Panasonic ZS3? Sony DSC-W350? DSC-W370? Canon? Please help!!! I have researched all the available options when it comes to a good point and shoot camera I'm actually dizzy! All I want is a camera that can take really good pictures but that it doesn't take forever to take it. With my old Olympus the time between pressing the shutter and the time the camera takes the actual picture is ridiculous! I can't take pictures of my son smiling because by the time the camera takes the picture my son is in another room! I guess the idea of how fast the camera takes the picture is my biggest concern. Which one will you recommend? The Panasonic ZS3 and Sony's new cameras sound promising but I don't really know which one is the best choice when you consider shutter lag.Help please :)Isabel Panasonic ZS3? Sony DSC-W350? DSC-W370? Canon? Please help!!! I have researched all the available options when it comes to a good point and shoot camera I'm actually dizzy! All I want is a... » Read More Panasonic ZS3? Sony DSC-W350? DSC-W370? Canon? Please help!!! I have researched all the available options when it comes to a good point and shoot camera I'm actually dizzy! All I want is a camera that can take really good pictures but that it doesn't take forever to take it. With my old Olympus the time between pressing the shutter and the time the camera takes the actual picture is ridiculous! I can't take pictures of my son smiling because by the time the camera takes the picture my son is in another room! I guess the idea of how fast the camera takes the picture is my biggest concern. Which one will you recommend? The Panasonic ZS3 and Sony's new cameras sound promising but I don't really know which one is the best choice when you consider shutter lag.Help please :)Isabel « Show Less
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Still stuck on the decision. I guess I'll wait a little more. Thanks for your help :)
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Thanks C. Falkner...you see the difference between you guys and me is that you actually know what you're talking about and I'm just a mom trying to get good pictures of her son. Thanks for helping me make a good investment :)
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I think most of Sony's new cameras have "smile detection," which may be helpful for your situation. I haven't tried it myself, so you may want to see how others who've used it think.
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Among the "compact ultra zoom" segment of digital cameras, the ZS3 camera consistently get rated as "best of class" by reviewers. See for example: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q209grouplongzoom/Though that's not for its speed, but rather overall--a combination of features and quality.
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Well, I'm now reading about another option: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H20/B 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot Image Stabilization.This one compares to the Panasonic ZS3 and both sell for approximately the same price. I guess I'm still stuck in wanting to figure out which one of these models (DSC-H20, ZS3, DSC-W350, W370) can do all of the things they promised but at a faster speed.
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Hi Glenn,Thanks for your response. I read that the w350 and w370 have that smile detection tool but then other people who have reviewed it say the quality of the pictures is just average. This is so difficult :). I'm now considering the Panasonic Zs3, the new Sony models and there is the Sony T90 which has nice reviews. I think Nikon also have the smile detection but apparently the shutter lag is not great. Do you have the Panasonic Zs3? Does it take pictures immediately after you press the shutter? Thanks for helping me with this decision.
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Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before I finally buy one. Thanks again for your time, that was very nice of you ;)Isabel Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before... » Read More Hi Glenn,Wow, thanks for doing that research for me. You found out in minutes what has taken me weeks!!! Well I guess with what you found I will have to narrow it down to either the T90 or the ZS3. I was reading other blogs that said that Panasonic is going to introduce a ZS7 and that might result in a price decrease on the ZS3 which is always good. I've talk to some people who are big fans of Sony cameras but, when you look at the table for shutter lags, they really are not doing so well. I will take your advice and go give them a "test drive" at Best Buy before I finally buy one. Thanks again for your time, that was very nice of you ;)Isabel « Show Less
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I suggest that you also think more about the lense than the operating software. The quality of the print is more dependant on the quality of the lense than anything else. The Panny has the Leica lense which is in a whole different class than anything Canon or Sony have. I have a Sony point-and-shoot, and saw some photo's a friend took with the Panasonic. The clarity is just amazing. No number of mega-pixels or fancy software can compensate for an unclear image.I'm buying the Panny.
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This may cause more confusion for you, but as most Panasonic cameras have Leica lenses, most Sony cameras have Zeiss lenses, which are also very well respected in the photography world.Which one is better? That's very much debatable. In fact, if you Google "Zeiss vs Leica," you'll find tons of results.Personally, I do like the Leica lenses very much, and the fact that they're able to fit an optical 12x zoom in such a small package is very impressive.
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I have the sony and love it. I particularly like the fantastic panoramic feature - I dont see a reference to that on the panasonic description here. I have had the Olympus variants of the waterproof cameras in the past and they were quite good. Have not taken the sony into the water yet - I assume it will be trouble free (as the olympus cameras have been in the past). The picture quality on the sony is a step up from my past cameras. Having not tried the Panasonic yet, I recommend the sony.
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I think I will buy the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 hybrid camera when more positive reviews are available, probably in April. It has stereo sound recording, usable zoom while taking video and 3" 460K resolution LCD. The only minor drawback with it is it does not support manual mode. There is no RAW mode too at this time, but that's software and they can easily add that later in new firmware. It also costs about $50 more than the SX200. Of course the SX1 IS is better, but that is a different class of camera and too bulky for light traveling.
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Thanks Janet, I kinda knew that, but was surprised that you would be using p&s.; I would love nothing more than to stick with a p&s;,but the shutter lag (for shooting puppies/dogs in motion)(low-key professionally) is KILLING me. Is it true, there is no p&s; with a truly shorter shutter lag?p.s. not to mention a big ol' black SLR scares heck outta puppies!
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I really like the Panasonic ZS30. I do not have the Fuji f900, although I've heard nice things about it. Google www.dpreview.com. I think they have professional reviews of both cameras. Might also try www.whatdigitalcamera.com. Another good place for professional reviews is www.cameralabs.com. If you go to www.whatdigitalcamera.com, it is a British magazine, and the ZS30 is known as the TZ40 in Europe - same camera. Both the Fuji and the Panasonic are highly rated.Another option to consider - Panasonic has announced that the ZS40 - next upgrade - will be coming out in March. It will have a 30X zoom, RAW shooting, and EVF, and several other new features. Might want to check that one out if you can wait a bit. I really like the Panasonic ZS30. I do not have the Fuji f900, although I've heard nice things about it. Google www.dpreview.com. I think they have professional reviews of both cameras. Might also try www.whatdigitalcamera.com. Another good place for professional reviews is www.cameralabs.com. If you go to www.whatdigitalcamera.com, it is a British magazine, and the ZS30 is known as the TZ40 in Europe - same camera. Both the Fuji and the Panasonic are highly rated.Another option to consider - Panasonic has announced that the ZS40 - next upgrade - will be coming out in March. It... » Read More I really like the Panasonic ZS30. I do not have the Fuji f900, although I've heard nice things about it. Google www.dpreview.com. I think they have professional reviews of both cameras. Might also try www.whatdigitalcamera.com. Another good place for professional reviews is www.cameralabs.com. If you go to www.whatdigitalcamera.com, it is a British magazine, and the ZS30 is known as the TZ40 in Europe - same camera. Both the Fuji and the Panasonic are highly rated.Another option to consider - Panasonic has announced that the ZS40 - next upgrade - will be coming out in March. It will have a 30X zoom, RAW shooting, and EVF, and several other new features. Might want to check that one out if you can wait a bit. « Show Less
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Your responses have been very helpful! I have always used Sony cameras and when looking to upgrade to a good zoom, I find Sony does not have a date stamp on any of their higher end cameras :-( so I'm looking to Panasonic. My question to you is - will this Panasonic FZ18 do well when just set to automatic when used for zooming? I like GOOD pictures...but don't like fiddling with the camera and losing the "moment." Also, what is the difference between OPTICAL zoom and DIGITAL zoom? Thank you.
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I have the same problem. I like the Nikon but it just came out. The Panasonic has very good reviews including the zs1. I believe the zs1 is just as good of a camera as the zs3 except for video. I would still like some opinions on the nikon s8000 vs panasonic zs1 or zs3.
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Greetings, I have both cameras, they are actually both GREAT! Some random thoughts: I like the ZS3 25mm wide views. The Sony's battery last longer. I like the SD card of the Pana. The Pana is thinner and a bit easier to carry. This is VERY subjective - the Sony video is slightly sharper. Small sound of the motor when zooming the pana video. Both cameras have tac sharp pictures. It's a hard one because both are so good.
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Thanks very much for the info., Les. I actually returned my camera when even Panasonic tech support couldn't fix the problem, but I later learned it was not a defective camera. I'll be buying it again in the near future as I think it's a great camera, and I'll be saving your message in an attempt to figure it all out. Also, too bad there's no flash button on the camera and that you have to go to the menu to fiddle with it. That's weird! (and too bad it doesn't pop up automatically, like my Sony) THANKS AGAIN! Jeffroar
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Have you had any problems with dust? I found three or more reviews on the DMC-ZS8 with particles of dirt accumulating. How's your camera faring with this problem? One person actually took the time to take the camera apart to clean it - Amazing! He wrote how he did it and posted it in the July/August 2011 time period. I can't purchase this camera with confidence even though it sounds great. Thanks much.
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Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3 is known as the TZ7 in Europe). Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3... » Read More Ninan, I have the ZS3 and love it. I reviewed the H20 and it lacks a few things. Most notably, the lens only goes to 38mm on the wide end compared the the ZS3 which goes all the out to 25mm. That was enough for me to rule out the H20, so I don't know much more about it.I'd suggest going to the Panasonic global website at www.panasonic.net/avc/lumix and checking out their info on the ZS3. It is amazing.Then go to youtube and search for "tz7 night restaurant" and "20090514 ZS3 Sample Videos" to see some examples of the video and zoom. (note the ZS3 is known as the TZ7 in Europe). « Show Less
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my Kodak Z812S...and even my old Kodak DX7630 take better pictures than the Fuji S1800. My first digital was a Fuji with 3.2 mp and it was a honey! Since then, two more Kodaks (as mentioned previously) one Sony (which is purse-sized and the pix are okay...it's just so I always have a camera on me) and the Fuji S1800. I have about 120 out of 200 or so that are great pictures from Hawaii; and maybe 80 - 100 more from various events and locations. My Eastern Europe shots were not what I hoped for, but editing helped a lot. I'm online now to order the Z981 and will probably post my opinion of the results. With all that said...I'd suggest you go with the Kodak.
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I just bought the A570IS a few days ago without seeing this alternative, so I hope I'm not wasting my money by not getting a better camera for pennies more! We shall see, I guess. Sometime next week I'll let u know if I was impressed with the A570IS.. (all of my friends have told me it's great, btw).
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Myrna, Have you gotten your camera, yet? If so, what do you think of it? This would be my first digital camera, and what attracts me to this is that it has manual controls. I would be learning photography on it, so I figure I should have manual and auto controls. I am looking to get a Panasonic because a sales person at Best Buy raved about them and said they have the best lenses. To be honest, I know practically nothing about photography, but have had an interest in it for many years. Do you think this camera would be a good plact to start, at least digitally? Thanks, M
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Panasonic sd 60k get more picture wide len and more zoom and <<optical>> image stabilization. I got them both and in the end of testing, I return sony cx 150. there is one down side thou the 3.5 hour battery is expensive for panasonic. and sometime the auto white balance is a bit slower but in the end it all good.
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I just sold a Canon SX210 and purchased the Panasonic ZS8. I wasn't happy with the Canon at all. The pictures came out good, but I found the controls awkward and poorly placed. Flash in upper left corner where you hold camera. It automatically pops up when you turn camera on. Can be pushed down. I like the Panasonic ZS8 much, much better.
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Hi there, I have had no experience with the Panasonic camera, but I will say I do like my Olympus Stylus. I find it very easy to use and with enough options for taking pictures I can do most everything I need. I find it very simple to download pictures and have found they are great quality. Would I buy this camera again, most definitely!!! Only thing I would like to have had was the ability of wireless download or sharing, but for the price and quality I like this.