Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

great for outdoor use. Better then average for indoor. Not the latest model, but for the going price...

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Love this little camera. Excellent picture in low lighting and longest zoom for the size.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Big adjustment for me to use a camera w/o a view finder, but this camera is terrific; the zoom is amazing for the size of the camera. Still experimenting w/modes, but very pleased w/low-light and wildlife shots so far. Disappointed in the dull blue color, but other than that, it's excellent!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I am a photo enthusiast who needs a camera I can easily carry on me during trips when an SLR isn't a feasible option. I did extensive research, Excel spreadsheet with scoring pros and cons and all..very nerdy, on about 10 models based on expert and user reviews. It came down to a few models and I have been a big Canon user most my life, but decided to go with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3A based on my research. I could not be any happier, it is THE best non SLR camera I have ever owned. I bought this unit right before I went on a trip to Portugal, Spain, Italy and the Sahara Desert with my wife and some friends. Others on the trip had more expensive and bulkier SLR hybrids or compacts and the pictures and video I took hands down beat all of theirs, and that is their words not mine. The optical zoom is amazing, auto and manual picture settings are spot on, and the video is unbelievable for such a small camera. True it lacks some manual options around higher ISO levels and doesn't have a super wide range of shutter speeds, but the automatic features and outstanding image sensors make up for it. If you are in the market for a non SLR camera, I would look no further.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Bought this camera to replace a failing Sony Cybershot. Third generation of digital camera I've owned. Pictures are incredibly clear and color is very realistic. Great 12x optical zoom w stability control on a sub-compact camera. Light and easy to grip. Took photos of flowers at a local garden show and loved the automatic macro function. Had some fun taking videos of friends skiing. Stiched together some breathtaking panoramas of mountain top views w/ included software. HD video and stereo sound in a palm sized camera, for around [$]. Game changer. This camera is extremely versatile, go anywhere, camera. It may have fewer manual settings than the comparable Canon or Sony H2O I was considering, but HD video capability and compact size won out over these other contenders.Looking forward to many years of usage. Bought the replacement warranty as beach sand, moisture etc. have damaged my Sony. This should cover me till the next generation of photography. 3D?

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is a good camera to carry in a pocket or purse. Much better quality than a camera phone.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

It is a nice camera with high zoom and video features.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great zoom Good in low light conditions. Clear pictures

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

As a semi-professional photographer and videographer, I have all the high end toys but I wanted a camera that takes good pictures and good video that I can put in my pocket. I've had numerous pocket cameras in the past but this is the first one that takes quite good video. As a take-anywhere camera, I highly recommend this camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great camera! Compared the Panasonic with other competitive point and shoot cameras on a recent trip to Mexico, the Panasonic DMC DS3A got shots the other cameras couldn't touch! [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I read lots of reviews, and everyone kept saying great camera except for the short battery life. Should have listened. I can live with it but they should do something about the battery life. I personally will just by an extra battery and keep it ready to go.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This camera looks and feels great but most importantly it is easy to use and takes great pics. As someone with very little knowledge of photography is is perfect. The automatic features make it truly point and shoot and the pics are always perfect. My son likes to do is own settings and this camera can do both.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

When I traveled recently, I lost my trusty Canon 8mp camera. It turned out to be a blessing. The ZS3 has much better image stabilization and is better in low light. The lag is also less, and the cycle time is much quicker. This is an excellent camera for my needs!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Excellent zoom for the size! Love the blue color of the body.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

It is a wonderfully compact camera that covers a family's need of both a high quality point and shoot camera and mid-entry high definition video camera. It is not an SLR, but an SLR wouldn't fit into your pocket.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I'm a "point and shoot" kind of photographer, and this camera is perfect for me. I want quality pictures without requiring a PhD in photography.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

So far very enthused! I haven't had a variety of occasions to see how it performs in different situations but it's a fantastic point and shoot camera. It's very user friendly and the features are much more than what I need. Though I've taken classes on photography I'm definitely no expert however I feel the bang for the buck (thanks Abe's!) you get with this camera can't be beat. It's so easy to switch over to the video it seems like it would be perfect for quick posts online. Many people review the low light performance isn't up to par but I disagree...at least for my tastes. I highly recommend.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Unable to comment to any degree as I have very recently received the camera. Had to read the Operating Instructions very carefully more than once as the manual is a little complicated. This is a well constructed and feature-full camera that should be good for many years to come. [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The best small camera on the market.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

It is a great buy. High quality and reasonable price. I am very happy with this cam.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I like it

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The iA (intelligent Auto) mode is amazing!
Exposure is almost always excellent - and the histogram confirms that BEFORE you click the shutter. For scenes with an extreme dynamic range, the bracketing feature does a great job. The HD video mode takes fantastic video and the quick access menu is a nice touch. What's not to like about this camera?? It's as good as point and shoot cameras get!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Picture and video quality are very good. Sound quality also very good. Easy to understand manual on settings, features, etc. Would definitely recommend.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great cam. Nice image et video on a 42"plasma tv Image et video extra sur ecran plasma42".

Camera merveilleusement bien concue

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Gteat for casual/travel photography.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The camera is perfect for times when it's not convenient to carry a larger one. The size is just right for slipping into a pocket and the zoom range is outstanding, not to mention the extra wide angle...great for travel photos in tight places.So far, the only complaint I have is the weak flash; but, shouldn't expect much from such a toy little flash thing.Additionally, I highly recommend Abe's Of Maine. [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Ok the operating manual needs to be written better, made easier for dumbies to understand!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is a must for anyone want all-in-one pocket camera.

- Great picture, the best zoom you'll get in any (non DSLR) camera, great 720p video record (I don't mind about codec since it work like charm in my PC with installed codec)

- I think the camera has the best sound recorder out there (stereo)

Cons:
- for not being a professional photographer I don't have any "cons" right now in my mind!
maybe if the camera itself smaller it will be better.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Small size, great zoom, no blurring evan at highest zoom, in-built flash and pocekt-friendly

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The zoom on this camera is my biggest purchase point. This is the best and smallest camera I've found with such a good zoom. Also the video is great and eliminates the need for me to carry a camcorder and still camera. With a musician in high school and an upcoming wedding, this camera meets all our needs at a reasonable price and compact size!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Camera meets all my needs and the quality of images are excellent. Recommend buying a fast SDHC memory card to capture the memory intensive video.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Replacing a Sony (more expensive) point & shoot. This is a bit bigger but has maybe 4X the utility. A terrific camera for the price. Very convenient (so far).

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Wanted a bigger zoom than 3x and was excited to get 12x in a reasonably compact size. I find a slightly larger than compact camera easier to hold in my hands, and can still put this Panasonic in a pocket easily. As with many digital cameras, I find slower shutter speeds aggravating, but you can't have it all [$]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I have owned many different point and shoot digital cameras over the past 8 years or so and the zs-3 has to be the best. The 12x zoom in a compact size was the major selling point for me. I did a lot of research before buying the unit on many different websights and all reviewed the Panasonic highly. The indoor low light performance seem to be an issue but I did my own test and it performed on par if not better than all the other point and shoots I have owned. I an a big canon fan and I find the image as good if not better than my last elph I owned. As a company I think Panasonic is on top of their game and make the best comsumer electronics on the market today. For 250usd your not going to be able to find a better camera on the market today. Sure you can get a smaller 3 x or 5x zoom that cost a little less buy why? A camera is something you buy every couple of years or so, why not get the best bang for your buck. I have been in many photo situations that a 3 x or 5 x does not cut it and a longer zoom is needed to catch a great shot. Also if you buy a camera make sure its made in Japan. Many companys are make their cameras in China and I feel the quality is not there. Would you buy a car made in China?

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Fast image capturing, especially when snapping repeated shots.

Video Quality is excellent.

Only negative is sometimes there is some noise when utilizing the zoom in video mode.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This camera is GREAT!! I love it. I have many photos I take in show barns where hte light is low and there is movement. Great shots everytime

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Well-suited for travel. Excellent photos, excellent HD video. Solid build quality. Another terrific product from LUMIX.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I was looking for a camera to fit in my pocket but with a great zoom ideal for taking landscapes as well as action shots. Haven't tried the landscape photos yet, but sports shots are good. The shutter speed is great. Optical zoom is awesome and the lower the megapixel setting the greater the optical zoom. 21x at 2MP. Video setting is great. You can zoom in the middle of a video, but the zoom aspect is a little slow when doing so. The camera fits in my pocket, but is slightly bulky. Not a dinky camera, but certainly pocketable. Overall, very pleased.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great camera for a great price. Excelent image quality, and video recording. It has a lot of options you can play with. I think its the best for a compact camera.

The only, "but" in here, is that, like the most of the cameras (at least, the smalls ones) it doesn't take great photos with poor light.

But i certainly recomend it.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Very easy to use and compact.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Wish the movie button was in a different place. I've started the function inadvertently many times while picking up the camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I've researched a lot of cameras before choosing this one, it has a sharp Leica lens, lots of photo modes, can zoom when taking video, plus other useful functions.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Got this camera for Christmas. I have the Nikon D-40 and several smaller point and shoot cameras. I wanted one that takes great pictures with a great zoom. THis one fits the bill. Great pictures. Use it mostly for travel when I do not want all the heavy gear. The HD movie mode is handy to have as well.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I've owned several PnS camera's, but don't consider myself a good enough photographer for a SLR. This camera is by far the best I have owned and it has the ability to scale your skills to a SLR. The image quality is great in low light and high levels of light. The zoom is wonderful and the image stabilization works very well with it. The 720p video is as good as many of the Blu-Ray movies I have seen!

This camera is great for someone who wants to push the limits of what a non-SLR can do or the person who just wants a great camera that they can press one button and be done.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I have only owned canon elph's in the past and this camera is wonderful! Comparing a 3x zoom to a 12x is like going from a Ford escort to a 911 turbo! As well the HD video is awesome! I am glad to see they still make the camera in Japan,most lower end elph's are now made in China.
I will leave that county to making my shirts and cheaper comsumer products, not my camera!!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Use for family / animals / scenery and it works fantastic

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is one great camera. The zoom is fantastic, it is advertized as 12x but it can actually go as high as 21x if you're willing to reduce resolution to 3 megapixels.
The "Intelligent Automatic" mode works well and makes sensible choices in most cases.
Nice features specifically for travel: you can enter the date range and the name for your trip and the camera tags pictures as Trip ABC Day 1, Trip ABC Day 2 etc.
If only it had an optical viewfinder... But no other camera in this class have one, either... why??
Another minor gripe: the face recognition function gets confused easily. But this function is not particularly useful and I didn't miss it.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is our "utility" camera. We use it for all our photo needs. Easy to use with a big bright screen. Takes good pictures in total darkness (with flash). No complaints so far. I see some whining about battery life but have not joined that group yet. So far so good.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great product at a great price

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I bought this camera for my wife so she didn't have to lug around the SLR all the time. It is nice and simple, takes good pictures overall, and has pretty decent settings and customization. However its "Intelligent" mode is lacking and low light shots either turn out completely washed out by the flash or grainy to the max. For much of anything else, a good choice (though I'm not sure if it's twice as good as a camera that costs half as much... just doesn't seem THAT awesome).

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The almost seamless transition from still to video use is amazing. Using the same metering, if you push the shutter button on the top you get stills, and if you press the red video button on the back, you get 720i video. Suggest you shoot in JPEG instead of AVCHD simply because it is easier to export for editing and sharing. I obtained a 16GB Type 6 SDHC card and an extra battery, so I doubt if I would ever run out of either storage or battery power in a full day of vacation shooting. This will cut down on weight and bulk and still give great vacation shots.

The shutter lag is a little slow, so if I need stop action, I shoot it in video and freeze it! Got some beautiful shots of snow being shoveled and stopped (frozen-ha!) in mid-air.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

A lesser model was recommended to me by a friend and only spent a little more on this higher model and he is jealous. The HD video is amazingly clear! Still have not used all the settings yet but look forward to using them, but so far so good. Purchase an extra battery just to have on hand. [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

When we recieved our panasonic zs3 from Abes of Maine I started taking christmas pic's like a pro right out of the box. Awesome camera. nice features. Taking pictures of kids and things on the go we really didn't need the manual controls but with the lieca lens and auto features you don't really need them any way. the perfect compact digital camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is the Camera to have if you want to be a step above the average digi-cam but don't want to shell out all that money for a pro camera. You can get amazing photos with the intelligent auto mode. ther is no need to tweak all your settings. or use one of the many modes for specific situations like sunset and starry sky. The zoom lets you get in close for great shots impossible with most digi-cams. Video quality is amazing as well. A full battery and an 8GB memory card is needed for an hour of HD recording. The battery lasted almost 200 shots taken in about 6 hours. The only thing I don't like about this camera is the lack of manual focus, shutter, and aperture settings.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Wonderful photo and video clarity and sound. Battery is sufficient for 1 1/2 days of intensive use. The video files are proprietary, and require a converter to use in typical software - the software that comes with the camera continually errors out - most irritating. However you can download a free converter - although the tech support line does not help with this at all.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I researched a lot for cameras and chose this one from Abes. What sold me was size, zoom, and HD video. All work exceptionally well. Camera does fantastic with photos and video. One great feature I like is if you want to take a picture press the top button like all cameras but if you want to take a video, simply press the record button by the screen. No menu changes from photo to video! Zoom is great and works with video which is great. Menus are well laid out. Face recognition feature works well. Battery life seems good. One thing to note, Abes called me and said to use the faster memory. SDHC cards have a small number on them circled. 2 is slowest, 4 is moderate, 6 is fast and there are a couple rare faster options but 6 is what should be used with this camera and it makes picture taking fast. Slower memory means you will wait between photos for it to write to memory. I have no complaints on the camera so far and have used it for about a month for video and photo. I would not hesitate to buy again.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I travel quite a bit and like a portable camera that produces good quality pictures that I can have printed. The zoom on this compact camera is amazing - seems to retain its image quality even at max optical zoom. The auto intelligent feature does remarkably well though it struggles a bit with low-light pics. Overall, I am thrilled with this camera and would definitely purchase this again.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Just back from NZ and Australia. Great pics and videos. Very easy to use. Size makes for easy carrying. Manipulation of avchd files much more finicky than mpeg. Must be shown in HD from camera unless you have a Blu-ray recorder. On the bright side, avc video is very good, camcorder quality.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This camera is wonderful - the zoom is out of this world, and it takes some truly lovely pictures using just the iA setting.
It's a great camera for snapshots, and I suspect it would be a wonderful 'play' camera for a more professional user. It does lack RAW capability, which seems to be an issue with more professional users, but for the casual user, it's the camera I suggest - hands down.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Just had it two weeks ago but and still playing with settings/functions but overall I'm very satisfied with this product. It lack some of the manual settings that I am used to (on my old Canon Power Shot S400) but I wasn't using them much anyway. If this camera has the features you're looking for, I'm pretty sure you won't disapointed. Superb picture/video!!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

We purchased this camera after our Canon Powershot packed it in. There is no comparison between the Panasonic and the Canon. The new Panasonic is easy to use and the pictures are amazing. We are very pleased we decided to get this camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Very nice camera. I used Consumer Reports to select my pocket size camera. I had to return 2 higher rated cameras & I kept the Panasonic DMC-ZS3. Lets not forget that all those 4x6mm sensor size P&S cameras can't deliver the quality & detail as an SLR camera. So don't expect good quality in low light & at high ISO (above ISO 200). In the rest it's a very competitive camera. And produces 1280x720 pixel HD video with auto focus. Many will like its 12X zoom & 25mm wide angle lens.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Intuitive controls, excellent build quality. Terrific photo and video quality that allows much better results than I should be capable of!First time buyer from Abe's of Maine and I was very impressed with the communication and overall professionalism that will have me coming back.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Handy size for using almost anywhere.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I use the camera to take family pictures of young children, to take nature photos and for travel including shots from a small plane. The 12X optical zoom is helpful for removing myself from the attention of kids and animals so photos are more candid. I have never used a video feature before, but find this camera intuitive producing stable images even during zoom moments. My technique is purely point and shoot. The camera is miraculous in that it automatically adjusts to almost all the conditions in which I have used it. It's performance has been beyond my expectations.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I haven't had this camera long enough to even know about all its settings, but it takes super photos right out of the box! As my title suggests, I was immediately impressed by the sharpness and quality of my trial shots. It's larger than my last camera, but does a whole lot more.

Of special interest to me is the fact that this camera does equally well on both video and stills! I find the transitioning between the 2 formats to be very smooth and easy, and - again - the quality is impressive. The zoom in the video format works exceptionally well - as opposed to other cameras I've used.

In short, I think my only 2 complaints are that it should be easier to enable/disable the 'face detection' feature, and I don't like the operating instructions booklet. It's hard to use and confusing, in my opinion.

I WISH it had a longer-lasting battery, as well!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

It has many settings that you can set, when traveling, it's really good the start/end travel settings, and so many more that I Still didn't found

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

If you are looking for a camera with minimal manual controls but easy to use and gives great image quality then this a camera to buy.

I have researched a lot of cameras in the market and infact had my hands on the Panasonic FZ18 and canon SX20 but in terms a IQ for beginners I found this camera to be best of the lot.

Reason:
1. 90% of the time you will be able to carry this camera with you in any occasion. This is really important, trust me !!

2. It is a true point and shot and the AI feature is pretty reliable.

3. The video is Hi-Def with AVCHD lite which is good because it takes less space in your memory card.

4. The camera has pretty decent low light pictures. Please do not compare it with any pf the following: Canon-G10 or the Entry level SLR.

Now for a price of this camera what else could you ask for!

All the best

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

It's user friendly!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I would prefer if mode dial and shutter release positions were reversed.
As usual, proprietary batteries are more expensive than AA and less convenient.
Picture quality exceeded my expectations.
Both avchd and normal video very good.
Dedicated video button is very useful.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I have spent over $2,000 on 5 point and shoot cameras. In addition I own a Cannon Rebel which sits in the closet collecting dust. The Panasonic ZS3A tops them all, when considering what I want most out of a camera. "PICTURE QUALITY" is paramount. In the past I owned an Olympus C-470 Ultra Zoom which has since gone to the grave. I actually contemplated buying one again and surprised to see it was still in the $300 plus range and limited to 3 mega pixels. It had outstanding picture quality similar to the ZS3 but the Panasonic has image stabilization which is a plus. Thank God I have 6 grandchildren who love my discards. Cannon who gets all the good reviews were most disappointing in terms of picture quality. The S3A iA mode is all one ever needs but I like to fidget. I also like to enlarge certain parts of the photo so the 10 MP's come in handy. Zoom is phenomenal. Grandkids are out of luck in terms of getting this camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great image quality, used to a DSLR so it does have some shutter lag. Love how the menus and setting are easy to get to. Not too much manual control.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I've had the camera about three weeks. I'm still plodding through the manual to learn how to use all the bells and whistles on the camera. The manual is probably adequate for someone with more experience with digital cameras than I have. I will "catch on" eventually, but it's a slow process. I had two SD cards, a 4 GB and a 16 GB. My Dell desktop computer (4 years old) didn't recognize the SD card, but my laptop (six months old) did. I'm told by Panasonic that my computer(Dell Dimensions 4700C) won't recognize an SD card with a 4GB and 16 GB capacity but would accept a card with 1 GB or less. I'm not sure if this is true or not. I haven't been able to easily find an SD card with 1 GB or less. For what I use a digital camera for and based on my experience with digital cameras, I probably bought more camera than I need, but I tend to buy more than I need rather than buy less than I need.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I love this camera and all its features. You have to get used to focusing it before you take the picture. After you get used to that, you will LOVE this camera!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

So far I am impressed. I bought it after comparing similar others from Canon, Sony etc. Its feature set with size and pricing beat the competition out. Haven't noticed any major issue yet (although I must say during minimal use in 2 weeks). Couple of things - mode dial is too loose (but not a real problem). Battery is not generic (dictates need to carry a spare battery).Overall, a great buy [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is a great camera for all in one travel. Very good still picture quality with good lighting. Its only flaw is that indoors with the flash is horrible on the Automatic setting. If you set up your own profile, then the quality is acceptable. I usually go with the flash disabled and a profile when I shoot indoors. The HD video quality is really quite good for a camera of this size. The AVCHD format provides excellent quality. However, it's a little irritating that for the price, they didn't provide some software that works with MacOS. I was going to use Sony Vegas Pro, but iMovie 08 works just fine for importing directly. I really like the camera, though. The lens is great, and pictures look so much nicer than other similarly priced portable cameras, probably because of the Leica lens.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

HD video and 12X zoom are great

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Don't let the spouse use it, you'll never get it back

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Very compact,easy to shoot both stills and video

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Excellent pocket camera for travel, but like many cameras it is a compromise.

Lots of great features (discussed elsewhere). Zoom range from wide angle (25mm) to telephoto (300mm) is extremely versatile and mostly sharp throughout the whole range and whole frame. I find that a few wide angle shots of a location trigger my fond memories of a place better than telephoto subject-based shots.

Pictures are sharp and look great at reduced sizes, but when zoomed to 100% (at any ISO) they have a distinct film grain look and blotchiness which I find annoying. Inconsistent exposure, with a tendency to overexpose and blow highlights. Color balance sometimes picks up a hue from the scene (especially green). JPEG files are somewhat large, with highest quality averaging 4.8 MB (probably due to the image noise). Zoom is slow to respond and then tends to overshoot, so I have to move the zoom lever back-and-forth several times to get the right composition.

IA mode does a good job of "getting the shot" in nearly any situation, but it often produces okay shots instead of great shots. It tends to use high ISO settings to maintain a high shutter speed (1/125 or more) so that pictures are sharp instead of blurry, but that high ISO really hurts saturation, contrast, and noise/grain. If you need to take a quick shot, use IA mode. But if you need to ensure that you get a high quality result, then stick to manual mode.

Overall, this is a good pocketable camera that will get good shots in most situations. The wide zoom range gets shots that are not possible with other cameras.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Could not find this camera anywhere but Abe's had it. [...] Love the wide angle lens - no more chopping people out of the picture. Takes nice panoramic views as well. The zoom is wonderful. If it weren't for the loose mode dial (slides sometimes when you remove it from the camera case) it would be a five out of five!!!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Really great camera; however-
1. Wish it had a viewfinder since the LCD is hard to see in bright sunlight.
2. Wish it were an all-stainless construction like my Minolta

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

This is a great camera for travel for a casual photographer (point & shoot). Its small size (fits in a purse or pants pocket) is great for the features and amount of zoom you get. It has settings to accommodate many diverse lighting situations, although it may take some experimentation or experience to determine the best one in any given situation. It does have an automatic setting if you want to leave it up to the camera. I have used my camera extensively in China for indoor, outdoor and city night shots (Hong Kong & Shanghai) with great results. Also used underwater setting on a recent trip to the Georgia Aquarium and it worked great! Many people have asked me about the camera when I ask them to take a shot for me-- they are always impressed. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who doesn't know a lot about camera settings and is content to let the camera do the work. Only negatives: the flash could be stronger and you can't instantly delete a photo you don't right after you've taken it without several button clicks. Other than that, I have been very satisfied with my purchase.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I wanted a camera that could get decent distance pictures. I didn't want to have to lug around a DSLR and this seemed like a great compromise. I have gotten great pictures of the mountains and deer in the woods from my house. It has enough settings that you can still manually control the way a picture turns out. And I love the fact that I can just plug the camera into my printer and print off pictures. Fabulous!!!

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I'm a pro wedding photographer. I use this camera for candid reception photos, but the best use is on a mini-tripod as a video recorder. This is way better than a Vado (which we also use). Fits nicely in your pocket. I carry an extra battery. Simply awesome (even for this lifelong Nikon shooter).

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

I love this camera. It's very solid feeling in your hand, the pictures are overall very crisp, especially at 12x, which is very surprising. The 720p video is very good for a camera,and the quiet zooming during filming is a bonus. One complaint, and this is a common one, is that the function dial is very easily moved to a non-active position, so you'll be ready to take a pic, and you'll see a message stating you need to move the dial to a correct position. It's easy to avoid once you know the dial turns so easily. I found a cheap 32gb SD card and take over 4.5 hours of video at the super-high quality setting - nice! PS> you can buy 2nd batteries for very cheap online. [...]

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great size easy set up great photos

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

GREAT LITTLE CAMERA. LOOKING FOR SMALL CAMERA WITH GREAT ZOOM AND GREAT VIDEO AND THIS IS IT.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

The camera is easy to use and takes great pictures. I love the video. What a great hybrid camera/camcorder!! The zoom and wide angle are amazing. Good feel and great LCD. Like all in this class, the only issues come when photographing in low light.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Simply a great camera.

Comments about Panasonic DMC-ZS3A 10.1mp Digital Camera - Blue:

Great compact all in one camera. Has very good wide angle as well as great zoom. Very well built and easy to use.