Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)

My family has had a DSLR for the past 4 years. It is a great Canon EOS Rebel, but portability and taking a spontaneous photo is not a strong suit. We have purchased two different great HDTVs from Panasonic and really didn't consider them for this purchase initially, as they are not what I consider to be a "real" camera company. We did a lot of research before making this purchase. We looked at Best Buy, Target, Sam's Club, HH Gregg, and looked throughout 4 different online resellers (including Amazon). After finding the top 5 cameras, we did more research on ratings of each at Amazon, plus many other sites. We also went to independent websites focused on camera reviews. CNet was another that was very helpful of seeing videos on each camera. After looking at a specific website, they mentioned this Panasonic as a great camera. We were able to eliminate one of our top 5 and added this to the list. CNet gave a lukewarm review of this, but most of the smaller independent sites loved it. I wasn't particularly impressed by the CNet reviewer as all of her reviews took a negative tone (this was more positive a review). We were able to find every camera at a local retailer, but this Panasonic. Ease of use is important, but let's face it, picture quality is more important than anything else. Most digital cameras come out grainy or, in some cases, so clear that people look nearly transparent (and really require a little softening). The only camera we found in the $250 - $400 price range with great picture quality was the Sony Cybershot DSC-HX1. It is a point-and-shoot, but it is a hybrid between a DSLR and point-and-shoot. Really what this means is it isn't something you can easily slip into your pocket. It also relies on Sony's proprietary "memory stick" technology which doesn't fit into a computer without an adapter (easy to lose), not something sold at all retailers, and tends to be a bit more expensive. We really liked the camera, but these are concerns. Now to this camera. We decided to take the leap based purely on suggestions online. A big leap. The camera is small, functional, lightweight, and also takes digital video. It has to auto picture-taking settings (standard and intelligent auto) with 3 additional settings that you can set (shutter speeds, etc. for specific types of settings). We have yet to use the manual settings, but have found the other two settings to be quite good. The pictures are clear, but soft enough where the pictures look great and print well. The videos have a great quality, can zoom during recording (most can't), and taking multiple photos in a row wasn't a problem. More than 90% of the photos turned out great, but we suspect the only photos needed for manual settings are extreme low-light (but even concerts look great) and for true close-up action photos. Overall, this is definitely superior to most, if not all point-and-shoots in the price range, and definitely worth the risk. Brick and mortar stores are foolish not to carry this camera, but I would suspect this camera would raise the bar for most of the horrible point-and-shoots they carry on the low cost side. If you are considering a camera for under $200, do yourself a favor and wait another couple weeks for the money to purchase this one.

I had a long awaited trip to Yellowstone National Park and I didn't want to go away with poor quality photos. So I read just about every single review for compact zoom cameras I could find. Most all pointed to the ZS3 as the best compact you can buy, and they are right. The ZS3 is the perfect vacation camera for a lot of reasons: 1: You don't have to haul around a bulky SLR on your neck to get great photos. 2: You don't need large lenses to get high zoom levels. 3: You don't have to haul around a bulky camcorder to get great video with stereo audio and zoom. 4: If fits in your pocket. 5: The battery lasts all day. I brought my ZS3 on a long vacation, visiting my grandmother, Yellowstone National Park and Las-Vegas. I took over 3 hours of video and over 500 photos with only two battery charges required. The zoom lens was perfect for taking great images of the wildlife in Yellowstone. I was able to capture great looking photos from a long ways off without the bulk of a SLR lens. I have one photo of the Grand Tetons that looks like I hiked the mountain to get it, but in fact I was over a mile away in the valley below. I have video of two Hawks in flight that I could barely see with the naked eye, yet the camera was able to capture them with ease. An often overlooked feature on this camera is the zoom-macro capability. It allows you to stand a few feet from a subject such as a butterfly or small animal, yet get a photo as if you were taking a up-close macro, complete with sharp focus, and blurred background. I was able to capture full-frame images of a few chipmunks that would have surely ran away if I got too close. The video on this camera is the single best feature that sets it apart from the rest of the crowd. On most digital cameras you can get video, even high-definition video. But take a look around, nearly ALL digital cameras that have video lock the zoom level while recording. This means you have to stop your video, re-zoom, and start again if your subject moves. The ZS3 can do optical zoom while recording video, this makes it as powerful as any camcorder you can buy. It is also high definition, and the frame rate and quality is great. On top of all that it records stereo audio in Dolby Digital, another feature not found on other digital cameras. Don't under-estimate the importance of stereo sound for video. Both the video and audio quality are phenomenal. The camera captured the tiniest sound of chipmunks running across the ground. Another important feature of a portable camera is battery life. There is not sense in having a compact camera if you have to haul a pound of batteries to power it. My mother recently found this out on a trip, she had a compact entry level Canon camera. She bought it because it took double AA's and she would be out of country, so thought she would need that feature to buy batteries locally. She ended up having to replace her batteries every few hours. My ZS3? It could go a whole day taking video and photos. I never ran the battery down to even a warning level before the day was done. I took two batteries on the trip, and only need to charge each one once over. The ZS3 is also pocketable. This was important in the crowded streets of Las Vegas. I was able to easily carry the camera and a gorilapod with me while walking for miles in Las Vegas. We covered nearly the entire strip in our visit, not once did the camera get in the way, it was easy to pull out, capture a great photo and continue on our way. You really can't go wrong buying the ZS3.

I have finally settled on a camera. I have tried many, from the higher echelons (Canon DSLRs) to the low-end (Canon SD1000), trying to alternately to get the most photo pizazz and then to just get the most enjoyment out of them as fast & painlessly as possible. It always seemed that it was one or the other: have a camera that could take good pictures with a long lens but put up with the hassle of transporting it and operating it, or have an easily-pocketable camera that will not be up to par in a lot of situations and thusly miss a lot of potential shots. Then my significant other stumbled upon these Panasonic Travel Zooms. I was apprehensive at first, so I let her be the guinea pig. After she received hers I took it away and played with it myself. I was impressed enough that although I had recently gotten a new DSLR (again) to replace a broken low-end Pocket Camera (SD1000) that I bought because I was initially tired of lugging around a large DSLR that I never took out of the bag in the first place, I decided to SELL the new DSLR and get one of the Panny's for myself. The largest lens you're getting for a DSLR is going to be in the 300mm range. To get much longer a reach you have to deal with an enormous lens that you probably can't afford and is too bulky to be with you at all times. With the Panasonic, I get the same focal range at the long-end -- 300mm -- and can skinny down to 25mm at the short end. The images are very good -- not as good as a good DSLR shot, missing some clarity at 100% magnification -- but for the needs of the masses they are far more than adequate in quality. The colors are realistic & warm. The videos are sharp and clear as long as you're not trying to focus on heavily backlit subjects, as the camera will choke on the dust on the lens that gets lit up. But otherwise, if you have a program that can load the videos you'll be impressed (iMovie '09 on the Mac can import them fine, VLC player can play them although in my experience isn't as good as iMovie's quality). I'm not going to delve into the specifics of each mode as it's been done many a time. Suffice to say that there's multiple modes and the "Intelligent Auto" mode is great for quickly getting good shots without fuss, which is sort of what this camera is all about and what other pocket cameras strive to be. Instead I want to explain my rationale for moving to this camera, and what functions and qualities I touch on will be touched on! I went back & forth from DSLR to pocket cameras. Reason being, I wanted at times to have fine control over my shots to really make them shine and wanted them tack sharp (DSLR), and at other times I just wanted to be able to take a picture and load it onto my computer and share it and look at it without loads of aftershot post-processing. It was always one or the other. The biggest problem was that the DSLR -- while it took great shots -- is bigger, bulkier, and requires more of you pre- and post-processing to get those shots. The pocket camera however, is easy to pull out and take that shot of the moment, and most of the time its quality is 80-85% at least of the shot you'd have gotten with the DSLR; its real drawback was the lack of effective range, and losing shots of BALD FREAKIN' EAGLES just beyond those trees, if only you had a DSLR and a lens... I tried to just jump back to a DSLR after playing around with a pocket camera until I killed it. I thought that for sure, I would be happier having the range, and I could put up with the initial time & effort investment as well as the post-processing requirements to have that extra 15-20% quality back. But I was wrong. As the saying goes, "the best camera is the one that you have with you," and to that I would add the trailer "and are willing to take out of the case." I settled on the ZS3 because it has successfully managed to fill the roles of both long-range DSLR & quick-draw pocket camera rather well with very insignificant costs: it's as pocketable as the pocket cameras but has the range of a long lens DSLR setup! the quality is better than a regular pocket camera if not quite on par with a DSLR rig, but for the slight (ever so slight) quality hit, you are removed from all the pre- & post-processing requirements of a heavier-duty camera setup. The HD video capabilities put it in a class by itself right now -- you can't get the lens reach AND video quality that this camera offers short of the Canon Rebel XTi (arguable) or the mid-range Nikon DSLRs right now, which to compete would need a good 300mm lens which would put the total cost well above the $1K mark with just ONE lens and only half the lens range of the Panny, and it doesn't fit in a pocket (unless you have extremely large, freakish pockets ;-) ). To me it seemed that in order to outshoot the ZS3 in both stills & motion pictures, I'd have to aim a little higher in the DSLR market than where I was and talk myself into investing more into lenses as well. All that money spent it would seem, just to equal the power & ability of what Panasonic was able to fit into my shirt pocket, and for 1/4 the proposed cost either Canon or Nikon was asking me for. It was a no-brainer. If you're in that boat, if you're looking to get that one shot that you missed with the other pocket cameras but you're also quite tired of carrying around a BIG DSLR and missing the shots anyway because you aren't taking it out of the bag, let me assure you that the ZS3 is a very capable shooter. The focus time leaves a little to be desired sometimes, but digital shots are dirt cheap with a 16GB card inside so I just try try again and I find I'm rarely disappointed at any missed shots. The sharpness I get is on par with my old Canon DSLRs and far exceeds my experience with other pocket cameras. I cannot recommend this camera enough. My only compliant -- besides the focus time -- is lack of GPS tagging, but alas, for the cost, I can't complain too much. If you're still lugging around that DSLR to take pictures of your dogs & family & your trips? Shame on you. this review was long enough that you should have hit "add to cart" a long time ago.

I have owned two prior digital cameras- the first was a Canon that took good pictures, but was too bulky to pocket around and required AA batteries to power it. The second was a Sony CyberShot DSC-W150 that took crappy, blurry pictures in low light. Needless to say, I felt an upgrade was in order. So I'm going on an east coast trip next month. My buddy and I are avid baseball fans. One problem: as we do not always have great seats, taking close-up pictures of ballplayers is a real pain with 99% of the compact point and shoots out there. This is because the camera's size will only allow it 5X optical zoom. You can combine this with digital zooming, but I don't need to tell you how terrible and pixilated this looks. Thus my conundrum. So I really wanted a compact, pocketable camera with a long range optical lens, without having to lug around an expensive digital SLR. Enter the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. When I read the specs on it, I was in awe. 10 megapixel, 12X OPTICAL zoom. Here's the sweetest part about the zoom- if you planning to use smaller prints (i.e. 4X6), you can quickly adjust the camera's Megapixel (MP) count from 10 to 7, 5, and 3 to yield maximum OPTICAL zooms of 14.3, 17.1, and 21.4 respectably, without much loss of detail on such prints. I wish Panasonic would have allowed the camera to adjust the MP count automatically as you zoom, but it's not too much trouble to change the MP settings manually from the quick menu. Another great feature: the camera's screen is beautiful at 460,000 pixels, twice the count as the rival Canon Powershot SX200 IS (more on that camera later). From the moment you view your first picture, you'll quickly notice how much sharper photos look on this camera. It's a nice convenience to view photos on the camera in a manner closer to the quality that will actually be seen when you're viewing them on the computer (and ultimately printing them). I also want to give Panasonic kudos for the build quality and compactness of this camera. The ZS3 is a replacement for the popular TZ5 model, which was 9MP and 10X Optical Zoom. So they increased the resolution, and added a wider range lens, and REDUCED the size by .4 cubic inches. Specifications aside, I was more than pleased that this camera will comfortably fit inside my jeans pocket. It's a bit bulkier than an ultracompact for sure, but not objectionably so. Note that the SX200 is a full 2.0 cubic inches thicker, another reason I passed on the Canon. Here's a few more reasons the Canon falls short: the Canon has a cheesy looking popup flash that sticks out at the top of the camera, whether you're using flash or not (bad design decision). It has less rated battery life than the Lumix. Also, when shooting video, the Canon does NOT allow you to use optical zooming. Photo quality on the Lumix is excellent, although I've only snapped samples around my place so far. However, I've taken quite a few pictures at low light, and at maximum zoom levels to try to get a bad shot. So far, there's none to be found. I'll put this through its paces more when I travel next month, but I'm extremely pleased so far. As for video shooting, I've sampled it a bit, and it seems pretty solid. The camera gives you the choice of shooting video in its touted AVCHD Lite format (ideal for watching it on your TV in HD with an optional mini to standard HDMI cable), or JPEG if you prefer to email video clips to friends. This year's model also added stereo sound on video playback versus last year's monaural effort. One thing I found a bit strange, was the incredibly slow zooming when shooting video. I guess Panasonic was trying to give the user a more controlled, deliberate zoom, but unlike the snappy photo zooming, it's a bit slow for my liking. Some other minor quibbles: The dial that controls the shooting mode is extremely loose. If you lightly rub it against anything (a camera bag, your pocket), there's a good chance it will shift. When you turn the camera on, it will digitally tell you what mode you're in, but it's still annoying when it happens by accident. Second, when making a quick zoom on an object, it will appear blurry on the camera's screen until the shutter button is pressed. There are modes to continually focus the object when zooming, but this drains the camera's battery life more rapidly. It would be nice if this feature was incorporated automatically without any such sacrifice. Also, I'm not a huge fan of the included PhotofunStudio software bundled with this camera, as there are other, more compelling programs to view, edit, and print photos (I like Canon's Zoombrowser program better). Finally, this is not the camera to buy if you're into manual controls. There's a ton of preset scenes that can be used (nighttime, portrait, baby, sunset, food, etc.), and you can adjust items like flash, white balance, and max ISO level, but this is meant to be a simple point and shoot for casual photographers. Note that the Lumix has an intelligent auto mode (IA) that will analyze the shooting conditions and pick the right scene, flash, and exposure without any adjustments by the user. This camera screams simplicity, but there's enough tweaking on the Normal and Scene modes to keep the vast majority of amateur photographers happy. Regardless of these nitpicks, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is an awesome camera, unbeatable for those that want the best of both worlds- a great zoom lens and compact body. It's a bit pricey at $399, but you're getting quite a lot of camera for your hard earned dollars. I have no doubt that my third digital camera is a terrific buy and a long-term staple for my travels.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is the finest compact digital imaging product ever made. I'm a quasi-professional digital media enthusiast with many years of experience in film and photography and I've taken over three months to experiment with the ZS3 before writing this review. Why I chose the ZS3: I conducted over four months of intense research before choosing the Panasonic ZS3. First I was planning to purchase a "bridge" camera (a crippled DSLR with a fixed super-zoom lens) like the Sony Cybershot HX1 or the Canon PowerShot SX1 IS. I thought about it for a while and almost made a purchase. Then, through a flash of wisdom, I asked myself this question: what's the point of sacrificing the superior image quality of a DSLR for a camera that's neither cheap nor portable? I continued my research and, much to my surprise, discovered a pocket-sized camera with a wide-angle 12X zoom lens, providing a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 25-300mm. I thought I was hallucinating. I used to own a fantastic Olympus DSLR and I couldn't achieve the zoom range of the ZS3 with two expensive DSLR lenses COMBINED. The ZS3 has enabled me to integrate my skills in film and photography with a single compact camera that gives more bang per buck and cubic inch than any other camera out there. My observations/suggestions (after 3 months of testing): >Durable. This thing is solid as a rock and heavy for its size. At the same time, it'll fit in almost any pocket. >Video quality is fantastic at 720p with good lighting. Video can be grainy in low light, as with most cameras. >Despite limited manual settings, HDR photography IS indeed doable with the ZS3! Simply adjust the EV (exposure) between -2 and +2. Make sure to use a tripod. Take 3 photos at -2, 0, and +2, respectively to achieve optimal results. Then, of course, you'll need software to combine and modify these images to produce the HDR effect. >You can't manually adjust the focus, aperture, or shutter speed, though you can do just about everything else! >Never go above ISO 400! The image noise is unacceptable, as with almost all small-sensor cameras. >The iA feature almost always produces optimal results in good lighting. You can also take great photos in low light if you lock the ISO at a maximum of 400 and keep the camera very steady, preferably with a tripod or solid surface. >This camera can do both telephoto and macro. There are even dedicated macro settings that enable you to focus on objects less than 1cm away from the lens. The "macro zoom" setting allows you to digitally zoom in to get even closer. Using that setting, I was able to clearly see the pixels on my monitor! >This camera is powerful, but discreet. With a DSLR, you may attract a lot of unwanted attention from security and thieves alike. In my international travels, I've been stopped by security guards on multiple occasions for simply taking photos of public places with a DSLR. Some parts of the world are still a little cameraphobic. Using a small camera, I've never run into problems with security (or thieves). By the way, the Olympus DSRL I mentioned earlier was stolen on one my international trips due to its high resale value. Compact cameras look innocent, so you'll be able to do more and capture more with a compact camera like the ZS3. >Take time to discover all the features and functions of this camera to get the most out of it. >I recommend getting an additional battery if plan to travel or do a lot of video recording. I got the SterlingTek's POWWER Panasonic DMW BCG10PP Digital Camera ID secured battery and it works beautifully with about twice the battery life of the ZS3's stock battery. >At under $250, you will not find a more capable camera on the market. This same exact camera used to cost $400. Who should own a ZS3?: Anyone who believes, as I do, that the best photos are the result of being in the right place at the right time should own a ZS3. Skill is not as important as luck--that's what I learned after 10 years of photography. The ZS3 is small enough to carry around 24-7. Life is unpredictable. Never miss another great shot that was too good to plan for. If you want a powerful camera that you can use while being discreet and mobile, the ZS3 is your best option as of January, 2010. If you're willing to wait several months, keep an eye out for future compact cameras that may very well top this one. Until then, rest assured that the ZS3 is the king of compacts.

To anyone out there considering this camera, ask yourself these questions: 1. Is picture quality important? 2. Do I want the subject of the picture to be in focus? 3. Do I EVER use my camera indoors? 4. Do I want to occasionally shoot high quality HD video with my camera? 5. Do I want the battery to last more than 2 hours when taking pictures/video? If you answered yes to any/all of the above questions stay FAR away from this camera. I don't recall ever being so dissatisfied with an electronics purchase. The pictures are almost all blurry (even with the auto mode IAF turned on). Any shots taken indoors are ridiculously grainy and very very poor quality. I know most ccd's for digital cameras suffer in low light situations, but this is by FAR the worst I have EVER seen. The flash makes many pictures look worse.. as everything in the foreground is awash with super bright light and everything behind the subject is pitch black. Red eye reduction works sometimes, but still drowns out the backgrounds. The camera is supposed to shoot HD video as well. There are notes on the box and the camera itself touting the AVCHD format (it also shoot motion jpeg but that is not HD). Let me be the first to say that my standard def camcorder takes better images in all lighting conditions (and that shoots at 640x480). Something that is touted as a feature for video is the ability to zoom while filming. Unless you want the noise of the lense moving to drown out the audio of what you are shooting, I wouldn't recommend using it. Last but certainly not least is the battery life...or more specifically the lack thereof. I have NEVER used a device, any device, that goes through batteries this fast. We charged the battery for a full 8 hours on Christmas eve in anticipation of using the camera all day. Not 2 hours in with mixed video and stills and the battery indicator is blinking on the display (it ran out 5 minutes later and shut off). Utterly ridiculous. To continue, the mode switch button feels like it belongs on a 5 dollar plastic toy. It feels as if it is going to break off with normal use. The only thing that is any good on this camera is the display on the back. Unfortunately what you see is NOT what you get. I have always been partial to Canon cameras. The model I replaced the Powershot A70 was an AWESOME camera. The images it took were amazing indoors or out. It would still be in use today if it had not broken (son dropped it accidently). That camera would last almost a WEEK on a single charge. My friend has a Sony (don't recall which model) and it takes MUCH better photos, MUCH MUCH better videos (in actual HD), and costs 129.00 less than this camera. I may have to look into that after I dump this thing on Ebay (unfortunately it is beyond the return period). I made the mistake of taking some outdoor photos when I first got the camera. They looked good. Unfortunately we don't hold Christmas or many other holidays (bar 4th of July) outdoors. I am just trying to figure out if I got a really bad camera in an otherwise great line, or if all these reviews are smoke and mirrors. I don't usually review these things, rarer still will I bad mouth something, however this thing has ruined 2 birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas this year with photos that look like they were taken with a 6 dollar disposable camera. Sorry but I demand more, and I assume you do too. Stay FAR away from this camera if picture quality, indoor capabilities, battery life etc matter to you. You have been warned.

It's probably unfair to write a review after only one day's ownership, especially a work day, but here are a few thoughts. 12x zoom in a pocket camera is an amazing thing. Whatever other camera(s) you own, this is the one you can take everywhere. And while the 65x zoom available with combined optical/digital doesn't produce pictures that you'd want to show anywhere, it's certainly fun for spying on people. I was even able to see people at the top of the Empire State building taken from the street, 10 blocks away. Polarized sunglasses can make the screen disappear in bright sunshine. (Do wish this camera had a viewfinder.) 27 scene modes cover most conditions, but they're on 2 separate screens, and the first has modes such as "baby" and "pet" (which I don't need) while "burst" and "flash burst" are on the second screen Wish one could move them around. Tried flash burst in a pretty dark room and didn't work very well, pictures were much darker than with normal flash, though the camera's flash refreshes fairly quickly so you can take a series of pictures with full flash almost as fast as in burst mode. Didn't try burst flash in a room with some lights on, yet. One of my reasons for wanting this camera is to be able to take candid pictures in a party situation and my old Sony H-5 just takes too long and I'd miss more pictures than I'd get. I'll add to this review after I use the camera a bit more. UPDATE: I've had the camera for about a month now and just returned from a weekend in Wash DC. The weather was gorgeous, not a cloud in the sky, and that was the problem. Without a viewfinder, I ended up taking lots of shots just guessing because I couldn't see the screen because of the glare. You want to take pictures with the sun behind you, lighting up the subject of your shot, but that means the sun is shining onto the screen, thus making it almost useless. It actually turns into a mirror. If you focus, you can barely see through the picture of your own face and see a dim outline of what you're shooting and hope for the best. This is not really acceptable. Otherwise the camera is great. The wide angle allows you to get shots that would be impossible (the whole dome of the capitol from underneath it) and the 12 x zoom is great and the HD movies are great, but taking pix in sunlight is what everyone needs to do. I did not try making the screen brighter, and I will play around with this next time I'm in sun and not with family, but the glare off the screen was so bad that I can't see that making a difference. I have a protective shield on the screen. Maybe they make one that acts as "sunglasses." I'll have to check. I don't know why Panasonic chose not to put an EVF but this was a major blunder and while there aren't a lot of point and shoots with 12 x zooms to choose from out there, you might want to wait for one that has an EVF.

As they say (remember this one)..."The BEST camera is the one you have with you". TRUE...right? Now you can actually HAVE the best camera WITH YOU all the time! ***Here is why THIS camera is better than the other HD point and shoot camera-recorders available: 1) TWICE the resolution on the LCD screen than virtually EVERY OTHER CAMERA of its kind...super bright. 2) DOLBY STEREO MIKE (and you can TELL it's stereo during playback....cool!) 3) CAN SWITCH BETWEEN HD MODES! IF YOU NEED IT...AVCHD Capability is available which uses about 30% less memory than the MPEG 4 QT HD (though included software is awful for editing, and not much is available except maybe roxio or other expensive AVCHD editing programs)..USE the MPEG 4 QT HD recording method available in the camera 4)..That 12X otical is at the full 10 megapixels...it goes to 24X OPTICAL with slightly lower resolutions, but still excellent quality and over 40X zoom with digitital zoom (limited to 12X optical on the full AI mode) 5) Motor sound on zooming is almost nonexistent (unlike the Sony...you need only watch a few YOUTUBE videos of the cameras you like to hear the zoom motors) Aside from the obvious (12X OPTICAL+ zoom), the small size (in a pocket) and the decent battery life (buy extra battery if traveling), the HDMI mini cord for direct to TV,(buy one on ebay for about $6)the Panasonic ZS3 is just plain COOL! You will LOVE the simple pre-set modes, and there are PLENTY of adjustments on the modes for everyone but the most professional photographer. The loose dial that some people complain about is NOT really loose, just easy to switch...smooth. OK, heres the deal on HD video....USE the standard HD format (Quicktime) INSTEAD of the AVCHD format for now. WHY? (1)The QT (MPEG4 HD) uses a bit more memory than the AVCHD option, but AVCHD software STINKS right now except for a few. (2) The savings in memory space using the new AVCHD lite method WOULD have been more useful 6 months ago, but now you can get 16 and 32 gig cards, so use the QT standard HD format because it is WAY MORE UNIVERSAL and the quality is EXACTLY THE SAME...I TESTED IT. (3) You can more easily edit and burn (and people can play easier) the MPEG4 Quicktime HD format. (4) The MPEG4 format is easier to find on your drive and fits into the file storage method you are likely using now. If you try to find the AVCHD file you made...good luck. Its auto named VERY FUNKY and wierd. DONT USE THE INCLUDED SOFTWARE...IT SUCKS...BIG TIME. Use whatever photo editing software you like EXCEPT the included software. So, again, when you store the HD as a QT (MPEG4) format, it fits in with everything you are used to doing, buit now you get HD in STEREO! WOW! AGAIN, SAVE USE of the AVCHD for the future IF you ever will really need it. Basically, I look at it this way...the AVCHD is cool, but the need for it is ALREADY obsolete with large hard discs and large storage capacity on SD cards nowadays. Besides, you WANT to share these videos anyway, and most of them are only about, what?...10-60 seconds long anyway? Filming a graduation ceremony or a play...FINE, THEN use the AVCHD...it's an easy switch IF you have to use it. FINALLY, USE YOUTUBE VIDEOS to see how any camera you are interested in works. I also found that using Firefox browser is better to avoid the youtube choppiness that happens when you aometimes view HD on internet explorer on youtube. Hope this info helps. NEW COMMENT UPDATED 06-27-09: Constant Clicking In Viodeos..SOLUTION In many of my videos, I heard a constant clicking. This is the continuous auto focus which you do NOT need for 99.9% of your videos. Simply disable the continuous auto focus in the video mode. You go to the main settings menu using the center button (when in camera mode), and on the left is a video camera icon. Choose that, then go to the page where it says CAF and disable it. This will take care of the constant clicking.

Very happy with this camera. Easy to use, good battery life, very good pictures, nice size. I recommend this for travel.

The Panasonic DMC-ZS3 is an excellent camera. Very durable, stylist with great features. It take very high quality photos which transfer easily! The intelligent auto feature is superb, with little to no bluring with action shots. Great camera for the price, and amazon.ca delivery is excellent.

wow, still have this on my account history! This was good, but now my phone takes better pics.