The Panasonic Lumix FZ3 has a very legible interface that
provides all the basic information the user requires at a glance.
Similarly, menus are easily understood as each item is clearly
identified with text, and so are the options for each of the
items.
Aside from the menu of the Simple mode, the way the menus function
is identical in all modes, with the first section containing selections
that are directly relevant to the current mode of the camera (Recording
or Playback), and the second section providing access to the Setup menu:
Monitor: serves to adjust the brightness of the
LCD monitor, or the EVF, whichever is currently in use.
Auto Review: sets the image display time after capture.
Options are 1 or 3seconds; Zoom,
which zooms the image 4X, or Off).
Play on LCD: On or Off. When On, the playback image
is automatically shown on the LCD monitor.
Power Save: turns Off the camera after a period
of inactivity (1, 2, 5 or 10 minutes, or Off).
Beep: selects the volume for operational sounds
(High, Low, Off).
Shutter: sets the volume of the shutter sound (Loud,
Soft, Off).
Volume: adjusts the speaker's sound volume in 7
steps.
Clock Set: serves to set the time and date on the
camera.
File Number Reset: restarts file numbering from
1.
Reset: returns the settings for the recording and
setup menus to their defaults, with the exception of the
date and folder number.
USB Mode: serves to choose the USB protocol, either: PC,
to connect the camera to a computer: or PictBridge, to
connect the FZ3 directly to a PictBridge compatible printer.
Highlight: On or Off. When On and the camera is
in playback, white saturated areas are shown as blinking
in black and white.
Video Out (accessible in Playback only) sets the
video out signal: NTSC or PAL.
Scene Menu: Off or Auto. When Off the Scene mode
selection menu is not displayed when the Mode dial is turned
to the Scene position. When set to Auto, the Scene mode selection
menu is automatically displayed.
Language: selects the interface language (English,
French, Italian, Japanese, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese).
A printed manual is supplied with the DMC-FZ3, and, if desired
a PDF version of the manual can be downloaded from some of Panasonic's
Web sites. The manual is clearly written, and its explanations
are detailed enough to satisfy anyone.
Software
The North American version of the
Panasonic DMC-FZ3 is supplied with a single CD that contains
Panasonic's SD Viewer 2.0 (Windows), ArcSoft PhotoImpression 5, Panorama
Maker 3 , PhotoBase 4.5, Acrobat Reader (for
Windows and Macintosh), QuickTime (for Windows and Macintosh),
and the USB drivers necessary for older Windows versions.
Panasonic SD Viewer 2.0 is a multi-purpose program that serves to
organize, print, or create slide shows.
SD Viewer presents photos as an
index or contact sheet with variable size thumbnails on the right
side of the program's window, with the source folders shown on
the left side. Although SD Viewer has no image editing functions,
some photo manipulation is possible. Photos can be cropped, or
rotated before printing, and the photo's capture date can be
superimposed on the top left, bottom left, or top/bottom right
sides as desired.
All types of files contained
within a folder can be seen, and it is possible to specify
that only JPEG, or TIFF, or MOV files will be shown. Image
editing however relies on an another program: PhotoImpression 5.
PhotoImpression 5 allows adjusting photos for brightness, contrast,
or sharpness. In addition, the program can be used to resize
or crop photos, adjust their colour tone, or eliminate red-eye
automatically. Moreover, it is possible to add borders or graphics
to photos prior to printing them.
Panorama Maker 3 is
designed to make it easy to assemble images into panoramic
photos.
PhotoBase 4.5 is a tool to organize photos or videos.
And QuickTime serves to see the MOV video clip files captured
with the FZ3.
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Interface & Software
