Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera

rating: 5.00

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera is a remarkable camera which contains a 10x optical zoom lens in a compact, stylish body for the ultimate in picture performance and user convenience.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera Overview

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital Camera is a remarkable camera which contains a 10x optical zoom lens in a compact, stylish body for the ultimate in picture performance and user convenience. With 7.2 effective megapixels of resolution for incredibly detailed images, and a wide-angle Leica DC lens (equivalent to 28-280mm on a 35mm film camera), this versatile camera is well suited to a broad range of shooting opportunities. You can easily capture a large group of people, or expansive architectural structures and landscapes with the wide end of the zoom range, or zoom in for sports, wildlife and event photography.

In addition, the Optical Image Stabilizer feature (Mega O.I.S) minimizes the jitter from shaky hands that causes many photos to look blurred. This ensures that your images will always be beautifully clear.

The DMC-TZ3 is incredibly fast thanks to the Venus Engine III processor, which provides fast consecutive shooting, and boasts outstanding response time thus enabling easy capture of spur-of-the-moment shots. The image processor also provides for efficient power consumption, contributing to the camera's ability to take 250 pictures on a single charge of the included lithium-ion battery. The camera also includes a bright and high resolution 3.0" LCD display to easily frame and view your images.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera Features

• 7.2 Megapixel Resolution
    With a resolution of 7.2 Megapixels, you'll be able to produce high resolution images that can yield photo quality 16 x 20" prints. The 1/2.35" CCD with a total of 8.50 megapixels is larger than those in conventional 7 megapixel cameras so the camera can reproduce images in any of three aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2 or 16:9), and at any point in the zoom range, so you can always capture dynamic, richly expressed shots with a wide perspective.

• 10x Optical Zoom Lens
    The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens includes an ED (extra-low dispersion) lens and three aspherical lenses to delivers an exceptional optical performance, and the powerful 10x optical zoom (equivalent to a big 28 to 280mm lens on a 35mm camera) provides a broad range of photo capabilities from broad landscapes and group shots to nature and sports photos. The zoom ratio can be further extended up to 15x in 3 megapixel resolution mode with minimal deterioration thanks to the Extra Optical Zoom. Furthermore, in combination with the 4x digital zoom, a zoom factor of up to 60x can be achieved.

• MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer
    The MEGA O.I.S (Optical Image Stabilizer) feature offsets unintentional hand movement while you're taking pictures to give you clear, sharp images even when taking handheld telephoto shots or shooting at night. This system uses built-in gyrosensors to detect even tiny camera movement and then shifts a lens in the opposite direction to compensate. The system is completely optical so you get sharp, clear images with minimal degradation. It lets you reduce the shutter speed more than 3 stops below the conventionally accepted hand movement limit, greatly expanding what you can do with a handheld digital camera.

• Rapid Focusing
    Choose from several auto focus modes - spot, 1-point (normal or high speed), 3-point high-speed, and 9-point - to suit the scene you're shooting. Combined with a startup time of merely 0.95 seconds, this fast focusing lets you catch every shooting opportunity. Plus, the AF Assist Lamp helps when focusing in dimly lit places.

• High Sensitivity Mode Helps Reduce Motion Blur
    When there's not a lot of light or you're using a slow shutter speed, hand movement isn't the only potential problem. There's also "motion blur" -- the blurring that can result if your subject like children or pets move even a little in low lighting. The High Sensitivity mode allows you to shoot at up to ISO 3200 by using the pixel-mixed readout method, effectively raising the shutter speed. It not only minimizes motion blur, it also lets you take clearer, sharper shots in dim lighting without using a flash.

• MEGA Burst Consecutive Shooting
    Thanks to the Venus Engine III, the DMC-TZ3 has a release time lag as low as 0.006 seconds, can also fire off consecutive shots at a swift 3 frames per second, and offers unlimited consecutive shooting at approximately 1 frame per second, so you can keep shooting until the SD Memory Card or built-in memory is full.

• Twenty Scene Modes
    The 20 scene modes included in the DMC-TZ3 allow you to effectively capture your travelling experience, wherever you go. The 'aerial' mode assists with shooting through aeroplane windows, and once you reach your destination, the 'beach' mode is ideal for taking photos in strong sunlight. These modes are welcomed additions to the existing portrait, soft skin, scenery, night portrait, night scenery, food, party, candle, fireworks, starry sky, snow and baby mode. Panasonic's 'Baby' Mode has now doubled its appeal with the ability to set two birthdays for two children. When shooting in Baby Mode1 or 2, the relevant child's age at the time of image capture is automatically recorded onto the image, allowing you to forever treasure your children's special moments.

• Record High Quality Moving Images
    Record beautiful full-size movies in 16:9 Wide VGA format at 30 fps or 10 fps with enhanced picture quality and brightness, and it can also shoot standard VGA and QVGA resolution for home use or e-mail/web applications.

• Auto Angle Detection
    Auto angle detection records whether an image was taken horizontally or vertically. This ensures that when playing back on the LCD monitor and displaying images on your TV by connecting your Lumix Digital Camera with an AV cable, vertical images are automatically displayed vertically and horizontal images are automatically displayed horizontally.

• 3.0" High-Resolution LCD Display
    The DMC-TZ3 features a 3.0" diagonal high-resolution LCD monitor which is surprisingly large for such a compact camera. This high-quality, display makes it easy to see your subject, and when shooting outdoors on a sunny day, press the Power LCD button to boost the backlighting for easier visibility. The High Angle Mode improves viewability from a low angle, such as when shooting over a crowd. The display also provides many shooting assist features such as guide lines for better image framing and a histogram function to check exposure on the fly.

• Built-in and Expandable Memory
    The camera includes 12.7MB of built-in memory, and the memory capacity can be expanded dramatically with Secure digital (SD) or Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) memory cards. You can also copy images from a memory card or PC to the built-in memory, and view them on the LCD anytime you like.

• Bundled Photo Editing Software
    The DMC-TZ3 includes the Lumix Simple Viewer for Windows. This software is good especially for the beginners to store, playback, and print or attach to E-mail the images via the PC. Images will be automatically transferred just by inserting the SD Memory Card into a card reader or by connecting the camera to PC; and the images will also be sorted by the date of shooting to streamline the process of organizing the pictures as much as possible. In addition, the camera also includes ArcSoft PhotoImpression, PanoramaMaker, and PhotoBase to further expand your image editing and organization capabilities.

• Print Directly From Your Camera
    You can send images directly to print, right from the DMC-TZ3 camera without the need of a PC. Simply connect the camera to a PictBridge compatible printer by using the included USB cable, and then simply select the pictures you want to print.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera user reviews

"Fabulous camera. We're getting amazing results. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera is easy to use and small enough to carry around with you. Even photos taken with the flash come out brilliantly and are well lit. I can't rate it highly enough!"

--- Emma rated: 5

"I also couldn't decide whether to go for Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera or a slightly more compact camera and give up the zoom lense.

In the end I decided to go for the TZ3 in black - well partly because I got an undersale from JLP to £223.
"

--- Aiden Holmes "Aiden" rated: 5

""Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera is the ideal general-use case I was looking for to store my Lumix TZ5. As the attached photos show, it is an exact fit, while allowing easy removal of the camera by tugging on the camera's wrist strap. The leather itself is very thin and soft, but reinforced internally with a stiffener to protect the TZ5's fragile lens shutter, and it is lined with a nice grade of black microfiber. It has a magnetic catch that took some getting used to; if pressed shut properly it is quite secure; the trick is to slide the lid sideways till you hear a "click". There are two small pockets in the foldover lid to hold a couple spare SDHC cards, but no room for a spare battery; a pity. Still, this is _the_ case to choose if you want a minimal cover for this camera. Actual external measurements of mine are 110mm wide, 70mm high, and 53mm thick, due to the thickness of the lid and catch. With the lid open, the pocket holding the camera is 42mm outside measure for thickness. As the uploaded photos show, the camera is a snug slip fit in the case. I didn't care for the detachable wrist strap, as I felt the lug on it could scratch the camera and it was likely to be a nuisance for belt use. Might be handy in a purse or for handheld carry. The remaining D-ring for the strap is a bit of a problem in that regard; I may remove it as well. The leather is a very nice grade that softens with use and makes this a nice overall minimalist case. For wet weather or rougher use, I employ a molded-foam Samsonite, but for every other occasion and everyday use, this is ideal and far more convenient for both storage and ready removal with no-zipper, silent convenience. This case carries horizontally so it is comfortable when sitting and accessible even in the car. Just what I was looking for!" "

--- Danneaux rated: 5

"I absolutely love taking pictures, and with a holiday coming up and a camera that needed updating, I chose Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera. I'd heard good things about this camera, but what closed the deal for me was the excellent zoom and the huge screen on the back for viewing your pictures. The camera can seem a bit daunting at first as theres lots of buttons and menus, but you can pick it all up relatively quickly and if you've got some idea of the functions of a digital camera in the first place you'll be fine. There is LOADS of different modes, including an underwater one (you have to buy some sort of underwater case for the camera first!!) which takes brilliant pictures underwater. I tested this snorkelling in Egypt and the pictures were amazing quality. Way way better than those fun camera things!! (although it is a bit daunting putting your expensive camera in the sea!) You get a rechargable battery with it, and it lasts ages. The only thing to be aware of is that, as with most cameras nowadays, there's no viewfinder.
But this is buy far the best camera I've ever had. Its fantastic! "

--- herbie__53 rated: 5

"I've been shooting with Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital camera for about a month and am giddy with the quality of the shots I've taken. ( I promise to post some shots over the next few days).

For the money (street price $249), you'll be hard pressed to find a higher quality, more versatile camera in so compact a package. This is a keeper and I rate it outstanding."

--- RudiXeno rated: 5

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