I just received the DMC-TZ3A. I love this camera. This is my first camera ever. I love the features, build quality, and menu system. I am still getting used to learning how to take quality pictures. For example, I have trouble getting it to focus at times. I am certain this is just the learning curve for me. One feature I am disappointed that it lacks is - auto retraction of the lens when in playback mode. Most other cameras automatically retract the lens to protect it when viewing pictures from the camera. This one does not do this and you have to turn the camera off to get it to retract. I really wish they would update the firmware to support this important safety feature. All-in-all I definitely recommend this camera!

Panasonic has taken the original TZ1 and made it even better. There's not much missing from this camera. 28mm wide angle lens. 10X optical zoom. 3" high resolution screen, excellent Image Stabilization, etc. All this in a fairly compact camera. Panasonic has also greatly improved the "noise" on higher ISO's. Low light performance is much better than on previous Panasonic models. The most important this is, the camera takes great pictures. Panasonic did take one step back in video mode on the TZ3. Unlike on the TZ1, you can not "zoom" while taking video. You can zoom before you start taking the video. This doesn't bother me, but some people find it important. Overall, this is the best compact camera I've ever owned.

I owned the first generation DMC-TZ1. The DMC-TZ3 has some welcome improvements; wider angle, automatic lens cover, maybe 25% faster shot-to-shot. In particular, the wider angle is a really useful feature.

The camera's strength is in it's versatile, outdoor shooting. It does best with lot's of light. Indoors, the flash coverage is just ok. Shot-to-shot flash recycle time is sometimes a pokey 4 seconds. Digital picture noise is noticeable with lesser light.

Setup Tips:
1. Use 3x2 ratio if you primarily print 6x4 photos.
2. Use vivid mode as normal mode looks washed out.

I have to get on the bandwagon here. This is a superb little camera, definately five stars! I also have the TZ1, which showed promise, but has limitations. In my review of the TZ1, I noted it had lots of "noise" and pictures shouldn't be printed much beyond 4x6 inches if they were to be sharp. I also wanted more manual controls.

The TZ3 fixes and improves almost everything about the TZ1 and adds some new, very useful features. The noise has been drastically reduced, the lens is better, the sensor is bigger, and the processor is not only faster, but produces better pictures. The TZ3 adds a very handy "function" button - or I should say function capability - the number of buttons is the same - which gives immediate access to five or so "most used" settings without having to go into the menues - of which there are several.

The TZ3 keeps the Mega Optical Image Stabilization and adds Intelligent ISO, increases the sensitivity without adding noise,(I have not tried the 3200 setting yet.), increases the size of the viewing screen, etc., etc.

The TZ3 is a "well-rounded," and very capable camera. There is simply no comparison between the TZ1 and the TZ3 as far as the quality of the pictures. The TZ3 wins hands down. In my opinion it also beats some big name, higher priced digicams - a couple of which I own - rather handily.

Of course, the big selling point for the TZ3 is still the 10X lens - now with wide angle capability - on a pocket-sized point and shoot camera. This lens is SHARP, and combined with larger sensor and the new processor yields some excellent results.

While there are no manual controls, per se, the camera seems to do very well without them. Pictures are sharp, exposures seem nicely done (haven't tried it at night yet, but low light forrest shots were excellent), colors were accurate, appropriately saturated, and vivid (OK. I like the vivid setting.), good contrast, etc. There are a variety of AF settings, settable focal points, and focus modes. There is also exposure compensation, and exposure bracketing available - and they work well! The live histogram is a welcome bonus. The TZ3 focuses down to about 2 inches in macro mode - again with excellent, sharp results. The TZ3 is very well speced out.

One nice thing that is gone is the lens cap on the TZ1. It was really not to inconvenient, but seemed always to be swinging in the wind to add yet another source of camera shake. The TZ3 lens includes an built in lens cover. Very welcome.

I currently own five top flight digicams (including this one), and have owned about that many others, I am most impressed with this one - for combined convenience and results. It is a quantum step forward.

I also have a couple of quite nice, and fairly complete DSLR kits. They are wonderful, and in a class by themselves, but when I want very nice pictures and the convenience of a pocketable point and shoot with a 10X, wide angle lens, or a back up for the DSLRs, the TZ3 is now my camera of choice.

Extremely impressed with the TZ3. This gem should get 5 stars on construction and finish alone. Just holding it in your hands it screams quality and feels like a tank. Love it. It seriously feels like a $700 camera. No exaggeration. I was a little worried about it not being able to fit in my jean pockets before buying it. Women may have issues with really tight jeans but for us guys no problem. It fits fine. I seriously cant believe I can carry around a camera with a 10x zoom inside my jean pockets. Truly remarkable. The 3" screen is amazing. You can practically enjoy your pics right on screen w/o even printing them with the High Res output. Navigation is so easy on this camera. Something not surprising though if your already coming from another panny (FZ7 here). Picture quality is great. I tested it out today on standard and I would say its just as good as my FZ7 in daylight and better in lowlight (indoors). Image quality is great, and if you need extra sharpness you could always use the camera on "Vivid mode" or add a little with some post processing. The pics in Standard and natural mode PP very well. The wide angle is something new to me. Took some neat shots that looked very nice with the extra viewing angle. Very distinctive and after having this i'm not sure if I could go back.

If your looking for a do it all camera this may very well be your tool of choice. Combine it's extreme versatility coupled with excellent image quality, superb lens, build, and finish you have yourself a winner.

Upgrading to the TZ3 from a 4yr old Canon 3.2 megapixel. Waited a few months to purchase when I heard the TZ1 was being updated. With the TZ3, Panasonic has fixed the main complaints about the TZ1 which were: No build in lens cover, noisy images at higher ISO speeds. IMO, the build in lens cover alone is wirth the price permium over the TZ1.

As others have said, this camera has a great build quality, easy operation, and a high-quality look. I ordered the black model and was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. It has the look of a retro 35mm cartridge camera, which is cool. The chrome (or polished stainless steel, cant tell), is first rate and looks great with the matte black case. The LCD is huge and bright. The camera's "Simple Mode" does a great job the the other modes are fully customizable. The zoom is fantastic, but you need a really steady hand at full zoom, even with Optical Stabilization turned on. I did take some surprisingly sharp shots zoomed way in from my car as I came across a herd of deer. Shot to shot speed is really great, unless you are using the flash. The red-eye reduction works better than any other digital camera I have used. Overall, I am extremely pleased. If you are looking for a great zoom camera in a small form factor, you should seriously consider the DMC-TZ3.

I went to Ritz Camera today and took a good look at the TZ3. I'll tell you, its pretty nice. The build quality is really good, as a previous person mentioned. The body is metal. The dials and buttons click with precision, and have a nice resistance. It has a nice weight to it.

I took some nice shots in the store. I must have clicked off 100 pics. I'm impressed with it. If you want something relatively small, powerful and tough, this camera is for you. The 10x zoom is great, but on such a small camera it is difficult to hold it steady enough(at least for me) to use the zoom too much.

I love the build quality and style, so I may be biased. It's a nice piece of equipment. I cannot speak to the photo quality only having seen pics on the camera's LCD.

I jumped on the bandwagon myself, although I am returning this item. I take pictures indoors and outdoors of my children. Not so much landscapes and/or stationary things

First issue - Indoors, if not lit well, will adjust your ISO setting resulting too much noise. Iso can be limited but then the shot will still be underexposed and with noise. There is a huge thread in regards to this at dpreview.com. The conclusion of the review there even states, "It's not best suited to snapping the kids running around the house in dim light, but then it is, after all, designed as a travel companion, something it does very well indeed."

My example is ... I took pictures of the kids in the bathtub (8 x 6 room with 2 40 watt bulbs with a 5x4 mirror reflecting that light as well). Now these shots were not underexposed (the camera even upped the Iso and I thought it was a well enough lit room) and once the pictures were printed their hair was "clumped" together (this is also on that same review at dpreview, it states "At ISO 100 only the very finest detail is being blurred away by the Venus III noise reduction, but at ISO 200 (and increasingly as you go up the range) the characteristic 'smearing' of tones reduces the individual hairs to a single lump."

I have seen on the internet MANY MANY an MANY great shots taken with this camera outdoors and in well lit rooms (not so much personal homes). It is a great camera for traveling and scenery. It has the wide angle and 10x zoom as well as many other great reviews (just google "tz3 reviews"). This is a very likable camera, but not the best for indoor shots.

My other issue was the video, I took some videos and some played and others didn't. Some would start but then stop (the audio kept playing the actual video stopped liked I had paused it). This was after I had downloaded to my computer, I did not try to play it back on the camera itself.

So based I the info I wrote perhaps I should not have bought this camera, I was forewarned per dpreview.com's review but I saw such other great reviews that I thought I would just try it. But in the end, the photographer there was right.

I do believe this would be an excellent camera for outdoor scenery (with lots of daylight ). I do know about tripods, but then again that would be taking pictures of stationary things, so the question is, how often do your kids sit still?

There isn't much more to say here. This is a superb little camera, definately worth a 10 on Cnet, not the 7.0 that their review gave it! They completely got it wrong with their rating because this camera definitely deserves at least an 8.0! On here, it also gets my 5 stars!

As far as the Pros go on this camera (28mm Wide Angle, 10x Optical Zoom, 3'' LCD, IS, Built-in Lens Cover), it's exactly as good as it sounds! Real life needs for real life situations for real people that loves superb photos and having the right camera to capture those moments.

On the Cons side (No manual controls, No zoom in Video Mode, Average Battery Life), those are practically the only things a more ADVANCED user would care about. Manual controls are mostly for expert photographers as white balance and exposure settings are already in this camera, so I don't know what else you need. Zooming in video mode isn't important to me since I don't particularly take much video footage. And I only say average battery life because I tend to look through the photos I already shot pretty often without using the power save on the LCD, therefore, that's particularly what drains the battery. However, you usually get @ 250-270 shots per charge, without frequent previewing.

Panasonic has basically taken the original TZ1 and made it even better. There's not much missing from this camera. As I've said, 28mm Wide Angle LEICA Lens, 10X Optical Zoom, 3" High Resolution Screen, Excellent Image Stabilization, etc. All this in a fairly compact camera. Panasonic has also improved the "noise" on higher ISO's. Low light performance is much better than on previous Panasonic models. The most important this is, the camera takes fantastic pictures.

Another thing I'm extremely impressed with is the construction and finish alone. Just holding it in your hands it screams quality and feels like a tank. I love it. It seriously feels like a $700 camera. No exaggeration. I was a little worried about it not being able to fit in my jean pockets before buying it. Women may have issues with really tight jeans but for us guys no problem. It fits fine. I seriously can't believe I can carry around a camera with a 10x zoom inside my jean pockets. Truly remarkable. The 3" screen is amazing. You can practically enjoy your pics right on screen without even printing them with the high resolution output. Image quality is great, and if you need extra sharpness and want that "Canon-like look," you could always use the camera on "Vivid Mode."

It's also not much bigger or heavier than your overpriced Sony's. Plus, on here, I found it for three hundred, with a high speed 1GB Panasonic card included. What's better than that?! The only accessory I have to buy now is just the DMW-CT3-K, the leather case specifically for this camera.

You really can't find the perfect digital camera, but this comes as close as you can get. Overall, I am extremely pleased. If you are looking for a great zoom camera in a small enough form factor, you should seriously consider the DMC-TZ3. This is the best compact camera I've ever owned.

I really like this camera. It has 10x optical, image stabilization, a 3.0inch lcd with 230,000 pixels, and more. The size is great for a 10x zoom camera. Image stabilization and is great for getting shots that would come out blurry with my Canon Powershot A620. My other favorite feature besides the zoom and image stabilization, is the wide angle. It is great to finally get cityscapes and have the whole skyline in one shot!! And with the camera set to 16X9, I can get a 24mm shot!

What I don't like about this camera is it's short battery life. Even with the1300mAh battery I bought, I get less shots than with my Canon. And the colors of the photos from this camera are a lot less colorful than on the Canon. That is something I will have to get used to. I was very disappointed to find out that this camera has no zoom in movie mode, unlike its predecessor, the TZ1. Luckily, that did not stop me from buying this camera. Overall, this camera is a great buy, especially if you want i.s. wide angle, and long zoom.

Yes, it is a great buy, only depending who you are.
This camera is perfect for someone who doesn't want to do anything, just take the picture. It has many settings for many different situations: from indoor parties to hikes with cluody skies.

The only bad thing I found is the weight. It's very compact, but you feel you have it in your pocket (the leica lenses inside are quite heavy). That happens because you have an amazing 10X zoom.

Picture quality is beautiful. Colors in pictures are almost better than real (kinda scary...). Very fast processor, good battery life. Screen is very big.

Great buy!

I have the previous model TZ1 and it's a great camera, but one big annoyance with it is that like on many of the higher-zoom cameras, you have to manually attach the lens cover. So when TZ2/TZ3 came out with the automatic lens cover, I thought perhaps it's great enough an improvement to be worth trading up to. Well, the automatic lens cover is great, the slightly smaller size (comparing to TZ1) is nice, and the larger 3-inch LCD screen (again, comparing to TZ1's 2.5-inch) is wonderful, especially with the nifty new feature to display any 2 pictures of your choosing at once. HOWEVER, since the optical zoom now starts at 28mm wideangle, the highest telephoto zoom is only 280mm instead of 350mm! 280mm is the equivalent of 8X zoom on any camera that does not start at wideangle, so the "10X" claim is very misleading. Sure the little bit of wideangle is nice to have, but in my opinion, it's not worth sacrificing this much zoom-in ability for - especially since the main attraction about this camera model is the HIGH ZOOM in a relatively small package!

I opened the box and couldn't found the power cable. In fact, there isn't one. The cheapest power cable available online for this camera costs $60 on the internet. Unless you buy it, you will have to take the battery out every time you store the camera to charge it. The included battery charger lacks a cord, so it cannot be placed conveniently.

Battery life is due to the huge screen and lack of an optical view finder. If money is no object, Panasonic will sell you an extra battery for about $45. You can also buy a car charger or a charger with a cord from third parties for more $$$.

A related problem is that the image on the screen is delayed a fraction of a second. You see what was happening, not what is happening. That, combined with the excessive shutter delay, makes taking a picture at just the right moment impossible.

The camera boasts an Auto Stabilizer feature. Unfortunately, if you pan the camera while taking a video, the results are very jerky unless you remember to disable the Auto Stabilizer feature. What good is an Auto Stabilizer feature you can't use? Incidently, you can't use the Zoom feature while taking videos either, because the zoom buttons don't work during vido capture.

The last straw was when I took a bunch of pictures of my family. Fully 1/3 of the pictures turned out blurry. That is a much greater failure rate than with other cameras I have used and owned.

This thing is going back to Costco tomorrow.

This is my first digital camera, although I borrowed a Nikon Coolpix for vacation last summer. While I will probably also buy a D-SLR compatible with my collection of Nikon lenses for serious photography, this is a super little camera to use every day and when you don't want to haul around a lot of heavy equipment. It fits neatly in my purse and hand, it has a solid feel (yes, it's heavier than some others, but I find that reassuring), the controls are logical, the zoom is great, and the picture quality is quite good. The screen is also large and relatively easy to read except in very bright direct sun, especially compared to the Nikon. As with any other camera, you have to experiment a bit to find what settings work best. In the week that I've had it, I've taken pictures of buildings, children, flowers, pets, and scenery and been pleased with my results. One interesting result of the experimentation: I found that the "food" setting works better with close-ups of flowers than the "macro" setting and I also found that the "soft skin" setting for portraits is great - my husband has rosacea and this setting really helped to create a flattering portrait with no Photoshop editing required (probably the best picture that he's had in years, including several taken by professionals).

I jumped into digital photography way before it was cool, spent far to much money, and soon after bought a nice 35mm slr and a scanner. I refused to spend more money on new digital until I could pack nearly all of the quality features of my slr into a small carryable digital. Sure the TZ3 does not have manual mode but as many times as I actually use manual mode I figure I don't need it. How many times do Hummer drivers actualy take them off road any way? Dont get me started (: The over all quality and feel of the case, battery compartment door and latch, buttons and mechanisms is top notch as far as I can tell. I bought it after reading the reviews here at amazon and did not go to a brick and mortor store and handle several others to compare so that is only my gadget guru experienced oppinion. The massive for the case size screen is exceptional(is it me or have lcd's made a major leep lately? my garmin nuvi 660 screen is down right impresive). The picture quality is fantastic. I have yet to see any artifacts shooting in bright sun with high zoom, not even any lense flares which I truly expected, or in candle lit birthday with flash. It has fast write times and very short power up wait. If I had to find something to complain about I would say it feels a little dainty in my hands and I find myself handling it like a newborn baby. That may be just because it is new but I wanted a small powerfull pocket camera I could keep on me at all times so I am loving it. It seemed like it was the best bang for the buck camera in its category. This review is just a drop in the bucket here I know, and thanks to all the pros and semi pros for the detailed reviews, but for what its worth I highly recomend it to anyone shopping in this price range.

Great camera..10x super zoom in small package wow!! Plus
16:9 format in video and still photos.I use mulit-burst w/ optical zoom
on ocean waves crashing on beach for beautiful color images.
Deleting photos takes a bit longer than a cannon I own but the
multi-delete is very useful.All in all I say its money well
spent considering all the options you get. Just purchase an
extra battery(Frys $35) and a 4G card and you can shoot all day..
video included.

We owned the same Fujifilm digital camera for over seven years, so before buying a new one, I did a lot of research. I settled on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 for a number of reasons, the primary being:

1. The wide angle view at the bottom of the zoom range -- I find that a wide angle lens is much more useful in general photography than a super-telephoto range. The TZ3 has a 35mm camera equivalent of a 28mm lens, which is perfect for group shots, landscapes, interior photos, etc. And having 280mm on the far end is nothing to sneeze at, either -- that's nearly a 6X magnification from "normal" view.

2. The form factor is great, too. It's not the most compact camera out there by any means, but given the other features, it's very slim and small. It fits into a pants or jacket pocket very easily. I looked at models like the Canon S3/S5 and others like it, but the size was not ideal for a camera you want to take along everywhere.

3. The LCD screen -- a whopping 3-inch screen that is very readable in bright sunlight. Very nice for composing and reviewing photos.

This is not the best camera for a diehard photo enthusiast, and most negative reviews are going to be from that class of user. However, for casual photographers or travelers, I don't think you'll find a better camera on the market right now. The build quality is first-rate, it's a nice looking and feeling camera, and it comes at a very reasonable price.

Big and shinny screen. Menu are easy to read and very logic. Camera is fast and histogram is useful. Quality photos are amazing. I have used cannon, epson and nikon. Panasonic lumex is the best.

We have been very happy with this camera so far. The zoom and the Optical Image Stabilization work great. The Scene modes can be a little confusing, but overall it is easy to operate and has nice buttons.

It also has a nice feel to it, and the screen is big and beautiful. The only negative is that it is quite a bit larger than our Canon SD-550 that it is replacing. I guess that is the price you pay for better zoom.

PS - When the lens is zoomed all the way out, you get more of the scene than with most cameras! It is great in tight spaces.

The camera is great all around. Pros are Great 10x zoom, lcd screen, fast start up, small shutter lag, big quality lens, sturdy. Only cons are would like a seperate flash button, heavy, and doesn't really fit in your pocket. But this should be expected for a super-zoom with quality lens.

I bought this camera and have tested it for a couple weeks. I was sure to have done all the possible research and while there were not many users reviews (as it was too early), the official reviews were all rave (those are biased I highly suspect). Once I had the camera in my hands (after going over the shock of how heavy it is for it's size - you get used to it), I mastered all the numerous features. I love the 3" screen (while I miss the viewfinder but that's the way it is). Ultra-zoom is amazing! But, alas, my excitement was short lived. I noticed that the colors are poor. It is impossible to obtain natural-looking skin colors - way too much red or they are all kind of bleak. But everything else is also coming out in the strange color. My blue pearl kitchen counter is black. I saw Bulls-Miami Heat game. When I came back I was shocked at Shaq's skin color - it is not how I remember seeing Shaq. Floor became white with no hint of yellow. There is now way to obtain vivid realistic colors no matter what you do. People told me - hey, great pictures but why do I look as newborn? I am an expert photographer. I read the manual and shot pictures in all modes playing with white balance, color adjustments (standard, natural, vivid etc), all light conditions, with or without flash, red/blue balance. Nope. Nothing helps. I never had any adjustments on my old Sony 4-year old camera which made great pictures but is obsolete by now. Another issue is Noise. You really have to watch your ISO settings and never use anything over 200 (factory setting is max 400 at automatic), another thing I've never had a problem with Sony. I guess the noise is a direct result of the multiple pieces of glass that go into making an ultra-zoom lens. I usually tried to manually set it at 100 or 200 depending on light. Anything above this and the pictures become extremely grainy. 400 is bearly usable and 1250 is just a joke. As of now, I have returned the camera for an exchange (hoping that the color problem is associated just with this specific camera). If the second camera is the same quality (which I am afraid is very likely) - I'll have to regretfully ask for a refund or forget ultra-zoom and get something else. It could be that this camera with its nice features, friendly and easy to follow menus and above all a great zoom (oh, I'll miss it so bad!) just now is ahead of its time. Usually, if it is too good to be true (and how could all this be true and work for $300?) it probably is.

I think the DMC-TZ3 is a great camera, I just buy it and get into my vacations on the beach so I had immediately the opportunity to test it and I was really happy with the quality of the pictures.
The only disappointed I have with this camera was that even the specification said the camera has a wide range of speed and apertures, the selection of them is merely automatic with just some options to customize it. The camera has 21 preloaded settings (from portrait to air picture) that let you play a little bit with the camera, but if you are looking for something more customizable I will recommend you another option.
Anyway it has a lot of very nice options and as I said the quality of pictures is excellent. I get really surprised with the 28 mm equiv lens and I love the way my landscapes pictures look.

Easy to use, especially with image stabilizer, screen is nice, and having 4:3, 6:4, 16:9 picture options and burst mode is a plus. Bulky for a point and shoot camera BUT it's still the smallest camera with a 10x optical zoom, fair trade off. Turn on time is fairly quick. Video is in quicktime format, and I prefer AVI, but I use it to take pictures, so I don't really care. Overall nice camera.

I used to have a Sony T7 that's really thin and great to carry around. Bought the DMC-TZ3 from Panasonic to have higher quality images and the awesome 10x optical zoom. Indeed it's a great camera, but it's heavy and a little too big if you want to slip it inside your jeans pocket in a trip for example. I bought a neoprene case that takes up little space. That's enough to protect it, but it's not good if you want to bring an extra battery. All the other cases I found made the camera too big.

This camera is perfect if you want lots of features in a small package. The 10X zoom is particularly helpful as well as the relatively wide-angle lens (equivalent to 28mm on a 35mm camera). It's easy to use, the large screen is great, especially for "older" eyes! The fact that the lens is made by Leica is a real plus. So far, there are no negatives - and I expect that not to change.

This camera could have had it all. Panasonic packed more features into this camera than anyone could probably use. The lens is great, the zoom range is great, the amount of configurable features is great, and the movie mode is great. Unfortunately, I bought this camera to take pictures, and that is the one thing that isn't great.

I get a new point-and-shoot camera about every 15 months. Early on, I stuck with Sony, then moved to Canon, which made the last three of my cameras. This was my first Panasonic, and I am not impressed. I took about 200 shots in and around my house and neighborhood. I used all the different settings and features, then went to look at the photos on my computer. From a distance, they look great. When you zoom in to 100% (so you see the actual resolution of the photo), the pictures are grainy, noisy, and blocky; even in bright light, even with the sensitivity turned way down.

What good are all the bells & whistles when all the camera can give you is a lousy photo?

(Note: I recognize that half of digital camera users don't care about image quality. Those people will love this camera, as the rest of the camera is great.)

This camera does so much more than older versions of larger 10x zoom cameras. Quality and features are excellent. It is the smallest camera you can get with such a large zoom. I love it.

Good: First of all it is a bit of confusion with all the digital cameras out there to decide witch one is the right choice for each individual. I did an extensive research to keep up to date with technology at the time I want to buy my 2nd digital camera and I found out this Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3S 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom had no competition. The display is very good for day and night shooting what's more is the wide angle (28mm) Lumix lens that is so impressive combined with an outstanding zoom lens (10X) that is more than adequate for day to day shooting. State of the art optical anti-shake technologically top this model for sometime to come.
Not so good: Nothing yet

As I'm a beginner as far as camera's go, the TZ3 does take a little learning as far as settings, etc. goes. My last camera, a Sony MVC-FD200 was very basic, just point and shoot, of course I could do very little to enhance my picutes with that model. The TZ3 allows me to set the camera, depending on the situation, to allow for more versitility. The 3" display is a very nice upgrade from my last camera. I guess if I had any complaints about the camera, a view finder would have been a nice option.

The camera has an absolutely fabulous Leica lens. First, it is a 10x Zoom. Second, it has a 28mm wide angle at the low end. third it is a fabulously high quality, low distortion lens! Image stabilization makes it all work.

The camera is easy to use. It has more than adequate resolution for 99% of the photographers using a non SLR camera! 3 inch LCD is clear, bright and very NICE! Battery is small and inexpensive. Camera has a solid "feel".

Absolutely love it!

I'm happy with the camera so far - but the manual is really poorly written - it seems it has been translated to English from a foriegn language and it's very unclear and has missing information - had to call customer service for downloading to my computer.

Every digital camera seems to have one or two items that need improvement. Some need many more. I was a pro photographer at one time in my life, before the big transition to digital, so I still look for many pro features now that I have made the transition. As a setting for this I will note what I own and how I shoot.

Shooting Style: landscapes, travel, macro, still life, documentary style portraiture. (no fast action or sports in general) I don't use a flash if at all possible.

Cameras: Canon PowerShot S70 & S80, Kodak P880 & Lumix DMC-TZ3 (in black)

Impressions: Excellent build quality, solid feeling and heavy for size (more stable shooting in low light). Button & dial design decent, but dial can be easily bumped from one setting to another. The LCD is bright and clear with many display options. Super fast write times!

There is only one main complaint with this camera overall found on the internet and that is noise from the chip and the Venus III noise reduction. Well, I can say that the noise issue is much better than I expected it would be, but it does exist. With full frame photos you will not really notice it. You think the image looks sharp, good color realism and not too contrasty. If you crop in though, you will notice that some of that low contrast effect is the HEAVY noise reduction that result in a loss of some fine detail. This is sad given the amazing lens on this camera, which is sharp and it would be nice to have the fine detail that it is capable of. I hope a future Firmware will offer noise reduction options.

Still, for a point and shoot you can't get too much better. Sharp lens (edge to edge) great color rendition, super fast writes to SD, fabulous LCD and great build quality. The image stabilization helps a lot, although not as great overall as I thought it would be. (This is my first IS camera). As I stated, I like to shoot in low light with no flash, so I really wanted good stable images at low shutter speeds. It helps, but not perfect. I would trade about 80mm of this zoom range (28-280!) for a faster lens. Still, having the wider range of 28mm is great. The only camera that exceed this is the Kodak P880 with a 24mm bottom end but it is much larger, write much more slowly and has a more limited zoom. I am selling my Canon's now that I ave this replacement and hope that Panasonic can address the chip noise sometime.

My last issue is lack of manual or customizable settings. You are limited to a lot of "custom" auto modes, but would be nice to have simply a shutter and aperture priority mode or at least a mode where you can customize these parameters more consistently. In addition, the display is fabulous but sometimes gets cluttered. The options available are great, but often put too much info on your field or too little. Would be nice to choose what you want to see when shooting.

My primary camera is a Nikon D50 SLR with several lenses. I use that camera for planned events.
The Lumix TZ3 goes everywhere with me. I keep it in my briefcase. Any time I go out while traveling I just put it on my belt or drop it in my pocket.
It takes great pictures. The 28-280 mm zoom lens gives you everything from wide angle - great for group pictures and cityscapes, to long telephoto. Good for Yankee games even in seats that are in fair territory.

I recently bought this camera and was very excited about the hype. This camera looks great, very "quality" feeling, I also find it has the ability to take great pictures, you just have to experiment with the settings. My only gripe about the camera is that the sound quality is SO bad. My 4 year old camera sounds clearer! If you don't care about the sound quality then I would recommend this camera for you. Overall, it's good enough.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K Digital Camera is a great camera. Having alots of fun with it. The pictures and colors are superb. Have know problems with it at all. I subscribe to consumers reports and it gives
Panasonic Lumix Camera the highest ratings. Thanks a lot for the great
price and service.
[...]

Fast shutter speed and remarkably smaller fellling (dimension are only slightly less) make this a far better camera than the TZ1 which I had previously tried. The various available presets are more than adequate for all shooting conditions I have experienced and the quality of the photos is remarkably good. Shooting at 5MP vs the available 7 provides stunning optical zoom.

Great camera! Not too bulky, 10x zoom is awesome, and the 3" screen is bright and clear. Highly recommended.

I am not a camera expert, nor am I a camera critic, but I really love my new Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3. When I show it to people, I get "ooh's" and "ahh's" from everyone, as they say....."I should of bought that one"! I love the 3 inch screen, and the camera shoots great pics, and exceptional video, also. The package comes with an easy to use computer program that lets you easily transfer the pics and videos from the memory card, re-size the photos in 4 different sizes, add, and e-mail the pics, and many other options. It was great to get the free 1 gb panasonic memory card just because I ordered the Lumix TZ3 directly from amazon.com. That's a good deal.

What really amazes me about the TZ3, is that you can magnify the 10X optical zoom with the digital zoom, to 40X......and up to 60X if you lower the megapixel to 3.2 on the menu options. This is great. I got a "close-up" shot of wildlife from approximately 200 yards away!!! The camera naturally becomes very sensitive to movement the more you zoom. For this I recommend a very steady hand, or a tri-pod stand for clearer images.

Although there is a description of this camera, it takes some careful reading to find that it has NO VIEWFINDER. While this is not a problem some of the time, any picture you try to take in moderate to bright sun is hopeless. There is no way to shield the large screen, so you just point and hope for the best. The reason for the missing viewfinder is the technical configuration to allow it the 10X optical zoom - which is wonderful. I think Panasonic should mention the viewfinder at the beginning of the description of this camera.

First of all, I am a tough reviewer, I reserve 5 stars for perfection, which does not exist.I have owned more than six different digital cameras of different makes.This camera is a blend of two cameras, a Wide Angle and a 10X Zoom. I have owned this more than four months so here are the Pros and Cons of the TZ3.
Pros
1.The camera takes high quality great pictures, if you learn to set it properly. To me this is the most important thing about a camera.
2.The zoom works well in the daylight (with plenty of light).
3.The wide angle allows you to see more in the picture frame (groups, panoramas etc.)
4.The intelligent ISO works well in the daylight hours.
5. Beautiful huge(3 inch) and clear LCD.
6. Camera is solid feeling can be used one handed.
7. Very good Optical Image stabilization (especially when set on OIS #2.
Cons
1.The large LCD (the only view finder)eats batteries. Make sure to buy a spare (a OEM battery can be obtained on Amazon for under $20).
2.This cameras flash is only good for 10 ft or so beyond that picture will come out dark at night (no flash hot shoe). There is no way to extend this.
3.Though rated as a 10X zoom camera, this camera is actually about a 7X to 8X zoom. This is an off set for the wide angle I think.
4.The microphone is weak and does not have great sound quality. Probably not good if you shoot a lot of movies.

The TZ3 is a great all-around point and shoot camera. The 10x Leica lens is very versatile. The big screen is easy to see in most conditions and the controls are very easy to use. Overall picture quality is excellent and the image stabilization does it job well. It's only drawback is low light, high ISO, pictures. The 3200 ASA setting produces very grainy images with blurred out details. On the other hand, daylight and flash pictures are beautiful. I like the vivid setting which gives rich vibrant color. I also like the 16:9 widescreen setting which looks great on my widescreen LCD. To sum it up, this is a great camera for travel due to it's good picture quality, versatile lens and ease of use.

All cameras have something that could be improved , there is no such thing as perfect anything. This one comes close enough for me. I am no beginner either, I have used SLR cameras for years and now like the freedom this offers, things that people take for granted these days did'nt exist yesterday. Like the features this camera offer, people just think Oh! someone said on the internet Panasonic cameras don't take good pictures, noisey or what not. BULL CR**. Film cameras did'nt work the best in really low light , why do people think digital ones won't have problems like that? Most people don't know a thing about photography anyhow and wonder why they don't get good results. Learn to use it and it will reward you! I get GREAT results with my LUMIX and you will to with a little practice. My latest 12x18 was taken in the US air force museum in Dayton OH. , impressed anyone who saw it, no visible noise , very sharp, couldn't ask for much more.

This camera is sleek, has a large viewing screen, takes beautiful pics and is easy to operate. I'm very happy with my choice now that I finally went digital. I had been putting off buying a digital camera because I thought to buy a good one, I would have to spend a fortune. The $$$ I paid here at Amazon was the best price also and not nearly as much as I expected for the quality.

I bought this camera before going on vacation. I took a lot of beach photos and other outdoor photos. The quality of the photos is good. I wanted a camera with the 10x optical lens and would have preferred it to be smaller. However, I was able to fit this camera in the pocket of my shorts so it wasn't too bad.

Intelligent ISO seemed to work well and there are a lot of "pre" settings to choose. As has been mentioned in other reviews, inside photos could be better.

This camera is the perfect camera for travellers. It concentrates the best technology in a compact shape. It could be lighter - the lens is quite big - but this lens is so great that i can't say it's a real problem...

Great camera with large LCD screen and wide angle zoom.

Lots of options, easy to use, great pics and movies.

Great camera. A little bulky for a point and shoot. Zoom is excellent, all optical.

I am a novice (so take it easy on me professionals) but after a week or so of ownership I would like to try to address some of the criticisms of the camera. As many have said nothing is perfect. I have been out in the field twice in the afternoon and using the "power LCD" setting I was easily able to make out the montitor and set up my shots. I live in an extreme desert environment, so I can't imagine another area brighter than where I am at unless you go to the Sahara; you can see the monitor fine. As for the flash and night shots I have been experimenting with using the slow shutter speeds with and without immage stabalization. I was able to simulate candid shots in almost pitch dark (using the flash) by playing with the shutter speed, metering, white balance and exposure settings. I took some surpringly good pictures at lower ISO and with AUTO ISO, but did find when using 800 or 1250 the pictures did appear quite grainy or "noisy." Absolute range was probably no more than 15-20' but how much range do you expect from a point and shoot flash?
Daylight shots are great, and I am enjoying working with the cameras menus to deal with daylight issues and taking great pictures with too much direct light in many cases where i live. The 10x zoom is great and the digital zoom and addtional magnification available in smaller megapixel sizes is great. I waited quite a long time to purchase a digital camera and think the $[...] I spent on this camera is well worth the money given the picture quality, versatiliy and the options available for use through the various camera menus. A note on the bulkiness of the camera. Umm...I personally am not looking for a spy camera to play Mission Impossible. If it was any smaller it would be difficult to manipulate the controls. It fits snugly in its case and is hardly noticeable thrown around my shoulder. Highly Recommended for the traveler and the beginner digital photographer if you practice, practice, practice. If you want a camera where you set the automatic controls and literally point and shoot, this is not the camera for you. If you want an extremely compact incredibly versitile camera thats esentially "peerless" in its class and is so absolutely fun to use then get then this is your best bet.

Told the clerk I wanted:
Good zoom (10x!), wide angle, burst shots, image stabilization, low light capability, ... and for under $300. Retail is $349, but Amazon had $299 + free 1gig SD card.
Just returned from vacation and downloaded my pix--they are beautiful! The zoom pix are very clear. My low light/image stabilization needs some work--or better yet a tripod, but the capability is there.
Intelligent ISO setting became my standard. Lots of other settings, so I don't have to think about what I would do with manual settings.
Long battery life, and I bought a back-up for about $30 and just kept the spare with me and recharged overnight. Convenient charger included with camera.
The included viewing software seems strange; I'm using Picasso from Google.
This is a terrific camera that does what it should do-take beautiful pictures in various settings. Of course, with the Greek Isles and Egyptian pyramids for subjects, everything looks special!

I have had a couple of digital cameras for work(3x zoom/3-5MB types) prior to getting this one for personal shots. The zoom capability and the sharpness is what attracted me to this model. I wanted to to get a DSLR at first but I realized that I didn't want to carry a lot of gear. This camera fits in my pocket(front pocket...you sit on this and you will bruise) and is quick to get turned on and take a shot. The low light gripes I hear from folks is typical...keep in mind film never had a real answer to provide real good shots in low light in point and shoot cameras. If you want to shoot low light photography, I suggest getting a DSLR with a fast lens and/or a good flash. But back to real reason I got this...the 10X optical zoom is awesome and if you add a monopod or tripod for you shaky folks, you can get some great composed shots!!

I normally shoot with a DSLR, but wanted a small camera, with a decent zoom that I could slip in a pocket or put on a belt pouch to carry around with me all the time. This camera is the only one in the market that fitted my needs, and I am really happy with it. I give it half a star short of the full rating only because of one or two shortcomings.

The construction of this camera is solid, which is what one wants, and I don't understand some of the criticism about it being a tad too large or heavy. A 10x lens needs to be wel supported. The fantastic lens is the best thing about this camera. It is equivalent to a 28mm wide angle which is what I need for landscape shots and some professional uses. The 10x zoom covers a wide range of uses, and as promoted, this makes for a great travel camera. The macro capabilities are also great. I found battery life to be pretty good, the secret being to switch the camera off when not actally shooting. Some of the critcism about the low light capabilities is correct, but I find the problems associated with this camera to be no worse than other cameras that I have tried. Even my DSLR gives me grief in low light.

Negative comments on the image quality in other reviews seem a little exaggerated. The color rendition in this camera is very natural. The image processing engine IS too agressive and the images tend to be on the soft side, which is a bit silly when you have this great Leica lens. It's not a problem with small prints but you'll notice it on larger prints on less contrasty subjects. The information seems to be there, however, as they are easily sharpened up using Photoshop (or even using Preview on my Mac). Since I post-process all my photos, this is not a problem for me. I don't shoot video on this camera (that's what Camcorders are for) so I cannot comment on the microphone quality.

Drawbacks: I found the lack of a viewfinder to be the major drawback on this camera. I do not like holding the camera at arms length, even with its impressive shake reduction (although I note that most people like to take pictures this way and do not use their viewfinders. Even the bright LCD screen washes out in bright sunlight making it difficult to compose a shot. Note to Panasonic - put a viewfinder in upcoming models. or give the camera a swiveling LCD that is easier to shade. Also put a few more contols of the image processor so that we could sharpen up out pictures a little.

This camera isn't perfect, but for its size it has an excellent optical range. Even for the serious photographer types, it makes a great portable second camera.

I bought the camera to replace a perfectly fine Canon SD550, because the TZ3 featured 10x zoom and image stabilization. After a recent vacation trip, it turns out that the feature that I like best is the wide angle end of the lens, which gives just enough additional field of view to make a noticeable difference in pictures of scenery, etc. (it is 28mm equivalent versus 35mm for the Canon and most point and shoot cameras). The surprise feature that I would rank #2 is the easy-to-set-up scene modes, which I found very useful in practice. The long zoom is startling for such a small camera too, although there are no miracles and indoor pictures in low light at high zoom can disappoint.

All in all the camera is small and light enough to bring everywhere, has versatile, intuitive controls and it delivers great pictures with no annoying compromises.

Love this camera. Takes photos much faster than my older digital camera. The movie mode takes pretty good small videos for a camera! Great zoom. Great stabilizer.

I have had the camera for a month now and I absolutely love it. I bought it for the massive zoom and the ability to slip it into my pocket. I was also looking for something inexpensive, but is feature rich and adjustable. The lumix offers so much more than that. I love the 10x Zoom. It turns out that I have used high zoom many times in a month. I am glad I did not buy a camera that has a 3x or 4x zoom like the canon, or go around toting a big camera bag.

The camera has lots of very handy adjustments. I haven't figured out all of them yet though and keep discovering new features. The lcd display is big and very good.

I never missed not having a view finder. Frankly, who uses view finders with digital cameras anyway?

The only con I found so far, and hence 4 stars - the low light pictures are good, but could be better. It still is a great improvement over a minolta and a canon I had previously.

Pros
1. Good zoom. Can go upto 60X in digital mode with 3megapixel.
2. Good outdoor photos
3. Can not carry in pocket but can carry in the camera bag attached to belt
4. Bigger LCD screen
Cons
1. Bad indoor pictures
2. Avoid using this for night pictures

I tested this camera extensively. For casual point-and-shooters, who print small prints, this camera is small, has a great zoom lens, and gives usable pictures. For those like me, who like enlarging pictures, or cropping, this camera blurs details. The Venus noise reduction system applies a blur to all images, greatly softening detail at high magnification. At close magnification of test images, my old Canon S50 pocket digital camera provides much more crisp detail, while this Panasonic TZ3 blurs all the fine details in an image. This was true in bright daylight, flash, at all ISO's, and was especially severe in low light. After testing this, I returned it.
If you want a casual point-and-shoot camera with a great zoom lens, this is a good choice. If you are into semi-serious use of the images, you will find loss of detail unacceptable.

Although not necessarily immediately apparent at first glance, digital camera technology has come a long way in the past few years. We needed to replace a DSC-T1, state of the art at its time, due to increasing frustration with missed shots. With a new baby, the need to get a shot quickly and the first time is critical. With the T1, there were far too many times where we needed to try and try again, at which point the chance was lost.

Another part of the consideration was zoom. After a recent trip to Alaska, the 3X optical zoom proved entirely inefficient for anything other than someone standing in front of you.

The TZ3K has solvved our problems admirably. It is an easy-to-use camera which we bought trhough Amazon and put through its paces on a trip to Martha's Vineyard with the baby. We were constantly amazed at how the camera was able to interpret the setting to compensate for problems, account for the baby moving, and get a great shot the first time. We kept taking second shots because we are used to it, but inevitably it was the first shot that was better.

For a small camera, it is remarkable that it can handle 10X optical zoom at 7.2 megapixels. Surprisingly, they do not market that it can do better. By changing the resolution to 5MP, you can get 12X optical zoom, 15X optical at 3MP (which is perfectly fine for printing up to 5X7 prints), and so on.

We are thrilled with the camera. It is not as small as the previous T1, but there is no shortage of equally small cameras, and we decided that this was not really what we valued most.

this camera is a bit more bulky than my old optio but the excellence of the lens and the 10 times zoom makes up for it.

I find it very easy to use and it has just the essencials to take great pictures. It's more about the photography than the camera itself.

Well, the selling feature of 10x optical zoom had me hooked. Unfortunately, the picture quality was terrible(not just the zoom pix). I had a Kodak for 4 years and it took MUCH better pix. My daughter's Olympus had great pix of the same events that I took with the Panasonic. I returned it after using it at a weekend basketball tourney; I purchased a Cannon A710 as a deparation purchase the night before I left for a big trip and was thrilled with the pix quality and features.

After much reading, researching, testing and looking at feedback and reviews from other Amazon buyers (Thanks John Mc Quitty of Texas for your helpful tips) I finally decided to trade in my Powershot S80 for the Lumix TZ3 instead of the Canon G7, and I have to say that I have absolutely no regrets. The zoom and the 28mm wide angle was the decision maker for me. Where else can you find such a powerful lens on a camera that fits in yer pocket? The TZ3 is the only game in town. The operation is simple, and most importantly the photos are very, very good. If you don't want to fuss with manual settings and spend a long time learning how to them, and want an easy to use out of the box camera with some very fine features then I would highly recommend the TZ3. It is the ideal travelers camera!

For an average shooter this is a fantastic camera. You won't be sorry. If you're a professional, don't bother to write a review. You should know better before you buy. This is a great point and shoot and if you want to experiment you can try different settings. Went to Bryce Canyon and love the camera. Battery life is excellent. Get a backup they're cheap. I bought this for the 10x optical which can go to 15x if you set the pixs at 3.2 or 12x at 5 pix. The surprise I'm appreciating is the 28mm wide angle.You can also shoot in 4:3 or 16:9 and playback in 16:9 for letterbox TV. It is small enough to keep in shorts and loose pants pockets all day. I appreciate the Amazon reviews, very helpful.

I have had this camera for about a month now and love the picture quality, the wide angle and 10x zoom lens. This really is the best in compact cameras. My shots have been in perfect focus and the colors are excellent. My one major complaint is the lack of an optical viewfinder! I love the big 3 inch LCD but it is still very hard to see what you're shooting in bright daylight! The battery is excellent. Why buy a camera that takes regular batteries and then have to pay $25 more for rechargables? I don't get it! I also decided to downsize to a compact this time because I never wanted to lug my camera case around and missed many photo opportunities. Now my camera fits right in my purse and has a 10X zoom! I really do love this camera!

Panasonic has quite a digital camera in the TZ3. There's not much missing from this camera - love the 28mm wide angle lens that zooms to 10X. The 3" LCD screen has excellent IS/Image Stabilization. I have been looking for all the features in a fairly compact camera. Love the "clicking" sound produced when you push the shutter release button. This camera takes great pictures. Haven't tried the video mode as yet. Overall, this is really the best compact camera I've owned. It does so much in such a small format.

Shopped around quite a bit for my next camera and settled on the Panasonic Lumix with 10x zoom and I haven't been disappointed. Excellent picture quality, good interface (not perfect - sometimes hard to figure out exactly what "mode" will yield the best pictures), beautiful and large LCD (with high setting for outdoor viewing), and that fantastic 10x zoom that takes close-ups and long shots with equal aplomb.

All the features work extremely well and I've been very impressed with outside, inside, low-light, flash and backlit pictures that I've taken (and I've taken about 400 to date). The battery life is very good, lasting about 200 pics from what I estimate. While it doesn't charge with USB (which would be ideal) or have a cradle, the charger is very small and light and easy to travel with. The features on the camera are mostly automatic, but many can be adjusted manually pretty quickly to adjust to the situation.

I'm also impressed with the video, in particular the ability to take 16:9 format video (and still shots too) makes it a must-have for anyone with an HD TV. The video isn't quite HD, but it looks fantastic on the TV. The only downside is how much space the video takes (I assume because of the Quicktime format). Get a big memory card - at least 4GB if not 8GB if you plan on taking lots of video.

Overall this camera offers a relatively compact size and is as easy to use as any point-n-shoot with some of the most necessary features of a DSLR. It isn't professional quality - but it's as close as you can get for the price and size as most consumers looking to take great pictures will need.

Im a photographer. I compared this head to head with My Canon S70. The S70 quality of pictures far exceeded this camera. After working with other photographers and Panasonic I have determined It can NOT take a very high quality picture even in perfect situations. It only takes pix with 72 DPI vs 180 DPI with my Canon. The highest MB image it will take is 3.51. My canon will take averate 2.5 to 3.5 and will do 4.5-5.5 often. WHY is this important. Well if you blow this picture up to say 5x7 or larter you will notice SIGNIFICANT grain and distortion. It was sad. I took pix in all lights and even focused on ASA 100 and used a tripod. Im sending it back, Its not worth keeping for anyone who wants to blow up or appreciate a good picture. Panasonic even stated its a beginners camera. So my 5 year old technology in my Canon 7m camera Blows this Brand new camera out of the water.

This camera is everything I expected and more. The 10 optical is amazing. I went to Hawaii on the 4th of July and I was able to capture the fireworks from across the water and the city as if I were right in the midst. I love it and you wouldn't be disappointed if you purchased it either. The battery life is great. If you planning to use the record feature, you'd better have a large GB memory card though.

Japanese made, metal body, Leica lens, great price, great pics, low noise.
Only other brand is Canon to consider which has probably a better sensor due to Canon's cutting edge CMOS technology giving maybe 1 stop of advantage on the noise stakes. However, in real life I think this Panasonic edges it out on top with the quality lens and overall package. Highly recommended.

Sorry, but Electronics Expo never send the product that I bought. After two weeks waiting, I complany to Amazon and after one week more they told me that the camera couldn't be sent. I got back my money.

I'm loving this camera. Although it's a little heavier than my Nikon coolpix 5900, it is way better in the amount of time lag between shots. It feels like a much better made product also. Haven't had the time to explore and try all the capabilities yet, but so far I'm one happy camper!

Great camera! I've owned many digital cameras and they all have their positives and negatives... but what I realized that I needed most was optical zoom better than 3x because I love to take close up shots of people and pets. The Panasonic Lumix is great!! 10x optical zoom is exactly what I needed. The shots are great... clear... this camera is easy to use. I've only had it a few weeks and still learning about all the settings available and what to use when. But some of the obvious settings(beach, sunset, portrait, macro) have produced some amazing shots and I'm excited for an upcoming vacation to take/learn more. The camera is comfortable to hold. The LCD screen is HUGE!! Battery life seems to be more than adequate (especially compared to AA rechargeables I've had in previous cameras). The charger is quick... and I purchased an extra battery and charger to use in my car which is convenient. Enjoy this camera... I am.

The whole credit goes to [...] for its excellent shipping acions.
The camera is of professional use with many a function.The incredible zoom in such a slim camera is an added advantage.

Just got back from a Tanzania safari. After way too much on-line research, I'd bought this as a back-up to my Canon Rebel XTi (with its 20+ lb. of lenses and accessories). The TZ-3 has a few shortcomings, but what a fine and fun camera!

Outdoor image quality is excellent. The 28-280 Leica lens is amazingly versatile, capturing everything from landscapes and Serengeti sunsets to a leopard in a tree at 100 yards (not a full frame image, but quite usable). The interface is very user friendly. In any mode you just hold down the function key and up comes an on-screen menu of available adjustments and settings. The screen itself is just awesome - big, bright and beautiful.

Two of the stops on the mode selection wheel can be set to your favorite of the many available modes. There's an excellent macro mode. The sunset mode produces spectacular images. The night portrait mode is surprisingly effective, although you may need a tripod prevent blurring of the background. The IS (image stabilization) feature works great, but you will still need a tripod or other support if you zoom out to the full 10x.