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Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)

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Condition: Used - Good
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Availability: Only 1 left in stock, order soon!
Fulfilled by Cam Investments
Arrives Sep 9 – Sep 23
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Color: Black


Features

  • Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
  • Intelligent Auto (iA) mode , Face Recognition feature
  • 12x MEGA optical image-stablilized zoom , 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens
  • 10.1-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-size prints
  • Capture HD video in AVCHD Lite format
  • 10.1-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-size prints
  • 12x MEGA optical image-stablilized zoom; 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens
  • Capture HD video in "AVCHD Lite" format
  • Intelligent Auto (iA) mode; Face Recognition feature
  • Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Description

The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1-megapixels, a 25mm ultra- wide-angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning it has added 2x optical zoom to the award-winning TZ-series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also features a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and High Definition (HD) video recording ability, known as AVCHD Lite.The ZS3 is the world’s first digital camera to feature HD video recording in AVCHD Lite. Compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with a well-considered control interface, which includes a dedicated movie recording button on the camera’s back panel, makes the ZS3 a hybrid model that performs admirably for both still and motion image capture. From the Manufacturer The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1-megapixels, a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning it has added 2x optical zoom to the award-winning TZ-series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also features a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and High Definition (HD) video recording ability, known as AVCHD Lite. The ZS3 is the world’s first digital camera to feature HD video recording in "AVCHD Lite." Compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with a well-considered control interface, which includes a dedicated movie recording button on the camera’s back panel, makes the ZS3 a hybrid model that performs admirably for both still and motion image capture. The ZS3 also expands Panasonic’s popular Intelligent Auto (iA) mode with the addition of Face Recognition--a feature that "remembers" faces from previous shots. When a registered face appears in the frame, the camera will prioritize focus and exposure to capture it beautifully. With Face Recognition, when a familiar face is recorded several times, the camera will prompt the users to register the face. Once registered, if the face appears into the frame again, the camera will display the name specified for that person and prioritize focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and sharply focused. New this year to the ZS-Series, iA mode is also available in Movie Mode. It automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode and helps to correct handshake, focus and brightness problems - making iA mode your one-stop solution to capture beautiful still and motion images. In Movie Mode, the ZS3, Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using the high-powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion so it turns out perfectly. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality. The imaging power of Lumix has further evolved with the Venus Engine HD, which boasts two CPUs to provide approx. 2.4x processing capability and support for AVCHD Lite and HDMI output. It integrates all the advanced functions and camera operations with high performance and low-power consumption. In image processing, luminance noise and chromatic noise are reduced separately before and after signal processing. This is further refined by separating noise two-dimensionally into high- frequency and low-frequency noise. The circuits then effectively reduce only the low-frequency noise to minimize the unwanted noise and help produce beautiful, sharp still and motion images. Playback with the ZS-series is also easy. Simply insert the camera’s SD memory card into the VIERA HDTV’s Image Viewer SD Card slot for a photo slideshow. Alternatively, connect the camera via an optional HDMI mini cable, the DMW-HDC2, to a VIERA Link-equipped Panasonic VIERA HDTV and use the television’s remote control to run mixed slideshows of photos and videos. The ZS3 features a 3-inch, high resolution 460,000-dot Intelligent LCD with a wide viewing angle, improving visibility during recording and playback. Other features of the Lumix ZS3 include: Increased Scene modes for both still and motion image shooting--optimized for a variety of situations. There are 26 scene modes for still image and 17 for motion image (Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self portrait, Scenery, Low light, Food, Party, Candle light, Sunset, High sensitivity, Beach, Snow, Aerial, Pin hole, Film grain and Underwater) Two new My Scene settings let users assign their two most frequently used Scene modes to the setting, and with a simple switch, allow access to either scene instantly. New Panorama Assist scene mode allows users to shoot a number of consistent photos, either vertically or horizontally, by aligning them according to a guide that overlaps the screen. Then using those photos and the bundled PanoramaMaker software, users can create dramatic panoramic images. High-Speed Burst (Speed Priority) that fires off approx. 10 shots per second. Menus are clearer and easier to navigate with the Display Size option. Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even closer to capture dramatic close-up shots by using the 3x digital zoom in the wide-angle. Bundled Software: The latest version of PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition allows users to view, edit and archive captured content with greater ease and fun. Still and motion images can be transferred to the computer via a USB cable for viewing and archiving. Using PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition, users can edit and remove unwanted portions of video clips recorded in AVCHD Lite. Contents recorded in AVCHD Lite can be burned directly onto a DVD disc or the software can convert contents to MPEG2 format. The software also incorporates the Face Recognition function, which recognizes registered faces in photos stored on the computer, making organizing and archiving photos with a specific person much easier. Additionally, motion pictures can be uploaded directly to YouTube.

Compatible Mountings: Micro Four Thirds


Aspect Ratio: 169, 43


Photo Sensor Technology: CCD


Supported File Format: JPEG


Image Stabilization: Optical


Maximum Focal Length: 30 centimeters


Optical Zoom: 12 x


Expanded ISO Minimum: 80


Metering Description: Multi, Center-weighted, Spot


Brand: Panasonic


Compatible Mountings: Micro Four Thirds


Aspect Ratio: 169, 43


Sensor Type: CCD


File Format: JPEG


Image stabilization: Optical


Expanded ISO Minimum: 80


Photo Sensor Resolution: 10.1 mp


Photo Sensor Size: 1/2.3-inch


Maximum Shutter Speed: 1/2000 seconds


Minimum Shutter Speed: 60 seconds


Exposure Control: Automatic


Form Factor: Compact


Effective Still Resolution: 10.1 mp


Special Feature: Image Stabilization


Color: Black


Screen Size: 3 inches


Shooting Modes: Scene


Item Weight: 8 ounces


Video Resolution: HD 720p


Viewfinder: Optical


Flash Modes: Automatic


Camera Flash: Built-In


Skill Level: Professional


Compatible Devices: Computers, smartphones, tablets with SD/SDHC card reader, USB-enabled devices


Continuous Shooting: 2.3


Aperture modes: F3.1-F5.9


Video Capture Format: AVCHD Lite


Expanded ISO Maximum: 1600


Battery Weight: 1 g


Delay between shots: 0.43 seconds


Connectivity Technology: HDMI, USB


Wireless Technology: Yes


Video Output: HDMI


Total USB 3.0 Ports: 2


Total USB Ports: 1


Total Video Out Ports: 1


Total USB 2.0 Ports: 1


Hardware Interface: HDMI, SDHC, USB


HDMI Type: Built-in


Digital Scene Transition: zoom


Image Capture Type: Stills & Video


Flash Memory Type: SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal


Memory Storage Capacity: 45 MB


Write Speed: 2.3 fps


Flash Memory Speed Class: 4


Flash Memory Bus Interface Type: ["SDIO", "eMMC"]


Flash Memory Supported Size Maximum: 32 GB


Compatible Flash Memory Type: SD, SDHC


JPEG Quality Level: Normal


Bit Depth: 12 Bit


Total Still Resolution: 10.1 mp


Maximum Focal Length: 30 centimeters


Optical Zoom: 12 x


Lens Type: zoom


Zoom: Optical, Digital


Camera Lens: 25 Mm


Minimum Focal Length: 25 millimeters


Real Angle Of View: 51.7 degrees


Digital Zoom: 4


Lens Construction: MoreThanFiveElements


Metering Methods: Multi, Center-weighted, Spot


White Balance Settings: Auto


Self Timer: 10, 2, 5


Brand: Panasonic


Model Name: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3


Built-In Media: USB Cable


Model Number: ZS3 Black


Model Series: ZS3


Series Number: 3


Global Trade Identification Number: 72


Generation: 3rd Generation


UPC: 037988989010 037988988372


Unit Count: 1 Count


Manufacturer: Panasonic


Manufacturer Part Number: DMC-ZS3-K


Display Type: Built-In


Dots Per Screen: 154922.45


Display Fixture Type: Fixed


Display Maximum Resolution: 640x480


Display Resolution Maximum: 460,000


Auto Focus Technology: Contrast Detection, Live View, Single


Focus Features: TTL


Autofocus Points: 11


Focus Type: Auto Focus


Focus Mode: Single-Servo AF (AF-S)


Frequently asked questions

If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sep 9 – Sep 23

Yes, absolutely! You may return this product for a full refund within 30 days of receiving it.

To initiate a return, please visit our Returns Center.

View our full returns policy here.

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Simply the best small camera you can buy
Color: Black
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2010 by ZapWizard
    • WOW...and I've just been using it for 2 weeks!!!!
Color: Black
Review Image by Kay Pi
Review Image by Kay Pi
Review Image by Kay Pi
Review Image by Kay Pi
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!!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2009 by Kay Pi
    • Pretty decent ultra zoom pocket camera
Color: Blue
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) ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2009 by T
    • 3rd time's a charm- a standing "O" for the ZS3!
Color: Silver
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. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2009 by Michael J. Christensen
    • Great little camera!
Color: Black
I spent a lot of time looking for the perfect camera -- one that takes great pictures & video, has a nice long zoom, is easy to use and portable. I had 2 digital cameras already, one being a Kodak 643 (reliable, but just okay) and the other a Nikon Coolpix S550 that was a big disappointment. Both cameras take pretty lousy pictures and video in low light, as does my Canon camcorder. This time I read lots and lots of reviews. I read reviews on camera websites, and I read consumer reviews on Amazon and other websites. The Panasonic Lumix ZS3 was, hands down, the winner for the type of camera I was searching for. I went to camera stores, too, and was told by one salesman at a major electronics store that, although his store didn't sell this particular camera, it was much better than the Canon that they did sell. He then reached into his pocket and produced his own camera...a ZS3! That was the deciding factor for me, so I watched the prices on Amazon and ordered my new camera in February when the price fell to $229. I certainly have not regretted my purchase. This camera is wonderful. The pictures are stunning, it works well in the automatic mode, and the HD videos are great, too. We have played videos on our 46" hi-def Sony TV, and they are gorgeous. My camcorder only gets used now on rare occasions when I need someone to take video at the same time I am taking pictures. Despite the fact that it has a 12x zoom, the camera is small enough to pop into my purse, or even in a jacket or pants pocket. The wide angle lens is great for group or outdoor shots. I would recommend buying at least one extra battery, as the supplied battery doesn't last terribly long. If you are looking for a camera that is easy to use and takes amazing photos and video, buy the ZS3. I can't wait to photograph fireworks on the 4th of July! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2010 by SueZQ
    • The worst camera I have ever owned!
Color: Black
To anyone out there considering this camera, ask yourself these questions: 1. Is picture quality important? 2. Do I want the subject of the picture to be in focus? 3. Do I EVER use my camera indoors? 4. Do I want to occasionally shoot high quality HD video with my camera? 5. Do I want the battery to last more than 2 hours when taking pictures/video? If you answered yes to any/all of the above questions stay FAR away from this camera. I don't recall ever being so dissatisfied with an electronics purchase. The pictures are almost all blurry (even with the auto mode IAF turned on). Any shots taken indoors are ridiculously grainy and very very poor quality. I know most ccd's for digital cameras suffer in low light situations, but this is by FAR the worst I have EVER seen. The flash makes many pictures look worse.. as everything in the foreground is awash with super bright light and everything behind the subject is pitch black. Red eye reduction works sometimes, but still drowns out the backgrounds. The camera is supposed to shoot HD video as well. There are notes on the box and the camera itself touting the AVCHD format (it also shoot motion jpeg but that is not HD). Let me be the first to say that my standard def camcorder takes better images in all lighting conditions (and that shoots at 640x480). Something that is touted as a feature for video is the ability to zoom while filming. Unless you want the noise of the lense moving to drown out the audio of what you are shooting, I wouldn't recommend using it. Last but certainly not least is the battery life...or more specifically the lack thereof. I have NEVER used a device, any device, that goes through batteries this fast. We charged the battery for a full 8 hours on Christmas eve in anticipation of using the camera all day. Not 2 hours in with mixed video and stills and the battery indicator is blinking on the display (it ran out 5 minutes later and shut off). Utterly ridiculous. To continue, the mode switch button feels like it belongs on a 5 dollar plastic toy. It feels as if it is going to break off with normal use. The only thing that is any good on this camera is the display on the back. Unfortunately what you see is NOT what you get. I have always been partial to Canon cameras. The model I replaced the Powershot A70 was an AWESOME camera. The images it took were amazing indoors or out. It would still be in use today if it had not broken (son dropped it accidently). That camera would last almost a WEEK on a single charge. My friend has a Sony (don't recall which model) and it takes MUCH better photos, MUCH MUCH better videos (in actual HD), and costs 129.00 less than this camera. I may have to look into that after I dump this thing on Ebay (unfortunately it is beyond the return period). I made the mistake of taking some outdoor photos when I first got the camera. They looked good. Unfortunately we don't hold Christmas or many other holidays (bar 4th of July) outdoors. I am just trying to figure out if I got a really bad camera in an otherwise great line, or if all these reviews are smoke and mirrors. I don't usually review these things, rarer still will I bad mouth something, however this thing has ruined 2 birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas this year with photos that look like they were taken with a 6 dollar disposable camera. Sorry but I demand more, and I assume you do too. Stay FAR away from this camera if picture quality, indoor capabilities, battery life etc matter to you. You have been warned. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2009 by CW2010
    • AVERAGE CAMERA FOR THE PRICE
Color: Black
My wife and I do a lot day and weekend trips and I really wanted a camera that was portable and compact, yet had decent zooming capabilities. I like to think of myself as an amateur photographer as I have a decent eye for a good photograph. I like to have a powerful but smallish camera at hand if I come across something decent to photograph as I don't like carrying a bulky camera and all the necessary equipment around like a professional photographer all the time. When I came across this camera I thought that it would solve all my problems; I was right and wrong. The camera is very good when there's a lot of light to shoot with. The outdoor photographs are absolutely amazing. The wide angle lens helps capture bigger areas when shooting scenery. The colors are natural and the camera captures all the details perfectly. The HD Movie mode is brilliant. I was very impressed with the clear and crisp picture quality both indoors and outdoors when making HD Movie clips. I also like the fact that there's a separate button to record movie clips. Surprisingly, the camera is not bulky as expected for one with a 12x zoom. Even if it feels a little large at first, you will get comfortable with it as time goes by. I have largish hands so the camera doesn't feel too big for me and it fits in my jeans pocket or a jacket pocket without much discomfort. However, I'm 6"1' and I wear comfortable loose jeans. My wife, on the other hand, is petite and it will NOT fit in her jeans pocket or jacket pocket. Its more of a carry-in-your-bag kind of camera for a smaller person. I am not happy with the cameras zooming capabilities as it is not as powerful as I expected it to be. I expected to get much closer to my subjects with the 12x zoom, but it feels more like a 3x or 5x instead. I was absolutely disappointed with the indoor and night time photos. Every photograph I took turned out blurry or grainy unless the there was absolutely no movement of the camera at the time of shooting. I couldn't figure out the reason for all the noise till I read another review which stated that the camera takes bad indoor and night time photos when its on iA mode. It said that indoor and night time photos should be taken in another mode other than iA. I have yet to try this out. The battery life was a big disappointment too. I could only take about 200 - 250 photo's on a full charge which is nowhere as close the amount of photos I take on a day trip. I ended up ordering a spare battery and a car charger just to be on the safe side. PROS: - Good outdoor photos, brilliant colors. - Superb HD Movie quality. - Wide angle lens captures bigger scenes. - Good sized camera, not too heavy. - iA mode is useful when shooting outdoors. - Easy to use controls. CONS: - Bad photo quality indoors and at night. - 12x zoom is a disappointment. - Poor battery life. - A smaller person may feel that the camera is too bulky. - High priced. CONCLUSION: This camera is neither here nor there; meaning that it does not do the job of being a compact point and shoot camera OR being a camera with good zooming capabilities well enough for the money you spend on it. It's better to go for a cheap point and shoot to take around as your "just-in-case" camera and invest in a more expensive camera with better zooming capabilities for outdoor photography. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2011 by Sean Jay
    • Easy to use digital Camera with great HD video!~But CAUTION when order replacement batteries!
Review Image by Retired and Loving It!
Review Image by Retired and Loving It!
Review Image by Retired and Loving It!
Review Image by Retired and Loving It!
Review Image by Retired and Loving It!
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! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2009 by Retired and Loving It!

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