Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD
- 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)
The ZS3 records HD motion images at a smooth 60 frames per second with 1280 x 720-pixel resolution. It uses the AVCHD (MPEG-4/H.264) format, via AVCHD lite, which stores less data than other formats and thus lets you shoot more minutes of HD motion images before running out of memory.Just set the camera to iA mode, aim and shoot. The camera does all the rest. It automatically determines the most suitable scene mode and helps correct blurring, focus, and brightness problems. With iA mode, it’s easy to get beautiful, clear results. In the ZS3, iA mode cannot be used when shooting motion images.The ZS3 packs a LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with 12x optical zoom into a compact body. This versatile photographic tool lets you shoot everything from sweeping vistas at the 25mm wide-angle setting to dynamic 300mm telephoto shots. And the lens system’s exquisite rendering ability lets you capture even the subtle nuances of the sights and scenes in your travels…. More >>
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5 comments
Lawn King on August 29, 2009 at 10:50 am
Last year the TZ5 took the market by storm and was the best in its class. Panasonic is back again this year, only better with the new ZS3.
Canon is now trying to catch up with the Canon SX200 IS, leave it to Panasonic to stay ahead of the competition with the new ZS3.
The benchmark has been raised, yet again!
Dr. K on August 29, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I got the red version of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10MP 12x Zoom and loved the way the camera looked but I must have gotten a lemon because this camera took horrible pictures of flesh tones and off whites in medium to low light. My husband and I both read the manual from front to back and tested the camera’s white balance, blue/red color distortions, ISO, etc to get the camera to make better pictures. Regardless of what we did, either photos of my 4 month old daughter turned out grey or photos of me turned out orange. All test photos were taken indoors in lower light (our apartment does not provide a lot of natural light) because that is where I will be using my camera the most for a while. Photos of our living room area, with the floor lamps on, produced photos where the light in the room looked orange and the images were dark. Again, my husband and I played altered the camera’s settings and were able to reduce the orange color a little bit but the photos were still not true to color or vibrant.
Additionally, when I took a photo of my daughter at a 2ft distance indoors with a flash when the living room lights were on, she washed out and everything behind her went black. I took photos at a higher ISO (800), which reduced the blackness behind her but the colors were not true.
The video’s are difficult to find on the camera and the format is hard to play for the layman user due to the video files not being in MPEG or another easy format for Windows media player to read. I changed the video setting to MOV, which requires Apple Quick Time. The video quality in MOV setting was poor. Very, very, frustrating for the layman/average user. I did not like the software provided with the camera.
I gave this camera two stars because the zoom is incredible. A close up photo I took of my black cat indoors in the middle of the day with as much natural lighting as possible was amazing – sharp and clear – I could see each whisker in extraordinary detail. Excellent zoom.
Either I got a lemon or this camera does not produce true colors in low light. Human tones in low light are either grey or orange. This camera is too expensive to accept such poor picture quality and the inability to play videos on standard windows media programs.
C. Surber on August 29, 2009 at 12:11 pm
THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING the PANASONIC DMC-ZS3!!!
It CAN take FANTASTIC photos (and video), BUT…
(1) YOU *MUST* USE at least “CLASS 6″ or higher media to get a good quality photo at 10 MP. I did not realize that when I bought it, except that I noticed at the store that photos looked FAR BETTER at 5 MP than 10 MP! It is even better to opt for the “Class 10″ media. I bought one Panasonic 16 GB “Class 10″ media when I bought the camera. I WISH I had bought more and used THEM instead of the 8 GB, “Class 4″ or “Class 6″ that I had brought with me from home. If you’re going to spend the money for the camera, use the BEST media you can get!
(2) YOU CANNOT GET EXTRA OEM *PROPRIETARY* BATTERIES, CHARGER or POWER SUPPLY!!!
I have been reading that the “over-the-counter” batteries will not work with the ZS3 due to a “Firm Ware” upgrade, so, since I spent what I did for the ZS3, I wanted to get OEM Panasonic batteries, charger and power supply. I had also heard that the “over-the-counter” batteries would overheat and cause problems.
Unfortunately, because of ONLY having ONE battery (DMW-BCG10PP), and having to carry the OEM charger (DE-A65B) around with me every time I want to take photos, I lost my OEM charger and have not been able to charge the ONLY battery supplied for several weeks.
After an EXHAUSTIVE, but unsuccessful search since then, and because I could not find another OEM charger (DE-A65B) ANYWHERE locally or online, last night, I ordered an OEM PROPRIETARY power supply (DMW-AC5PP) that was SUPPOSED to fit the ZS3, and got it overnighted. It DID NOT fit!!! It wasn’t even close!!!
The fitting on the power supply I received looks like what you would plug into a portable hard drive (sort of a small trapazoid shape). The receptacle on the camera is about 50% larger and more rectangular with slight extensions on the bottom at the left and right edges. There is NO comparison in size or shape.
The ZS3’s instructions say/show that DMW-AC5PP is the correct part number, and the DMW-AC5PP power supply itself says/shows that it is a DMW-AC5PP (as do its instructions), but the BOX says/shows it is a DMW-AC5 (i.e. without the PP) and it DOES NOT FIT!!!
I WANT to order a couple of extra batteries and OEM charger, but I am VERY leery now. Even Panasonic said THEY don’t even have extra batteries or another charger, and that it would take 3+ weeks for THEM to get any. Interestingly, they told me I needed to order a DMW-BCG10 (i.e. without the PP at the end), but suggested I order it from a local dealer. They don’t have either the DMW-BCG10PP or the DMW-BCG10, and after my experience, I don’t TRUST what Panasonic says is the correct size!
My daughter’s 10 year old birthday party is THIS coming Sunday (four days from now) and I CAN’T GET ANY MORE BATTERIES and I CAN’T GET ANYTHING to charge the ONLY battery I have!!!
I had bought the ZS3 on the first day of our vacation in Vancouver on 05/30/2009, because I had accidentally left my camera in my car at the airport in the US.
I tried buying a couple of extra batteries and another charger when I bought the ZS3, but Panasonic had not even made them available at all yet!
Since they ONLY supply ONE battery, and you can’t even BUY spares, and I was going on an Alaskan cruise (and wanting to take LOTS of photos), I had to keep charging my ONLY battery every time I stopped to eat, then make sure I remembered to retrieve it before leaving the restaurant. Thankfully, it only happened twice, and there were only so many places I would have had to go to to retrace my steps to find it.
Unfortunately, I have now lost the charger and have no idea where. It wouldn’t be so bad if you could just easily BUY another one—that FITS!
And, of course, I would NOT have lost it at all had I been ABLE to buy extra PANASONIC OEM *PROPRIETARY* batteries and charger (and/or power supply) when I bought the ZS3, so I could leave the charger AT HOME.
Robert on August 29, 2009 at 2:07 pm
I am intimidated by all I read here and elsewhere about the problems of importing video clips from a ZS3 into a Mac. Many people who seem to be very tech-savvy (unlike me) are frustrated. I have yet to find a step-by-step description, anywhere on the internet, written by someone who has mastered this. I would like to read such a description, so I can know exactly how complicated it is. I would be willing to set the camera to MPEG instead of AVCHD, and sacrifice memory and quality, if the process is simplified. Currently, with my old Canon, it is a no-brainer: iPhoto opens, and the clips arrive there… along with the stills. Then I drop the clips into iMovie and begin editing. It would be nice if a Mac user did not have to go outside his Mac applications to use this camera. Does anyone know of a detailed description for importing and storing clips from this camera? (I do not want to buy the Canon competitor camera because it will not zoom while shooting video.) Thank you.
a photographer on August 29, 2009 at 5:02 pm
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.