Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 Offers a Lot in a Compact Size

By Reina Mae Apaitan

Consumers shopping around for a new camera will find a lot to love in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3. This is a new model following up from the previous DMC-DS1, a model that was quite popular. The previous model offered numerous features including a 3" LCD, HD movie recording mode and 10x zoom lens. These were all nice features, but the newest release from Panasonic includes those benefits plus even more. This is a camera that is now able to compete on almost any level. Consumers will love the powerful zoom lens in the new ZS3 as well as the face detection capability and the advanced image processing. The camera also offers HD movie processing mode.

Although there are numerous accessories that can be purchased for the DMC-ZS3, straight out of the box it comes with plenty to get you started. The Lumix DMC-ZS3 comes with these components:

Wrist strap A/V cable Battery charger USB cable CD-ROM with PhotoFunStudio Manual DMW-BCG10 lithium-ion rechargeable battery Lumix DMC-ZS3 camera

Memory Panasonic has long been known for producing cameras with excellent built-in memory. This camera, like all previous models from Panasonic, also features a good amount of memory. At 40MB you will be able to take plenty of pictures to get started, but you might be interested in upgrading to a larger memory card at some point. The DMC-ZS3 will support MMC, SD and SDHC memory card formats. The exact amount of memory that you may need will be based primarily on how the camera is used. If you will not do a lot of movie recording, it is a good idea to use a 2GB card. On the other hand, you will usually need at least a 4GB card, possibly even a 8GB card, even you do perform a significant amount of movie recording.

Battery There is plenty of power offered in the DMW-BCG10 lithium-ion battery that comes with the ZS3 model. When you are ready to charge the battery, the process could not be easier. All you need to do is place the battery in the charger and plug it directly into the outlet. The charge is included with the camera package. You should allow approximately 2.5 hours for the battery to charge fully.

Software There are many excellent features included on the Lumix DMC-ZS3 but the software products included by Panasonic really make it stand out. PhotoFunStudio 3.0 HD can be easily used in conjunction with windows. You will be provided with a thumbnail view once you have imported photos from the camera or the memory card. In addition, you can also upload photos to a video sharing service or to the Internet as well as view a slideshow. Furthermore, this camera makes it possible for you to use a new face recognition system that identifies people in photos. You can then easily perform searches at a later date. PhotoFunStudio gives you the ability as well to search through photos for a variety of different items such as a name, date, scene, etc.

Retouching photos is simple and easy with the camera. In fact, you can edit photos right from the editing window. This means that you can quickly and easily adjust such items as contrast, brightness, sharpness and color. You can also change such photos to black and white, negative color and sepia. Through a single click of the mouse, eliminate red eye using a special mode.

Although the DMC-ZS3 is relatively small, that in no way affects the power offered by this camera. This is particularly true in light of the 12x zoom lens. You can take this camera with you wherever you want to go due to the built-in lens cover. If shopping in certain markets, look for this camera under the name Lumix DMC-TZ7. - 30452

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