As you are making a purchase decision, we suggest that you take the time to read some DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera reviews in order to see what other consumers have to say about the product. Here are some user reviews to help you make your shopping decision:

Camera arrived quickly and was easy to set up. Make sure you get a large memory card for this as a 10MP camera creates large files. I work on a MAC and the camera was recognized automatically. The zoom is incredible and the video works fine. Very impressed with this camera.
-M. Anderson (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

Although I have a Nikon D80 DSLR, I needed a more compact point and shoot camera replacement for my aging Canon S60 with dying batteries. After reading a couple of reviews and a visit to a local camera store I decided to choose the DMC ZS3 over the competing Canon SX200 IS with very similar features. Although the Canon is more familiar to me and has more manual features, the compact size of the Panasonic with better battery life, robust video functions and the fact that it's still made in Japan (versus the Canon which is now manufactured in China) edged out the Canon for me personally (you may want to try both to decide for yourself). So far I have been very happy with this versatile camera - screen is big and bright, facial recognition is neat, zoom is remarkable for a camera of its size and the video quality is excellent for a camera. Only downside is that like the camera store employee said - the autofocus motors inside the Panasonics do seem to be quite loud - i.e. if you are aiming the camera around randomly you can hear the motors whirling away as it refocuses at different potential targets. I enjoyed this purchase and I would recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a easy-to-use, high quality point and shoot with 12x optical zoom.
-Helldiver (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

The lens is the strongest asset of this camera. The battery will last around 200-250 images. I would recommend you carry at least one extra. I had 2 extra non oem and the latest firmware prevents you from using them,so that is a deal killer if I had not been able to reset to the prior firmware. The images are very good from this unit, only wish it had a raw format available. Also the self timer has to be set each time,very inconvienent. Wish it had a viewfinder but the screen is very good.

Video is very good and easy. Overall I would recommend this unit albeit a bit pricy, it is fairly easy to use with a GREAT lens!
-M. Pease (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

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This camera is simply awesome. I owned two panasonic DC (FX7 and TZ3) and was disappointed at their performance under low-light condition. And the color of the pictures is always a bit washed out compared to my Sony and Nikon DCs. I bought this one as a gift to my boyfriend (he has a DSLR, just wants a cheap p&s as a back-up), and we brought this camera to a festival this weekend. The result blown us away. This is a much much appreciated upgrade to my TZ3. The picture and video quality is superb. Yes, the AVCHD video file is rare, but luckily I've had some video-editing softwares which can handle that. For just watching the videos, VLC player does a good job. Low-light performance is fair, definitely much better than my previous panasonic models. A tripod is still strongly recommended.
-T. Rose (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

Easily the best compact digital camera I have ever owned. The 12x optical zoom is outstanding. The picture quality is amazing. My only complaint is how difficult it has been to find a decent camera bag.
-M. Sanders (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

I love this camera.. I had to return it the first time because the screen was damaged but amazon replaced my camera. Even my DSLR-loving friends cannot praise this camera enough for its super-fantastic 12x zoom which is really great for concerts and shows (if you're sitting far far away). The night modes are really good because even with a flash the photos look naturally lit. The iA (intelligent auto) detects virtually any kind of scenery automatically and adjusts settings automatically. In short, I love this camera - it takes beautiful pictures with very little effort required.
-Sunita (DMC-ZS3 Panasonic Lumix Camera user review from Amazon.com)

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