Equipped with a 3-inch high definition
monitor, the DMC-TZ3 offers the user a crisp, clear and very
legible interface that is, in addition, easy to learn. Different
levels of information can be shown on the monitor, and one
of these places a reduced size image on the top left while
the camera settings are shown in white on a black background
on the right and below the image, ideal when a strong contrast
is needed on the monitor to overcome very bright ambient light.
In addition, this model also offers a Function menu that
allows modifying the most important settings quickly, avoiding
having to access the full Recording menu. The other menus
of the DMC-TZ3 are typical of Panasonic cameras, presenting
options on coloured backgrounds that not only provide a good
contrast, but are easily distinguished since each uses a specific
colour. Whichever menu is used — with the exception
of the abbreviated menu of the Simple mode
— an access to the camera's basic Setup
options is offered through a tab on the left margin:
Clock Set: serves to set the time and date on the
DMC-TZ3.
World Time: allows changing the time zone, useful
while traveling.
Monitor: serves to adjust the brightness of the
monitor over ± 3 steps.
Guide Line allows setting the level of
information and the type of composition aid available:
Rec. Info: decides whether or not
capture settings are shown.
Histogram: decides if the histogram
is available.
Pattern: offers a choice of composition
grids (one divides the screen into 9 areas using the
rule of thirds, the other uses a cross to help with
diagonal compositions).
Travel Date: serves to set the start date of a
trip, which the camera can then display as day 1, or day
2, etc.
Auto Review: decides whether or not the image is
displayed immediately post-capture, and for how long (Off,
1 or 3 seconds, or Zoom). When Zoom is selected the image
appears full-screen for 1 second, and then zoomed to 4X
for an additional 1 second so that its sharpness can be
checked. The option is not available with images captured
with the Burst or Bracketing modes, or that contain audio.
Power Save: selects the time delay after which
the camera turns itself off if it is unused (1, 2, 5, 10
minutes or Off).
Zoom Resume: decides whether or not the
camera returns to the same zoom position when it is turned
back on.
Economy: increases battery life by powering down
the monitor:
Level 1 turns off the monitor if the camera
is not operated for more than 15 seconds in the recording
mode.
Level 2 turns off the monitor if the camera
is not operated for more than 15 seconds in the recording
mode, or 5 seconds after taking a photo.
Off: cancels the Economy mode.
Beep: serves to adjust the volume of the sound
produced by the camera when it is operated (Soft or Loud),
or turn it off.
Shutter: serves to set the volume of the shutter
sound (Soft, Loud or Off).
Volume: serves to adjust the playback volume for
audio recordings or movies over a range of 7 steps.
File No. Reset: decides whether files are numbered
consecutively or restart at 1 every time a new card is used
or the memory card is formatted.
Reset: returns all menu options, with the exception
of the date and time and the folder name, to their original
factory settings.
Video Out (accessible in Playback mode only) decides
the video out signal: NTSC or PAL.
TV Aspect (accessible in Playback mode
only): allows setting the output aspect to either 4:3 or
16:9, depending on the TV to which the camera is connected.
Scene Menu: decides whether or not the scene menu
is shown when the Mode dial is set to SCN1 or SCN2.
Alternatively, pressing the Menu button once displays the
Scene menu.
Dial Display: turns on or off the virtual
dial displayed on the monitor when the Mode Dial is turned.
Language: selects the interface language (English,
German, French, Spanish, Italian or Japanese).
The DMC-TZ3 comes with a thin printed manual that still covers,
without elaboration, all the options and functions of the camera.
Software
In North America, the Panasonic DMC-TZ3 is supplied with a
single CD that contains:
Lumix Simple Viewer,
PHOTOFunSTUDIO Viewer,
QuickTime,
Adobe Acrobat Reader,
USB Drivers for older operating systems,
PhotoImpression 5, Panorama Maker 3 and
PhotoBase 4.5 all from ArcSoft.
Lumix Simple Viewer is,
as its name indicates, primarily an image viewer and does not
allow any image editing. The program starts by presenting a
menu which offers options to Acquire Images to PC, View, Print,
or Send by E-mail. To view images, these must be "registered"
with the program first, a process that involves either importing
photos from a memory card or the camera while it is connected
to the computer, or from the hard disk.
Once imported, images can be viewed
easily, either in the presentation shown above, or in a slide
show-like mode that even allows seeing the image at 100% scale.
PHOTOFunSTUDIO Viewer
is an image browser that displays the folders — on a
hard disk, a memory card reader, or even the camera connected
via USB — on the left and the content of a selected
folder on the right.
Although more advanced than Simple Viewer, PhotofunStudio
Viewer does not allow any serious image editing. Instead,
up to four external editors can be linked into the program,
making it easy to transfer an image to be edited into the
appropriate application.
PhotoImpression 5
is provided for image editing. The program offers tools to
sharpen, brighten or change the contrast, saturation, or colour
tone of images. The program can also be used to resize images,
or add frames and text, and is capable of performing automatic
red-eye correction. Finally it can also be used to create
photo albums, and offers a wide range of templates.
PanoramaMaker 3 is designed
to stitch together a series of contiguous photos so they can
be assembled into a single large image horizontally, vertically
or as a mosaic. Regrettably, the DMC-TZ3 does not offer a
panoramic mode.
PhotoBase 4.5 is intended to organize still images
and video clips, and manage them through a database. And finally,
QuickTime is to view the video clips recorded with
the DMC-TZ3.
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Interface & Software
