DMC-ZS3/DMC-TZ7 reviews

[dampfnudel]

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Pa...x_DMC_TZ7_ZS3/

http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...mc_tz7_review/

It looks like the ZS3 is a hit.

[Dark Cobra]

Yes indeed! There's just one more review I'm waiting for and that's the Fuji F200EXR. If the Pany still holds up against that, then the Pany will be my next compact for sure.

[dampfnudel]

More positive ZS3/TZ7 reviews:

http://www.trustedreviews.com/digita...mix-DMC-TZ7/p1

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digi...w_roundup.html

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/dpadvisor...eviewid=110763

http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/revi...98?image=39874

[Dark Cobra]

Well I doubt at this point if we'll be seeing a "bad" review of this jewel. All indications are this is going to be yet another monster hit for Pany. As a Canon guy I've got to take my hat off to the folks at Pany. They never gave up and stuck with it and now it's paying off for them. Sadly, Canon has been asleep at the wheel for too long and they are going to pay a hefty price for it now. My pre-order with Amazon is already in for a black TZ7 and I can't wait!

Thanks "dampfnudel" for the information.

[serpa4]

I'm disappointed in the review. I was hoping the ZS3 would do worse as to give me an excuse to consider the Canon SX200IS even with its limitations but manual controls. I'm a Canon fan and have owned may of them. Unfortunately the Pana reviews quite well and I'll have to drop my loyalty to Canon and purchase the superior Pana; well only if the Samsung HZ15W is crappy like the Canon. I have high (too high) expectations for the Samsung, but if it cannot give good IQ (hasn't in past), then based on the reviews, the Pana will be a superb camera to buy. Just wish it had manual controls!

[Dark Cobra]

I hear ya "serpa4"! Can you imagine the next Pany "ZS4" we'll call it, including manual controls and the larger 1/1.7 sensor (would probably have to give up some of that zoom due to the physics of CCD technology). The LX3 has these two items but it has a much faster lens and a few other tricks.

[serpa4]

Not too optimistic about the "next" zs camera. I think it will be the same, no manual controls. We've been hoping for manual in every one previous to this model and no luck. Just not enough demand I guess. There is plenty of room on the mode knob though to add PSAM. I heard the pana has no iris and thus really couldn't be too good of a PSAM anyway. I'd still like to control shutter speed and WB. Guess in the sceen modes you have even less control. Well, at least it takes very good photos for a compact camera. I'm not a pixel peeper, but do look at my photos at 100% very often. I just don't go around looking for things like top left in in focus but bottom right isn't, dark corners, etc. Not that picky.
Good camer, good price, best lense, best size, all the key components but PSAM. I don't think its much to ask for, just software programing! isn't it?

[Dark Cobra]

Actually I think the demand for manual controls is significant. Even the Pro-reviewers are puzzled as to why there is an absence of such features. All we can do is continue to hope that one day they surprise us all!

[Jonathan Gingerich]

Part of me hopes not.

There's not a whole lot you can do creatively with S and A on such a small sensor. Instead Panasonic offers intelligent settings, maximum ISO, minimum shutter speed, for the camera.

It is what it is, a brilliant snapshot camera - as in "snap shot" - portable enough to always be with you, with a WA to telephoto range, and great automatic features.

Adding direct manual controls is something of a bow to marketing...

[Dark Cobra]

Hmmm . . . maybe you guys are right on the manual control thing. I guess I should think about it some more. It's just that I've always thought having manual control over aperture and speed allows for even greater control over final image (even for a small camera). Maybe not huh?

Depth of field is great with small sensors in pocket cams so not a whole lot of image change will occur in that area. In night shooting, I've always liked to force wider apertures but if the camera has a decent night shoot mode then that pretty much mimics the settings I would be selecting. So all-in-all, maybe your guys are right and full manual controls just aren't as important in a pocket cam as it would be in a DSLR.