The new Panasonic DMC-TZ3
shares its body design with the DMC-TZ2. Of the two, this
is the higher resolution model, offering a 7.2-megapixel resolution
and a 3-inch LCD monitor, while the DMC-TZ2 has a 6-megapixel
resolution and a 2.5-inch monitor.
The DMC-TZ3 is entirely metal
clad, and can be had in a black, night blue or silver finish.
Whatever the colour, the finishing is excellent.
Five controls are located on
top of the camera, grouped on the right side.
The 2-stage shutter release is at the centre
of the zoom control. As is generally the
case, the zoom control also serves to zoom into an image when
pulled towards the T
side, allowing magnification in increments of 2X, 4X, 8X and
16X at the maximum. While when the zoom control is pushed
to the W
side, captured images can be seen in an index format, first
9 per screen, then 25 per screen, or viewed and organized
in a calendar format that presents the first image of those
captured on at any given date for the current month.
To the right of the shutter release/zoom
control, and nearer the front of the camera, a small round
button controls the operation of the Mega O.I.S stabilizer.
Pressing the button displays a short menu with three options:
Turns Off
the optical image stabilizer, which must be done when
the camera is mounted on a tripod or stabilized in some
other way so as to avoid any potential interference from
the stabilization system.
Mode 1: stabilizes
the image continuously, both during preview and capture.
Mode 2: stabilizes
the image only at the precise moment of capture, providing
both a higher degree of stabilization, and a lower energy
consumption.
The fourth control on the top right of the DMC-TZ3 is the
On/Off switch for the camera, mounted directly
behind the stabilizer button.
The fifth control, to the left of the shutter release, is
the Mode dial, which has 10 positions. When the dial
is turned, an animation of the dial appears on-screen, avoiding
the need to look at the dial directly while turning it:
Normal mode is the
equivalent of the Program AE mode of most
other cameras. The aperture and shutter speed are automatically
selected by the TZ3, while the user can adjust white balance,
ISO, and other settings.
IntelligentISO uses the technology found in the
new Venus III image processor, which adjusts sensitivity
not only according to the amount of light reaching the
CCD, but also according to the subject's movement, allowing
the use of low ISO settings with still subjects, and an
ISO sensitivity increase commensurate with the subject's
motion so that it is captured without blur. The upper
limit of the sensitivity gain can be specified in the
camera's menu (see the Characteristics
section of the review for more information about the menu's
contents).
Playback mode
serves to review captured images and movies.
Simple mode takes care
of everything, and only requires the user to press the
shutter release. Should the subject be backlit, the flash
can be activated so as to obtain a correct exposure, and
a 10-second self-timer is available.
The next two positions on
the dial provide access to any one of the 21 Scene
modes available with the TZ3, making it possible
to preset one mode at SCN1 and another at SCN2. Scene
mode selection is done by pressing the MENU/SET
button on the back of the camera (see further):
Portrait
Soft Skin
Self Portrait
Scenery
Sports
Night Portrait
Night Scenery
Food
Party
Candle Light
Baby 1
Baby 2
Pets
Sunset
High Sensitivity
Starry Sky
Fireworks
Beach
Snow
Aerial Photo
Underwater
Clipboard
saves images to the camera's internal memory, even when
there is a memory card present in the camera. This mode
makes it possible to capture photos of maps, plans, or
even schedules at a resolution of 1M or 2M without taking
up memory card space.
Print mode
serves to make prints while the DMC-TZ3 is connected to
a PictBridge compatible printer. Once
the camera is connected, a menu is displayed on the monitor
making it possible to select the images to print, the
number of copies to make, the print format, the layout,
and whether or not the capture date should be superimposed
on the print.
Motion Image mode
captures movies with mono sound. Three frame sizes are
available:
4:3 Ratio:
VGA: 640 x 480 pixels at 30 or 10 frames
per second.
QVGA: 320 x 240 pixels at 30 or 10 frames
per second.
16:9 Ratio:
848 x 480 pixels at 30 or 10 frames per second.
The optical zoom is locked at its current position
when the recording starts, as is the focus, and the
optical stabilizer only operates in Mode 1.
Exposure and white balance are adjusted as the recording
progresses. Any single recording is limited to a maximum
of 2 GB, and cannot be captured using an MMC
(MultiMedia) memory card.
Macro mode allows
the camera to focus on a subject that is 5 cm (2 inch)
from the lens when the zoom is at the wide angle end,
and 1 m (3.28 ft) at the telephoto end.
The remaining external controls of the TZ3 are grouped to
the right of the monitor. The 3-inch monitor
is composed of 230,000 pixels, and serves
both to preview and review photos as there is no optical viewfinder.
Four buttons, arranged in a circle, with a round MENU/SET
button at the centre of the circle, act as a standard 4-direction
control. The group serves to navigate menus and review images
in Playback, while the MENU/SET button serves to call up the
menu, and confirm selections. In addition, each of the directional
buttons supports another function when the camera is in a
capture mode:
The up arrow serves
to access up to three settings, depending on the camera's
mode:
Exposure Compensation over a range of ±
2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
Exposure Bracketing over a range of ±1
EV in 1/3 EV increments.
White Balance Adjustment when the white balance
is set to a setting other than Auto, making it possible
to adjust the colour tone towards red or blue in 10
steps.
And, when the camera is set to the Simple
mode, the button controls the backlight option, which
uses the flash to provide fill-in light and ensure
the foreground is well lit.
The right arrow
button controls the Flash Modes: Auto,
Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced On with
Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synch with Red-eye Reduction,
or Forced Off.
REV
The Down arrow starts
the Review Mode, which displays the last captured
imagefor 10 seconds, a period of time during
which the image can be deleted, or zoomed to 4X then
8X. The mode does not offer access to the Playback menu.
The left arrow
controls the Self-timer: offering a 10 or 2 second
delay, except in the Simple Mode when
the self-timer is limited to 10 seconds.
The last two external controls of the DMC-TZ3 are located
directly below the 4-direction control.
On the left, the DISPLAY
button serves to select the level of information superimposed
on the monitor. The button also serves to control the brightness
of the monitor (LCD MODE) when it is pressed for more
than 1 second, offering three options:
Off, the default setting, which uses a standard
brightness level.
Power LCD brightens up the display so it is easier
to see outdoors.
High Angle increases the brightness further, and
is designed to make the monitor visible to the user when
the camera is held overhead, as when shooting above people's
heads in a crowd.
With the TZ3 set to a capture mode, the DISPLAY
button cycles through different levels of information, all superimposed
on the image.
By default, all active camera
settings are indicated on the periphery of the image. Then
a histogram can be added, indicating the distribution of brightness
in the frame. Another presentation places the image in the
upper left of the screen while the camera settings are shown
atop a black inverted L shape on the right side and below
the image. Still another deletes almost all superimposed information
but overlays a composition grid in addition to the AF area.
And, with the exception of the Simple and Clipboard modes,
the DMC-TZ3 displays the selected shutter speed and aperture
when the shutter release is pressed halfway.
With the camera in Playback
mode, the default display superimposes the image
resolution, battery state, image file name and its position
within all the images in memory, as well as the date and time
of capture. Pressing the DISPLAY button once
adds the image's histogram, and removes all other information.
The other button, on the right, also supports two functions:
FUNC
In the capture modes,
the button displays a menu referred to as the Quick
Setting menu at the top of the monitor that
contains the most important settings, allowing them
to be modified quickly. The number of options displayed
varies according to the capture mode, and the Simple
mode has no Quick Setting menu. When all options are
available, the following can be controlled:
Drive mode:
OFF: records one image every
time the shutter release is pressed.
High Speed captures 5 images at the highest
JPEG image quality and the highest resolution
at 3 frames per second.
Low Speed captures 5 images at the highest
JPEG image quality and the highest resolution
at 2 frames per second.
Unlimited captures JPEG images at 2
frames per second for as long as there is
space on the memory card.
White Balance: Auto, Daylight,
Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent or Custom (established
under ambient light using a white surface)
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200,
400, 800 or 1250 ISO. When the camera is set to Intelligent
ISO this option serves to set the maximum sensitivity
the camera can use (400, 800 or 1250 ISO).
Image Aspect Ratio: 4:3, 3:2 or
16:9.
Image Size: see the Characteristics
section of the review for a list of the image sizes
available with the DMC-TZ3.
Image Quality selects the compression
level: Low or Standard.
While when the camera is set
to the playback mode, it serves to delete
unwanted images either one at a time, or those that have
been selected in an index view.
Compare Prices for Panasonic DMC-TZ3/S 7.2MP Digital Camera
Ergonomics
side, allowing magnification in increments of 2X, 4X, 8X and
16X at the maximum. While when the zoom control is pushed
to the W 
side, captured images can be seen in an index format, first
9 per screen, then 25 per screen, or viewed and organized
in a calendar format that presents the first image of those
captured on at any given date for the current month.
High Speed captures 5 images at the highest
JPEG image quality and the highest resolution
at 3 frames per second.
Low Speed captures 5 images at the highest
JPEG image quality and the highest resolution
at 2 frames per second.
Unlimited captures JPEG images at 2
frames per second for as long as there is
space on the memory card.
