Panasonic DMC-ZS3 (aka DMC-TZ7) 12x Optical Zoom Review by DPI

Average Camera Review Rating [5 reviews]
Currently selling at $269 (down from $344 about 2 months ago), the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS3 (aka DMC-TZ7) was launched as a successor to to the highly successful LUMIX DMC-TZ5. The new Panasonic LUMIX TZ7 has not changed much when it comes to the compact camera and the largest change is found on the lens. Whilst its predecessor featured an already impressive 10x optical zoom, the Panasonic TZ7 even surpasses this with a 12x optical zoom. This brings the focal length to a very interesting 25-300 mm zoom range. In particular the 25mm wide angle will perform wonderfully when shooting landscapes or taking pictures of subjects in a confined space. The zoom lens is supported by Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization system to prevent motion blur.

In addition to the impressive zoom range, the Panasonic DMC-ZS3 features a 3 inch format monitor providing a high resolution of 460,800 dots. Those who prefer a larger monitor can connect the Panasonic ZS3 to a large screen via the built-in HDMI interface. Not only is the Panasonic ZS3 able to capture still pictures, which are stored in a high resolution of 10 Megapixels, it also allows you to capture high quality video and sound in AVCHD Lite format. Although the camera features a 12 Megapixel CCD, 10 Megapixels are used for the picture. The so-called 'multi-aspect' sensor enables shooting in different image ratios retaining the 25-300mm zoom range. The camera was the #1 top selling SuperZoom digital camera for the last consecutive 6 weeks. Here is the review summary from DPInterface:

"The Panasonic Lumix ZS3 is almost entirely a point-and-shoot camera, save for the fancy white balance adjustment feature and faux bulb mode. There are plenty of scene modes, automatic and "Intelligent" bells and whistles and relatively simple operation and easy to use menus that you don't exactly have to pick up the manual if you just want to start snapping casual photos. Face detection and face recognition are both around to help with 'people shots'. What the ZS3 lacks is manual exposure control - which is what I wanna complain about here. If some competition (namely the Canon SX200 and Samsung HZ10W/HZ15W I've reviewed, and the upcoming Fujifilm F70EXR). The Lumix ZS3 also has a nice movie mode - 720p HD recording, stereo sound, optical zoom and stabilization, continuous AF, even a wind filter is available - pretty much one of the best movie modes you can find in a compact camera. Unfortunately, the Panasonic Lumix ZS3's AVCHD Lite recording codec is both a big plus point and a downside as well; on one hand, it's really efficient and produces smaller files than MOV-MJPEG... but on the other, the output files typically need to be decoded first before they can be played on most players. 

Panasonic DMC-ZS3 Camera Reviews Roundup

DCI: "Overall, we were impressed with the quality of the images that the ZS3 took in terms of the levels of distortion, sharpness and chromatic aberration. We found that the images had very little distortion and very low chromatic aberration, while still retaining good levels of sharpness. Click here for more on how we test resolution. We usually expect to see some distortion in the images taken by cameras with long..." - Oct 22 2009 More »
RegisterHardware: "The 25mm wide angle lens was great for pulling in a little extra side information. Face Recognition worked a treat, and the image stabilisation system did a superb job in keeping shots steady and the AF system was fast and responsive. AF tracking lets you lock onto a subject without having to partly depress the shutter, and works well. The high speed burst mode captured fast moving objects with ease and can reco..." - Aug 21 2009 More »
InfoSync: "Panasonic has done it again-they've succeeded in creating a beast of the consumer persuasion. One that spits fire with a champion image performance. One that claws at the competition with a solid set of features. And best of all, a beast that decimates all in its path with a great HD video performance and the ability to zoom while recording. Yes, folks, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is definitely worth the extra 100 c..." - Jul 07 2009 More »
CNET Asia: "In our Lab tests, the Panasonic camera fared relatively well. The camera has an ISO range of 80 to 1,600 and delivered decent images up to ISO 400. If you're desperate, ISO 800 works, too, but at the expense of sacrificing details. As with most point-and-shoots, the TZ7 produced smudgy-looking snaps when we bumped the ISO to 1,600. What we like about this Lumix is its color reproduction. The tones were saturated but..." - Jun 24 2009 More »
LetsGoDigital: "Our first acquaintance with the TZ7 in practice was pleasant and very similar to the experience we had earlier with its predecessors. The handy compact format is definitely a plus and it stands for easy shooting in combination with the large zoom range supported by the MEGA O.I.S. system. We have mainly compared the pictures taken in practice combined with the technical DIWA tests to those of its predecessor. From t..." - May 04 2009 More »

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