Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3A 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera with AVCHD Lite, iA Mode, 12x Optical Zoom, 4x Digital Zoom & 3.0" TFT LCD Display, Blue

2010-03-21T21:00:00

I have had the Lumix DMC-ZS3 only a few days- BOUGHT IT IN ADORAMA NEW YORK ..hardly enough to qualify as an expert user yet- but I would like to mention my first impressions and comment .The Leica wide angle/telephoto Zoom lens is a miracle of engineering. The 12X telephoto is impressive in so small a package, but even more useful for me is the 25mm (equivalent) wide angle. It is able to focus quickly and quietly from a few inches to infinity. Using the wide angle setting and aiming it lengthwise from the end of a 30x15 ft room it shows both long walls from about 12 ft in front of the camera. No more missing Uncle Henry and Aunt Edna at opposite edges of those big group pictures! In that same room with no ambient light the flash filled the room from front to 28 feet back with exceptionally bright and even illumination. So much for the weak flash complaint- this little camera provides the best flash depth and uniformity I have ever seen. I haven't had enough time to judge battery capacity, but in my few days of informal testing the battery seems to hold up well. I will carry the little charger on trips until I get a sense of how many photos the battery will provide between charges. I concur with the other user comments about high build quality and ease of use as a point and shoot camera for the non tech users. On the IA (intelligent automation) setting together with the good image stabilization it is very hard to get a bad picture. Oh yes- The mode selection dial is nicely detented to stay where you set it- but I guess it could be inadvertently switched by careless handling. With it's big bright screen, multi mode selections for the more technically minded, and even HD video capability it's hard to think of what could be improved. Overall- I find it to be an outstanding camera with no noticeable flaws. I am very glad I chose it..I LOVE THE HD VIDEO.,..VERY EASY TO EDIT ON SONY VEGAS 9.now i can make my hd movies and my youtube fans are happy

Giovanni

2010-03-20T21:00:00

I still have a lot to learn on how to use the camera but I love it so far. The zoom is great.

franland

2010-02-12T19:00:00

A Christmas gift surprise, and was it ever. My husband mentioned getting a small camera (12x zoom) to take along on his l-o-n-g bicycle rides, and although he is the photographer in the family, and likes to pick his own cameras, I 'did good'. I did a thorough review of the point and shoot 12x optical zoom, pocket size cameras and the Lumix ZS3a (10 megapixels) won with excellent reviews. He seems to like most everything about this camera, but sometimes wishes it would have a viewfinder since outside in very bright light the screen is not easy to see, and the battery life might not be as long as my Nikon SLR, but we always have a spare battery available. Otherwise, he especially likes the image stabilization feature, the ease of use, the compact size, and the great photos it takes. We have family photos at Christmas, scenery, wildlife, etc. This camera also has a digital zoom of 85X. We can see the windows and deck on a house 2 miles away, but not with our eyes. For photos this is not necessary, but to locate an area, wildlife, etc. it is better than his binoculars. I will either be getting this camera or it's sister, the ZS1 (not as expensive) after I compare the specs. The ZS3 also has video and voice which we have not tried, yet.

Bob G.