your video card , to handle HD video . My video card was only two years old , but it would drop frames and leave lots of digital artifacts . Plan on spending an extra $100 for that upgrade . As for shortcomings , the battery life is not as good as some other small cameras I have owned . Low light performance is iffy and the flash is pretty anemic , but I have never seen good low light or strong flash performance from any compact . I think the menus and controls could be more intuitive too . Features have been well covered by other reviews , but I can't overstate the usefulness of the extremely wide angle to long telephoto zoom on this camera . You will be able to get shots that other cameras simply can't make .
      • 101 4  I've had a lot of compact digital cameras . And I use them constantly - my compact camera is ALWAYS in my purse . Typically I take lots of photos of people , landscapes and food with it . I bought this camera shortly before a safari in Tanzania , drawn by the 12X zoom and HD video taking . I also brought a D80 with an 18 - 200mm lens and a D90 with 80 - 400mm lens . I wanted to use this little camera for quick shots , people shots , and movie taking . The photos taken with this camera as just as good as those taken on the DSLRs , the movies were fantastic ( and live zooming cannot be beat ) , and the camera survived 2 weeks in very dusty conditions . I am so pleased with this camera . Image quality is on par with the Canon cameras I have , most recently the Canon 870IS . And the videos are awesome - above and beyond the quality of the Canon . My only complaint is the mode dial . It's very loose so it gets rotated easily while in the camera case . I almost never take the camera out and find the dial in the position I left it at . Moreover , it can be rotated 360 degrees , and 1 / 3 of that has no modes . The dial should have been designed with hard stops at the first and last modes . Highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants a powerful camera in a small body .
      • 103 4  Well like most of you , I did a bunch of research on camera before I settled on this one . I looked at the Canon SX200IS and a couple of other Lumix's and the Sony H20 . What is really great about this camera is that it takes great pictures , especially in good to great light . I have owned this camera for over 6 months and I have made many 8x10 ' s , look perfect , and even a 16x20 , looks good , but not perfect . In low light , you have to change the settings to night or adjust exposure or put on a tripod to get ok photos . This , like most point and shoots , is limited in lower light . Yes you can use the flash , but then you have a bright subject with a black background . What you lose is the context of the picture , where it was , who was there , etc . So , if you play around with some of the other scene modes and adjust exposure and use a tripod you can , once in a while , get a decent shot . + ' s 1 . The burst function works great , very fast . 2 . The sports scene mode works very fast , too ( great capture of jumping on trampoline / pool shots ) . 3 . A great night scene for capturing your house with lights on at night . 4 . HD video works well in good to great light . Mini HDMI out is great and a must . No special cord from Lumix to buy , just a regular mini HDMI / regular HDMI cord . 5 . Very good picture quality with the ability to expand photos to 8x10 and 11x14 with stunning results . 16x20 if you have really good light . 6 . One touch record button right by your thumb for HD movie . This is great so you do not have to search for it when you want to record movies . It goes back and forth between photos and movies seemlessly . 7 . Good quality construction . - ' s 1 . As some state , you have limited control over settings . What you need to do is change the scene mode to compensate for different settings with some exposure control , white balance , bracketing , flash , and ISO control manually . 2 . Battery life is decent , but not great . The good news is that the battery charges pretty quickly about 3 hours or so . 3 . Noise when zooming in and out in HD movie so I compensate by setting the zoom first , then I hit record for the movies and then move forward or back to adjust for that . For $230 you cannot beat this camera . If you need anything more than this camera , then you need a DSLR - which I am getting . I love this camera and everyone is extremely impressed with the photos that it can produce . Even once I get a DSLR , I will still use this camera often . Rather than carry a camcorder and a DSLR , you can carry this and get awesome photos and movies - assuming good to great light . I have reached the limits of this camera and need some more control over aperture , shutter speed and other things that this camera is not set up to provide . Having said that , what this camera does provide is very good and quite easy to use . Do yourself a favor and get an Extreme III SDHC card at least a class 6 .
      • 105 4  I have owned the ZS3 for a couple of months and could not be happier . Its portable . I carry it in a little lowepro case on my belt but its also quite pocketable . Its quick to start , focuses quickly and writes reasonably quickly to the 8 GB SDHC III card . There is a delay between the picture and writing . I don't find it an issue , the cycle is very brief . The menus are easy to use and most needed functions can be accessed through the quick menu associated with a particular mode . Flash photography is easy enough and its easy to select the flash mode for auto , fill flash , red eye reduction , or forced off etc . with the simple push of a couple of buttons button . Equally easy to access is the self timer mode , macro AF and exposure compensation . Image quality has been outstanding both indoors and outdoors , I am pleased with the tonal balance . Outside in bright daylight I like to force it to 80 ISO and I love the shots that turned up with that particular setting . Those pictures that turn up slightly underexposed indoors because of flash range issues , are easily fixed with the supplied panasonic software as is red eye . Autofocus works well and rapidly even in very dark conditions . The camera has a AF assist lamp . Practically speaking pictures print beautifully at 4x6 and I have printed pictures at 8x10 that I am very pleased with . Most images in 4x3 mode when shot at 10 Mp come in between 4.5 to 5 Mb . It also has options for 16x9 and 3x2 mode . Burst shooting mode is useful even with the reduced MP count . I have taken night shots of city scapes that have worked quite well but I need to get back home , upload and print just to be sure . I wrote this from my hotel room in Lima , Peru . I love the 12x zoom from 25 mm to 300mm . The video is useful in a pinch and I like the ability to capture it on a single small portable unit . Its a bit difficult with such a small unit to keep on the subject but I expect this will work itself out in time as I get used to it . The mode dial does move easily but its not a big nuisance for me . The camera tells you if its in the wrong position , its fixed within a fraction of a second . I have never knocked it out of position while shooting . Its only when I stuff it in the camera bag that it gets knocked out of position . Pratically I got what I paid for , its a great PS . I purchased it for its pocketabiltiy , its zoom lens , 10 MP ( on the right sized sensor ) to get good pics , the built in IS and ease of use . I got all of that and am quie pleased .
      • 110 4  This camera is great and I'm glad I bought it . It is very small , but equipped with good lens which includes a x12 zoom . The camera is easy to use so it's great for older people too who just want to use the auto mode most of the time . The HD video is what made me buy this camera over its competitors becuase it is very useful and it also saves to AVCHD format . The only thing I find problematic with this camera is the high noise level in pictures , even in rather low ISO . Some pictures look very grainy and noisy and I fear it will damage the overall quality of the images I'm taking .
      • 115 4  For a point and shoot , this is an excellent camera . Quality construction , portability , ( fits right in my purse ) great pictures , amazing zoom . I bought this camera mainly for the zoom as it is 12 X optical . It was a bonus that it takes incredibly good video . Also great in low light . The 3 display is beautiful but in sunlight , it is hard to see . Purchased an optional mini HDMI cord and watched the video and stills on the HD t.v . Beautiful pictures . The manual for the camera is very good and the camera is very well designed . I cannot complain about the flash . I think it is does the job . I think the battery is a little weak . This is a problem with most video cameras . With other cameras , I have always had to purchase an additional battery if you use video . As recommended , purchase at minimum , a SDHC card 8 Class 6 . I got an 8 and it suppose to get about 1 hour of video . I will probably purchase another card and go for a 16 . The software is another story . Don't even install it on your computer . It is the worst . Find another software program that is compatible with your computer and AVCHD Lite . I haven't found one yet and not real happy that I can't play it on my computer . The manual which is on line also is the worst . If anyone who reads this , has figured out how to play your video with that software let me know . I purchased the DMC ZS3 for $238 about a month ago and now I see that it is up to $337 . I wouldn't have purchased it at that price . I really like the camera and no regrets . If it wasn't for the software I would have given it 5 stars . To add to this review . I deleted the Panasonic Fun Studio Software from my computer as it was horrible . I purchased the Corel Video Studio Pro X3 for $49 and it works great on AVCHD lite format and my 6 year old computer . I downloaded the trial version first and then purchased the Video Studio Pro X3 . I am totally happy . It also works with Sony Vegas . Sony Vegas is a more difficult program to use than the Corel Video Studio X3 . The Corel also looks better than the Sony Vegas . For more information on this great little camera , go to [ . . . ] and see all of the demos and videos taken with it . Seeing the videos will totally sell you on this camera . Amazing for a little point and shoot .
      • 120 4  Why , oh why did I not read the negative reviews on this camera before I bought it ? I got so wrapped up on the camera's capabilities and all the positive reviews I was sure it was the ideal camera for me . I take a lot of photos , just novice but am able to get decent shots out of my old Sony Cybershot DSC-W80 . I was looking for a bigger zoom and the HD video feature stood out on the Panasonic . First , the camera is not intuitive . Second , it is bigger and bulkier than I expected . There are a lot of non user-friendly features that I was unhappy with and the camera just didn't seem to fit well in my hand - - always bumped the dial to a different setting . I used the camera for two weeks with no real increase in picture quality compared to the old Sony . Then , all of a sudden , my LCD screen went bezerk . It had a rainbow of vertical lines that made the screen worthless and camera worthless since there isn't a viewfinder . I then went to the negative reviews and noticed that another user had the same problem and contacted Panasonic for warranty repair . After reading what happened to the other user though , I had very low expectations : The warranty department stated that NO EXTERNAL DAMAGE IS COVERED AT ALL . Regardless of the fact that my camera was clearly brand new , and that this was obviously some defect in the camera or screen , Panasonic was unwilling to stand by their product . Instead Panasonic stated We can replace your unit with a factory reconditioned unit . This product , its operation and its appearance is like that of a new unit and it carries a 90 day warranty . The cost would be an additional $135.50 for this reconditioned unit . So basically I would pay $535.50 for a reconditioned camera with a 90 day warranty . This is verbatim what happened to my camera . There was NO damage whatsoever to the camera but they claimed it was ABUSED and therefore not covered under warranty . I am completely outraged and have asked for my camera just to be sent back without repair . I told Panasonic I would rather spend the additional money on a new Canon SD800IS ( which is the one I was considering ) than to give a company with such poor customer service more money . I know a lot of people like this camera but BUYER BEWARE . . . you are screwed if you get a lemon camera . $400 down the drain . . .
      • 121 4  The perfect and ( almost ) ultimate digital camera . Three weeks in Europe taking wonderful pictures in almost pitch darkness , challenging sunset , harsh back-lit conditions and fast action shots proves that Intelligent automation has come of age . The ONLY quibble . . . lacks manual settings for speed and f stop , which , for the 1 shot out of 500 that the camera was bamboozled , I might have been able to get a better image . But for the most part - even for a camera loving tinkerer , leave it in auto and get out of the way . Leica lens , super wide angle , terrific zoom and great usability and controls will win anyone over .
      • 123 4  The Lumix ZS3 is an outstanding pocket camera , offering telephoto and macro capabilities , in addition to 720 HD video . Compared to other point-and-shoot cameras , the image quality is quite good . Pros . . . A lot in a pocket sized package . Great image / video quality . Macro setting is very good . Durable aluminum build . Auto setting works well ( except action shots ) . Cons . . . Few manual controls . You have to go through the menu to change shutter speed . You can't adjust the aperture . Telephoto image quality suffers . Macro uses digital zoom , and image quality suffers if you zoom in . As with most point-and-shoots , it is difficult to focus on smaller abject in the distance , or when that object is surrounded by other objects ( i.e . a bird in a tree ; the camera will tend to focus on the branches around the bird . ) . If you're looking for a pocket camera in this price range , this is the camera to buy . If you don't mind something a little more bulky , and $50 more , I'd recommend the Lumix FZ35 . The Lumix FZ35 offers many of the same features that the Lumix ZS3 offers , but has more manual options , a design that offers filter and conversion lens options , higher shutter speed range , great optical range , higher resolution , and more scene selections .
      • 126 4  I've been shooting family videos for nearly 25 years now . I've always tried to get the best video quality in the smallest possible camcorder - so I've had VHS-C , S-VHS-C , Hi8 , DV , and wide screen DV . I probably waited too long to go to HD because I'd gotten spoiled by the size of my latest DV camcorder , and didn't want one of the fairly large HD camcorders . And all the latest flip-style HD camcorders just didn't have the features I wanted . My wife told me to get a new gadget for Christmas , so I started looking at pocket photo cameras with big lenses . And that's when I found out I could at last get an HD video camera AND a great 25mm to 300mm 35mm equivalent zoom lens in one tiny package called the Panasonic ZS - 3 . All I can say is that this is the coolest camera I've ever seen or owned . I've gotten to the point that for 99% of the time , I just want the camera to do the work at picking a great exposure , and the ZS - 3 doesn't let me down . Maybe there is some lighting situation , or creative focus that manual exposure control would let me do , but I just don't care that much . And of course , the days of carrying both a photo camera and a camcorder are over . Seriously , unless you are into shooting near pro level video ( or perhaps need better than average audio - a mic input jack would have been nice ) , this camera will shoot videos that should please anyone who just wants to get nice family videos or even pretty spectacular vacation videos . My son has a high end pro HD video camera , and the quality of the video from this tiny camera truly rivals the videos taken on a pro level camera . ( All except very low light , and as I mentioned , high quality audio . ) And it will always be with you . Not as tiny as one of the latest generation of very small pocket photo cameras , but those don't have that very nice chunk of glass that gives you 12x optical zoom ( or more at lower pixel resolutions ) . It does fit nicely into a pants pocket . In the past , even with a small camcorder , I would often just not want to take two cameras . And even the smallest video cameras with any kind of decent zoom capability won't fit into a pocket . As the old saying goes , you can't take the picture ( or video ) if you don't have your camera . With this great little camera , you'll always have it along , and can take great photos or great videos . If you read all the reviews around , and watch some youtube videos taken with the various similar cameras ( search YouTube for camera models and you'll find plenty of example videos ) , I think you too will conclude that the Panasonic ZS - 3 is the best of its kind around . While my wife bought mine here on Amazon , what I don't understand is why the Panasonic brand is not available in most of the big box stores . I could not find one to look at in Best Buy , CostCo , Target , Wal-mart , or any other stores of that kind in my vicinity . I ended up relying on the reviews , which in the end led me to the best camera / camcorder I've ever owned .
      • 127 4  I just came back from a trip on which I took hundreds of pictures . I love the pictures made with this camera , especially when viewed on a large screen . I have been a devoted Canon fan ( I own 4 Canon cameras ) but the Canon 200SX does not come close to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . I wanted quality and portability . SLRs have much larger sensors and will take better images . But they are bulky , and they are expensive . While this camera is not the smallest , it packs a great 12x zoom along with a 28mm wide angle in a pocketable size and weight . You won't hesitate to take it along . What I like about this camera : The Leica lens on my camera is very sharp , from 28mm to full 12x zoom . ( Note : quality varies in a masss-produced lens . Test you camera after purchase ) Intelligent automated settings that work well in virtually all conditions . The processsor provides excellent noise reduction at larger ISO , meaning you can take pictures indoors without flash . Fewer and fewer places ( castles , churches , museums ) allow flash pictures these days and with the Lumix DZS3 you can do without . The shake compensation really helps keep pictures sharp . It also works very well at 12x zoom , with pictures acceptable even without tripod . Furthermore , the small residual amount of graininess or low-light noise is easily eliminated with a tool like Photoshop . Not a requirement unless you print a huge poster . The camera also compensates in scenes with very bright and very dark areas . All the above points are where my Canon cameras fall short . The Canons do take outstanding pictures in bright light . I did not make movies so I can't comment on those features . What I don't like about this camera : A little bulkier and heavier than ideal , but it is the best compromise compared to SLRs . Time lag when shooting , a result of the otherwise excellent intelligent detection technology ( which evaluates motion , light , scene , face , subject tracking , etc . ) There are limited manual controls if automation is turned off . No viewfinder . It may be hard to see the LCD image when shooting in bright light . I found it is best , when in doubt about coverage , to take slightly wider pictures and to reframe / crop the picture later . The huge resolution means no loss in quality . No sound comment option . Canon allows to attach a short sound recording to shots , handy to identify people and places in the picture . Anti-competitive feature : Panasonic Rev1.2 firmware disallows non-Panasonic replacement batteries which cost 1 / 3rd of Panasonic brand . If you downgrade to firmware Rev1.1 they all work .
      • 128 4  PROS : I'm usually the camera and camcorder guy and my wife never takes out our old camera and camcorder before but with this new Panasonic camera , she takes it everywhere to shoot closeups of my kid's soccer games and snaps pictures from afar with action shots with kids that are airborn and limbs / ball flying in midair . Although the camera is rated at 12x zoom at 10 megapixels , if you lower the megapixels down to 5 then you'd get 17x zoom . If you lower the megapixels down to 3 then you'd get 21x zoom . The HD camcorder has unbelievable clarity and the microphone is clear . Be sure to buy SDHC memory card ( not SD ) with speed rated at Class 6 or higher or it won't keep up with recording video . Also , your pc's SD card reader slot will NOT read SDHC memory card so remember to buy an external SDHC card reader . The included HD camcorder software figures out what your pc's cpu is and adjusts the framerate . Turns out my 6 year old HP Pentium 4 2.5ghz pc is too slow so I went out and bought the new HP p6120f ( AMD Quad 4 processor at 2.6Ghz , 6gigs RAM , 640gigs hard drive ) from Staples for $ [ . . . ] and the HD animation is smoooth . The software suggests a pc with at least a processor of 2 Core Duo 2.6Ghz to edit HD video . The real test to determine if I were going to keep the camera came when I developed a photo onto paper to assess the picture quality . The picture was sharp so I decided to keep it and bought a spare Panasonic battery from Amazon for $ [ . . . ] . This Panasonic's twin is the German-made Leica D-lux4 camera that sells for $ [ . . . ] ( that's $400 more than the Panasonic twin ) which has a classic look and saves raw format with more manual adjustment features . So , you're getting a very high-end camera . See Leica : [ . . . ] Back in 2001 , I bought a 3.3 megapixels Panasonic DMC-LC33 camera and it still works great today after 8 years ( considering how many times I dropped it and my kid has fallen on it with while the lens were still out but the lens retracted just fine ) so I know that it's a quality dependable product , and that was with a plastic body . CONS : Only included an RCA cable to connect to my tv . Too bad it didn't include an HDMI cable ( mini to standard ) so I ordered one from [ . . . ] for $ [ . . . ] ( ROSE RCW-H9039 6 HDMI-MINI CABLE - Retail ) The included PhotoStudioFunHD software manual says that you should use this software to copy your AVCHD LITE format files to the pc and NOT use Windows Explorer to copy your files over or it will not be able to read it . I found out the hard way . . . however , all is not lost , you can download free trial of Sony Vega or other softwares at [ . . . ] then edit all your files and it doesn't matter how you copied the files to your pc . When I opened Task Manager to see how much work my processors were doing , I noticed that the included PhotoStudioHD software was only using 1 processor whereas the Sony Vega software took full advantage of all 4 processors .
      • 130 4  My family has had a DSLR for the past 4 years . It is a great Canon EOS Rebel , but portability and taking a spontaneous photo is not a strong suit . We have purchased two different great HDTVs from Panasonic and really didn't consider them for this purchase initially , as they are not what I consider to be a real camera company . We did a lot of research before making this purchase . We looked at Best Buy , Target , Sam's Club , HH Gregg , and looked throughout 4 different online resellers ( including Amazon ) . After finding the top 5 cameras , we did more research on ratings of each at Amazon , plus many other sites . We also went to independent websites focused on camera reviews . CNet was another that was very helpful of seeing videos on each camera . After looking at a specific website , they mentioned this Panasonic as a great camera . We were able to eliminate one of our top 5 and added this to the list . CNet gave a lukewarm review of this , but most of the smaller independent sites loved it . I wasn't particularly impressed by the CNet reviewer as all of her reviews took a negative tone ( this was more positive a review ) . We were able to find every camera at a local retailer , but this Panasonic . Ease of use is important , but let's face it , picture quality is more important than anything else . Most digital cameras come out grainy or , in some cases , so clear that people look nearly transparent ( and really require a little softening ) . The only camera we found in the $250 - $400 price range with great picture quality was the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1 . It is a point-and-shoot , but it is a hybrid between a DSLR and point-and-shoot . Really what this means is it isn't something you can easily slip into your pocket . It also relies on Sony's proprietary memory stick technology which doesn't fit into a computer without an adapter ( easy to lose ) , not something sold at all retailers , and tends to be a bit more expensive . We really liked the camera , but these are concerns . Now to this camera . We decided to take the leap based purely on suggestions online . A big leap . The camera is small , functional , lightweight , and also takes digital video . It has to auto picture-taking settings ( standard and intelligent auto ) with 3 additional settings that you can set ( shutter speeds , etc . for specific types of settings ) . We have yet to use the manual settings , but have found the other two settings to be quite good . The pictures are clear , but soft enough where the pictures look great and print well . The videos have a great quality , can zoom during recording ( most can't ) , and taking multiple photos in a row wasn't a problem . More than 90% of the photos turned out great , but we suspect the only photos needed for manual settings are extreme low-light ( but even concerts look great ) and for true close-up action photos . Overall , this is definitely superior to most , if not all point-and-shoots in the price range , and definitely worth the risk . Brick and mortar stores are foolish not to carry this camera , but I would suspect this camera would raise the bar for most of the horrible point-and-shoots they carry on the low cost side . If you are considering a camera for under $200 , do yourself a favor and wait another couple weeks for the money to purchase this one .
      • 131 4  I have used the ZS3 for a week and I must say Panasonic has its place in digital camera / comcorder market . My first Panasonic which purchased 6 years ago ( DMC-FX9 ) is having power button issue and therefore I have to purchased a new one . The old camera last me for 5 + years which is satifactory . Well , it was expensive though last time ( $ [ . . . ] ) , for the FX9 , hey , the ZS3 , which is a far more superior camera , only cost $ [ . . . ] nowaday ! ( I ) Camera performance : the Leica lens with 25mm wide angle is superb . I am now able to capture more things with the extra angles . If you put a camera without wide angle next to the ZS3 and view the screen you could tell the big difference . The pictures are sharp , clean . Night shooting is also superior when using the slow sync flash function . Panasonic camera is by far the most superior when using it on night shot , couple with its Mega OIS + shake-proof stablize technology , capturing memorial night view moment is at ease . I still hold my Australia's trip pictures and my friends just can't tell it is captured with a compact ! But hey , that was with the 6 years old FX9 ; I bet ZS3 would do even better than that ~ ( II ) Now here is the bonus - HD Video Recording : If you pay a little more ( $ [ . . . ] ) to have a choice than ZS1 ( which without HD video recording ) , ZS3 is indeed a good value camera . Recording HD Video is extremely easy - it has a designated ' camcorder ' button right above the negivation buttons . Instead of turning the mode to video mode , there is no longer such need with ZS3 . Simply hit that ' record ' button whenever you are in camera mode , and it instantly starts recording . The switch is instantly fast . With an 8GB SD card , you could record full HD ( super fine resolution ) up to an hour ( about 61 minutes ) . We spent the last Halloween with kids treat-or-trick in Mall of America . I bet I would hold on to my HD camcorder purchase for a long while : D . ZS3 , to my surprise , records the HD video very well . The video quality is superior enought consider that just a digital camera lens , and sound quality is good too . There are Left and Right microphone right above the camera and we can't get surround , but the sound quality is good enought as like a $ [ . . . ] + non-HD DVD camcorder . I finally found something that takes great pictures without sacrificing the ability of good video recording . I would say this is a good family camera too . You may imagine the hassles to bring strollers + diapers bag + car seats when travelling . With a single device that does both Photo + Video , ZS3 is a good size camera that does that , and does it well .
      • 133 4  After going through about 4 , P & S cameras and returning them , I finally settled on this camera . I tried Canon , other Pannys , Sony , Nikon and none had features or quality that I want . This camera is not perfect but it is the next best thing to lugging around my Nikon D700 for casual events . What I like : 1 ) size 2 ) price ) 3 ) nice wide angle lens 4 ) great zoom capability 5 ) Amazing HD quality for recording videos and ability to zoom while recording 6 ) stereo mode in video recording 7 ) 8 ) great battery life 9 ) auto lens cap ( unlike the expensive LX3 ) What I don't like : 1 ) noise in ISO above 400 2 ) LCD monitor not bright enough in the sun - almost unusable 3 ) LCD monitor almost unusable in very dark rooms - especially when you want to zoom in 4 ) image stabilizer not that great ( Sony is much better ) I could nit pik forever but these are just the main good and bad points about the camera . Even my $2500 Nikon D700 has it's good and bad points . I'm not sure there will ever be a camera out there that will please everyone . I kind of compare digital cameras to cellphones . There are a number of cellphones I like but none are perfect . If they could combine all the good features and roll them up into one good cellphone or camera , I think I might be close to giving alot of products 5 stars .
      • 149 4  I bought this camera for our recent trip to Italy . I wanted a camera that was very easy to use and took good photos . I don't know anything about photography , it's not a hobby of mine at all , and I wasn't interested in learning . I just wanted photos to remember our trip and share with friends . I also wanted to avoid the huge wait between pictures that our old digital camera had . This camera is very easy to use . I never took it off of the iA mode . The only thing I adjusted was turning off and back on the auto-flash option when in places that allowed non-flash photography only . It's really easy to toggle it . . . two button presses . The pictures of ruins in Rome , art and buildings in Florence and landscapes everywhere look great . I purchased an 8GB card to go with it and that was plenty of space for our pictures ( I think it would have held about 1200 ) . I took perhaps a thousand over the two-week trip ( but we uploaded them to a computer periodically and subsequently deleted them from the memory card , which is very easy to do ) . The iA mode does really well with varying lighting conditions . Only the very darkest corners of churches disallowing flash photography were a problem for the camera . I was very pleasantly surprised that it was able to take such good photos of some very dark places without flash . The only caveat here was I had to hold my hand pretty steady to avoid blurring . My largest criticism is that the battery does not charge via the USB connection . There is also still some pause between pictures , but I don't know if this is adjustable . . . I never tried to find out because the pause showed me the previous picture , which is what I wanted ( and may be it's only function ) . The battery lasted a full day , but not much more . I turned the camera on and off depending on what we were doing . I didn't try to adjust the power-saving options because the battery never ran out if I started the day with a full charge ( at the end of one day it ran out because I hadn't charged it the previous night ) . We didn't use the software that came with it , just imported the photos into iPhoto . I am very happy with the camera . It is almost exactly what I wanted and worked great throughout the trip .
      • 151 4  There are many reviews that discuss the overall merits of this camera quite well . I would like to highlight just a few that I think haven't been emphasized enough . * The 3 hi resolution screen is a delight . I did not think it would make that much difference but it does . This is the first camera that I felt I could examine the quality of the picture using the on board screen . Playback is wonderful . * They seem to have fixed the loose mode dial . The dial on my camera ( bought in December 2009 ) is quite snug . * The slide switches for power and camera / playback are preferable to the push button switches in my mind . The power on is quicker since it does not require a built in delay that the push buttons need ( to avoid accidental turn on ) . You can also turn the power on by feel which is handy when you are trying to avoid disturbing a scene . The slide switch on playback mode is convenient for review and downloading since the lens is not popping out in your hand when you turn the camera on . The downside , as pointed out elsewhere , is that you may forget to switch back to camera mode and miss a shot . Again , after a while , you get in the habit of checking the switch , which you can do by feel . * The separate movie record button is brilliant . Why this isn't a standard feature on all cameras , I do not know . It is not difficult to push , and it is not too easy to push ( i.e . making accidental movies ) . * The quick menu feature is excellent . This is the first camera I have had with this feature and it helps tremendously in making the advanced features of the camera much more accessible and therefor more likely to be utilized . * The camera feels lighter than I expected which is nice because I like to keep it in a shirt pocket . It fits quite easily in Men's shirt pockets . Doesn't sag my shirt as much as my Rollei 35 , which is my longtime standard 35mm . * The frame of the camera is clearly quite rugged and gives it a solid feel . I am sure the internals are well anchored to this frame , however the plastic doors and front and back panels seem a bit fragile . This is one area that Canon clearly has the edge - their exterior panels and doors are beautifully designed and give their cameras a bit more of a quality feel in the hand . * The movie modes of this camera make it probably the first true dual mode camera on the market . I think this form factor will dominate as opposed to the video cam form factor ( that also takes stills ) . I will certainly be retiring the old DV cam . Overall , this is the most well thought out and feature-rich point and shoot camera I have seen . I think I will be using it for a long time .
      • 153 4  It took me about a month choosing a camera . My last camera was small and slim , but it took really bad quality pictures with lots of noises - I hated it . HATED IT . . . and it broke too . with no apparent reason . So i was looking for a camera with better quality , and i didn't mind if it was a little costly or bulky . I wanted a good camera . I was actually looking for high-end cameras , actually debating over two of them , saving up money . Then i found this one . OMG this camera seemed so good . it can zoom like crazy and takes super quality pictures , videos are awesome ( zoom-able too ) , and not as big or expensive as a high-end camera . I read almost all the reviews out there on this camera - in two languages that i know : ) And this camera is GOOD . It met my expectations and did everything that all the reviews promised , it's just awesome . I love my camera . All my aunts love my camera , and one of them actually bought the same one after me , and today i just ordered another one for my mom - she wanted one too . Some pros and cons : - pros : takes really good pictures , image stabilization actually works unlike many other cameras , wide angle , great video with zoom , 12x ( or more ) zooming depending on the picture size , long battery life , you can delete multiple pics at a same time , etc . - cons : cannot make panorama pics directly in the camera ( comes with a program in a CD in the box so you can make one in the computer ; never tried ) , zooming knob seems little loose ( not to worry too much ) , and it's NOT A SLIM & SKINNY camera . If you're looking for a case for this camera , here's one that I recommend : Built E-SSC-MDT Soft-Shell Camera Case ( Micro Dot ) I'm using this and it fits perfect . I bought this camera when it was $300 and I don't regret : ) I'm not a pro photographer or anything , I'm just a student who likes to take pictures a lot but can't afford DSLR cameras , and if you have any questions about this camera please feel free to comment on this review .
      • 155 4  We were upgrading from a camera that was at least 5 years old and did * * lots * * of research both online and in stores . We wanted a megazoom camera that would take good video , and we wanted one that performed well in low light . We are adventurous but still amateur photographers , so we needed a camera with a good automatic setting but also plenty of manual options . After an extensive search in the $200 - $300 price range we came down to just a few cameras , and this one won out . We'd read about the ACVHD video problem - that you can only play it on TV and can't post it online - but were encouraged by the fact that there was an alternative ( non-HD ) mode and that there was a zoom option during video recording . We knew it was a little larger than the ultracompact cameras but were satisfied that it was smaller than our old camera . We knew there was at least one other camera out there that probably had better low-light performance but we figured it would be much better than what we were dealing with at the time . ( We were right . ) And we were excited about the awesome viewfinder on the Lumix DMC-ZS3 . It was crucial to read the reviews on websites like this - they all brought up good points . Some people gave the camera only 1 star because of the HD video issue ; some mentioned the same problem and gave it 5 stars . This is not a standardized system ; these are people's opinions ( and this is mine ) . Because we knew what to expect and what ' imperfections ' to anticipate , we have been completely satisfied . There have been no surprises . This camera delivers the kind of quality and performance you should expect to get from a $200 - $300 gadget in 2009 . I obviously haven't owned any of its competitors , but I cannot imagine they would be significantly better . In summary , if you go looking for problems you'll always find them . If that's the kind of consumer you are then you won't be satisfied unless you spend at least twice what this camera costs . But if you have realistic expectations this camera will easily surpass them .
      • 157 4  I love the new Lumix ZX3 . This camera has an amazing 12x zoom lens and a fantastic 3 upgraded display . For the price and the size of the camera , I don't think there's a better choice . Using HD video ( 720p ) is a snap with the dedicated video button . The AVHCD lite format integrates perfectly with iMovie on the Mac . Even the higher ISO pictures ( up to ISO800 ) are usable , which is a far cry from other cameras this size . There are some negatives with the camera . While operation speed is decently quick , it is not class-leading . Takes a second or two to start up and there is a bit of shutter lag . Also , the face identification system is mostly inaccurate . The camera thinks that my 5 year old daughter and her friend who has a significantly darker complexion are both me , a man in his 30 ' s with glasses and facial hair . The battery life is decent , but for shooting a full day likely will need a recharge or second battery . My primary camera is a Nikon D90 but for a second camera that's highly portable , takes great pictures , has a massive zoom , and terrific HD video , the Lumix ZX3 stands above the crowd . I highly recommend buying this model if you are in the market for something in its class .
      • 158 4  I have numerous film and digital cameras , plus camcorders , waterproof housings and lenses out the wazoo . But since I got the ZS3 about 6 months ago , it's known as the camera around my house . I bought it for the wide angle lense and the large screen , but have fallen in love with it for so many more reasons . I absolutely love how you can go from stills to video with the touch of just on button . The photos and video aren't the highest quality , ( give it an 8.5 or so for both ) , but considering the ease of use and small package it's great . I dive , and on some drive trips I may haul 20 - 30 lbs of equipment . Last trip , it was more like 5 lbs . Best thing is that I don't have to decide on video or stills for a particular dive , this camera does both with ease . Underwater is where the wide angle lens really shins . Now after raving about , it does have have a few issues . The mode dial is pretty flimsy and it's too easy to chage settings accidentially while shooting . There really should be a lock for AI mode ( my wife has problems with this ) . If you want much manual control , this camera not for you . I print up 11 x17 and the quality is not great there . The lens is good , but the compression is not so great . And the 720p video is good , but doesn't compare to my 1080p camcorder . But all in all , I give it a 9.5 . You'd be hard pressed to find a wide angle camera with this zoom range for this price that does so many things so well .
      • 160 4  I bought this camera for my recent two-weeks vacation trip . Previously I was using Canon A510 and I loved that camera , thinking , that I'd be Canon's fan for many future models . At the time I wanted to upgrade I made several-month-investigation looking forward to seeing Canon releasing a perfect camera for me . Perfect for my requirements would be small sized , a nice 10x + zoom , around 10Mpx matrix , good picture quality and good video quality ( preferably HD ) . Months were passing and nothing new apart of IS SX200 appeared on the market . The latter after summarizing all pros and cons lost the fight with Lumix ZS3 . I've chosen ZS3 for its compact size , nice zoom , optical zoom capabilities while filming , wide angle and HD movies . I have to admit , that lumix did a pretty good job with my pictures I was taking for the last month . I regret though that it tends to change colors completely where my old Canon very adequately transferred real-world colors into the digital pictures . During the day I think ZS3 did very well easily leaving A510 behind because of the zoom capabilities and ultra-wide angle ( 25mm ) view . It's amazing how many objects can now fit into the picture compared to my previous photos . During the night however or at the sunrise I'd say I liked the Canon better . The reason for that is the sky , although looking pretty warm , had totally different color at the picture compared to what I saw with my eyes . Beach during the night in ' starry night ' mode ( 15 / 30 / 60 s exposure time ) ended up in being GREEN ! ! ! That is not acceptable for me . Other pictures in night light also had mangled colors , which could only be fixed with manual ' white balance ' set ( you can set it with ZS3 ) . I was expecting from Intelligent Auto present at ZS3 something more accurate . I also cannot understand why iA mode can't take pictures in 16 : 9 format in higher resolution than 2.5MB ! ? ? ? Shooting a fullmoon was also hard to do . Using all possible tricks I finally managed to take its picture after doing 30 + pictures earlier . With my previous Canon it only took few to make a nice sharp photo ( with worse zoom though of course ) . One advantage of the new ZS3 is ability to do pretty sharp night photos without using flash - Optical Image Stabilization is doing a great job , allowing to catch more of the background behind the object sharply . Overall I would recommend this camera to people who want to do nice wide-angle pictures during the day and don't expect doing any artistic photography . Camera is small taking into consideration it's 12x zoom and has a nice large LCD screen with excellent resolution ( 460K pixels ) . When I look at movies on a regular TV ( no-HD ) motion picture looks much better on the small screen of the camera , than the big tube ; On a HD-ready 16 : 9 screen - movies are excellent ! What I'm missing in the camera are manual settings I had in my simple Canon . I don't think that will come as a firmware upgrade though , cause they want to you to buy even more expensive model to have that . Weird thing is that cheaper models tend to have manual settings available . As for battery - I thought my batteries would do a little better than what I have observed . I managed to do around 200 pictures mixed with video shooting + some reviewing . For that reason I have bought 2 additional batteries and degraded firmware to 1.1 to allow third-party manufacturer savings . At the end I wish Amazon hasn't changed their price a couple of days after I ordered my product , which would save me around 25 $ . Customer service didn't want to hear about that refund : / / / / To sum up here are Pros : - 12x optical zoom ( also while filming ) - 460K pixels LCD bright screen - stereo microphone - ultra wide angle ( 25mm ) - pretty decent small size compared to functions - AVCHD ( makes great quality movies with less storage needed ) Cons : - No manual controls - Some colors tend to be changed during evening / sunrise - I think I had smoother pictures with Canon earlier - menu changes depending on the mode you're shooting in , which tends to be confusing ( like economy options not available in iA )
      • 166 4  I brought the DMC-ZS3 based on the rave reviews that I read on Amazon and other sites . Well I was very disappointed . The colors were artificial , washed out , and positively ghastly and the video was fuzzy . The sound on the video was tinny , muffled , and quiet . As for indoor shots with the flash , they were very poor . I used auto mode and program mode and tried every setting , but nothing really made much difference . The camera was totally unacceptable . I should point out that pictures and videos looked and sounded great on the LCD screen , no problem there , but not when downloaded to my PC . There is nothing wrong with my PC . I used QuickTime and Windows Media Player ( with the right CODEC installed ) to view the videos . I also tried them on my wife's PC . The videos looked better on Windows Media Player , but not good enough . Incidentally , I loved the 12x zoom and the great menus . But that doesn't make up for the lousy images , video and sound . In comparison , my old Canon SD1100 colors and resolution were excellent . The Canon video was great , even though it is not HD , and the sound was excellent . The Canon was superior in every respect , except for the ability to zoom while shooting a video . But who cares about the 12x optical zoom if the results are awful ? So I returned the DMC-ZS3 and I'm glad to be rid of it . Then I bought a new Canon SD970 with HD video and wow what a difference ! I took pictures and videos of the same scenes for comparison purposes . The new Canon DESTROYS the DSC-ZS3 . I asked my wife and kids to compare the pictures and they agreed . The Canon pictures and videos are gorgeous . And the Canon's sound is lovely . ( But I wish I could optical zoom while shooting video . ) So I am truly baffled by the rave reviews of the Panasonic . I don't think that my Panasonic was a lemon , but I suppose it's possible . But then why would so many aspects of the camera be so poor ? I didn't compare it with another DMC-ZS3 . Buyer beware .
      • 167 4  I think for the money , this camera cannot be beat . It takes extraordinarily good photographs for a P & S . And , it takes better video than my couple of years old DV recorder , thanks to its HD capability . Basically , I can carry this one camera and do everything that I was doing AND MORE than with two cameras by my side . At first , my wife complained that it was not a good replacement for our slim 3x zoom camera . She has since changed her tune as well , because it is very flexible - - it is as close to all-in-one that I know . ( I have not seen sample photographs from the Canon Vixia HFS100 , but that video camera is twice or more the cost . ) Wide or zoom , photo or video , the Panasonic ZS3 has it and does it all pretty well . Note : you will not like the video if you do not use a memory card , because it only does QVGA ( 320x240 ) internally .
      • 176 4  My wife and I were looking at cameras last year and could not find anything . We even looked at last year's version of this camera and were not impressed with it at all . It was slow , could not focus properly with the zoom out , and the picture quality was not good . But I have to say that this year's version ( ZS3 ) is one terrific little camera . After taking our Disney Vacation and staying with our old camera ( Sony DSC-V1 ) , we really wish this camera would have been around last year . The Sony is actually a great camera for its time but just doesn't cut it anymore . I considered the Fuji EXR , Canon PowerShot SX200IS , and a few Casio & Sony models . I refuse to purchase anything from Sony that requires me to buy their useless memory sticks , Casio picture quality needs a lot of work , and Fuji was too slow in simple things like deleting a photo . THE FUJI EXR TAKES AMAZING PICTURES ! ! ! But after looking around I preferred a bigger zoom and nice video recording . Video does not replace a quality camcorder but does quite nicely . Plus I like the mini-HDMI out the Panasonice has . Panasonic took last years model and improved or corrected almost everything . The sport mode captures action images better than some dSLR cameras . The burst functions are incredible . The zoom works really well and focuses nicely . Picture quality is great as well . I was trying to choose between this camera and the Canon . Both great cameras for sure . The one thing that made me go with the Panasonic was the ease of use . My wife can not be bothered with making settings changes . The menu and navigation with this camera is a snap . Although , if you are somebody that wants manual settings controls , this is not the camera for you . No camera this size is going to do everything ; but this is a perfect little camera that is easy to carry anywhere and can catch a number of different pictures in a number of different settings . It is what it is ; a great and easy to use point & shoot that has a great lens and zoom that will take great auto pictures in most conditions .
      • 184 4  Bought this as I wanted my wife to really only have one device to carry in her purse for good , quality pictures and HD video . Bought a 32GB SDHC card and sent here away . Has room for thousands of pictures and more than a couple of hours of AVCHD video . Being able to use the zoom during video is great as well ( though the HD cable will cost extra if you're planning to hook up to a TV for HD ) . All in all , one of the best point-and-shoot camera purchases I've made to date . I'm usually a die-hard Canon pocket camera fan ( A series up through all the power shots ) , but the zoom with video was my mitigating purpose . Pros : * Picture quality is great * Very few modes of camera operation , easy for non-photographers to figure it out * Facial recognition with priority focus means I know my daughter or wife is focused on first in a group picture * Video quality is stunning ! * The Image Stabilization works amazingly well , and can EASILY be seen when doing video at full zoom ( works better than my Canon HD Camcorder , that's for sure ! * The 12x optical zoom is MOST impressive ! * AI mode is fantastic , it seems to almost always pick the perfect settings * Automatic Red Eye removal works like a champ * Small and light weight , with an aluminum body , makes it tough in my wife's purse * Huge LCD screen on the back * Picture browser is awesome , especially with the Calendar feature ! * Quick to power on and ready to take shots * Easy to get great results , just pick the right mode , works awesome ( sports , nighttime , indoors , gymnasium , etc ) Cons : - Depends on if this matters , but to get great video compression , you need AVCHD , which is sometimes a PITA to edit - No manual controls - Grainy pictures in VERY low light
      • 193 4  I dropped my 6 y.o . Nikon Coolpix in the ocean this past March . It made it through my kid's first 4.5 years , but the biggest beef I had with the thing was the slow shutter speed . Literally , people would smile , the flash would buzz , and they'd start walking away as the shutter finally fluttered . I'd tell them to wait . . . wait . . . wait . . . for it . . . . But I always got people after their expression changed . I got the ladybugs after they'd left the leaf . My kid's slow , cute , clumsy somersaults were executed well before the flash , and the video was often my only option to capture the adorableness . My shaky hands ( seriously , I could capture stuff on other cameras , so I knew it was mine that was so reactive to my shakiness ) caused LOTS of blurs . I got some good shots the day I dropped that thing in the ocean ( by accident . ) It ruined both SD cards , but I got them uploaded . I turned to my husband and said NOW can I buy a Lumix ? ? I'd had my eye on them for awhile . I got the red one . I love it ! I took it on a work trip , captured some great rainbow shots after a big northern california rainstorm . I took some close up of a scabiosa flower , and zoomed in , and caught a tiny little semi-microscopic mite in the middle of the pollen . My kid's smiles are caught in a fraction of a second . My hand shakiness is virtually unnoticed . I shot a duck on a pond about 500 feet away , and was able to zoom in to see the eye , and the feathers around the eye , and only these were slightly blurred . I love this camera . I love the zippy red , the ease of handling , the zoom , everything . Most especially , the shutter speed . To me , it's just magical . Great camera ! !
      • 195 4  I am very impressed by the clarity and color rendition of this camera . As the light level drops , there is visible noise on the pictures , but it is acceptable . For the first time on a trip , I left behind my DSLR and lenses , and exclusively used this camera , which sat unobtrusively in my pocket at all times . Relative to the DSLR , there are some disadvantages , namely picture to picture time is a bit slow ( ~ 2 - 3 seconds ) , although going to burst mode increases this to about 1 per second . The LCD viewfinder is much inferior to the eye-level DSLR ( reflections etc , need to wear my glasses to see it ) , and following a fast moving subject is difficult . The HD video with a single button activation is great ! Holding the camera one-handed while doing this , requires running your little finger under the body to support it . Once the picture is out of the camera , I have a hard time telling that it wasn't taken by the DSLR . If it had an eye-level viewfinder , it would be almost perfect .
      • 196 4  In brief : really easy to use , fabulous picture quality in almost every circumstance , well-constructed body , high-quality lens , better than average flash , great image stabilization even at the highest zoom , satisfyingly compact . I haven't used the video except by accident so I can't comment on that , and I don't use the included software so I can't comment on that either . This is my first digital camera so I have nothing to compare it to other than what friends and family say about their own digital cameras . Judging from their comments , the DMC-ZS3 is easier to use , has more features and produces higher-quality images than anything they have in the same price range ( it was a gift , but I think it cost about $275 at the time ) . I have two physical complaints , but they're pretty minor . One is that the mode dial atop the camera is easily shifted , so sometimes it's in the wrong position when I pull the camera from my pocket . I've missed some shots from having to return to the mode I usually use , which is the Intelligent Auto . It doesn't happen all that often , though , so it's not a big deal - - just momentarily irritating . The second is that the battery runs out of juice fairly quickly if 1 ) I leave the camera on between shots , and 2 ) I review the shots I've taken . The freedom to take a lot of shots without racking up major film and processing costs is new to me , as is the opportunity to review a shot immediately , so I tend to do a lot of both . And I like to leave the camera on so I don't have to fire it up every time I see something I want to shoot . On average I'm getting about 200 shots between charges , which seems to be fairly low compared to what other reviewers are saying . I guess I'll either have to change my habits or get a couple of spare batteries . That said , after using it for about three months I'm completely in love with the camera . It does everything I want it to do with almost no effort on my part . The Intelligent Auto mode is wonderful - - it gets the settings I want probably 80% of the time - - and the scene modes work well for most of the things I can't get right in the IA mode . As an example , I took a shot in IA of some low-flying seagulls in front of a breaking wave , with a promontory in the frame about a half-mile away , and it was almost perfect : it caught the details of the wave perfectly , including the spray blown off by the wind ; the gulls were not blurred in the slightest ; the land was perfectly in focus . This was at about 6x . The shutter speed was perfect ( 1 / 800 ) and the aperture was really close to perfect ; all I had to do was fiddle with the contrast and brightness a bit in my editing software and I had a stunning shot of a scene that I had only a couple of seconds to frame and capture . ( It took me about 50 tries to get what I wanted but that's just because seagulls don't take direction very well . ) The zoom is fantastic , the 25mm wide angle is pretty much fun , the lens is great and after some experimentation , I can get the automatic settings to do just about anything I want . I can understand why really experienced photographers might want more flexibility with the manual settings , but for me , and I think probably for most people who aren't professionals or really dedicated and technically proficient amateurs , the available settings are way more than adequate . Last but not least is the quality of the image stabilization . I don't have the steadiest hands but even zoomed all the way in , I can count on one hand the number of daylight pictures blurred because of camera shake . I've even taken shots that weren't blurred when I was actually moving the camera , which should be physically impossible . There's a limit to it , I've had some blurry low-light pictures because of the longer exposure , but it's otherwise really , really good . I don't have a large format printer so I haven't seen what the photos look like when printed at the full 15x20 in-camera size , but I've been reducing them to 7.5x10 and increasing the resolution , and even on my mediocre printer they look great when printed on decent paper . No doubt a better printer and more expensive paper would do them more justice , but with what I have they're certainly suitable for framing . So : If I haven't made it clear yet , I really , really like this camera and I recommend it to anyone who doesn't need the flexibility of full manual controls .
      • 200 4  I wanted a 10 - 12x zoom capability without carrying around a big SLR type camera . After doing my research I got down to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 ( the ZS1 has a smaller screen so I took that one out ) , the Samsung HZ15W and the Casio EX-H10 . After reading reviews on c-net and elsewhere I ended up picking this Panasonic . I'm so glad I did . Aside from the 12x zoom ( which I've been playing with since I got the camera and it works great ) , I like the burst mode feature . This camera also takes great indoor pictures . I very much like the pictures in low light situations ( a vast improvement over my Sony Cybershot T - 77 ) . Unlike some others I don't believe this camera is pocket sized , maybe your jacket pocket but certainly not your pants . Like I said , I also own a the Cybershot T - 77 . THAT is a very small pocked sized camera but the pictures it takes pale in comparison to the Panasonic ( apples and oranges I know , but that's what I can compare it to ) . Overall I'm extremely pleased with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 . It's comfortable to hold , the screen is bright , the pictures are excellent , there are plenty of options for taking those pictures , face recognition , burst mode and of course the zoom . LOVE the 12x zoom . Update , April 27 . It's been four months since I've purchased the DMC-ZS3 and I'm EXTREMELY happy with the quality of the pictures , the awesome zoom and the battery life . I'd purchase this camera again in a heartbeat and I've recommended it to several friends looking for a new camera .
      • 211 4  I purchased this camera based on reviews I have read here and the [ . . . ] comparison Compact Camera Group Test Group 6 : ' Compact superzoom ' cameras . I've had this for about two weeks now . Other cameras I own are Casio Exilim EX-S10 , Canon Powershot A1000IS and Sony Cybershot DSC-T77 . Other cameras I considered were the Canon SX200 IS and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20 . I'll skip the good features as most of the reviews here have pointed those out . Here is a list of what I don't like about this camera : Perspective Distortion - I don't recall seeing this in any of the reviews but this is a very obvious flaw of this camera . I have a 6 month old baby and I take her pictures everyday and as often as I can , mostly indoors ( at home ) . At 1x zoom setting , this is very evident . The wide angle lens causes this effect , with the portrait image warped . Low Light Portrait - As I have mentioned , I use this camera mostly indoors and using the AI feature , most pictures show dark exposure . Skin tone is also darkened . I have a Sony SR - 11 HD video cam and it takes better pictures at low light conditions . Battery Life - I was only able to take 200 pictures after recharging the new battery overnight . Proprietary Battery - I tried searching for an OEM backup battery but can't find anywhere online that says the battery worked . All battery reviews I have seen say they don't work with this camera , even OEM ones . Dial for Setting - The settings ' dial on the camera doesn't firmly stay in place and often gets dislodged , which causes an error message . This is easily remedied but it is annoying because the slightest bump on the dial will cause this . I wouldn't recommend this camera if you will be using it mostly for portrait pictures . If you are looking for a camera that will be used mostly for zoom photography with HD capability , then this will work .
      • 212 4  UPDATED REVIEW 09 / 27 / 2009 3 months after purchase , I still love this camera . . . PROS's - Easy to carry ( compact ) . - Easy to use ( excellent results from Intelligent Auto mode ) . - Great photo quality ( for a compact camera ) . - Amazing 720p Hi-Def video recordings , with good sound quality . - 12x optical zoom allows shots most compact cameras would miss ( with only 3x - 5x zoom ) . - Optical Image Stabilization for both photo's and video's . - High resolution LCD ( Easier to spot and immediately re-shoot blurry photo's ) . CON's - Expensive camera ( MSRP $399 ) . - No Optical Viewfinder ( bracing camera against face would help stabilize video recordings ) . - Need to slide a mechanical switch to return from photo review to photo taking mode . - No RAW output . - Need to purchase SDHC memory ( Minimum 8GB class 6 SDHC for HD video ) . - Consider extra battery for more than 90 minutes of combined shooting and review activity . - Consider additional software . Included software ( Photofun Studio HD ) is poor . Most video editing software older than 2009 cannot edit AVCHD Lite ( I use Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum ) . Older versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements are fine for photo editing . = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = DMC-ZS3 COMPARED TO OTHER CAMERAS Like many people on this site , I read alot of reviews . The major competitors in the compact superzoom category are Canon SX200 , Olympus 9000 , Panasonic DMC-ZS1 , DMC-ZS3 , Samsung HZ10W and Sony DSC-H20 . The most helpful review I found was from the DPREVIEW website : dpreview com / reviews / q209grouplongzoom MANUAL CONTROLS None on DMC-ZS3 , but various web reviews indicate manual controls not critical on compact cameras : - Aperture Control : Compact sensor chips are too small for significant Depth Of Field adjustments ( which can make subjects pop from background on dSLR's with larger sensors ) . - Shutter Control : Might have been useful . My pictures are mostly of our young children ( be fast or miss the shot ) . The Intelligent Auto mode on the DMC-ZS3 makes good decisions in a fraction of the time I need . The lack of manual camera settings has not been a problem . VIDEO The video is the reason I purchased this camera over competing models . The 720p AVC HD video is amazing , the audio is good . Recommend downloading a free copy of Splash Lite ( Mirillis website ) for playback of . m2ts videos . Splash video player uses only 0 to 5% of my computer CPU , vs 25 to 50% for Photofun Studio HD player . COMPARED TO PREVIOUS EQUIPMENT - My last digital photo camera was a Canon S50 ( purchased 2003 / deceased 2009 ) . - My last camcorder was a Sony TRV - 17 miniDV ( purchased 2001 / still functioning ) . The DMC-ZS3 is a definite upgrade ( better quality results ) over the older products listed above . I ( thankfully ) no longer drag the Sony TRV - 17 camcorder to family events . WISH LIST Add RAW capability to next firmware release . Add optical viewfinder to next generation replacement . Forget adding more Megapixels to the next generation replacement ( 10 megapixels is plenty ) . Add a larger sensor ( ie from the DMC-LX3 ) to the DMC-ZS3 body to improve the low light capability .
      • 214 4  It's a great camera . Compact yet very powerful . My wife and I used it during our trip to Rocky Mountains and Arches National Park . The camera took perfect pictures . 12x zoom is very powerful ( we could take close pictures of Delicate Arch in the Arches without hiking 3 miles to the Arch itself : ) ) . It took great close-up pictures of flowers , plants etc . The iA mode is smart and correctly detects the mode to be used ( although at a few times we used some manual setting like turning off flash etc ) . Great movie mode as well ! Overall , it's a very nice camera if you want compact yet powerful camera with not too many manual settings .
      • 219 4  Well built camera with lots of features and an excellent lens . Great wide angle , and excellent zoom . Takes amazing outdoor pictures . If that is the majority of your shots , this is the camera for you . BUT . . . if you are using it indoors for any portion of your shots - you might want to pass . The flash is pitiful , and the camera doesn't seem to get the apeture correct . Indoor pictures are dark , grainy , and close objects are too bright but anything 8 feet away or more is barely lit .
      • 221 4  It's almost unfair to ask me to review this camera . I'm not a great photographer , and the main purpose of my camera is to send pictures of my son to his grandparents . For years , I was using some Kodak jobbie that I thought worked good enough for me . I decided it was time for a new camera , and now I couldn't switch back to the old one if I had to . This a rare case when I'm just continually impressed by a purchase I madae . The picture quality is of course far better than my old camera . The 12x optical zoom is an outstanding feature . The LCD screen is simply beautiful . And I love that you can take great pictures with this camera , even if you don't understand all the photography lingo ( as I don't ) . Yet , you have myriad options for customizing your settings if you think you know better than the automatic settings . Add to this the compact size , the HD video capability , and the reasonable battery life , and you've got yourself a heck of a camera . It doesn't improve my gas mileage , though .

    • Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I would like to begin by acknowledging that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is the finest compact digital imaging product ever made . I'm a quasi-professional digital media enthusiast with many years of experience in film and photography and I've taken over three months to experiment with the ZS3 before writing this review . Why I chose the ZS3 : I conducted over four months of intense research before choosing the Panasonic ZS3 . First I was planning to purchase a bridge camera ( a crippled DSLR with a fixed super-zoom lens ) like the Sony Cybershot HX1 or the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS . I thought about it for a while and almost made a purchase . Then , through a flash of wisdom , I asked myself this question : what's the point of sacrificing the superior image quality of a DSLR for a camera that's neither cheap nor portable ? I continued my research and , much to my surprise , discovered a pocket-sized camera with a wide-angle 12X zoom lens , providing a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 25 - 300mm . I thought I was hallucinating . I used to own a fantastic Olympus DSLR and I couldn't achieve the zoom range of the ZS3 with two expensive DSLR lenses COMBINED . The ZS3 has enabled me to integrate my skills in film and photography with a single compact camera that gives more bang per buck and cubic inch than any other camera out there . My observations / suggestions ( after 3 months of testing ) : > Durable . This thing is solid as a rock and heavy for its size . At the same time , it'll fit in almost any pocket . > Video quality is fantastic at 720p with good lighting . Video can be grainy in low light , as with most cameras . > Despite limited manual settings , HDR photography IS indeed doable with the ZS3 ! Simply adjust the EV ( exposure ) between - 2 and + 2 . Make sure to use a tripod . Take 3 photos at - 2 , 0 , and + 2 , respectively to achieve optimal results . Then , of course , you'll need software to combine and modify these images to produce the HDR effect . > You can't manually adjust the focus , aperture , or shutter speed , though you can do just about everything else ! > Never go above ISO 400 ! The image noise is unacceptable , as with almost all small-sensor cameras . > The iA feature almost always produces optimal results in good lighting . You can also take great photos in low light if you lock the ISO at a maximum of 400 and keep the camera very steady , preferably with a tripod or solid surface . > This camera can do both telephoto and macro . There are even dedicated macro settings that enable you to focus on objects less than 1cm away from the lens . The macro zoom setting allows you to digitally zoom in to get even closer . Using that setting , I was able to clearly see the pixels on my monitor ! > This camera is powerful , but discreet . With a DSLR , you may attract a lot of unwanted attention from security and thieves alike . In my international travels , I've been stopped by security guards on multiple occasions for simply taking photos of public places with a DSLR . Some parts of the world are still a little cameraphobic . Using a small camera , I've never run into problems with security ( or thieves ) . By the way , the Olympus DSRL I mentioned earlier was stolen on one my international trips due to its high resale value . Compact cameras look innocent , so you'll be able to do more and capture more with a compact camera like the ZS3 . > Take time to discover all the features and functions of this camera to get the most out of it . > I recommend getting an additional battery if plan to travel or do a lot of video recording . I got the SterlingTek's POWWER Panasonic DMW BCG10PP Digital Camera ID secured battery and it works beautifully with about twice the battery life of the ZS3 ' s stock battery . > At under $250 , you will not find a more capable camera on the market . This same exact camera used to cost $400 . Who should own a ZS3 ? : Anyone who believes , as I do , that the best photos are the result of being in the right place at the right time should own a ZS3 . Skill is not as important as luck - - that's what I learned after 10 years of photography . The ZS3 is small enough to carry around 24 - 7 . Life is unpredictable . Never miss another great shot that was too good to plan for . If you want a powerful camera that you can use while being discreet and mobile , the ZS3 is your best option as of January , 2010 . If you're willing to wait several months , keep an eye out for future compact cameras that may very well top this one . Until then , rest assured that the ZS3 is the king of compacts .
      • 038 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I would like to begin by acknowledging that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is the finest compact digital imaging product ever made . I'm a quasi-professional digital media enthusiast with many years of experience in film and photography and I've taken over three months to experiment with the ZS3 before writing this review . Why I chose the ZS3 : I conducted over four months of intense research before choosing the Panasonic ZS3 . First I was planning to purchase a bridge camera ( a crippled DSLR with a fixed super-zoom lens ) like the Sony Cybershot HX1 or the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS . I thought about it for a while and almost made a purchase . Then , through a flash of wisdom , I asked myself this question : what's the point of sacrificing the superior image quality of a DSLR for a camera that's neither cheap nor portable ? I continued my research and , much to my surprise , discovered a pocket-sized camera with a wide-angle 12X zoom lens , providing a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 25 - 300mm . I thought I was hallucinating . I used to own a fantastic Olympus DSLR and I couldn't achieve the zoom range of the ZS3 with two expensive DSLR lenses COMBINED . The ZS3 has enabled me to integrate my skills in film and photography with a single compact camera that gives more bang per buck and cubic inch than any other camera out there . My observations / suggestions ( after 3 months of testing ) : > Durable . This thing is solid as a rock and heavy for its size . At the same time , it'll fit in almost any pocket . > Video quality is fantastic at 720p with good lighting . Video can be grainy in low light , as with most cameras . > Despite limited manual settings , HDR photography IS indeed doable with the ZS3 ! Simply adjust the EV ( exposure ) between - 2 and + 2 . Make sure to use a tripod . Take 3 photos at - 2 , 0 , and + 2 , respectively to achieve optimal results . Then , of course , you'll need software to combine and modify these images to produce the HDR effect . > You can't manually adjust the focus , aperture , or shutter speed , though you can do just about everything else ! > Never go above ISO 400 ! The image noise is unacceptable , as with almost all small-sensor cameras . > The iA feature almost always produces optimal results in good lighting . You can also take great photos in low light if you lock the ISO at a maximum of 400 and keep the camera very steady , preferably with a tripod or solid surface . > This camera can do both telephoto and macro . There are even dedicated macro settings that enable you to focus on objects less than 1cm away from the lens . The macro zoom setting allows you to digitally zoom in to get even closer . Using that setting , I was able to clearly see the pixels on my monitor ! > This camera is powerful , but discreet . With a DSLR , you may attract a lot of unwanted attention from security and thieves alike . In my international travels , I've been stopped by security guards on multiple occasions for simply taking photos of public places with a DSLR . Some parts of the world are still a little cameraphobic . Using a small camera , I've never run into problems with security ( or thieves ) . By the way , the Olympus DSRL I mentioned earlier was stolen on one my international trips due to its high resale value . Compact cameras look innocent , so you'll be able to do more and capture more with a compact camera like the ZS3 . > Take time to discover all the features and functions of this camera to get the most out of it . > I recommend getting an additional battery if plan to travel or do a lot of video recording . I got the SterlingTek's POWWER Panasonic DMW BCG10PP Digital Camera ID secured battery and it works beautifully with about twice the battery life of the ZS3 ' s stock battery . > At under $250 , you will not find a more capable camera on the market . This same exact camera used to cost $400 . Who should own a ZS3 ? : Anyone who believes , as I do , that the best photos are the result of being in the right place at the right time should own a ZS3 . Skill is not as important as luck - - that's what I learned after 10 years of photography . The ZS3 is small enough to carry around 24 - 7 . Life is unpredictable . Never miss another great shot that was too good to plan for . If you want a powerful camera that you can use while being discreet and mobile , the ZS3 is your best option as of January , 2010 . If you're willing to wait several months , keep an eye out for future compact cameras that may very well top this one . Until then , rest assured that the ZS3 is the king of compacts .
      • 039 4  I would like to begin by acknowledging that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is the finest compact digital imaging product ever made . I'm a quasi-professional digital media enthusiast with many years of experience in film and photography and I've taken over three months to experiment with the ZS3 before writing this review . Why I chose the ZS3 : I conducted over four months of intense research before choosing the Panasonic ZS3 . First I was planning to purchase a bridge camera ( a crippled DSLR with a fixed super-zoom lens ) like the Sony Cybershot HX1 or the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS . I thought about it for a while and almost made a purchase . Then , through a flash of wisdom , I asked myself this question : what's the point of sacrificing the superior image quality of a DSLR for a camera that's neither cheap nor portable ? I continued my research and , much to my surprise , discovered a pocket-sized camera with a wide-angle 12X zoom lens , providing a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 25 - 300mm . I thought I was hallucinating . I used to own a fantastic Olympus DSLR and I couldn't achieve the zoom range of the ZS3 with two expensive DSLR lenses COMBINED . The ZS3 has enabled me to integrate my skills in film and photography with a single compact camera that gives more bang per buck and cubic inch than any other camera out there . My observations / suggestions ( after 3 months of testing ) : > Durable . This thing is solid as a rock and heavy for its size . At the same time , it'll fit in almost any pocket . > Video quality is fantastic at 720p with good lighting . Video can be grainy in low light , as with most cameras . > Despite limited manual settings , HDR photography IS indeed doable with the ZS3 ! Simply adjust the EV ( exposure ) between - 2 and + 2 . Make sure to use a tripod . Take 3 photos at - 2 , 0 , and + 2 , respectively to achieve optimal results . Then , of course , you'll need software to combine and modify these images to produce the HDR effect . > You can't manually adjust the focus , aperture , or shutter speed , though you can do just about everything else ! > Never go above ISO 400 ! The image noise is unacceptable , as with almost all small-sensor cameras . > The iA feature almost always produces optimal results in good lighting . You can also take great photos in low light if you lock the ISO at a maximum of 400 and keep the camera very steady , preferably with a tripod or solid surface . > This camera can do both telephoto and macro . There are even dedicated macro settings that enable you to focus on objects less than 1cm away from the lens . The macro zoom setting allows you to digitally zoom in to get even closer . Using that setting , I was able to clearly see the pixels on my monitor ! > This camera is powerful , but discreet . With a DSLR , you may attract a lot of unwanted attention from security and thieves alike . In my international travels , I've been stopped by security guards on multiple occasions for simply taking photos of public places with a DSLR . Some parts of the world are still a little cameraphobic . Using a small camera , I've never run into problems with security ( or thieves ) . By the way , the Olympus DSRL I mentioned earlier was stolen on one my international trips due to its high resale value . Compact cameras look innocent , so you'll be able to do more and capture more with a compact camera like the ZS3 . > Take time to discover all the features and functions of this camera to get the most out of it . > I recommend getting an additional battery if plan to travel or do a lot of video recording . I got the SterlingTek's POWWER Panasonic DMW BCG10PP Digital Camera ID secured battery and it works beautifully with about twice the battery life of the ZS3 ' s stock battery . > At under $250 , you will not find a more capable camera on the market . This same exact camera used to cost $400 . Who should own a ZS3 ? : Anyone who believes , as I do , that the best photos are the result of being in the right place at the right time should own a ZS3 . Skill is not as important as luck - - that's what I learned after 10 years of photography . The ZS3 is small enough to carry around 24 - 7 . Life is unpredictable . Never miss another great shot that was too good to plan for . If you want a powerful camera that you can use while being discreet and mobile , the ZS3 is your best option as of January , 2010 . If you're willing to wait several months , keep an eye out for future compact cameras that may very well top this one . Until then , rest assured that the ZS3 is the king of compacts .

    • Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) There are many reviews that discuss the overall merits of this camera quite well . I would like to highlight just a few that I think haven't been emphasized enough . * The 3 hi resolution screen is a delight . I did not think it would make that much difference but it does . This is the first camera that I felt I could examine the quality of the picture using the on board screen . Playback is wonderful . * They seem to have fixed the loose mode dial . The dial on my camera ( bought in December 2009 ) is quite snug . * The slide switches for power and camera / playback are preferable to the push button switches in my mind . The power on is quicker since it does not require a built in delay that the push buttons need ( to avoid accidental turn on ) . You can also turn the power on by feel which is handy when you are trying to avoid disturbing a scene . The slide switch on playback mode is convenient for review and downloading since the lens is not popping out in your hand when you turn the camera on . The downside , as pointed out elsewhere , is that you may forget to switch back to camera mode and miss a shot . Again , after a while , you get in the habit of checking the switch , which you can do by feel . * The separate movie record button is brilliant . Why this isn't a standard feature on all cameras , I do not know . It is not difficult to push , and it is not too easy to push ( i.e . making accidental movies ) . * The quick menu feature is excellent . This is the first camera I have had with this feature and it helps tremendously in making the advanced features of the camera much more accessible and therefor more likely to be utilized . * The camera feels lighter than I expected which is nice because I like to keep it in a shirt pocket . It fits quite easily in Men's shirt pockets . Doesn't sag my shirt as much as my Rollei 35 , which is my longtime standard 35mm . * The frame of the camera is clearly quite rugged and gives it a solid feel . I am sure the internals are well anchored to this frame , however the plastic doors and front and back panels seem a bit fragile . This is one area that Canon clearly has the edge - their exterior panels and doors are beautifully designed and give their cameras a bit more of a quality feel in the hand . * The movie modes of this camera make it probably the first true dual mode camera on the market . I think this form factor will dominate as opposed to the video cam form factor ( that also takes stills ) . I will certainly be retiring the old DV cam . Overall , this is the most well thought out and feature-rich point and shoot camera I have seen . I think I will be using it for a long time .
      • 096 4  The Panasonic Lumix DMC-Z23 10 MP with 12X Wide Angle Zoom is a true performer . This was the 3rd camera in the $180 to $280 price range we have purchased in the last year trying to replace an older digital camera that we had been very happy with . After 2 expensive disapointments we were hesitant to try again but very happy with the result . Heading out for a family vacation we wanted an easy to use camera . Battery life far exceeded expectation . Vibrant color . Took over 3,000 pictures in one week with only 2 that were fuzzy and were operator error . The camera is a bit heavy compared to many small ones these days , but easily carried in a pants pocket or purse . The camera body fits easily in one hand . This camera dosn't require 2 hands to take great pictures . The movie mode is awesome as well and fills our need for any video capability we would need . The view finder screen is large , crisp and clear . We bought a 16 gig class 6 card to go with it . Popped the card ( with 3,000 pictures on it ) into our Panasonic DVD-VHS digital recorder-player and enjoyed automatic turning of the pictures and a great recap our our family fall vacation . Highly Recommend
      • 124 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) First , this is a pocket camera . Before buying I read a TON of reviews , both professional and from buyers . The overwhelming complaint , beside the attempt at a proprietary battery , was that it did not have a lot of manual controls or that it did not capture the same color depth as a DSLR . Second reminder , this is a pocket camera . For a pocket camera with a BIG zoom , this camera is awesome . IAuto and the face recognition work very well . Using the half button push focus produced great pictures . - you would be surprised to find out how many friends / family don't know you can pre-focus . I took pictures at my 7yo daughters recital from across the auditorium in the dark and got good pictures . I took pictures of my son running in the house at night using corner lamps as lighting , I've taken HD video of snowshoeing and ice fishing ( where white glare can kill some camera's contrast ) . All in all , I am extremely satisfied . Benefits : - Size - 12x Zoom - Very good preset modes - HD Video ( 720p is good enough for YT and relatives ) - 10MP is end of scale for this size sensor but works well . - Wife likes the red . Niggles : - Took a little bit to get used to the trigger being on the inside of the mode dial . - LCD is not recessed , but I get glass GSS covers anyway - AVCHD tool a bit of research before I could find a good free joiner / splitter ( Videopad ) - Pana trying to lock you into an OEM battery ( already hacked )
      • 141 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) Who would have belived that this little marvel would put a high-end Canon to shame ! I got a top of the line Canon this summer for recording my week at Disney and was very excited about the HD video and all of those mega-pixels . Long story short , the Canon was a flop and it got returned ( paying the restocking fee at BB was bad , but the camera was worse ) so a long time loyal Canon fan was in the market again . Thanks to the shoppers here at Amazon , I decided to try this camera - the reviews were just too good ( and I can always return it , right ? ) No way would I want to return this great little camera ! Pictures are clear and look great . The HD video is replacing my old Sony video camera - wonderful from a pocket sized camera . The zoom lens is also much better than I expected - love it ! The software is so-so , so I use some higher end software but everything else just rocks . This camera lives in my purse now and is getting alot of use with my kids activities and events . I like the solid feel of the camera , too - the metal and paint job give it a slight texture that does not feel like it is going to slip . Very pretty blue , too .
      • 144 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) Though this camera does have a very faint sound when zooming during video capture , the sound is not audible enough to be distracting . I would much rather have the ability to zoom with a slight gear hum , than no ability to zoom . The motion pictures I've taken so far have been magnificent . The manual is all inclusive and then some , because it goes into detail about every feature . Though I do not use this camera to its full ability , for me it takes excellent still photos and motion pictures both inside the home and outside around the house . If I had the camera choice to purchase all over again , I would definitely choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 again . If my memory serves me correctly , the Amazon description mentions a Class 4 Flash Memory Card . Though the Class 4 card that I purchased from Amazon does work with my camera , the manual states that a Class 6 card ( or above ) should be used with this camera . I genuinely hope that this info helps .
      • 145 4  Though this camera does have a very faint sound when zooming during video capture , the sound is not audible enough to be distracting . I would much rather have the ability to zoom with a slight gear hum , than no ability to zoom . The motion pictures I've taken so far have been magnificent . The manual is all inclusive and then some , because it goes into detail about every feature . Though I do not use this camera to its full ability , for me it takes excellent still photos and motion pictures both inside the home and outside around the house . If I had the camera choice to purchase all over again , I would definitely choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 again . If my memory serves me correctly , the Amazon description mentions a Class 4 Flash Memory Card . Though the Class 4 card that I purchased from Amazon does work with my camera , the manual states that a Class 6 card ( or above ) should be used with this camera . I genuinely hope that this info helps .
      • 150 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) There are many reviews that discuss the overall merits of this camera quite well . I would like to highlight just a few that I think haven't been emphasized enough . * The 3 hi resolution screen is a delight . I did not think it would make that much difference but it does . This is the first camera that I felt I could examine the quality of the picture using the on board screen . Playback is wonderful . * They seem to have fixed the loose mode dial . The dial on my camera ( bought in December 2009 ) is quite snug . * The slide switches for power and camera / playback are preferable to the push button switches in my mind . The power on is quicker since it does not require a built in delay that the push buttons need ( to avoid accidental turn on ) . You can also turn the power on by feel which is handy when you are trying to avoid disturbing a scene . The slide switch on playback mode is convenient for review and downloading since the lens is not popping out in your hand when you turn the camera on . The downside , as pointed out elsewhere , is that you may forget to switch back to camera mode and miss a shot . Again , after a while , you get in the habit of checking the switch , which you can do by feel . * The separate movie record button is brilliant . Why this isn't a standard feature on all cameras , I do not know . It is not difficult to push , and it is not too easy to push ( i.e . making accidental movies ) . * The quick menu feature is excellent . This is the first camera I have had with this feature and it helps tremendously in making the advanced features of the camera much more accessible and therefor more likely to be utilized . * The camera feels lighter than I expected which is nice because I like to keep it in a shirt pocket . It fits quite easily in Men's shirt pockets . Doesn't sag my shirt as much as my Rollei 35 , which is my longtime standard 35mm . * The frame of the camera is clearly quite rugged and gives it a solid feel . I am sure the internals are well anchored to this frame , however the plastic doors and front and back panels seem a bit fragile . This is one area that Canon clearly has the edge - their exterior panels and doors are beautifully designed and give their cameras a bit more of a quality feel in the hand . * The movie modes of this camera make it probably the first true dual mode camera on the market . I think this form factor will dominate as opposed to the video cam form factor ( that also takes stills ) . I will certainly be retiring the old DV cam . Overall , this is the most well thought out and feature-rich point and shoot camera I have seen . I think I will be using it for a long time .
      • 161 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) It took me a while to research point and shoot cameras to replace my canon and I was concerned about moving to a Panasonic . But clearly I made a great decision with this camera . It was easy to operate right out of the box . I recently took it to a NY Yankee game ( the ALCS vs the Angels ) and took some great nighttime shots inside and outside of the stadium as well as a video . Everyone who looked at these thought they were great , especially the video . Once I actually read the manual and figure out everything this camera can do I expect even better results . While it is a bit larger than my old canon , I absolutely love the bigger zoom range which I think is a major selling point on this little beauty ( at least it is for me ) .
      • 169 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) A superb camera in a small package . Great still photo quality and tons of pre-set variety . Excellent , sharp 24x zoom . Great night photos . Super-easy and high quality video . Macro function is very handy and excellent . If you don't want to carry around an SLR but demand high-end results , AND you want HD video , this is the camera for you . I love this camera !
      • 179 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) For a compact point-and-shoot , this Panasonic DMC-ZS3 is very impressive . The Leica lens is exceptional in it's resolution and zoom range , and the 3 display exceeds that of many SLR cameras . The detail and color are outstanding , and additional features such as the HD Video capability make for a very capable , powerful compact package . The overall quality of construction gives the impression of a well engineered , well built , precision piece of equipment . I highly recommend this camera for anyone looking for a compact , high-quality camera .
      • 187 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) this is a great camera , i bought it to take pictures of my new and only grandson and it really takes beautiful pictures and it is very easy to operate , my daughter loves the pictures of her son and she is going to buy the same camera . the only problem i have found is trying to buy an extra battery for it , it takes model # BCG10PP , , , , , , good luck finding it . but it is a really , really , great camera . / / / / / / / thanks / / / /
      • 194 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) I am very impressed by the clarity and color rendition of this camera . As the light level drops , there is visible noise on the pictures , but it is acceptable . For the first time on a trip , I left behind my DSLR and lenses , and exclusively used this camera , which sat unobtrusively in my pocket at all times . Relative to the DSLR , there are some disadvantages , namely picture to picture time is a bit slow ( ~ 2 - 3 seconds ) , although going to burst mode increases this to about 1 per second . The LCD viewfinder is much inferior to the eye-level DSLR ( reflections etc , need to wear my glasses to see it ) , and following a fast moving subject is difficult . The HD video with a single button activation is great ! Holding the camera one-handed while doing this , requires running your little finger under the body to support it . Once the picture is out of the camera , I have a hard time telling that it wasn't taken by the DSLR . If it had an eye-level viewfinder , it would be almost perfect .
      • 202 4  I love this camera , it takes great pictures , and you can zoom while taking HD videos . Not many pocket cameras can do that . This is the best value for a pocket camera , without spending far more . Be very cautious ordering a backup battery for this camera on Amazon , or anywhere else . Although you will find batteries available , Panasonic released firmware that causes the camera to reject the alternate batteries , and will shut the camera down . Rude , and overkill on their part . I almost wish I had not purchased the camera due to this snafu . Amazon has nothing to do with this , and continues to be my favorite website for online purchases . Panasonic / Leica buyers beware ! Update - 6 / 2010 , six months after purchase I now have numerous fibers inside the camera , and am very afraid to recommend this to others . The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD seems to have a flaw , that allows dust to enter the lens barrel and accumulate on the lens . I have kept the camera inside the white cloth shipping bag inside its case , and the fibers caught between the lens and lens cover are all white . They have ruined the camera for me . In my 40 years of shooting , this has never happened to me . I have sent an email to Panasonic , waiting for their response . . .
      • 203 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I always have the camera with me and love the ease of taking video . The stability of the video is amazing . The 12X optical zoom was the selling point for me as well . I really don't use my digital SLR anymore . I have owned pocket sized digital cameras for many years and this is the one that makes me happiest .
      • 207 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) A very good point & shoot camera for the money . It takes surprisingly clear shots under darker lighting conditions , contrary to a few of the claims made by others in their reviews . Although this camera packs many features , I am disappointed at the fact that I cannot remove red-eye conditions through the unit itself without having to rely on software removal after the fact . Unfortunately , the red-eye control option does not always prevent the red-eye effect , and it would be nice to correct this problem with the click of a button .
      • 209 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) Just Received the camera and visited the Grand Canyon . The zoom is unbelievable ! As is the wide angle lens ! The picture quality and video quality are both great ! Just be sure NOT to use the AVCHD lite video mode , because most video editing programs won't recognize it . Use the Quicktime HD mode to edit and make movies . Be sure to get a high speed card for the movies , like the Sandisk Extreme III . This is the best point and shoot camera available , according to all the camera review sites and in my experience with it so far .
      • 213 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) It's a great camera . Compact yet very powerful . My wife and I used it during our trip to Rocky Mountains and Arches National Park . The camera took perfect pictures . 12x zoom is very powerful ( we could take close pictures of Delicate Arch in the Arches without hiking 3 miles to the Arch itself : ) ) . It took great close-up pictures of flowers , plants etc . The iA mode is smart and correctly detects the mode to be used ( although at a few times we used some manual setting like turning off flash etc ) . Great movie mode as well ! Overall , it's a very nice camera if you want compact yet powerful camera with not too many manual settings .
      • 217 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) Although I haven't had this camera long , I already like it . I read numerous reviews and comparisons and finally ended up with the ZS3 ( the Zs7 was still to much $ $ $ ) . After having a much larger camera , I LOVE the small size . It is small enough for a pocket yet has great handling and weight to it . Once I use it a bit more , I will update my review .
      • 220 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) It's almost unfair to ask me to review this camera . I'm not a great photographer , and the main purpose of my camera is to send pictures of my son to his grandparents . For years , I was using some Kodak jobbie that I thought worked good enough for me . I decided it was time for a new camera , and now I couldn't switch back to the old one if I had to . This a rare case when I'm just continually impressed by a purchase I madae . The picture quality is of course far better than my old camera . The 12x optical zoom is an outstanding feature . The LCD screen is simply beautiful . And I love that you can take great pictures with this camera , even if you don't understand all the photography lingo ( as I don't ) . Yet , you have myriad options for customizing your settings if you think you know better than the automatic settings . Add to this the compact size , the HD video capability , and the reasonable battery life , and you've got yourself a heck of a camera . It doesn't improve my gas mileage , though .

    • Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) I purchased this camera just before I left for a trip to the Galapagos Islands . I'm not a whiz kid when it comes to cameras , but I knew the Galapagos Islands would have once-in-a-life-time photo opportunities that I didn't want to miss due to poor quality equipment or equipment that was too complicated for me to use . This camera DELIVERED on all my needs ! ( except battery incompatibilities , mentioned later ! ) I recommend spending an hour or two with the camera and instruction book . The 130 page instruction book was easy to navigate through , but it takes a while to familiarize yourself with everything this amazing little camera is capable of doing ! ! The quality of my vacation photos and videos were amazing ! I was able to record a video of the mating dance of two blue-footed boobies , iguanas fighting , and sea lions and penguins playing . My landscape photos have such detail that it's hard to believe these were not taken with a more expensive SLR digital . When I returned home , I projected the video onto a giant classroom screen during a lecture and the quality was amazing . Everyone asked what type of camera I was using ! I connected the camera to my Samsung 46 inch 1080i HDTV . The photos and videos looked so good I couldn't believe they were really MY photos ! The large 3 inch LCD monitor on the SZ3 is large enough to review photos and videos so I could easily determine which photos and videos were worth keeping while I was still on vacation . The size and quality of the LCD was even good enough replay videos and scan through photos for fellow travelers . The 12X optical zoom on this camera allowed me to zoom up on animals and landmarks otherwise too far away to photograph . I did not try out the 21X extended optical zoom . Thanks to the setting made for photos from airplane windows , my on-flight photos turned out better than any on-flight photos I've ever seen . There is a setting on the camera that allows you to hold the shutter down . It will continue to take photos until you release the shutter . This allowed me to take photos of animals in motion and later choose to save which photo caught the animal in that ideal position ! No more pushing the shutter only to have the subject move and you've missed the shot ! If you don't want to change settings on the camera , there is an Intelligent Auto Mode that adjusts automatically to light , movement , scenery ( adjusts to take sharp pictures near and far landscapes ) , recognizes faces to adjust light to create optimal settings for portrait lighting , etc . The FACE RECOGNITION setting isn't always accurate . I tried to train it to recognize my dad , and several other faces were later incorrectly identified by my camera as Dad . Hopefully re-training it will resolve that glitch . I eventually had to turn off . It was even labeling photos of women as Dad ! The Travel feature allows you to set the dates of your vacation into the camera memory . It also allows you to change the time zone during your vacation and automatically returns to home clock at the end of the ' Vacation mode dates ' . This creates a time stamp that is not only accurate to your vacation time zone , but allows you to record when & WHERE each photo was taken ! This is especially great if your travels include several cities or islands . The on-screen menu tells you what day of your trip you are on ( Galapagos Day 1 , Galapagos Day 2 , etc . ) . It's really nice for later when you are trying to sort through photos and remember what day and where they were taken . Especially when you have more than one SD card ! You can increase the size of the on screen menu to a larger font if you have problems with reading small print . I have to say I was impressed with the different settings for taking photos of babies , sunsets , portraits , food , etc . It was amazing how many differnt settings were available and the instruction book gives great hints on how to maximize the use of each of those settings . I think this is one of the best instruction manuals I've seen for cameras . Again , my only hesitation with this camera is with the battery , and it's more of an idealogical complaint against Panasonic . I just don't think they should create a camera with a battery that is so difficult to find and doesn't have a compatable generic . SO . . . . . . . . . WARNING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! THE ONLY battery that is compatable with this camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMW-BCG10PP . USE CAUTION when ordering batteries advertized on Amazon's website that claim to be compatible with this camera . I ended up going on vacation without a second battery and due to the high volume of photos and videos I was taking each day I ran out of battery before the end of the day . Luckily most days I had a lunch period where I was able to recharge the battery . The instructions say you can get 300 photos from a battery charge , but I got more than twice that amount and somedays got almost three times that many . Still , If I didn't recharge mid-day , I ran out of battery before I ran out of photo opportunities each day . I'm sure it's because I took those shots so close together . One battery is probably good enough for almost every situation except special vacations where photos are a huge part of your day ! ENJOY !
      • 018 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) I purchased this camera just before I left for a trip to the Galapagos Islands . I'm not a whiz kid when it comes to cameras , but I knew the Galapagos Islands would have once-in-a-life-time photo opportunities that I didn't want to miss due to poor quality equipment or equipment that was too complicated for me to use . This camera DELIVERED on all my needs ! ( except battery incompatibilities , mentioned later ! ) I recommend spending an hour or two with the camera and instruction book . The 130 page instruction book was easy to navigate through , but it takes a while to familiarize yourself with everything this amazing little camera is capable of doing ! ! The quality of my vacation photos and videos were amazing ! I was able to record a video of the mating dance of two blue-footed boobies , iguanas fighting , and sea lions and penguins playing . My landscape photos have such detail that it's hard to believe these were not taken with a more expensive SLR digital . When I returned home , I projected the video onto a giant classroom screen during a lecture and the quality was amazing . Everyone asked what type of camera I was using ! I connected the camera to my Samsung 46 inch 1080i HDTV . The photos and videos looked so good I couldn't believe they were really MY photos ! The large 3 inch LCD monitor on the SZ3 is large enough to review photos and videos so I could easily determine which photos and videos were worth keeping while I was still on vacation . The size and quality of the LCD was even good enough replay videos and scan through photos for fellow travelers . The 12X optical zoom on this camera allowed me to zoom up on animals and landmarks otherwise too far away to photograph . I did not try out the 21X extended optical zoom . Thanks to the setting made for photos from airplane windows , my on-flight photos turned out better than any on-flight photos I've ever seen . There is a setting on the camera that allows you to hold the shutter down . It will continue to take photos until you release the shutter . This allowed me to take photos of animals in motion and later choose to save which photo caught the animal in that ideal position ! No more pushing the shutter only to have the subject move and you've missed the shot ! If you don't want to change settings on the camera , there is an Intelligent Auto Mode that adjusts automatically to light , movement , scenery ( adjusts to take sharp pictures near and far landscapes ) , recognizes faces to adjust light to create optimal settings for portrait lighting , etc . The FACE RECOGNITION setting isn't always accurate . I tried to train it to recognize my dad , and several other faces were later incorrectly identified by my camera as Dad . Hopefully re-training it will resolve that glitch . I eventually had to turn off . It was even labeling photos of women as Dad ! The Travel feature allows you to set the dates of your vacation into the camera memory . It also allows you to change the time zone during your vacation and automatically returns to home clock at the end of the ' Vacation mode dates ' . This creates a time stamp that is not only accurate to your vacation time zone , but allows you to record when & WHERE each photo was taken ! This is especially great if your travels include several cities or islands . The on-screen menu tells you what day of your trip you are on ( Galapagos Day 1 , Galapagos Day 2 , etc . ) . It's really nice for later when you are trying to sort through photos and remember what day and where they were taken . Especially when you have more than one SD card ! You can increase the size of the on screen menu to a larger font if you have problems with reading small print . I have to say I was impressed with the different settings for taking photos of babies , sunsets , portraits , food , etc . It was amazing how many differnt settings were available and the instruction book gives great hints on how to maximize the use of each of those settings . I think this is one of the best instruction manuals I've seen for cameras . Again , my only hesitation with this camera is with the battery , and it's more of an idealogical complaint against Panasonic . I just don't think they should create a camera with a battery that is so difficult to find and doesn't have a compatable generic . SO . . . . . . . . . WARNING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! THE ONLY battery that is compatable with this camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMW-BCG10PP . USE CAUTION when ordering batteries advertized on Amazon's website that claim to be compatible with this camera . I ended up going on vacation without a second battery and due to the high volume of photos and videos I was taking each day I ran out of battery before the end of the day . Luckily most days I had a lunch period where I was able to recharge the battery . The instructions say you can get 300 photos from a battery charge , but I got more than twice that amount and somedays got almost three times that many . Still , If I didn't recharge mid-day , I ran out of battery before I ran out of photo opportunities each day . I'm sure it's because I took those shots so close together . One battery is probably good enough for almost every situation except special vacations where photos are a huge part of your day ! ENJOY !
      • 089 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) WOW ! ! ! PURCHASE Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 $239 FREEE SHIPPING ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 meets all the positive reveiws written . Expert reweiw from [ . . . ] . Video was great ! But use indoors have enough lighting to bring out colors and clarity . If you shoot with low or normal lighting video appears dark . ENJOY AND HAVE FUN ! ! ! ! Suggestion : 1 . Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card TS16GSDHC6E fast and penty of storage . 2 . Tripp Lite Mini-HDMI to HDMI Cable ( 6 feet ) $1.96 plus shipping works great ! 3 . Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 ClearTouch Crystal Screen Protector ( Single Pack ) $6.95 plus shipping Fits perfect had no trouble with bubbles or dust clean surface and lcd completely will do the job . 4 . Joby GP1 - D1EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod ( Grey ) What a great tripod ! mini and flexible $21.95 free shipping . 5 . [ . . . ] I kept wondering about reveiws on battery purchase and worry about 1.2 version firmware . No problem ! went to bestbattery website found DMW-BCG10 Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery ( For All Firmware Versions ) for Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 DMC-ZS1 DMC-ZS3 . Battery cost $16.75 plus shipping $4.78 fast delivery . I put this battery in camera first and work fine ! ! ! 6 . SqaureTrade 3 - Year Camera Warranty : Cameras / Camcorders $250 - $300 Well organized website . $34.95 7 . Lowepro Rezo 30 ( Black ) Carring case useful $11.18 free shipping

    • Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) Update 2010 / 1 / 3 : Bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 a few days ago . Will write my review on that camera eventually . As always , thanks for your comments ! Update 2009 / 11 / 17 : I am noting this at the top of the review to make something clear . A few days ago , I dropped my ZS3 on the concrete ( while photographing construction site ) about five feet up and it doesn't power on anymore . Now I am looking for a new camera in the meantime . Having said that , if you can't power it on , you can't get the data off the SD or SDHC card , right ? If you have a photo printer , for instance , that can read SDHC cards , just put the card in and you can get the data off the card pronto ! Transfer may be a bit slow . Hope this helps in case you think you may be stuck for a while . . . Now on to my original review ( May 2009 ) . . . This review is long , but will be useful to the more tech-savvy ( I guess as the saying goes , Buyer beware ) . . . ( Notice I rated this camera 4 / 5 stars - - after all , it is ' primarily ' a high-MP camera , not a HD camcorder , although some HD camcorders probably aren't better than the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 . ) The Panasonic DMC-ZS3 could literally serve as a paperweight and what it is intended for ( unless it stops working by popular terminology ) . It feels solid and heavy ( made of metal ) , but lest its screen can easily be scratched ( does fingerprint easily ) , and if dropped , may be damaged . This camera has a wrist strap , no neck strap like some cameras have . Buy a camera case such as Lowepro - - inexpensive and durable , e.g . if you would rather carry it securely looped through your belt . I bring up a few other cameras in this review ( either have them or have compared their features / reviews on other sites ) . Start with memory cards - - you can't use MultiMedia for movies , just photos . Standard SD cards work in this camera but will take several seconds to write photos or movies . You can't record but the lowest MJPEG movie res on internal memory . High-speed SD cards can't be read on older and some newer card readers ( surprised the local Best Buy did not carry high-speed card readers ) . You can always copy directly from the camera via USB cable . : - | You don't need the software CD to read on Mac and PC , unlike some cameras that need the drivers from it for Plug-in-Play ( at least on XP and Tiger ) . : - ) Received this new Panasonic camera yesterday ( May 11 ) . The small included battery out-of-the-box had enough power to change settings and try it out before the full charge ( about two hours ) for its firmware update . I'd not recommend updating the firmware unless you enjoy updating anything ( some people can't stand updating , but it's my favorite thing aside from productivity on a computer ) . If you don't feel comfortable updating the firmware , heed your instinct . I went ahead and updated the firmware without a problem ( read the instructions several times , easier than it looks ) , but it did not change the behavior of the AVCHD readability , and the ' noise ' during zoom while recording movies was as noticeable - - updater beware ! Zooming is noisy and somewhat fast taking photos , but very slow recording movies . Most , if not all compact cameras zoom slower than larger cameras would to compensate for size - - it is common sense ! Taking pictures and motion pictures is a breeze , and best of all , as in my old Panasonic camcorder ( which is much too intolerant in cold and humid environments , causing the tape not to play / record properly , and nearly damaged the unit ) , the camera will tell you which mode you have changed , if using internal memory , and if the card is full ( but all cameras do that to my knowledge ) . It reads three bars on its battery level meter , unlike some cameras like the Canon PowerShot S1 IS with only a blinking low battery icon . Disclaimer the following explanations : I am basing the following on my experience only . I'd not bother to enable sound recording ( warning - - don't confuse with the Canon PowerShot that creates a separate WAV file ) while taking photos . It takes the photo then creates a still video file from whatever setting the camera's movie recording happens to be set to , and will record the few seconds . In other words , it uses the picture you shot and turns it into a video file that plays back still with the audio . It takes up little disk space and clutters the media card . Not too annoying for me , but don't expect individual voice memos with the DMC-ZS3 . The default setting is off anyway . Memo-taker beware ! To find the AVCHD Lite files quickly , memorize where to go ( there may be more folders / files on the card than on the internal media ) : LUMIX ( ROOT ) > PRIVATE > AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM > # # # # # . MTS ( MTS the file extension of the AVCHD Lite file ) . The following may be helpful for Mac users . . . If you have Roxio Toast ( probably version 9 or later recommended ) installed , double-click on the AVCHD file , choose to open with Roxio ( or Roxio Toast ) Video Player , and it will then play for you . It won't show the time ( at least by default settings ) . Another but free option is VLC you can download ( its icon the white & orange striped cone ) . Its interface is like simplified iTunes . To associate the AVCHD Lite ( MTS extension ) in the future so that VLC will always play ( show terminal-like icon with ' exec ' in small print on the icon - Toast Video Player won't change the white generic icon , usually files not associated with any known program on the OS ) . Select the file , Get Info , choose Other to select which application to open with , choose application ( navigate to where VLC located and will be unavailable - to make it available , drop-down where it reads Recommended Applications and choose All Applications ) . Select VLC program ( with the cone icon ) , choose , and then make default and confirm ( changing to the terminal exec icon ) . Double-click on the file and enjoy watching AVCHD Lite ! Low-quality AVCHD Lite is very good quality and will save substantial memory card space , but not suitable for zooming and fast motion , as the colors and compression artifacts appear patchy , making the video look cruddy . I have not tried the high-quality setting , but for fast motion or zooming ( very slow , and it does not matter how slow - - you can still hear the motor - - this is not a professional $25,000 camera for the big screen , so you get what you pay for ) . Use MJPEG for smooth playback and compatibility with most software , but use the HD quality setting . Actually , the VGA and QVGA modes look very pixilated compared to other cameras in the league of Canon PowerShot S series - - my old 2004 S1 IS takes better VGA movies and much smoother than this new Panasonic ( especially the 320 X 240 on the PowerShot is somewhat better ) . : - ( In addition , the Canon's movie mode is better ( at saving disk space ) because you can choose 15 or 30 fps for 320 X 240 and 640 X 480 / Fine , unlike this Panasonic 30 fps ( well , it is the standard anyway ) . Overall movie recording feature on the DMC-ZS3 = 4 / 5 for stereo recording and HD , but substandard quality on VGA settings to Canon PowerShot S series and possibly the new Samsung HZ10W or HZ15W models . On the other hand , of all the cameras mentioned , this Panasonic has the best photo quality IMO - - maybe better than some entry-level SLRs ! The picture quality on this Panasonic given 5 / 5 , better than most cameras in its price range ( checked Google Image Search and YouTube for samples ) . Even some SLR cameras don't take quite as clear photos . JPEG compression is quite low on the DMC-ZS3 , but probably due to the high MP for its small lens , graininess appears in low lighting on any ISO setting , but subtle , and even ISO 1600 is not bad in well-lit outdoor environments . Indoors , yes , color artifacts and noise are apparent , but probably just good enough for printing at ISO 800 . ISO 1600 might be decent for printing on bright , sunny days , i.e . if you want a perfect shot of a water sprinkler in action . Let the automatic ' intelligent ' setting ( s ) do the rest . I have not done extensive testing yet ( duh , have had it one day now ) , but believed to work very well . Sometimes I had to set the flash not / to fire manually , a minor annoyance . If minor grain / noise in any ISO setting for pictures , very low JPEG compression artifacts ( no RAW support ) , any random photo in moderate to ambient lighting is almost free from blur , and to expect decent movie recordings in HD only , this camera is for you . If you want any movie recording to look decent at any resolution / quality setting but can do with more grain , noise , and some blurry photos , Canon or Samsung might be your ticket . Do keep in mind that the settings and environment will yield results for better or for worse . ( In fact , I ordered the Samsung HZ15W at first sight , but then canceled as it was not yet available , and felt the reviews on the DMC-ZS3 were better received . Happy with my alternated decision ! Who knows , the HZ10W / HZ15W may be just as capable - - you can pause and resume movies without starting a new movie file , you can't do on the Panasonic and any camera as of current , but I am not sure if MJPEG is available on the HZ15W . ) Keep in mind that neither the Canon PowerShot S1 IS nor the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 focus well in low lighting in movie mode , but does fine for photos in my experience . Battery life is very good , but if you are planning on recording at a ball game or an amusement park , consider purchasing a spare battery ( expensive but any proprietary battery of such will be ) , a couple of 16 GB or 32 GB memory cards , record in HD , and transfer to PC via high-speed card reader or the camera ( with sufficient battery life ) for best performance . ( Just one hour of HD video may be enough to fill a Dual Layer recordable DVD . ) Despite its minor shortcomings , this camera is one of the best in its class . Very well worth the wait ( at least a week for free shipping in my case ) . Happy Panasonicking , Samsunging , or Canoning ! Hope this helps other reviewers and others who have this model or ready to purchase one . Most say this camera competes with the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS , but IMO its closest competitor ( because of optical zooming unlike the Canon ) is the Samsung HZ15W ( HZ10W its predecessor ) . P.S . This review took a few hours of careful writing and proofreading . Thank you for your time .
      • 013 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) First , I want to preface this by saying I mostly shoot with a professional dSLR , so to me , Image Quality is the most important aspect of photography - - but I will be the first to say that there are times that I would never lug around a dSLR - - to an amusement park , a family picnic , a night out with friends , a weekend at the beach , a walk with the dog . . . I had been using a Canon G9 as my backup camera for point-and-shoot situations , but over the last couple years I have had many situations where it has been just too heavy and as cumbersome as bringing along my dSLR . . . I looked at the G10 , which was even heavier and even bigger ! . Hm . . . . Having played around with several top of the line compact point-and-shoots , and having even bought a few of them and returned them , there was nothing that I deemed high Image Quality until I read all the reviews on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 coming out of Europe and Asia ( who had it before we did under a different name ) . . . I couldn't want to try it - and BOY was the wait worth it . This camera produces far and away the best Image Quality I have ever seen on a small point-and-shoot that is lightweight , small , and has an amazing 12x zoom . It's 1 / 2 the size of the Canon G10 . But the real test came when I took the camera to a weekend at Cedar Point and got daytime as well as nighttime shots that were simply stunning . While you can't really set any of the manual settings , there are plenty of shooting modes , but right out of the box , the camera has the smarts to just take great photos - auto setting the ISO , auto setting the shutter and aperture settings as needed , and just having a knack to produce sharp and brilliant jpg photos ( there is no Raw setting for those who want it - - I don't so I am perfectly happy ) . Photos of neon lit roller coasters and LED light strewn trees at night just looked amazing , all hand-held , all just a snap . Putzing a bit with the scene modes gives you a little bit of creativity with flash - - but it's hardly necessary . This camera now stays in my work messenger bag 24 / 7 for photos on the fly . It simply has stunning IQ , photos are sharp and well exposed , and I can not recommend it more . Re-reading this starts to sound like an advertisement for the camera ! You can read through my reviews and see that I primarily shoot only with Nikon equipment , occasional Canon equipment . This Panasonic camera is just a total surprise . It shouldn't be - since people have been touting how great Panasonic's point and shoots have been for years to me , but seeing is believing . I wish I could give it 6 stars . Nothing else compares . One word of warning : the camera is massively underproduced so it is out of stock most places - - look around and you should be able to find it - don't pay the over-inflated prices that some people are gauging because they know how popular this camera now is , and are asking 4 - 5x the asking price . The list price is 399.99 - - anything over that is price gauging . I got mine through pre-order , and paid about 349.00 for it through a reputable dealer .
      • 020 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) Update 2010 / 1 / 3 : Bought the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 a few days ago . Will write my review on that camera eventually . As always , thanks for your comments ! Update 2009 / 11 / 17 : I am noting this at the top of the review to make something clear . A few days ago , I dropped my ZS3 on the concrete ( while photographing construction site ) about five feet up and it doesn't power on anymore . Now I am looking for a new camera in the meantime . Having said that , if you can't power it on , you can't get the data off the SD or SDHC card , right ? If you have a photo printer , for instance , that can read SDHC cards , just put the card in and you can get the data off the card pronto ! Transfer may be a bit slow . Hope this helps in case you think you may be stuck for a while . . . Now on to my original review ( May 2009 ) . . . This review is long , but will be useful to the more tech-savvy ( I guess as the saying goes , Buyer beware ) . . . ( Notice I rated this camera 4 / 5 stars - - after all , it is ' primarily ' a high-MP camera , not a HD camcorder , although some HD camcorders probably aren't better than the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 . ) The Panasonic DMC-ZS3 could literally serve as a paperweight and what it is intended for ( unless it stops working by popular terminology ) . It feels solid and heavy ( made of metal ) , but lest its screen can easily be scratched ( does fingerprint easily ) , and if dropped , may be damaged . This camera has a wrist strap , no neck strap like some cameras have . Buy a camera case such as Lowepro - - inexpensive and durable , e.g . if you would rather carry it securely looped through your belt . I bring up a few other cameras in this review ( either have them or have compared their features / reviews on other sites ) . Start with memory cards - - you can't use MultiMedia for movies , just photos . Standard SD cards work in this camera but will take several seconds to write photos or movies . You can't record but the lowest MJPEG movie res on internal memory . High-speed SD cards can't be read on older and some newer card readers ( surprised the local Best Buy did not carry high-speed card readers ) . You can always copy directly from the camera via USB cable . : - | You don't need the software CD to read on Mac and PC , unlike some cameras that need the drivers from it for Plug-in-Play ( at least on XP and Tiger ) . : - ) Received this new Panasonic camera yesterday ( May 11 ) . The small included battery out-of-the-box had enough power to change settings and try it out before the full charge ( about two hours ) for its firmware update . I'd not recommend updating the firmware unless you enjoy updating anything ( some people can't stand updating , but it's my favorite thing aside from productivity on a computer ) . If you don't feel comfortable updating the firmware , heed your instinct . I went ahead and updated the firmware without a problem ( read the instructions several times , easier than it looks ) , but it did not change the behavior of the AVCHD readability , and the ' noise ' during zoom while recording movies was as noticeable - - updater beware ! Zooming is noisy and somewhat fast taking photos , but very slow recording movies . Most , if not all compact cameras zoom slower than larger cameras would to compensate for size - - it is common sense ! Taking pictures and motion pictures is a breeze , and best of all , as in my old Panasonic camcorder ( which is much too intolerant in cold and humid environments , causing the tape not to play / record properly , and nearly damaged the unit ) , the camera will tell you which mode you have changed , if using internal memory , and if the card is full ( but all cameras do that to my knowledge ) . It reads three bars on its battery level meter , unlike some cameras like the Canon PowerShot S1 IS with only a blinking low battery icon . Disclaimer the following explanations : I am basing the following on my experience only . I'd not bother to enable sound recording ( warning - - don't confuse with the Canon PowerShot that creates a separate WAV file ) while taking photos . It takes the photo then creates a still video file from whatever setting the camera's movie recording happens to be set to , and will record the few seconds . In other words , it uses the picture you shot and turns it into a video file that plays back still with the audio . It takes up little disk space and clutters the media card . Not too annoying for me , but don't expect individual voice memos with the DMC-ZS3 . The default setting is off anyway . Memo-taker beware ! To find the AVCHD Lite files quickly , memorize where to go ( there may be more folders / files on the card than on the internal media ) : LUMIX ( ROOT ) > PRIVATE > AVCHD > BDMV > STREAM > # # # # # . MTS ( MTS the file extension of the AVCHD Lite file ) . The following may be helpful for Mac users . . . If you have Roxio Toast ( probably version 9 or later recommended ) installed , double-click on the AVCHD file , choose to open with Roxio ( or Roxio Toast ) Video Player , and it will then play for you . It won't show the time ( at least by default settings ) . Another but free option is VLC you can download ( its icon the white & orange striped cone ) . Its interface is like simplified iTunes . To associate the AVCHD Lite ( MTS extension ) in the future so that VLC will always play ( show terminal-like icon with ' exec ' in small print on the icon - Toast Video Player won't change the white generic icon , usually files not associated with any known program on the OS ) . Select the file , Get Info , choose Other to select which application to open with , choose application ( navigate to where VLC located and will be unavailable - to make it available , drop-down where it reads Recommended Applications and choose All Applications ) . Select VLC program ( with the cone icon ) , choose , and then make default and confirm ( changing to the terminal exec icon ) . Double-click on the file and enjoy watching AVCHD Lite ! Low-quality AVCHD Lite is very good quality and will save substantial memory card space , but not suitable for zooming and fast motion , as the colors and compression artifacts appear patchy , making the video look cruddy . I have not tried the high-quality setting , but for fast motion or zooming ( very slow , and it does not matter how slow - - you can still hear the motor - - this is not a professional $25,000 camera for the big screen , so you get what you pay for ) . Use MJPEG for smooth playback and compatibility with most software , but use the HD quality setting . Actually , the VGA and QVGA modes look very pixilated compared to other cameras in the league of Canon PowerShot S series - - my old 2004 S1 IS takes better VGA movies and much smoother than this new Panasonic ( especially the 320 X 240 on the PowerShot is somewhat better ) . : - ( In addition , the Canon's movie mode is better ( at saving disk space ) because you can choose 15 or 30 fps for 320 X 240 and 640 X 480 / Fine , unlike this Panasonic 30 fps ( well , it is the standard anyway ) . Overall movie recording feature on the DMC-ZS3 = 4 / 5 for stereo recording and HD , but substandard quality on VGA settings to Canon PowerShot S series and possibly the new Samsung HZ10W or HZ15W models . On the other hand , of all the cameras mentioned , this Panasonic has the best photo quality IMO - - maybe better than some entry-level SLRs ! The picture quality on this Panasonic given 5 / 5 , better than most cameras in its price range ( checked Google Image Search and YouTube for samples ) . Even some SLR cameras don't take quite as clear photos . JPEG compression is quite low on the DMC-ZS3 , but probably due to the high MP for its small lens , graininess appears in low lighting on any ISO setting , but subtle , and even ISO 1600 is not bad in well-lit outdoor environments . Indoors , yes , color artifacts and noise are apparent , but probably just good enough for printing at ISO 800 . ISO 1600 might be decent for printing on bright , sunny days , i.e . if you want a perfect shot of a water sprinkler in action . Let the automatic ' intelligent ' setting ( s ) do the rest . I have not done extensive testing yet ( duh , have had it one day now ) , but believed to work very well . Sometimes I had to set the flash not / to fire manually , a minor annoyance . If minor grain / noise in any ISO setting for pictures , very low JPEG compression artifacts ( no RAW support ) , any random photo in moderate to ambient lighting is almost free from blur , and to expect decent movie recordings in HD only , this camera is for you . If you want any movie recording to look decent at any resolution / quality setting but can do with more grain , noise , and some blurry photos , Canon or Samsung might be your ticket . Do keep in mind that the settings and environment will yield results for better or for worse . ( In fact , I ordered the Samsung HZ15W at first sight , but then canceled as it was not yet available , and felt the reviews on the DMC-ZS3 were better received . Happy with my alternated decision ! Who knows , the HZ10W / HZ15W may be just as capable - - you can pause and resume movies without starting a new movie file , you can't do on the Panasonic and any camera as of current , but I am not sure if MJPEG is available on the HZ15W . ) Keep in mind that neither the Canon PowerShot S1 IS nor the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 focus well in low lighting in movie mode , but does fine for photos in my experience . Battery life is very good , but if you are planning on recording at a ball game or an amusement park , consider purchasing a spare battery ( expensive but any proprietary battery of such will be ) , a couple of 16 GB or 32 GB memory cards , record in HD , and transfer to PC via high-speed card reader or the camera ( with sufficient battery life ) for best performance . ( Just one hour of HD video may be enough to fill a Dual Layer recordable DVD . ) Despite its minor shortcomings , this camera is one of the best in its class . Very well worth the wait ( at least a week for free shipping in my case ) . Happy Panasonicking , Samsunging , or Canoning ! Hope this helps other reviewers and others who have this model or ready to purchase one . Most say this camera competes with the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS , but IMO its closest competitor ( because of optical zooming unlike the Canon ) is the Samsung HZ15W ( HZ10W its predecessor ) . P.S . This review took a few hours of careful writing and proofreading . Thank you for your time .
      • 030 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) The reason I purchased this camera was to use it for both pictures and video when I don't want to carry my DSLR and HD video camera . It is a mistake to compare it to either , rather it is more fair to compare it to other P & S cameras available in the $400 price range that are capable of video . 1 . Still Camera Features : The AF modes and multi-point AF tracking is quite good and allows you to get the shot . This is probably the best feature of this camera and hats off to Panasonic for doing this right . However , comparing to Canon P & S , the AWB and color balance is definitely lacking . It is particularly bad when shooting in ambient artificial light , but outdoors it is a little bit better , but not much . If RAW shooting was permitted , this could easily be fixed . For such a good lens , the picture quality of the files don't hold up well to the Canon G9 , it just seems to lack fine detail . Now again , you could say I'm being picky , but remember I'm comparing it to other P & S and I would think that this camera's shots should be comparable to say the Panasonic LX3 or a Canon G9 . 2 . Video Camera Features : The AVCHD Lite will NOT work on a Mac with iMovie , which is the best inexpensive video editing software available , that comes standard on all Macs . You have to use Motion jpeg which takes up more memory card space and you can only shoot in 15 min . increments . The zoom feature while doing video is nice , but it is slow to auto focus . Finally , this camera is made in Japan and is solid and has a good feel . It is small enough to fit in a man's shirt pocket or a woman's small purse . The 3 LCD screen is nice and you can see all of your settings on it . In the real world price vs . performance is key and you can't have everything . That said , this camera is more appropriately priced at $300 and would then merit 4 stars . At nearly $400 , for what you get , 3 stars is the best one could give it . EDITED 26 OCT 2009 ( updated from 3 - stars to 4 - stars ) : 1 . AVCHD Lite format can now be read by iMovie 09 on all Macs . It works great , and although I didn't play the video on a large screen , on a 24 LCD monitor the 720p video looks good . The microphone pickup is quite good too . On a 16GB SD card you can get well over 2 hours of video , but battery life is eaten up even without zooming so actually getting continuous 2 hours is not possible . 2 . Setting a maximum ISO will help in reducing noise , particularly chroma noise , but it will drop the shutter speed too low where image stabilization becomes less useful . 3 . The price is now approximately between $270 - $290 which makes this P & S camera a better deal , but if you have to spend full retail , then research what the alternatives are since color balance is an issue . For the money , its a good deal .
      • 032 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I like every aspect of this camera . It takes sharper pictures than some of the hybrid cameras and even DSLRs . The video quality is also fantastic with the camera . It is better than many stand-alone video cameras . I am very amazed at the quality and features packed into the compact body of ZS3 . It is my favorite camera now . I would give it 5 if Panasonic can solve the battery problem right . The camera is a battery drainer , especially when shooting videos . However , it is almost impossible to find a backup battery for ZS3 right now without any firmware change . I downgraded the firmware from 1.2 to 1.1 following the online googled-out instructions . The main reason is to downgrade is to use 3 party batteries . ZS3 batteries are sold out everywhere in US right now . And it is said that the Panasonic brand batteries won't be available till the end of Sept 2009 or even mid-Oct 2009 . Even it is available , the MSRP is $60 . The downgrading process took me 5 minutes and allowed to use 3rd party batteries .
      • 040 4  Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) I am so in love with this camera , it's not even funny . I am NOT a pro , nor want to be , just wanted a camera which I could point and shoot and get a good quality photo and video . I love that the video has zoom , that is what I was waiting for . Took some videos and pictures of my son and they came out excellent . No more out of focus or too far of a image that you cannot identify the person in the picture . Since it's small , you can have it in your purse or in your pocket . I have mine with me at all times now . This is my 3rd Lumix and hope to be like that for a long while . It's expensive , no doubt , but I looked at it as an investment and I am confident I did the right thing . I was debating between the ZS3 and the SX200 Canon , after lots of research I went with the ZS3 . The 3 major reason were : 1 ) Canon has the flash were your finger goes . 2 ) The Lumix can produce a HD light video ( which I can keep and show on TV with very high quality or convert it to a good youtube video and upload for others ) . 3 ) The zoom on the video . Ahhhh what a bless ! ! ! Finally we can have a video with the zoom . So for all the above reason I say , the ZS3 is the camera to have .
      • 042 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) I've had this camera for 4 months now , and overall I'm very happy I purchased it ( even at the time for $369 ) . But , though it takes respectable photos , I think I might have had higher expectations than I should have . I also own a Nikon D40 DSLR and the ZS3 ' s photo quality and versatility really doesn't compare , especially in low light . But , I can't fit the D40 in my coat pocket . I can't shoot HD video with my D40 . And , I can't match the convenience and portibility of the ZS3 with the D40 . Essentially , these two cameras compliment each other nicely . The PROS of the ZS3 : - Small . Not miraculously small , but small enough for a coat pocket or little bag . - Solid Construction . A nice weight and sturdiness . It feels really nice in the hand . - Excellent photo quality in daylight . Really nice looking photos up to 200 film speed . - Optical Range . 25 - 300mm equivilent . Honestly , 300 is more than enough for me ( I'll break out the DSLR if I'm doing some nature stuff that requires 300mm ) . But , every once in a while it's handy . It's the 25mm that is vital , especially for small rooms or spaces . Or , if you have a toddler coming at you really fast . I find it's a huge advantage compared to the other super-zooms . - HD video . The quality is exceptional for a camera . Additionally , it does relatively well in low light conditions - or indoors . The ability to zoom optically is very useful . It's extremely convenient . I absolutely love this feature . I'd almost be happy with this camera if it only took video ! - Impressive iA / AUTO feature , if you don't want to think or are handing the camera to anyone who hasn't used it before . The CONS of the ZS3 - Very few manual settings . No setting Apeture . No setting Shutter . Though , you can set Film Speed which is nice ( I tend to set mine to 80 - or max 200 - when I'm concerned about noise ) . It feels like the dslr Program setting in that sense . - Really confusing menu . My wife ( who's an excellent photographer , but doesn't use this camera much ) still can't figure this thing out . Heck , I still get disoriented figuring out where things are and when to press what . It's FAR from an intuitive camera if your not just using iA for everything . - Really bad low light color photo quality ( though I should note that low light video is pretty impressive ) . Lot of yellow fringing at high ISO's . But , more respectable ( and usable ) low light results when set to BW . - Really annoying toggling between Photo and Playback settings . Basically , after you take a photo you can only review the one photo that you just took ( without being able to zoom ) . If you want to review further , you have to switch out of Photo and toggle to Playback which closes up and shuts down the lens . It can be tedious and make you miss some shots . - Slippy Menu Dial on top . I read other people's complaints about this and thought them silly , but having owned the camera , I've discovered it is more than annoying . I've taken dozens of photos not realizing I slipped my camera onto a night setting by mistake because the dial is so loosy-goosy . How did I not notice ? See above - I didn't bother going to Playback to review because it's tedious and I didn't want to miss any action . - Battery life - even when not shooting video , this thing eats through batteries . If you are on a day trip , you'll have to be cognizant of your battery power . As of now it's hard to find affordable back up batteries . To review : The ZS3 is pocketable and can take some fantastic photos , especially in good light . Just don't expect photo miracles - It's still a point and shooter , though a better than average one with pleasing results overall . The miracle on this camera is in the video . I love the video on this camera and find it easy , convenient and excellent in quality .
      • 044 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) I got the ZS3 for my wife as we have been very pleased with the quality of construction of the former models which we had ( TZ3 and TZ4 ) . However when i received it i noticed that that the construction quality was definitely not in the same league as our former TZ3 and TZ4 cameras : ( The battery too was MADE IN CHINA compared to the former Made in Japan batteries : ( We have barely used it for 2 weeks and yes the picture quality was definitely better than the TZ4 by a mile . The video was also great and the stereo mics gave much better voice quality than the previous model . The custom mode also allowed you to tweak options that allowed some level of control for creative photography and non flash photography . The high ISO quality was also much improved over the former models . However the saddest part was that the lcd screen just cracked , and the outside screen has no damage indicating that the quality of the lcd screen inside is very poor . Seems like Panasonic has dropped its legendary quality which has made it famous in the P & S superzoom market : ( I am hoping to send the unit back to amazon for replacement since this happened without any drop or misuse and there is no damage outside . Searching on the Internet showed that this was a common problem with the ZS3 ( also called TZ7 ) and the problem seems to be in the lower part of the lcd unit . Many users have got the screen replaced based on the fact that its an issue with the construction quality as the outside glass like cover has no damages , though Panasonic has in some cases refused to honor the warranty and asked over 150 $ to replace the lcd ! ! ! which is ridiculous . Check flickr for images of damaged units posted by other customers of the same camera . The issue is not with the external cover outside , so pasting a screen protector is of no use since the crack come in the lcd panel that is inside ! Once this happens the screen also has vertical purple / pink bars that completely shuts of any photography capability since you only have the lcd to focus ( as there is no viewfinder in this camera ) . I contacted Panasonic support and seems they do not respond to customer issues , and will now have to depend on Amazon's customer support ( whom i am told are much better thankfully ) to get a replacement since i am still within the return window . UPDATE > Amazon was VERY very prompt and shipped a replacement the very next day i started the return process . The kept me fully updated of the process . Superb stuff amazon . Panasonic support finally woke up and agreed to provide a replacement unit as well as long as the unit was within the 1 year warranty period , the only difference being that they will only provide a refurbished item . However my confidence in the build quality of this model is now low , and would most probably be switching to the new Sony HX5V as the ZS7 seems to be going on the marketing line and forgetting what made the lumix compact superzooms so great .
      • 047 4  I have been a Canon fan for years . I have an elph and Rebel XTi , as well as a Canon Video camera . . . I am a Canon fan . I wanted a new camera so I naturally went towards the Canon SX200IS . I did lots of reading and found out that in the Super Zoom class , you have Panasonic and Canon for the most part . Great . . . now I just have to decide on which camera . Panasonic has better overall reviews , but the Canon certainly is not bad and it has full manual control . . . Done . I bought the Canon SX200IS . I received from Amazon just in time for our annual Tulip Festival . Lots of pictures and video to be taken . I'll start by saying the pictures were great from this camera . I wish you could zoom while taking video , but it wasn't bad . The flash popping up wasn't bad either . It only got in the way during the first few ' shoots ' . The bad . . . the interface . I did not like the interface . It was too hard to choose scenes . Some scenes are easy to get too , and some not . The auto mode did not do as well as I wanted . My wife took it to a Red Wings Hockey game and she turned it off easy mode . Finally , after a few days I noticed I would turn the camera off and the pop up flash would stay up . Not good as the camera is small enough to out in your pocket . I easily saw myself turning off and popping the camera in my pocket without looking . . . there goes the flash ! I didn't , but if I wasn't paying attention , I may have . I also thought that I would never use the manual controls with all of the scenes on the camera . I then went to Amazon and ordered the Panasonic ZS3 . I got it and within 5 days I returned the Canon . The form factor is much nicer . Both camera are about the same size , but the ZS3 seems smaller . I don't know what Panasonic did , but the camera just ' felt ' better in my hands . The interface . . . Panasonic did there homework ! Quick menu and easy access to all scenes . Separate button to take video . Nice ! Love the interface . Within a couple clicks you can choose size , ISO , max film speed , auto white balance and more . Or you can leave it in automatic and let the camera decide . Most of the time , the camera will make the right choice . The ZS3 made better choices than the SX200is most of the time . The automatic mode seemed to be more intelligent than Canon's . I am not going to miss the full manual control . Photos are as good as the Canon in my opinion . Live histogram . High speed burst . . . it get's about 10 frames a second when you shoot 3 megapixel photos . Video . . . can zoom while shooting . Not needed , but when you have it . . . nice ! Shoots in AVCHD Lite . Mac OS X and iMovie 09 supports this now . The Panasonic ZS3 is a nice camera . Highly recommended . Pricey , but nice .
      • 052 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) Like many here , I looked at many cameras and read many reviews before deciding on this one , so I thought I should ' pay it forward ' and share my impressions of the Lumix DMC-ZS3 . The upshot is that , to me , this is the only camera on the market that successfully - - and at $240 , affordably - - combines : - - a high quality Leica lens - - 12x optical zoom - - HD video capability - - intelligent autofocus - - pocket-sized portability I was in the market for a point-and-shoot , because I realized that I was missing a ton of good shots simply because I rarely break out my Canon DSLR . I love my Rebel XTi and its ability to use $1,500 zoom lenses and polarizing filters . And like many , I had considered myself a Canon loyalist prior to purchasing the Lumix . But even with my Lowepro easy-open sling bag , the memory of carrying that thing all over the streets of Dublin last summer made me admit that I needed to find a compromise . But in my heart , I suspected that a compromise would pit portability squarely against image quality , and that I would be using my new P & S exclusively at drunken office parties . So I began my research into the P & S category pessimistically . It seems that most people these days seem to be content with taking horrible pictures with their cell phones , and most compact cameras seem to be marketed along the lines of fun new colors and have names like Coolpix ( shudder ) . And the thought of buying a camera from Panasonic ( over Canon no less ! ) , well , that didn't make much sense to me . But I couldn't ignore the hundreds of rave reviews , or its status as a top seller on Amazon , so I grudgingly checked it out . The single biggest differentiator , for me , was the Panasonic's incorporation of a Leica lens ( an absolutely brilliant move on their part ) . Even decidedly amateur photogs like myself are aware of Leica's stature . Leica is to cameras , what Ducati is to motorcycles . So when I repeatedly read reviews that compared the Lumix's image quality favorably to that of Canon's SX200 , I was open enough to the possibility that I decided to see for myself . Since unwrapping the Lumix two days ago , I have taken roughly 300 pictures . And while it struggles somewhat in low light ( a handicap that is shared by every digital I've used ) , the clarity , color balance and warmth easily rivals my DSLR . In fact , at the risk of betraying my photographic naivete , I would be hard pressed to tell the difference in most shots . Beyond the pixel metrics and histogram comparisons , the Lumix produces images which possess that ethereal ' photographic ' quality which I have found elusive among digital cameras . It's hard to describe , but shooting with the Lumix quickly felt warmer , more analogue , perhaps even more organic , than countless other digital camera experiences I've had . Ordinarily , I would chalk up those impressions to ' new buyer euphoria . ' But in this case , the Panasonic could've easily fallen short of this Canon-loyalists expectations . The fact that it instead exceeded them - - I foresee my DSLR's role shrinking further than expected - - is a testament to what relative newcomer Panasonic has done here . So , in short , I am extremely impressed and happy with my purchase . I've been using Adobe Lightroom 2 as a digital darkroom , and the results have been extremely impressive . In fact a few photos of my dog , after some tinkering and applying a selenium tone filter , are actually breathtaking . Its HD video capabilities , while not a core need for me , are nevertheless a core capability of the camera , and a simply remarkable bonus for a $240 camera . I do wish the files it produces were more universally manageable , but my initial impressions of VideoPad video editor ( free , but not included ) indicate that it won't be too much trouble . HDMI output is also a wonderful bonus . The camera's size , while certainly not as comfortable in the hand as my DSLR , is almost exactly the same size as a pack of Marlboro Light 100s , and thus can easily fit in my pocket ( presuming I quit smoking soon , as planned ) . The lack of an included case is easily remedied by the Lowepro Rezo 30 , which I almost buy because one reviewer said it was too small for this model . Ignore that review , as it fits absolutely perfectly , has great features , and runs about $11 . Of my only two complaints , the first is really a quibble : battery life . It's not horrible , but not praiseworthy either , so I would recommend a backup . Panasonic appears to have made its proprietary ' chipped ' batteries an issue here as well , so - 2 for that . Ny other complaint is the camera's lack of total manual control . There's no messing with the f-stop and shutter speed here , so you have to trust the Lumix's ability to make smart decisions . Thus far , I'd have to say that it makes better decisions than I probably would , and while I don't like creative control being taken away from me , I confess that most of my creative efforts are better expended in post-processing . So there's my review . At $240 , the Lumix is an extraordinarily robust mixture of performance and portability . For those looking to give their necks and shoulders a break from their DSLR , this packs 90% of the performance into a 7oz . package .
      • 057 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) Great camera . I liked it a lot - it took really nice photos and movies , looks nice , easy to use , good . Or at least , that was my initial impression until after having it for about 8 days , the lcd screen developed a whole bunch of blurred , distorted lines and a black section . Making the lcd screen , and hence the camera , useless . And i have not dropped it , or really manhandled it in any way - unless keeping the camera in a bag with just itself is manhandling when i took it down to the park for some photos , or leaving it on a shelf is somehow manhandling it . And that's pretty weak if so . I don't know what the camera problem is , the lcd screen itself isn't cracked in any way , but whatever is under it is very very broken . [ Aside ] Called amazon , and they put me through to jewellery repairs team , who weren't there . So that was . . . um , not very useful ?
      • 060 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I bought the ZR1 and was extremely Disappointed . So I decided to return it . Then I ordered for a ZS3 considering that it has been in the market for quite a while and that its reviews are quite positive . After I recieved the camera , I fell in love with the camera general performance . However , the screen seemed to flicker with a specific pattern everytime I turned it on from the first time . then within a week the LCD failed and the screen seemed to be cracked from inside with the same pattern as that of the beginning . I am really sad as I liked it very much . MANY people seems to have this problem with this camera and I believe this is a major manufacturing defect . Update : : : : : sony HX5v is out . go to imaing resource . com to compare the newer zs7 to hx5 . HX5 rules ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
      • 068 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I purchased this camera as an upgrade to my aging Canon A520 camera . 2 things that were prompting me to upgrade - pictures taken of my daughter's basketball games in the dimly lit gym were not very good ( either too dark and grainy or a streak of blur instead of a clear action shot ) . Second was video capabilities - the Canon just took 30 sec . max of small grainy video . I got this camera a week ago and have to say I am very impressed with it ! For issue #1 , I took it to my daughter's ball game on Saturday and tried it out . The pictures were definately an improvement . I will say that this scenario is very difficult for any point and shoot ( low light - fast action - needing to zoom to get a close enough shot - not a good combo for a small lens ) . So , I wasn't expecting miracles , just an improvement over the Canon and that is exactly what I got . The pictures were brighter and sharper - very usable . There was still some blur in extreme situations - shooting the basketball . There just isn't enough light to completely stop the action . And if you look closely at the brighter shots , they are a little grainy due to higher ISO settings . But , unless you blow the picture way up , you don't see it at all and it is still a huge improvement over the aging Canon . The part that I didn't expect was issue number 2 . I expected longer recording times and better video quality . But what I got was nothing short of absolutely stunning video . I took video of my daughter's choir concert . The stage is well lit with spotlights and I expected good video . What I got was razer sharp wide screen video that looks so good on my 50 1080p Plasma ( Panasonic - so I can play the AVCHD video right from the card ) it was hard to believe . Next I tried the basketball game - much less light . Again the video was nothing short of amazing . The picture looked just as good as it did with the well lit stage . Absolutely no noise or grain - just bright , colorful , beautiful video . I even compared it to my older Canon true camcorder ( digital , but not HD ) and the picture is better by far in bright light . In dim light , it is even more pronounced - the camcorder has a washed out grainy look - the ZS3 looks stunning . I always hated finding a tape with room , getting it to the right spot , charging the battery and lugging the camcorder along with a normal camera . Now , I don't have to and I can still get stunning video . Condition 2 met wonderfully . I haven't tried all the features and modes yet , but with the auto mode working so well , I probably won't use them much . A few thoughts : - The mode wheel isn't super stiff like on the Canon , but it's tight enough that it doesn't move on its own . - The battery lasted for about 45 min . of video , about 30 flash pictures and a whole lot of playing around with menus , settings , etc . It charged in just under 2 hours . - If you look around you can find a couple batteries that do work with firmware 1.2 . I ordered on from Amazon for $25 that should arrive soon . The two hour charge time compared to my old 15 min . AA charger has me wanting the second battery for backup . - The AVCHD plays wonderfully ( no additional software ) on my Windows 7 Core2 Quad machine . I had to install the included software and it still plays a little jerky on my Core2 Duo laptop . So I'm thinking you may need a decent machine to play the native video . However , I believe the included software can convert it to a less demanding format ( with probably some quality loss ) - I haven't tried it . - The zooming works well in video mode - it is plenty fast and while I did notice an occassional tiny amount of refocusing during the ball game while zooming , it was very slight and nothing more than my old camcorder did - especially in the low light . - It appears to be very solidly built . I haven't dropped it - yet , but even the controls and doors are hinged and solidly built - unlike the rubber covers on my Canon . - The record button for video is a little awkwardly placed - I have to hunt to find it to stop recording and I think I will probably end up hitting it accidentally a few times when I don't mean to . For now , I am very happy with the still picture quality ( understanding the limits of a compact point and shoot ) and am totally amazed by the AVCHD video quality . I can see I'll be purchasing a 1 TB drive soon to house all the video I'll be taking now that it is much more convenient than my dedicated camcorder . Edit - Since my last review I have used the camera a little more and have a couple minor complaints : - The video I just took using the AI mode was a little overexposed - a band concert on a spotlit stage . Same stage as the Choir concert so I'm a little surprised by the different results . There is probably a better setting to have used , but I didn't try . That leads to one of my minor gripes . Because you can't see what the video mode will look like until you press the button and start recording , it's kind of hard to tell if you need a different mode . It would be nice to be able to preview ( and see how much time is left ) before starting the video recording . If there is a way to do that I haven't found it yet . - I still don't find the zoom too slow in video recording ( like some other reviewers ) , but I did find it a little touchy . It was a little difficult to get just the zoom I wanted . I found myself zooming in and out too much trying to get just right framing . Might just be a getting used to it thing . These are minor quibbles and don't do anything to reduce my love of the camera . Just something to be aware of . . . One final thing - I am using a class 4 8GB SD card and it is works fine for AVCHD video - not sure about Motion JPEG , but the AVCHD works fine with class 4 .
      • 075 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Red ) ( Electronics ) I can only hope that I am not going to come across as a salesman . I have no connection whatever with Panasonic and they are not paying me for this review in any way shape or form . That being said , I LOVE my new camera ! I have had it a little more than a month now , and I truly believe it is the best camera on the market today . It's got a 3 inch LCD with 5 step brightness adjustment , HD video capture and incredible sound quality , a burst mode that seems to take about ten shots a second , the best optical image stabilization around ( so that even if you've got the shakes from too many nightcaps and have the thing set on maximum zoom , you will still get a crystal clear picture ) , a 25mm wide angle lens with 12X optical zoom and up to 21.4X extra optical zoom ( which , no matter what you might read or hear , really does work - just set the camera to a lower megapixel resolution and you will get more zoom ) . It's got two scene modes that you can set your scenes to so you just spin the dial to MyScene 1 or MyScene 2 and take a picture with whatever scene you prefer . I have one of mine set to burst mode and for the other I have it set to panorama assist mode , which is awesome for taking pano shots ( which I do a frequently ) . All this and it's got excellent picture quality that , in all the reviews I read , was consistently ranked among the best picture quality in the business . In fact , every time I came across a top five or ten list of cameras , this camera was always somewhere in the list , which should say quite a lot . Plus , it's red ! ! ! ( At least mine is ) . I should also say that , at least compared to the cameras I have owned and operated before , the menus on this one are extremely easy to use and make a whole lotta sense . Most of the controls are pretty much just where you might want them , too . The one exception I could name to this would be the button that records video , which is right where I want my thumb to be when I am carrying it around . Consequently , I have ended up taking a number of unintentional videos . The things that are lacking , in my opinion , would be the in-camera panoramic mode that allows you to actually stitch a panoramic scene together without having to put all the shots on your computer first . However , the panoramic assisst mode that it does have is worth a whole lot more since it lets you line your shots for a pano up perfectly . The one scene mode it lacks , in my opinion , is one for taking shots of things behind glass , though honestly I have taken several shots of things behind glass with the iAuto mode and it seems to work totally fine . Lastly , I really wish it had a viewfinder , but then I guess they would have had to make it bigger , and I probably wouldn't want it any bigger . At this point , it's right about the size of my wallet and fits into my front or jacket pockets just fine . I have read that the rechargeable battery has a somewhat shorter lifespan than most , but I really wouldn't know from personal experience . Some of the cool features it has is a scene mode that actually slims or plumps up the people you are photographing . I didn't realize at first what it was for and took some shots of my already very skinny self and was quite alarmed when I looked at the pictures on the computer ! It also has not only color , B & W , and sepia , but a cooling and warming mode that lends a blueish and reddish quality to the pictures respectively . And it has one mode that turns all your pictures or video grainy . Not really sure how I would ever use that , but it's still kinda fun to know that it is there . Oh , and it has a special setting on the dial that allows you to take pictures of documents or whatever that you might want to have stored in your camera ( and can access or erase at any time ) . I used this once to take a picture of my school class schedule for the semester from the computer screen when I couldn't figure out how to print it out . Saved time and paper ! Also , it comes with an AV cable so you can hook the camera right up to your TV and play video or a slideshow right from your camera ! I have just a couple of recomendations if you do decide to buy this camera . First is that you might wanna get a screen protector for your LCD . It's really nice having the large 3 inch screen , but , unfortunately , I scratched mine on some rocks in Sedona the very first week I had it . The second recommendation I have is that you buy nothing less than a Sandisk Ultra II memory card . The camera specifies that for HD video you should have a card with at least 10 mbps . The Ultra II , with 15 mbps , is what I use and it has worked great . I only mention it because I had trouble figuring out which card to get . Ummmm . . . anyhow , that's all I can think to say other than if you buy this camera , I really don't see how you could be disappointed . Cheers !
      • 079 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) For a long time , I assumed that Canon made the best cameras . I have had Canon ultra-zooms ( and have posted good reviews of some of them ) and Canon Elphs ( with mixed reviews ) . Panasonic and Lumix were not even on my radar screen until I saw one that a friend had ( a prior model with 10x zoom ) . Being the rather impulsive person I sometimes am , I purchased both a Canon SD940IS and this Panasonic ( DMC-ZS3 ) . To me they are roughly in the same class , although to be fair the Canon SD940 is a lot smaller . However , for practical purposes , they are both pocketable point-and-shoot cameras . The Panasonic surprised me and beat the Canon in every way except for size ( see my Canon 940 review ) . I sold the Canon and kept the Panasonic . What do I like about the Panasonic ? - Intelligent Auto almost always gets it right . If I want to take a picture but don't want to think about the settings , Intelligent Auto works better than I have ever experienced on other cameras . - The 12x zoom . I often forget that it has a 12x zoom because it is not as bulky as cameras that have a long zoom . The zoom is very nice , and even at full zoom the details are very clear . - Very nice , high-resolution LCD . The resolution and size of the LCD makes it easy to compose pictures and a pleasure to review them . One downside is that when I took pictures on a sunny day the display was hard to see . There is a setting for the display that may help and I've ordered a protector that may cut down on glare . I don't have enough experience with the camera yet to know if this is going to be much of an issue . - Thoughtful and useful features throughout . Just one example ( out of way too many to list ) is multi-aspect bracketing . With wide-screen computer and HDTV displays , it's hard to keep track of what aspect ratio to use , and depending on what a photo is used for , viewing on HDTV , wide computer screen , printed on certain sizes of photo paper , who wants to decide in advance whether to use 4 : 3 , 3 : 2 , or 16 : 9 aspect ratio ? Even though I have a minor in math , there are just too many other details in life to try to keep track of . The multi-aspect function takes a single photo and saves it in all 3 aspects so that whatever aspect is later needed is available . This kind of thoughtfulness shows up in many other features . - Very accessible menus for quickly applying settings . - Great movie recording features - - dedicated button , new format for longer videos as well as a more common format . Video quality is better than what I experienced on the Canon SD940IS - - much more stable . - 25mm wide angle . Recently cameras have been offering 28mm wide - - this camera takes it a step further and goes even wider . This is a camera that I can honestly say that I will probably be using for several years , rather than upgrading more frequently , that satisfies my need for both an ultra zoom as well as pocketable point and shoot , and that exceeds my expectations both in terms of features available as well as the consistently excellent pictures that it produces . Five stars from someone who is usually very critical of products I review .
      • 093 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) Here is my background : I have owned over 20 point and shoot cameras and now shoot with Nikon DSLRs D300 and D40 and I also owned Canon 40D . I also owned Fuji F10 and F30 and S6000fd so I know that you are thinking between this and Fuji F70 / F72 and maybe also Casio H10 which is an interesting model . Here is my review : I owned TZ3 and TZ5 before and ZS3 is better . The quality of my concert photos and videos I've been getting with ZS3 is better . Here is why ZS3 is great : 1 ) for all intents and purposes you can place it in iA mode and it will give you a proper shot 99 out of 100 times . Don't need to fiddle with anything . Also useful when you give your camera to strangers to take your photo . They won't screw it up for the most part 2 ) ability to take concert videos and photographs . As TZ5 before it , ZS3 allows you to preset minimum shutter speed down to 1 / 250 in the normal camera mode . This is the most important feature you need because it acts as a pseudo-shutter priority . At 1 / 60 to 1 / 125 you will freeze people's movement on stage . And this camera is easy to sneak in to concerts because it is small . 3 ) AVC HD light 720p is the most advanced video format currently available for p & s cameras . It is amazing . the video quality is out of this world . You need to see it to believe it . And AVC HD Light videos can be natively burned to any regular dvd and then played by any blu-ray player . In fact , PS3 plays them natively off the card reader plugged into USB slot . Because Sony supports AVC HD Light format . ANd Blueray format does as well What is not so great ? The battery life is worse than on TZ5 which is a disappointment . The battery is smaller because they made the camera smaller . Unfortunately while I was getting 400 + photos at a concert routinely with TZ5 ( no flash ) ZS3 batter is at least 1 / 3 worse . I've heard that Fuji F70 battery is even worse . So I took off one star for poor battery performance . After Fuji F10 and F30 with its 600 shots per charge , this is not acceptable in my book . However , I feel currently this is the best point-and-shoot camera in its class .
      • 095 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) The Panasonic Lumix DMC-Z23 10 MP with 12X Wide Angle Zoom is a true performer . This was the 3rd camera in the $180 to $280 price range we have purchased in the last year trying to replace an older digital camera that we had been very happy with . After 2 expensive disapointments we were hesitant to try again but very happy with the result . Heading out for a family vacation we wanted an easy to use camera . Battery life far exceeded expectation . Vibrant color . Took over 3,000 pictures in one week with only 2 that were fuzzy and were operator error . The camera is a bit heavy compared to many small ones these days , but easily carried in a pants pocket or purse . The camera body fits easily in one hand . This camera dosn't require 2 hands to take great pictures . The movie mode is awesome as well and fills our need for any video capability we would need . The view finder screen is large , crisp and clear . We bought a 16 gig class 6 card to go with it . Popped the card ( with 3,000 pictures on it ) into our Panasonic DVD-VHS digital recorder-player and enjoyed automatic turning of the pictures and a great recap our our family fall vacation . Highly Recommend
      • 100 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) I've had a lot of compact digital cameras . And I use them constantly - my compact camera is ALWAYS in my purse . Typically I take lots of photos of people , landscapes and food with it . I bought this camera shortly before a safari in Tanzania , drawn by the 12X zoom and HD video taking . I also brought a D80 with an 18 - 200mm lens and a D90 with 80 - 400mm lens . I wanted to use this little camera for quick shots , people shots , and movie taking . The photos taken with this camera as just as good as those taken on the DSLRs , the movies were fantastic ( and live zooming cannot be beat ) , and the camera survived 2 weeks in very dusty conditions . I am so pleased with this camera . Image quality is on par with the Canon cameras I have , most recently the Canon 870IS . And the videos are awesome - above and beyond the quality of the Canon . My only complaint is the mode dial . It's very loose so it gets rotated easily while in the camera case . I almost never take the camera out and find the dial in the position I left it at . Moreover , it can be rotated 360 degrees , and 1 / 3 of that has no modes . The dial should have been designed with hard stops at the first and last modes . Highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants a powerful camera in a small body .
      • 102 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) Well like most of you , I did a bunch of research on camera before I settled on this one . I looked at the Canon SX200IS and a couple of other Lumix's and the Sony H20 . What is really great about this camera is that it takes great pictures , especially in good to great light . I have owned this camera for over 6 months and I have made many 8x10 ' s , look perfect , and even a 16x20 , looks good , but not perfect . In low light , you have to change the settings to night or adjust exposure or put on a tripod to get ok photos . This , like most point and shoots , is limited in lower light . Yes you can use the flash , but then you have a bright subject with a black background . What you lose is the context of the picture , where it was , who was there , etc . So , if you play around with some of the other scene modes and adjust exposure and use a tripod you can , once in a while , get a decent shot . + ' s 1 . The burst function works great , very fast . 2 . The sports scene mode works very fast , too ( great capture of jumping on trampoline / pool shots ) . 3 . A great night scene for capturing your house with lights on at night . 4 . HD video works well in good to great light . Mini HDMI out is great and a must . No special cord from Lumix to buy , just a regular mini HDMI / regular HDMI cord . 5 . Very good picture quality with the ability to expand photos to 8x10 and 11x14 with stunning results . 16x20 if you have really good light . 6 . One touch record button right by your thumb for HD movie . This is great so you do not have to search for it when you want to record movies . It goes back and forth between photos and movies seemlessly . 7 . Good quality construction . - ' s 1 . As some state , you have limited control over settings . What you need to do is change the scene mode to compensate for different settings with some exposure control , white balance , bracketing , flash , and ISO control manually . 2 . Battery life is decent , but not great . The good news is that the battery charges pretty quickly about 3 hours or so . 3 . Noise when zooming in and out in HD movie so I compensate by setting the zoom first , then I hit record for the movies and then move forward or back to adjust for that . For $230 you cannot beat this camera . If you need anything more than this camera , then you need a DSLR - which I am getting . I love this camera and everyone is extremely impressed with the photos that it can produce . Even once I get a DSLR , I will still use this camera often . Rather than carry a camcorder and a DSLR , you can carry this and get awesome photos and movies - assuming good to great light . I have reached the limits of this camera and need some more control over aperture , shutter speed and other things that this camera is not set up to provide . Having said that , what this camera does provide is very good and quite easy to use . Do yourself a favor and get an Extreme III SDHC card at least a class 6 .
      • 104 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I have owned the ZS3 for a couple of months and could not be happier . Its portable . I carry it in a little lowepro case on my belt but its also quite pocketable . Its quick to start , focuses quickly and writes reasonably quickly to the 8 GB SDHC III card . There is a delay between the picture and writing . I don't find it an issue , the cycle is very brief . The menus are easy to use and most needed functions can be accessed through the quick menu associated with a particular mode . Flash photography is easy enough and its easy to select the flash mode for auto , fill flash , red eye reduction , or forced off etc . with the simple push of a couple of buttons button . Equally easy to access is the self timer mode , macro AF and exposure compensation . Image quality has been outstanding both indoors and outdoors , I am pleased with the tonal balance . Outside in bright daylight I like to force it to 80 ISO and I love the shots that turned up with that particular setting . Those pictures that turn up slightly underexposed indoors because of flash range issues , are easily fixed with the supplied panasonic software as is red eye . Autofocus works well and rapidly even in very dark conditions . The camera has a AF assist lamp . Practically speaking pictures print beautifully at 4x6 and I have printed pictures at 8x10 that I am very pleased with . Most images in 4x3 mode when shot at 10 Mp come in between 4.5 to 5 Mb . It also has options for 16x9 and 3x2 mode . Burst shooting mode is useful even with the reduced MP count . I have taken night shots of city scapes that have worked quite well but I need to get back home , upload and print just to be sure . I wrote this from my hotel room in Lima , Peru . I love the 12x zoom from 25 mm to 300mm . The video is useful in a pinch and I like the ability to capture it on a single small portable unit . Its a bit difficult with such a small unit to keep on the subject but I expect this will work itself out in time as I get used to it . The mode dial does move easily but its not a big nuisance for me . The camera tells you if its in the wrong position , its fixed within a fraction of a second . I have never knocked it out of position while shooting . Its only when I stuff it in the camera bag that it gets knocked out of position . Pratically I got what I paid for , its a great PS . I purchased it for its pocketabiltiy , its zoom lens , 10 MP ( on the right sized sensor ) to get good pics , the built in IS and ease of use . I got all of that and am quie pleased .
      • 106 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) Finally realized it was time to upgrade from the 2 meg . Kodak DC280 I paid an incredible $600 + for a decade ago , when I saw my sister taking pics AND video with a new camera the size of half a deck of cards , and doing so for like a week on a single charge . The old DC280 took many 1000s of good pics for me and is still so reliable , but gotta change batteries after just every 10 or 15 pics . So I searched and searched and the DMC ZS3 finally emerged as the clear choice for me . This model is heavily reviewed here by much better photographers than me , so I'll just provide a few low-tech observations : 1 ) Bought it a week ago from Amazon for $290 , and they came through with overnight delivery . Good job . 2 ) Also , since the ZS3 has little built in memory , got the Transcend 16GB SDHC Class 6 Flash Memory Card with Reader . Card works fine , and reader works great with no hassles and allows me to avoid screwing around with a cord . 3 ) Loading the PhotoFunStudio software that comes with camera was a breeze and I've used it to view videos and photos on my laptop . I like the software and find it easy to use . 4 ) The camera has a ton of features , and the hardcopy manual is thus extensive . Unlike some reviewers , I find the ZS3 menus and controls pretty intuitive and the manual helpful . Also , the mode dial on top of camera is ' tight ' , so either Panasonic has corrected the ' looseness ' issue , or I got lucky . 5 ) Camera case - It was harder to settle on a case than it was to settle on the ZS3 . Most cases seem made to fit the ridiculously dinky half-deck-of-cards sized cameras , whereas the ZS3 is a bit bigger , which is one of the main reasons I bought it - it fits the hand nicely . I recommend the Norazza Ape Case AC165 for around $9 . It is affordable , well-built , has a good shoulder / neck strap with anti-slip stuff on it , and has room for some extras like battery charger with extra battery pack in it ( gotta get an extra and rotate battery packs - that is a no-brainer ) , extra card , and even my Ipod Nano . Plus , I fold the manual into a U shape and stick that snugly in the case ( bound edge out ) as well , and place the camera within the U , and that serves beautifully to protect the amazing 3 screen . Sounds weird , works great ! Plus , the manual will be there when you need some help . 6 ) So far have snapped a handful of pics , and video in both the Panasonic format and mpeg format . The vids in mpeg format load up to my newly established youtube account no problemo . And they look great , even those shot in low light . And the stereo audio is excellent . I think I'm going to have a whole lot of fun on youtube . . . . So for like $450 all-in I got a really good looking ( black-color ) , solid camera with great range , that is easy to use and takes excellent photos , a really , really good camcorder , plenty of battery power , and ample memory ( two 16GB Transcend cards ) , all stuffed into a slick little nylon case . I am now all set to head off on an African safari , where I expect the ZS3 will shine . . . . What a deal !
      • 113 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I love this camera . . I had to return it the first time because the screen was damaged but amazon replaced my camera . Even my DSLR-loving friends cannot praise this camera enough for its super-fantastic 12x zoom which is really great for concerts and shows ( if you're sitting far far away ) . The night modes are really good because even with a flash the photos look naturally lit . The iA ( intelligent auto ) detects virtually any kind of scenery automatically and adjusts settings automatically . In short , I love this camera - it takes beautiful pictures with very little effort required .
      • 116 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) I had a long awaited trip to Yellowstone National Park and I didn't want to go away with poor quality photos . So I read just about every single review for compact zoom cameras I could find . Most all pointed to the ZS3 as the best compact you can buy , and they are right . The ZS3 is the perfect vacation camera for a lot of reasons : 1 : You don't have to haul around a bulky SLR on your neck to get great photos . 2 : You don't need large lenses to get high zoom levels . 3 : You don't have to haul around a bulky camcorder to get great video with stereo audio and zoom . 4 : If fits in your pocket . 5 : The battery lasts all day . I brought my ZS3 on a long vacation , visiting my grandmother , Yellowstone National Park and Las-Vegas . I took over 3 hours of video and over 500 photos with only two battery charges required . The zoom lens was perfect for taking great images of the wildlife in Yellowstone . I was able to capture great looking photos from a long ways off without the bulk of a SLR lens . I have one photo of the Grand Tetons that looks like I hiked the mountain to get it , but in fact I was over a mile away in the valley below . I have video of two Hawks in flight that I could barely see with the naked eye , yet the camera was able to capture them with ease . An often overlooked feature on this camera is the zoom-macro capability . It allows you to stand a few feet from a subject such as a butterfly or small animal , yet get a photo as if you were taking a up-close macro , complete with sharp focus , and blurred background . I was able to capture full-frame images of a few chipmunks that would have surely ran away if I got too close . The video on this camera is the single best feature that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd . On most digital cameras you can get video , even high-definition video . But take a look around , nearly ALL digital cameras that have video lock the zoom level while recording . This means you have to stop your video , re-zoom , and start again if your subject moves . The ZS3 can do optical zoom while recording video , this makes it as powerful as any camcorder you can buy . It is also high definition , and the frame rate and quality is great . On top of all that it records stereo audio in Dolby Digital , another feature not found on other digital cameras . Don't under-estimate the importance of stereo sound for video . Both the video and audio quality are phenomenal . The camera captured the tiniest sound of chipmunks running across the ground . Another important feature of a portable camera is battery life . There is not sense in having a compact camera if you have to haul a pound of batteries to power it . My mother recently found this out on a trip , she had a compact entry level Canon camera . She bought it because it took double AA's and she would be out of country , so thought she would need that feature to buy batteries locally . She ended up having to replace her batteries every few hours . My ZS3 ? It could go a whole day taking video and photos . I never ran the battery down to even a warning level before the day was done . I took two batteries on the trip , and only need to charge each one once over . The ZS3 is also pocketable . This was important in the crowded streets of Las Vegas . I was able to easily carry the camera and a gorilapod with me while walking for miles in Las Vegas . We covered nearly the entire strip in our visit , not once did the camera get in the way , it was easy to pull out , capture a great photo and continue on our way . You really can't go wrong buying the ZS3 .
      • 132 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) After going through about 4 , P & S cameras and returning them , I finally settled on this camera . I tried Canon , other Pannys , Sony , Nikon and none had features or quality that I want . This camera is not perfect but it is the next best thing to lugging around my Nikon D700 for casual events . What I like : 1 ) size 2 ) price ) 3 ) nice wide angle lens 4 ) great zoom capability 5 ) Amazing HD quality for recording videos and ability to zoom while recording 6 ) stereo mode in video recording 7 ) 8 ) great battery life 9 ) auto lens cap ( unlike the expensive LX3 ) What I don't like : 1 ) noise in ISO above 400 2 ) LCD monitor not bright enough in the sun - almost unusable 3 ) LCD monitor almost unusable in very dark rooms - especially when you want to zoom in 4 ) image stabilizer not that great ( Sony is much better ) I could nit pik forever but these are just the main good and bad points about the camera . Even my $2500 Nikon D700 has it's good and bad points . I'm not sure there will ever be a camera out there that will please everyone . I kind of compare digital cameras to cellphones . There are a number of cellphones I like but none are perfect . If they could combine all the good features and roll them up into one good cellphone or camera , I think I might be close to giving alot of products 5 stars .
      • 163 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) I bought this camera for a trip to Europe . My SLR was simply too large to lug around , and my tiny Canon took horrible low light pictures . Pros : The Lumix's wide-angle lens is amazing because it allows you to capture so much of a scene , and in low light situations the pictures are spectacular . The anti-shake feature works like gold ( I tend to be a little shaky ) , and it focuses wonderfully . The IA ( intelligent auto ) feature is great - it almost always selects the right scene mode . You can turn off flash and it recalls that setting . The 12X OPTICAL zoom allows you to take detail pictures from a distance . Best of all , the camera is small enough to throw in a bag or a jacket pocket . Cons : In bright situations , sometimes the lighting is a little wonky and it is impossible to specifically adjust . In fact , the colors overall are a lot less saturated than a typical camera takes ( probably more natural , in reality , but I like saturation ) . There is basically no manual control . It's too big to fit in a woman's jeans pocket . I will admit it was an investment on my part , but I would definitely say it was worthwhile . It allowed me to take 2,000 pictures of my trip , the battery lasted for 2 to 3 days at a time ( constantly turning the camera on and off ) , and let me capture scenes I never would have been able to otherwise . If you have the money , go for it !
      • 177 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) I am delighted with my Panasonic Lumix DMC SZ3 ! Overall , this is a fantastic camera that enables me to take great photos in even in very compromised light . I compared shots with friends using huge SLRs with heavy lenses and was surprised to see that our results were comparable ! The wide angle lens and 12X Zoom are phenomenal features for such a small camera ! I had originally purchased the SZ1 but returned it because the HD Video really appealed to me . I especially like that I can start to record video with the touch of a button on the back . Shortcomings - yes a few : - Although the LCD screen is big and bright , I would have liked a viewfinder to use in bright sunlight . - When using a high capacity card ( 8 or 16 GB ) for many photos , the download time to the computer is longer than the battery life . Consequently , an optional AC adapter and Multi Conversion Adapter ( or an USB card reader ) must be purchased separately . - Battery life is good , but for loads of shots all day long , you should plan on having an extra one . - The automatic settings on the camera are fantastic , but when taking backlit pictures ( sunlight behind subjects ) , it is necessary to use the manual settings and I was often disappointed with the results . I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone who wants an easy to carry camera that takes excellent photos and even works well as an HD camcorder !
      • 182 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Black ) ( Electronics ) Took the camera out first day to a local florist shop and a nursery to test it on flowers . Very pleased with the result . Auto focus worked perfectly , images are sharp , high in detail , well saturated , true greens , reds , blues ; no color cast problem , no fringing . The tele macro pulls in flowers from 15 feet away , or longer if you go down to 3 mp , as if they were inches from the lens . Can't complain . Next day took it to the local produce market to test macro , and was again very pleased with focus , sharpness , color , everything . Last night put it to its real work at an art opening doing casual posed shots with celebs and video of speakers . Flash worked fine for the posed shots . The high-speed burst mode is great for doing talking heads ; just hold down the button and out of 20 shots you can pick the good ones . The best is the video . You can zoom to the full 12x and fill the frame with the head from 18 feet away , and the sound is excellent for a built in mike . The MPEG video mode yields sharp , clear images . The multi-layer menu structure lets you pick from a simple menu , a medium menu , and a full menu with zillions of options . I have a big 35mm digital with a stack of lenses from 12 to 1000 mm , and it can make fine pictures , but it weighs a ton . I also have a little Kodak V1003 10mp pocket digital that takes good pictures within its range . But the ZS3 runs rings around the Kodak , and still fits in a shirt pocket . Both the Kodak and the big 35 mm are going to be gathering dust , I'm afraid , now that I have this talented little performer . The downside is the software . The Panasonic Photo Fun app crashed on Win RC7 so many times in so many different ways that I uninstalled it after 48 hours . Google's Picasa3 does so much more , and it works . But the ArcSoft video utility and the panorama stitcher , separate programs supplied with the Lumix , are OK . Bottom line , great camera , five stars from me .
      • 205 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Blue ) ( Electronics ) This is a fantastic camera . Just used it on a two week trip to Italy ant all shots were fantastic . Sharp , properly exposed and with good color qualities . The camera is very easy to use after a few hours of practice and the preset scenes are very well worth the trouble . Beats a Nikon Cool-Pix that I have by a mile and the super zoom is very useful . The stability assist is worth its weight in gold and the intelligent modes function very well . Haven't use the face id much yet but auto tracking is very useful . Video is excellent and easy to use . Unfortunately , the video start and stop button can be hit by a wayward thumb occasionally . My complaint , as with everyone else , is the ability to get a backup battery quickly . I finally got mine just as we left for our trip and it was a life saver . Overall , we took around 4900 pictures and movies about half 9MP 9x16 and half 5 MP 4x3 with a few short 1 - 2 minute movies . Aerial shots were the best we've ever taken and the night scene mode is excellent . Exposure control is handy when needed and easily accessed from the back thumb pad . The camera's ability to pick a good setting in the intelligent mode is refreshing since I have used many cameras that always seem to need a lot of adjustment on the computer later . To bad the camera does not have a manual control on both exposure and shutter speed but you can work around this with ISO and exposure setting . Again this is a great camera and has me considering the higher end Lumix with interchangeable lens . You can't go wrong with this one .
      • 206 4  This is a fantastic camera . Just used it on a two week trip to Italy ant all shots were fantastic . Sharp , properly exposed and with good color qualities . The camera is very easy to use after a few hours of practice and the preset scenes are very well worth the trouble . Beats a Nikon Cool-Pix that I have by a mile and the super zoom is very useful . The stability assist is worth its weight in gold and the intelligent modes function very well . Haven't use the face id much yet but auto tracking is very useful . Video is excellent and easy to use . Unfortunately , the video start and stop button can be hit by a wayward thumb occasionally . My complaint , as with everyone else , is the ability to get a backup battery quickly . I finally got mine just as we left for our trip and it was a life saver . Overall , we took around 4900 pictures and movies about half 9MP 9x16 and half 5 MP 4x3 with a few short 1 - 2 minute movies . Aerial shots were the best we've ever taken and the night scene mode is excellent . Exposure control is handy when needed and easily accessed from the back thumb pad . The camera's ability to pick a good setting in the intelligent mode is refreshing since I have used many cameras that always seem to need a lot of adjustment on the computer later . To bad the camera does not have a manual control on both exposure and shutter speed but you can work around this with ISO and exposure setting . Again this is a great camera and has me considering the higher end Lumix with interchangeable lens . You can't go wrong with this one .
      • 222 4  This review is from : Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD ( Silver ) ( Electronics ) The Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS3 camera is the new version of the Lumix TZ5 . After one year of loving my TZ5 , and hearing similar devotion from my son and daughter-in-law about theirs , I decided to get one for another son . Unfortunately , ( or so I thought ) that model was no longer available . I reluctantly upgraded my search , figuring I would have to settle for the slightly-less-endowed ZS1 to keep within my budget . I was thrilled to find a great price on the ZS3 on Amazon , and bought it quickly before they changed their minds . This is a terrific camera for the money - - it would be a terrific camera for even more money ! My son is enthralled with this camera . It does everything well . The screen is larger than average , so the images are easy to review . The controls are clear . The picture quality is great . The intelligent auto setting allows you to just point & shoot when you don't want to take the trouble to do more , while the other settings let you fool around all you want . Even the video quality is quite good . The ability to send pictures wirelessly to your computer lets you know you've really entered a new era . We had to purchase a case and memory card separately , but that is easy and cheap from many vendors . Unless you are a photography nut who must have an SLR camera , buy this camera . You'll love it .

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