Compare Prices : Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3 - Expert Reviews

Award: Recommended!

Review summary: Panasonic - the company that is more than any other responsible for the renaissance and continuing success of the 'big zoom' bridge camera - launched the original 'Travel Zoom' TZ1 back in February 2006. The formula - a big zoom on a small camera - ...

Pros: Uniquely versatile compact with 28-280mm equiv. lens, Excellent resolution, surprisingly sharp lens, Unusually versatile aspect ratio options, High quality construction for the price, Little (if any) color fringing, Very low distortion, Good shot-to ...

Cons: Heavy noise reduction - make ISO 400+ usable only for small prints, NR smoothing/smearing of fine detail and texture even at ISO 100 (and fairly strong at ISO 200), Mild vignetting at widest zoom setting / maximum aperture, No manual control of ...

Verdict: I really liked the TZ1 - as a concept and as a camera to use - and I would have been able to give it a much more wholehearted recommendation had the image quality issues and shutter lag not let it down so badly.

Review summary: Panasonic has released two updates to last year's DMC-TZ1 model, which we reviewed in June 2006: the 6-megapixel DMC-TZ2 and the 7.2-megapixel DMC-TZ3 (which is reviewed here). Both have the same 10x optical zoom lens, which covers a focal length ...

Verdict: Shots taken with the test camera were bright and punchy but outdoor pictures in bright sunlight showed the blown-out highlights and blocked shadows that are common with small-sensor digicams. Exposures were generally well-balanced and we obtained a ...

Pros: Good image quality with good light ; 10X optical zoom ; Excellent stabilization system ; Large 3-inch monitor ; Simple to use ; Fast and responsive

Cons: Compression a bit too strong at the highest image quality ; Sensitive to noise from 400 ISO and up ; Low power flash

Award: Highly Recommended!

Review summary: The new Panasonic DMC-TZ3 camera is a significant update of last year's popular TZ1 model. The most significant change has been made to the Leica lens. It still offers 10x focal length in a compact body, but instead of starting at 35mm, the Panasonic ...

Verdict: One year on from the original DMC-TZ1, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 is still a very distinctive camera in an even more crowded market-place, thanks to its combination of a 10x ultra-zoom lens and relatively compact dimensions. Using such a small ...

Pros: Sharp pictures, low noise, O.I.S and intelligent ISO work very well, big zoom

Cons: Some fringing towards edges, very noticeable barrel distortion

Verdict: The image stabilisation technologies combined with the large zoom and above average image quality make the TZ3 a great compact camera, particularly for travelers.