Reviews for Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: ZOOOOOOOOOM! Image Stabilization. IR sensor for low light focusing. Crystal clear pictures. Nice size. Tons of features, but easy if you want it to be.

Weakness: Considering the price there are no weaknesses I see.

This is my first digital camera. I have been waiting for the prices to fall to such an extent that I could afford a good camera with a good feature set. The FZ3 fits that bill.
The FZ3 takes terrific pictures straight out of the box in auto mode. Auto mode chooses all variables except whether or not you use the flash. It engages the image stabilizer and prevents digital zooming.
With other settings: program, aperture dependant, shutter dependant, manual, macro, etc, variables can be controlled for even better pictures. This means my wife can take great snaps of her kindergarten class with no problems and I can fiddle endlessly in the search for the great american picture...
I love it. There were only a few cameras in this range with this feature set. I am sure the others are fine too, but I love the panasonic.
You get more zoom, a great lens and loads of features for a price relatively equivalent to a 3x zoom point and shoot.
Buy with confidence.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Amazing zoom. capture speed. versatility. Easy to navigate menu. Quality feel. Consec

Weakness: Neck strap a little uncomfortable. Image stabilization is nice, but still need steady hand.

I am so glad I waited for this camera to come out. I had been looking at several other ultra zoom cameras for about 5 months and each was missing a feature to make it suitable for me.
I required a fast capture speed. i.e. when I press the trigger the image is captured. The FZ3 camera was very fast. The moving subject would still be in frame when picture taken. With the Canon S1-IS I would totally miss the subject because it would take so long to capture the image.
The image stabilization is great when you are zooming, but it still doesn't take the place of needing a tripod all the time. If I am zooming on something close and not being careful with my hand shaking, I would get a somewhat blurred image. I have tried non image stabilized cameras doing the same thing and they were blurrier, so I shouldn't complain.
The Burst mode is great. Hold the trigger down and it will keep shooting as fast as it can. Depending on mode about 2 to 4 frames per second. And clear pictures too.
Dont worry about the small SD memory card. 8mb. They could have put a bigger one in and charged you more for the camera and still had it be the wrong size for you. Take the savings and buy the size of card you need. You can always drop the image quality size down. To play with the camera. I dropped it down and got about 60 pics on the 8mb card.
You can use MMC or SD memory. I recommend as the manual does to buy the SD memory. I used a MMC card and it was noticibly slower to read and write.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: 12x zoom, IS, fast handling, relatively inexpensive

Weakness: lenshood blocks flash, filter adapter blocks focusing light

This is the closest thing to a film SLR without shelling out big bucks. I had 3 digital cameras before this but they are all unsatisfactory because of shutter lag and hard-to-see LCD. The EVF alleviates the latter and the quick handling solves the former. Once prefocused, there's no noticeable shutter lag to speak of, and the shot-to-shot time is very quick, reminiscent of my old SLR on a winder. In fact, I just leave it in burst mode all the time so I can take quick shots. Panasonic made it impossible to get rid of the 1 second review in burst mode, so you lose sight of the subject after the shot. Since you can take 7 frames in 3 or 4 seconds, it's recommended you get at least a 256MB SD card. Battery life is good: I took 200+ shots and the battery indicator still says it's on 1/3.
Unlike its bigger brothers, which focus to about 6' on the long end, this baby goes all the way down to around 3' at extreme zoom. So it doesn't have manual focusing, a hot shoe and some other doodads, but for close to $200 less, it's not a lot to give up, especially since my ink-jet will only do 8.5*11 prints anyway.
The lenscap will fit a 55mm filter, but not securely, so if you should put a filter on to protect the lens, a regular 55mm lenscap is recommended. The LCD is small compared to the Kodak DX6490/7590, but since I do all my shooting with the EVF, it doesn't matter, and the Kodak cameras don't have IS, which is essential for handholding the longer focal lengths. The live histogram is useful for adjusting exposure, though I wish Panasonic would make the aperture/shutter settings stick around (in A and S modes) like SLRs of old, so I can tell what the camera's doing.
Overall, a very good buy for the money.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: This is just about the best value for the money you can buy. The 12x zoom, crystal clear lens and image stabilization, make this camera very easy to love. It's small size is incredibly convenient.

Weakness: It's not a flaw in the camera, but the 8mb card is rediculously small. I'm waiting for delivery of a larger card, but it's a pain to test out a camera when you can only take 3 or 4 shots at a time.

One of the nicest features about the camera is the way it can grow with you. A novice can get good shots right from the start, but there are plenty of choices to allow you to develop your skills as you go. 3mps is enough for good 8 x 10 prints, so don't be fooled into thinking you need more. More pixels helps when you crop a lot, but with this kind of zoom, you should need to crop your images much less.

I doubt there is anything comparable in this price range. If you want more pixels, and if you can afford it, both the FZ20 and FZ15 are excellent choices as well (although much larger)

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: An Awesome camera with an Awesome lens with an Awesome 12x zoom, Sharp and extremely fast AF, Mega OIS, Small and light, Plenty of user controls, Very good picture quality, Best camera for this price.

Weakness: Vignetting (dark corners), Small LCD

It's the best camera at this price. I bought mine at US$382, with an extra Li-Ion batt.

I've taken over 400 pics already with my 256mb card and am totally satisfied with the camera. Macro shots are not the best but are pretty good indeed. The 12x mega zoom is awesome, never seen it on any other brand. Even many of my 48x (12X4 zoom) were clear and good WITHOUT the use of a tripod. Which other camera can offer that?

The colors were crisp and good on the pics. It's only when I use the flash that they turned out a bit bluish. Even shots taken in total darkness came out clear and sharp, thanks to the AF assist light. Many of my night pics were good (no flash, mind you) and I noticed little noise even at ISO200. My only complaint is that there is vignetting (darkening of corners) in all my macro shots. If I used the zoom to take close-ups, the vignetting seemed to disappear.

I wished the LCD (1.5") had been larger but I'm quite satisfied with it since the resolution is good and I could see clearly enough, except in bright sunlight.

The auto-focus system is extremely good and fast, much better than the FZ1/FZ2. Sometimes it takes a few seconds to hunt but this usually happens at the 48x zoom which I use quite often, handheld. The pic quality at 48x were acceptable although not quite as sharp but I'm not complaining, just loving it.

The camera gives me full control (except manual focus) and I can grow with it as I learn more about digital photography. My earlier digicam was a Coolpix 3200 which took beautiful pictures but did'nt have any manual controls. I just love the FZ3 - so easy to use, so intuitive. It's the best camera at this price level! Go get one yourself.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Lightweight. Fantastic picture quality. Lots of options. Good user manual. Rechargeable battery pack.

Weakness: Small initial SD card. Battery life.

This is only the second digital camera I have owned. First was a fairly basic point and shoot. I absolutely can't believe the quality of the shots I have gotten with this camera so far. I have taken over 200 shots of a hummingbird outside my office window and I can see the details of the feathers on his head. I am quite an in-experienced photographer and the shots I have gotten are great. I would think that someone with a little more knowledge than me would be able to take prize winning photos, if that was your goal. I recommend buying an extra battery pack or the optional AC adapter when you buy the camera. Otherwise, like me, you'll be frustrated when you have to stop taking pictures to let the battery recharge.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Great pictures. Amazing zoom range. Easy to handle. Full exposure control. Fast.

Weakness: No swivel LCD. Small 1/3.2" CCD. Proprietary batteries.

I took it out on a fall color hike in West Virginia and came back with fantastic landscapes. The zoom range is amazing and is very useful to compose pictures. I loved the almost total control the camera gives the photographer over the settings. I shot mostly in shutter priority mode at ISO 80 in the "warm" color setting. The auto-exposure was spot on in all cases, and the pictures were sharp with nice saturated colors. It was also very easy to navigate through the menu to achieve the settings I wanted. I also took some pictures at home with the flash using the "simple" mode, and they turned out OK too, albeit with a little more noise at ISO 200 which the camera defaulted to.

That (noise) brings us to the CCD size -- I was disappinted to learn that a $400 camera had only a 1/3.2" CCD (compare to 1/2.8" of the $200 Canon A75). I also wished it had a swivel LCD for easier composition when mounted on a tripod (which I do often), and a more readily available battery type like AA or AAA.

The camera operated with sufficient speed for my purposes except some focus hunting at low light conditions. I haven't checked the Image Stabilization feature as I mostly use a tripod for my long telephoto shots.

All in all, it's a fantastic camera. I'd recommend it to anybody looking for a simple to use 3+ MP superzoom digicam with fully manual to fully automatic controls.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: - Image stabilizer - 12x optical zoom - Compact form factor (considering ultrazoom!) - Leica lens

Weakness: - Wish the LCD could be larger and rotatable (like Canon) - Wish having more MP - Wish sharing the same lens as the big brother, FZ20 - Miss the panorama mode

I only used this camera for a few days, and my review will be based on that. The camera is light enough to carry from time to time taking into consideration you have following features: 12x optical zoom, 3.1MP which is good for up to 8x10 print, and Leica lens with the constant F2.8 throughout the focal length (wide to tele) according to Panasonic. I used Canon S1 IS and changed to A75 due to the weight concern. For a few days of using A75, I missed the ultrazoom conveninence, especially when I shot my girlfriend’s portraits where the big zoom will come to play a significant role in framing the object and giving more focal depth. Therefore, once more I decided to go back to the ultrazoom camera, and I chose Panasonic DMC-FZ3 for the above reasons.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Crisp, clear pictures. Excellent zoom, lightweight. Easy to understand menu.

Weakness: None so far

I have only had this camera one day, but I have taken pictures for many years, and this is by far the best camera I have ever had! It is so easy to use...quick startup, excellent quality!

What impresses me most is the zoom quality. I zoomed in to the complete 48x (digital) and took a picture. I was about 8 feet from a VHS box and took a picture of the tiny print on the back. It was so clear, and very readable. You have to use a flash for stuff like this, but it was excellent.

Another thing I was impressed with was that it takes pictures of Christmas lights well. With all other cameras I have used, the lights tend to make the picture blurry, or if you use a flash, makes the color distorted. Not with this camera. The color was so clear and just like I was standing in front of the Christmas tree!

This camera also takes good pictures from complete darkness. I turned the lights out in my room and took a picture of my turtle in his tank. This picture was almost better than the one I took with the light on.

The video I took turned out good too. Remember, this is not a camcorder...this is a digital camera. But this video quality was so good. I may end up putting some video I shoot with this on a DVD (it is not DVD quality, but will probably look allright on the TV screen).

I highly recommend this camera to anyone. It is a good price for such a great camera...and a good lens too.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: 1) 12 x zoom with image stabilization - even those far off shots are crisp. The image stabilization also helps with those situations that you cannot use a flash and the light is less than optimal. 2) Camerahas good balance and feel

Weakness: none so far

I have had this camera for a little over two weeks, and I couldn't be happier. I was really trying to convince myself to get the Olympus C765, but I found that one has better picture stability and the prints from this one were far better than that of C765.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Zoom, Battery Life, Picture Clarity, Image Stabilization

Weakness: Small LCD, 3 megapixel

This is my fourth digital camera, and it is easily the best yet. Previously owned cameras include the Canon PowerShot S45, the Kodak LS753 and the Sony DSC-P100. I was leary about going "back" to a 3 megapixel camera after owning 5 megapixel cameras, but the clarity of the FZ3 photos makes up for the difference in pixels. I've even printed 8x10's with minor cropping and they look great! I also was not thrilled about switching to a "larger" camera as my others were more or less pocketable, but it hasn't been an issue. We are taking many more pictures now simply because the probability of getting a good photo is much higher. At least 9 of 10 photos are clear and well exposed, whereas maybe 6 of 10 were good quality with my old cameras. The difference is the f2.8 lens, the more powerful flash and the image stabilization. All these features combine to make taking indoor pictures of my 2 year old a breeze. The indoor picture quality compared to my old compact cameras is amazing, we are extremely happy with the FZ3. The shot to shot speed with the FZ3 is fantastic, even when using a flash. You do have to be careful if using the AUTO mode indoors as image noise becomes a problem at ISO's of 200 and above.

If I could change anything with this camera it would be: Larger LCD (2" would be nice), at least 4 megapixel, lower image noise at ISO's of 200+. Other than that I'd say Panasonic has hit a home run! Please note that two of my suggested improvements are available on the FZ15/20, but I didn't want to spend that much money or switch to that BIG of a camera!

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: long 12x zoom, fast (2.8) full range lens, image stabilization, compact (relatively) size, strong flash, fast operations, supplied battery/charger/lens adapter/lens hood, fast (4fps) burst rate

Weakness: only 3MP, noise above ISO 100 (though normal for non-DSLR), cheap plastic look

That is my sixth digicam and I my say I love (not that I liked every one of my then current cameras). To be fair it is noisy, but no other camera in its price range (up to 2x more expensive) produces less noise. It is only 3MP, but that's really a tradeof between CCD size, camera size, noise level and lens price -- I find it reasonable.

Among all the strengths I listed I want to underline these three: 12X optical zoom, image stabilization and small size. What is the use of all this? - Well, lets just say yesterday I spotted a squirrel and was able to take few "portrait" shots of him from about 10 feet, w/o a flash (didn't want to scare him awaya and it was quite dark, shutter speed 1/10 at 9x zoom).

Overall, very nice little camera. I would even say the best in its class.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: 12x stablized lense af assist focus system. Sharp focus system.

Weakness: If you care about video camera mode it is behind. It does not have the best macro mode. Non standard battery.

It is the best budget level long zoom camera. Very sharp images. Very good focusing camera. I am total happy with this camera. It is one of the easiest cameras to use.
On the other hand it has all the manual function you would need.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Good Picture Quality, Lots of manual options and scene modes

Weakness: Indoor pictures under normal light not that great in snapshot mode

Overall I am happy with the camera, it takes great pictures even in snapshot mode. I have used some of the manual modes and have been able to get better results. The scene modes specially the night portrait and night scenery mode are helpful. Also the ability to change white balance for indoor lights can improve pic quality.
I have yet not tested the telephoto to its full extent but I am happy that i picked a 12X zoom over some more megapixel as the leica lens produces great pictures

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: A wonderful 12x optical lense. Optical image stabalization. More features than most people will ever use.

Weakness: No manual focus. No remote available. Only 3.2 megapixels. Electronic viewfinder. No hot shoe. These are feature that won't matter to most.

Whether you are just starting out with digital photography or are a moderately advanced shutterbug, this camera offers the most bang for the buck in ultra zoom digtal cameras. The 12X optical Leica lense and price are the biggest draws. Pictues are fantastic for this level of digital photography.

Camera is relatively small for the lense size. Has a nice lightweight feel and doesn't appear cheap to me. Nice rechargeable battery with average useage time. Be sure to read the professional review link for this camera.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Image stabilazation, 12x zoom, powerful flash, nice menus, good battery life.

Weakness: None found so far.

This is my first digital camera and I love the 12x zoom. I was thinking about getting the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ15K but it was very large, whereas the FZ3 can be carried around much more easily. I've only had the camera for about 3 weeks and I have already taken over 500 images, I love it.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Unparalled Zoom. Size. Features

Weakness: None.

This is a beautiful camera that has superb optics and great features, all packed in an unbelievably small size. The 12x zoom is amazing and you can actually take pics at the max zoom thanks to the image stabilisation feature (that works like a champ). The Leica branded lens is superb and takes razor sharp pics, indoors and outdoors. Camera operates super fast. The 3mp resolution is kind of low but good enough for 8x10 enlargements. All in all a great camera. Highly recommended.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

This camera's zoom is the best not only because it's long, but also because it has the optical image stablizer. The pictures are sharp and color is well balanced. Since its body is mainly made of plastic, it's really light and easy to carry around. In short, this is a great camera worth every penny (not a lot all together) that you pay for.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Looks and handles like an SLR, Beauty to hold, Good hit ratio (takes excellent pictures most of the time), Optical stabilization works great

Weakness: Low light focusing, Low resolution movie mode

This is a camera primarily for my six year old son, but I use it too occasionally (when he would let me). It works much better than some of the point and shoot types with the SLR like handling and neck strap etc. We had been using the earlier model DMCFZ1S and we just upgraded to the DMC-FZ3. I was already in awe of the previous model and this one is even better with optical stabilization and 3MP resolution. If only it had a VGA movie mode, it would be the only camera we would need to lug around.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: Ease of use, zoom, price

Weakness: None so far

I'm a novice at digital camera use, but this camera is very easy to use! The manual is easy to follow, and is very self explanatory. I've only owned it for 5 days, yet have experimented with it every day and in different situations (basketball, family shots, outdoor scenes). I'm impressed with the quality of shots it takes. I would highly recommend this camera, even for beginners!

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Compact Camera

Strengths: +LEICA lens, extreme sharpness +Perfect ultrazoom with fast focus even with flash used photos +Attachable filters +Incredible burst mode +Constant aperture during zoom

Weakness: - Manual focus -In some mixed conditions, like if you are in shadow and the object is rarely bright, focus misses -Zoom range can not be change during video recording -Sounds are not really clear

The users who had bought this camera, were in a dilemma between Canon IS1 and Lumix Z3.. But now it is understood that Lumix Z3 would be preferred than the other because of its superior photograph taking abilities..
It is the fact that, if a few more (!) dollars can be spent, DMC Z15/Z20 would be bought.. Anyway DMCZ3 satisfies its user with price/performance rate.
The major defiency of this machine is the manual focus ring i think. Because in some mixed conditions it is hard to take what you want. For example if you want to take the drops on the window while it is raining, AF struggles and fails.. On the other hand, with it is AF assist lamp, it can focus even in absolute dark...

Li-ion battery lasts enough, but they are not cheap; I think that it is also hard to find them in TURKEY. ( A friend of me fetch it for me)
Now it is certain that i had made the right choise. If you think about Canon IS1, i advise you not to think :) You would not understood the "crystal clear" pictures unless you choose DMC Z3

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 1.26 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #433 standard digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 is an attractive SLR-shaped camera with 3.1 effective megapixels and a 12x optical zoom lens. At a retail price of $399, this camera is one of the cheapest offered models carrying image stabilization. This is a great option to have when stranded without a tripod or when shooting with the FZ3’s 320 x 240 movie mode. The digital camera employs a 1/3.2-inch CCD with...

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Panasonic DMC-FZ3

On the whole, I was favorably impressed with the Panasonic DMC-FZ3, although personally think that the somewhat more capable 4-megapixel FZ15 is a better value, despite its $100 higher list price. The FZ3's all-plastic case keeps the camera light, but also leaves it with a slightly cheap feel in the hand. As with the FZ15, the FZ3 is impressively fast from shot to shot, and its shutter response...

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