---
product_id: 3220022
title: "Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)"
brand: "panasonic"
price: "B/.14"
currency: PAB
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 11
url: https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/3220022-lumix-dmc-zs3-10-1-mp-digital-camera-with-12x
store_origin: PA
region: Panama
---

# HD 720p AVCHD Lite Video 10.1 MP High-Resolution Sensor 12x MEGA Optical Zoom Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)

**Brand:** panasonic
**Price:** B/.14
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 📷 Elevate your capture game — zoom, shoot, and share like a pro!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black) by panasonic
- **How much does it cost?** B/.14 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.pa](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/3220022-lumix-dmc-zs3-10-1-mp-digital-camera-with-12x)

## Best For

- panasonic enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted panasonic brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Zoom into Every Moment:** 12x MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom captures distant details with crystal clarity, perfect for dynamic cityscapes or intimate portraits.
- • **Seamless HD Storytelling:** Record smooth, vibrant HD videos in AVCHD Lite format with dedicated movie button—because your memories deserve cinema-grade quality.
- • **Picture-Perfect Precision:** 10.1-megapixel Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens delivers stunningly sharp images, ideal for professional-quality prints and social media bragging rights.
- • **Vibrant Viewing & Easy Sharing:** 3-inch high-res LCD with wide viewing angle and HDMI output lets you review and showcase your shots instantly on big screens—never miss a moment or a like.
- • **Smart Auto Mode with Face Recognition:** Intelligent Auto (iA) mode plus Face Recognition ensures every shot highlights your favorite people with flawless focus and exposure.

## Overview

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a compact powerhouse featuring a 10.1 MP sensor, 12x MEGA optical image stabilized zoom with a Leica lens, and HD 720p video recording in AVCHD Lite format. Its Intelligent Auto mode with Face Recognition and a 3-inch high-resolution LCD make it perfect for professionals and enthusiasts seeking sharp images and smooth videos on the go.

## Description

From the Manufacturer The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1-megapixels, a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning it has added 2x optical zoom to the award-winning TZ-series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also features a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and High Definition (HD) video recording ability, known as AVCHD Lite. The ZS3 is the world’s first digital camera to feature HD video recording in "AVCHD Lite." Compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with a well-considered control interface, which includes a dedicated movie recording button on the camera’s back panel, makes the ZS3 a hybrid model that performs admirably for both still and motion image capture. The ZS3 also expands Panasonic’s popular Intelligent Auto (iA) mode with the addition of Face Recognition--a feature that "remembers" faces from previous shots. When a registered face appears in the frame, the camera will prioritize focus and exposure to capture it beautifully. With Face Recognition, when a familiar face is recorded several times, the camera will prompt the users to register the face. Once registered, if the face appears into the frame again, the camera will display the name specified for that person and prioritize focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and sharply focused. New this year to the ZS-Series, iA mode is also available in Movie Mode. It automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode and helps to correct handshake, focus and brightness problems - making iA mode your one-stop solution to capture beautiful still and motion images. In Movie Mode, the ZS3, Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake when using the high-powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion so it turns out perfectly. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes according to the situation to optimize visual quality. The imaging power of Lumix has further evolved with the Venus Engine HD, which boasts two CPUs to provide approx. 2.4x processing capability and support for AVCHD Lite and HDMI output. It integrates all the advanced functions and camera operations with high performance and low-power consumption. In image processing, luminance noise and chromatic noise are reduced separately before and after signal processing. This is further refined by separating noise two-dimensionally into high-frequency and low-frequency noise. The circuits then effectively reduce only the low-frequency noise to minimize the unwanted noise and help produce beautiful, sharp still and motion images. Playback with the ZS-series is also easy. Simply insert the camera’s SD memory card into the VIERA HDTV’s Image Viewer SD Card slot for a photo slideshow. Alternatively, connect the camera via an optional HDMI mini cable, the DMW-HDC2, to a VIERA Link-equipped Panasonic VIERA HDTV and use the television’s remote control to run mixed slideshows of photos and videos. The ZS3 features a 3-inch, high resolution 460,000-dot Intelligent LCD with a wide viewing angle, improving visibility during recording and playback. Other features of the Lumix ZS3 include: Increased Scene modes for both still and motion image shooting--optimized for a variety of situations. There are 26 scene modes for still image and 17 for motion image (Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self portrait, Scenery, Low light, Food, Party, Candle light, Sunset, High sensitivity, Beach, Snow, Aerial, Pin hole, Film grain and Underwater) Two new My Scene settings let users assign their two most frequently used Scene modes to the setting, and with a simple switch, allow access to either scene instantly. New Panorama Assist scene mode allows users to shoot a number of consistent photos, either vertically or horizontally, by aligning them according to a guide that overlaps the screen. Then using those photos and the bundled PanoramaMaker software, users can create dramatic panoramic images. High-Speed Burst (Speed Priority) that fires off approx. 10 shots per second. Menus are clearer and easier to navigate with the Display Size option. Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even closer to capture dramatic close-up shots by using the 3x digital zoom in the wide-angle. Bundled Software: The latest version of PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition allows users to view, edit and archive captured content with greater ease and fun. Still and motion images can be transferred to the computer via a USB cable for viewing and archiving. Using PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition, users can edit and remove unwanted portions of video clips recorded in AVCHD Lite. Contents recorded in AVCHD Lite can be burned directly onto a DVD disc or the software can convert contents to MPEG2 format. The software also incorporates the Face Recognition function, which recognizes registered faces in photos stored on the computer, making organizing and archiving photos with a specific person much easier. Additionally, motion pictures can be uploaded directly to YouTube. Product Description The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1-megapixels, a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning it has added 2x optical zoom to the award-winning TZ-series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also features a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens and High Definition (HD) video recording ability, known as AVCHD Lite.The ZS3 is the world’s first digital camera to feature HD video recording in AVCHD Lite. Compared with the conventional Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with a well-considered control interface, which includes a dedicated movie recording button on the camera’s back panel, makes the ZS3 a hybrid model that performs admirably for both still and motion image capture.

Review: Well Done Panasonic - 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 desertcart). After finding the top 5 cameras, we did more research on ratings of each at desertcart, 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.
Review: Simply the best small camera you can buy - 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.

## Features

- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
- Intelligent Auto (iA) mode , Face Recognition feature
- 12x MEGA optical image-stablilized zoom , 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens
- 10.1-megapixel resolution captures enough detail for poster-size prints
- Capture HD video in AVCHD Lite format
- 12x MEGA optical image-stablilized zoom; 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens
- Capture HD video in "AVCHD Lite" format
- Intelligent Auto (iA) mode; Face Recognition feature

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B001QFZMCO |
| Aperture modes | F3.1-F5.9 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9, 4:3 |
| Auto Focus Technology | Contrast Detection, Live View, Single |
| Autofocus Points | 11 |
| Battery Weight | 1 g |
| Best Sellers Rank | #112,327 in Electronics ( See Top 100 in Electronics ) #881 in Digital Point & Shoot Cameras |
| Bit Depth | 12 Bit |
| Brand | Panasonic |
| Built-In Media | USB Cable |
| Camera Flash | Built-In |
| Camera Lens | 25 Mm |
| Color | Black |
| Compatible Devices | Computers, smartphones, tablets with SD/SDHC card reader, USB-enabled devices |
| Compatible Flash Memory Type | SD, SDHC |
| Compatible Mountings | Micro Four Thirds |
| Connectivity Technology | HDMI, USB |
| Continuous Shooting | 2.3 |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 770 Reviews |
| Delay between shots | 0.43 seconds |
| Digital Scene Transition | zoom |
| Digital Zoom | 4 |
| Display Fixture Type | Fixed |
| Display Maximum Resolution | 640x480 |
| Display Resolution Maximum | 460,000 |
| Display Type | Built-In |
| Dots Per Screen | 154922.45 |
| Effective Still Resolution | 10.1 mp |
| Expanded ISO Maximum | 1600 |
| Expanded ISO Minimum | 80 |
| Exposure Control | Automatic |
| File Format | JPEG |
| Flash Memory Bus Interface Type | ["SDIO", "eMMC"] |
| Flash Memory Speed Class | 4 |
| Flash Memory Supported Size Maximum | 32 GB |
| Flash Memory Type | SD/MMC/SDHC card, Internal |
| Flash Modes | Automatic |
| Focus Features | TTL |
| Focus Mode | Single-Servo AF (AF-S) |
| Focus Type | Auto Focus |
| Form Factor | Compact |
| Generation | 3rd Generation |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00037988988372 |
| HDMI Type | Built-in |
| Hardware Interface | HDMI, SDHC, USB |
| Image Capture Type | Stills & Video |
| Image Stabilization | Optical |
| Image stabilization | Optical |
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| JPEG Quality Level | Normal |
| Lens Construction | MoreThanFiveElements |
| Lens Type | zoom |
| Manufacturer | Panasonic |
| Manufacturer Part Number | DMC-ZS3-K |
| Maximum Focal Length | 30 centimeters |
| Maximum Shutter Speed | 1/2000 seconds |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 45 MB |
| Metering Methods | Multi, Center-weighted, Spot |
| Minimum Focal Length | 25 millimeters |
| Minimum Shutter Speed | 60 seconds |
| Model Name | Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 |
| Model Number | ZS3 Black |
| Model Series | ZS3 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Optical Zoom | 12 x |
| Photo Sensor Resolution | 10.1 mp |
| Photo Sensor Size | 1/2.3-inch |
| Photo Sensor Technology | CCD |
| Real Angle Of View | 51.7 degrees |
| Screen Size | 3 inches |
| Self Timer | 10, 2, 5 |
| Sensor Type | CCD |
| Series Number | 3 |
| Shooting Modes | Scene |
| Skill Level | Professional |
| Special Feature | Image Stabilization |
| Supported File Format | JPEG |
| Total Still Resolution | 10.1 mp |
| Total USB 2.0 Ports | 1 |
| Total USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Total USB Ports | 1 |
| Total Video Out Ports | 1 |
| UPC | 037988989010 037988988372 |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Video Capture Format | AVCHD Lite |
| Video Output | HDMI |
| Video Resolution | HD 720p |
| Viewfinder | Optical |
| White Balance Settings | Auto |
| Wireless Technology | Yes |
| Write Speed | 2.3 fps |
| Zoom | Optical, Digital |

## Product Details

- **Aspect Ratio:** 16:9, 4:3
- **Brand:** Panasonic
- **Compatible Mountings:** Micro Four Thirds
- **Expanded ISO Minimum:** 80
- **Image Stabilization:** Optical
- **Maximum Focal Length:** 30 centimeters
- **Metering Description:** Multi, Center-weighted, Spot
- **Optical Zoom:** 12 x
- **Photo Sensor Technology:** CCD
- **Supported File Format:** JPEG

## Images

![Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81nVQ4EmSAL.jpg)

## Questions & Answers

**Q: I need to shoot quickly several times at my baby niece as she moves all the time but it seems to take a long time to reset before each shot.**
A: If your SD card is not fast enough that could be cause. Remember that each shot needs enough time to be written to a file. I would suggest a Class 10 card but class 6 might be enough.  Check documentation for recommended card speed and if any mention of burst limitations. If you are using the steady shot function, that could well cost you some processing time.Also if using your flash that will slow you down especially if you are not close to subject.  Compare delay by shooting in daylight with NO flash.BTW Newer cameras can handle many more shots per second (referred to as Bursts). Hope that this helps.Michael

**Q: Does this model hace a size limit for the sdhc card? where can i find this out?**
A: No, not that I know of.  What ever size, 2gb, 16gb and I have a 32gb.  Have never had an issue with data.

**Q: What type of charger does this use?**
A: I have a Lumix Panasonic DE-A65 Battery Charger.

**Q: When recording fast drumming do you know if this camera records out of sync audio and video like my kodak z885**
A: I am not familiar with the Kodak z885 not the audio & video sync. Sorry.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Well Done Panasonic
*by D***R on November 9, 2009*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Simply the best small camera you can buy
*by Z***D on February 15, 2010*

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.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ It's David to Canon & Nikon's DSLR Goliaths
*by R***. on September 29, 2009*

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.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 12x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3 inch LCD (Black)
- SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXXD-128G-GN4IN
- SZHAIYIJIN SD Card Reader for iPhone, Memory Card Reader with USB Camera Adapter Plug and Play Trail Game Camera Viewer Supports SD and TF Card MicroSD Card Adapter for iPad No App Required

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*Product available on Desertcart Panama*
*Store origin: PA*
*Last updated: 2026-10-05*