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43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great compact mega-zoom camera with great capabilities., 13 Aug 2007
I have had my TZ3 for around two weeks and have been playing with the settings (of which there are many) and taking lots of test shots. I am very pleased with my purchase. Although it's not the prettiest or smallest of compact cameras its well designed and very functional. The feel of the camera in your hands is fairly substantial and easy to hold, making holding it steady a little easier than the smaller and lighter cameras out there. The LCD screen is excellent and very clear. I have not needed an optical viewfinder yet and the camera has a setting for the LCD which makes it viewable from an acute angle when the camera is above your head for example.
The optical zoom capability (10X) of the camera was its biggest selling point for me along with the generally excellent reviews it had in the media. It has not been a disappointment. Although I'm no photographer I am trying to learn about how to take good pictures, composition and setting up exposures and white balance etc for best results. The TZ3 allows great flexibility for trying out various settings, there are so many it's almost confusing, but with a little playing and taking test shots you soon find out what to use in what situation. For those who are less technical (nerdy) about cameras theres a simple (idiot) mode which sets everything to automatic and just allows the minimum settings for point and shoot flexibility.
The menu system on the TZ3 is very easy to use, although the plethora of settings means that sometimes you end up forgetting what it's set on. Getting to the settings is easy though and some of the more well used ones can be accessed whilst the screen is still on the "viewfinder" meaning you don't lose sight of the shot you're about to take.
The optical image stablisation on the camera (Mega-OIS) has two settings, one which stabilises the image on the LCD screen and one which only stabilises the when the picture is taken but does a slightly better job of it. The display OIS is needed when trying to take pictures of a small object at maximum zoom. I took a good picture of a small bird in a tree quite a distance away. The camera was on maximum optical zoom and trying to get the bird in the centre of the focus field (spot focus setting) was very difficult, however the image stabilisation enabled me to do so and the picture came out very well with the bird in focus. Trying this without the OIS would have probably ended with the leaves or the sky only being in focus! The camera does not have a manual focus so the "targeting" of the viewfinder is very important when the shutter button is half pressed!
The zoom capability of the TZ3 is truely excellent for a compact. I have compared my shots with that of my Dad's very highly rated Ricoh Caplio R6 camera (7.1x optical zoom) there's an obvious advantage in zoom capability of the TZ3 but also we found the zoomed image quality is better overall. The high quality Leica lens probably has a lot to do with it. The lens also allows wide angle shots (28mm) which is great for getting more into each view (more friends, more landscape, more building).
My experience with the macro mode has not been great though. Good shots are possible but I find that sometimes the TZ3 has difficulty focusing on very small objects. Eventually after taking a few shots a good picture is possible but I'd say Macro is not the camera's strong point, the Ricoh Caplio R6 produced excellent macro shots enabling extreme closeups which put the TZ3's well in the shade.
The TZ3 has modes which enable unusually long exposures for a compact camera. Up to 60 second exposure is possible in "starry sky" mode. With a tripod this makes clear pictures of starry skies or nightscapes possible. I have not really tested the ISO settings on the TZ3 but I have not noticed any noisiness in the pictures I have so far taken.
The motion picture and sound recording is very good, and can be set at widescreen format and 30fps meaning smooth motion. The TZ3 does not allow zooming during motion capture however, unlike the TZ1. This can be an advantage though as sometimes watching motion with too much zooming in and out is very distracting!! All the settings (focus, white balance, zoom level etc) are set when you push the shutter button to start recording. Generally I have found this fine for the short clips I have taken.
I am pleased with the TZ3, it's a great camera and hopefully will last me a few years. It only drops a star because of the Macro mode - I would have given it 4 1/2 stars if I could as dropping a whole star does seem a bit mean. The biggest test will be trying to get good shots of the wildlife when I go on safari in Africa later this year.
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34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Probably the most versatile compact available, 20 Nov 2007
I admit I'm a bit of a camera freak with a mere 9 digital cameras already but.... the 10x optical zoom lens on this model has won me over.
I already have the Sony DSCH1 which, in my opinion, is unmatched in terms of its quality. However, it's bulkier and heavier to carry and far too often I simply couldn't be bothered to carry it around - then regretted it by missing shots which the pocket cameras with a 3X optical zoom lens just couldn't take, eg wildlife.
This camera fits the bill perfectly. Not only has it the 10X optical zoom on 7 megapixel photos but... when used for pics up to 3 mpx, this increases to a whopping 15X optical zoom - which beats even the 12X Sony. The massive zoom, combined with an optical image stabiliser, wide angle (28mm) lens and small, compact build is the perfect combination for almost any snapshot - be it a macro of a bee on a flower, a distant landscape or a candid shot discreetly captured from a distance! It's easy to carry, fits into a (larger) pocket and is probably the most versatile model currently available - Panasonic promote it as the smallest wide-angle, high-zoom camera available worldwide putting it in a class of its own, for now.
I've tested many cameras on an amateur level for a typical `keen amateur' user and the TZ3 scores highly. This camera performs well - it has a fast start-up, a good range of modes (although I tend not to use them), a bight clear 3" display which can be powered-up in bright light, a high-quality video mode with sound, 3 picture aspect settings for both still photos and video (4:3, 16:9 widescreen and 3:2) and I've managed to beat the quoted 270 shots per battery by achieving almost 500 from a single charge using a mix of video, burst shooting plus the occasional flash.
Naturally, I have just a few niggles - but nothing too major: There is no way to set the shutter speed manually, eg to 'slow' the flow of a fast-moving waterfall (although it's possible to experiment with some of the 'fireworks' type modes with a slower shutter speed but the shot is likely to be very over-exposed). The incorporated lens-cover is a bit flimsy, the zoom cannot be used during filming (but I add pans and zooms during editing later) and after setting the focus for the first shot, the focus mechanism remains fixed at that point. This isn't necessarily a bad point - some cameras which don't fix the focus then pick up noise from the focussing mechanism creating a clicking noise which ruins the video. My only real niggle is that I think the Leica lens is superior to the sensor on the camera. I generally shoot at ISO100 but after about ISO200, noise can become visible on the photos when enlarged on a monitor - but this probably wouldn't be an issue for a typical user of this camera or printing shots of up to 8" but it is there and the shots are not as crisp and clear as my Sony. However, I probably wouldn't have lugged the larger Sony camera around to take these so any minor niggle has to be put into perspective!
I am very pleased with the camera and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good quality, highly-portable camera with long zoom and wide-angle lens, particularly those moving up from a 3X zoom 'pocket' camera. The customer service from Panasonic is also good so the camera can be purchased with confidence.
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56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
wow - incredible technology, 24 April 2007
I purchased my TZ3 after extensive internet research, I am delighted with it - a significant improvement over my previous 3 year old Minolta. Great display, X 10 optical zoom, optical stabilisation, and high quality imagery etc - what more a casual point and click user want. Very impressed with the output to date. For normal day to day photography I have seen no evidence of any noise at high ISO No. as reported in several reviews.
Only minor niggles, I am old fashioned and I miss an optical viewfinder, but I guess I will adapt, and the macro mode is (at least in my hands) not so great - probably my ineptitiude. I would strongly recommend the tTZ3.
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