Full Review

I have always liked Panasonic digital cameras and have always wondered if they would figure out how to produce the same kind of pleasant color and lower noise as Canon cameras do.

I am a big fan of cameras that have optical image stabilization, wide angle, mega-zoom (optical zoom over 4-5x). Panasonic engineers accomplished all these objectives and more with the Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

What is Panasonic DMC-TZ3?

The Panasonic DMC-TZ3 is a compact digital camera with 10x Leica optical stabilized zoom, optical image stabilization, wide angle optics (28-280mm, f/3.3 max), integrated lens cover powered by a Li-Ion rechargeable battery pack.

The camera uses industry-standard SD memory cards and 7.2-Megapixel resolution, 3-inch LCD screen and movie capability.

Getting Started.

As usual with any Panasonic camera, I was able to operate the TZ3 easily and without reading the manual. I have used the FZ-series Panasonic cameras before (as well as LZ and FX series) and found the TZ3 most similar to the FZ8, aside from smaller size and some limitations.

The TZ3 is compact enough to be a perfect travel camera since it also features wide-angle 10x optical zoom (28-280mm equivalent), optical image stabilization, good charger and the battery that is rated at 270 shots. The integrated lens cover (FZ cameras as well as the TZ1 use lens caps you have to remove manually) and the compact size also make this camera much more pleasant to use.

I have been impressed with the camera’s logically-placed controls, its mechanical mode wheel, the feel of its zoom control and the shutter release button. The only issues cropped up when the photos I shot were downloaded and viewed on the screen,

LCD

The 3-inch LCD dominates the back of the camera. It is fluid, bright, has good resolution and works well in sunlight or dim light. Pushing and holding the Display button switches the LCD mode to brighter/angle. In this mode, the screen gets brighter and is easier to see in sunlight or at an angle.

Lens

The integrated automatic lens cover is a large plus for a mega-zoom camera. The lens of this model extends a little slow and makes for the startup time of about two seconds. The lens bears Leica name and works well overall, albeit with small issues (described below), some of which are introduced by the electronics.

Image Quality

I have always liked most things about Panasonic cameras, but there were always small reservations. One issue was chroma noise, even at lowest ISO, another (for some models): correct, but slightly flat color.

The TZ3 reduces chroma noise by applying more noise reduction and thereby reducing small detail to some degree. The default color mode is a bit dull-looking, but the Vivid mode can be used to make your photos pop. The default sharpening level is also rather mild. The result is good photos when printed at small sizes or when enlarged and color-adjusted and sharpened.

The optics overall is impressively good with low barrel distortion at wide angle and low pincushion. The chromatic aberration is tame, but there is some corner softness and even some vignetting (mostly at the wide angle and the largest aperture).

Overall, it is rare to see a compact mega-zoom optics that does as well as this model’s, especially with its 28-mm equivalent wide angle focal length and image stabilization.

Performance

The camera turns on within about 2 seconds, but other operations are rather fast. Focusing is very fast at most modes, save for full telephoto. The shutter lag is virtually non-existent. The shot-to-shot times are in 1-second range, as fast as I could push the button. And the burst mode is very fast.

Battery

I was able to shoot over 180 photos and the battery still had some juice in it. It is rated at being able to deliver 270 photos with partial flash use. I use optical image stabilization Mode 2 (slightly sharper photos than Mode 1 and better battery life).

Reservations

The camera has no optical viewfinder (I have not yet seen a digital mega-zoom with one). The flash is somewhat weak at focal lengths beyond the wide angle. The back-panel control buttons are difficult to use in single-handed operation. There is no real control over aperture or shutter speed, aside from the exposure compensation.

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 is an excellent choice if you want a mega-zoom camera with optical image stabilization and wide angle capability.