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  • Panasonic's DMC-TZ3 wide-angle 10x zoomer reviewed

    by 
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    03.26.2007

    Panasonic's DMC-TZ1 was already pulling decent reviews in its day. So Panny's TZ3 followup had best live up to the example set. Photography Blog had the chance to take the compact, point-and-shoot model for a spin and came away impressed enough to slap on a 4.5 / 5 rating on Panasonic's easy to use shooter. They found that Panasonic's Mega O.I.S provided sharp results in photos taken from a wide 28mm up to the TZ3's full 280mm optical zoom. Compared to the TZ1, the TZ3 image quality in general was improved and the camera on whole was noticeably faster during startup, zooming, and continuous shooting -- even with its larger 7.2 megapixel sensor. Noise performance was also "notably improved" such that ISO 400 shots taken on the TZ3 were about equal to ISO 200 pics taken with the older TZ1. In the end, they dub the TZ3 "highly recommended" due to the photographic opportunities opened up to point-and-shoot fans via the TZ3's wide focal range, compact dimensions, and decent $300 price tag.

  • Panasonic's 2007 line-up of Lumix cams -- the other 9

    by 
    Thomas Ricker
    Thomas Ricker
    01.31.2007

    You already seen their best, now check the rest of Panasonic's 2007 Lumix digital cameras: the TZ3/TZ2 (pictured), FX12/FX10, LZ7/LZ6, and LS75/LS70/LS60. All the new digicams deliver Panasonic's Mega OIS optical image stabilization, Venus Engine III image processing capable of recording shots at ISO 1250 sensitivity, and the ability to record 848 x 480 videos to SDHC or SD cards at 30fps. The DMC-TZ2 and DMC-TZ3 are all purpose, wide-angle shooters which carry some bulk unlike the new DMC-FX30 we checked earlier. Both the TZ2 and $349 TZ3 ship in May and pack a 28mm wide-angle, 10x optical zoom LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens in a less appealing (and less expensive) chubtastic slab. The TZ3 sports a 8.5 megapixel CCD and 3-inch 230k color LCD while the TZ2 brings both a smaller 7.39 megapixel CCD and 2.5-inches LCD capable of 207k colors. The $229 DMC-FX12 and $199 DMC-FX10 should hit in March with a regular 3x LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT optical zoom lens and 7.2 and 6.0 megapixel CCDs, respectively. The $199 DMC-LZ7 and $179 DMC-LZ6 each boast a 7.2 megapixel CCD, 6x LUMIX DC VARIO optical zoom lens and convenient AA battery operation. The LZ7 offers a 2.5-inch LCD versus the LZ6's 2.0-inch display. Bringing up the rear is the LS-series of Lumix cams. AA-batteries and a 3x LUMIX DC VARIO optical zoom lens can be found in each of these entry level models with the LS75 sporting a 2.5-inch LCD and 7.2 megapixel CCD. The LS70 shares the CCD but steps the LCD to 2-inches like the LS60 which further cuts the CCD down to 6.0 megapixels. We'll punch in the holes on price and availability when the details roll in. All the pics after the break.[Via LetsGoDigital, Thanks David] Read -- DMC-TZ3 / TZ2 Read -- DMC-FX12 / FX10 Read -- DMC-LZ7 / LZ6 Read -- DMC-LS75 / LS70 / LS60