The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1 megapixels, a 25mm ultra wide angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning there is added 2x optical zoom into the award winning TZ series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also consists of Leica DC Vario Elmar lens and High Definition (HD) video recording ability, termed AVCHD Lite.

The ZS3 could be the world’s first digicam to feature HD video recording in "AVCHD Lite." Offer the standard Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with the a well considered control interface, which includes a dedicated movie recording button within the camera’s back panel, helps to make the ZS3 a hybrid model that performs admirably for both still and motion image capture.

The ZS3 also expands Panasonic’s popular Intelligent Auto (iA) mode by having Face Recognition a feature that "remembers" faces from previous shots. Every registered face appears from the frame, you will prioritize focus and exposure to capture it beautifully. With Face Recognition, when a familiar face is recorded several times a day, the digital camera will prompt you to join up the public presence. Once registered, if for example the face appears in the frame again, you will display the name specified for those person and prioritize focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and sharply focused.

New this holiday season to the ZS series, iA mode is as well for Movie Mode. It automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode so enabling to alter handshake, focus and brightness problems making iA mode your one stop means to fix capture beautiful still and motion images. In Movie Mode, the ZS3, Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) helps prevent handshake while using the high powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face around the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion it similar perfectly. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes depending on situation to optimize visual quality.

The imaging power of Lumix has further evolved while using Venus Engine HD, which boasts two CPUs to offer approx. 2.4x processing capability and support for AVCHD Lite and HDMI output. It integrates most of the advanced functions and camera operations with high performance and low power consumption. In image processing, luminance noise and chromatic noise are reduced separately before signal processing. It is further refined by separating noise two dimensionally into high frequency and low frequency noise. The circuits then effectively reduce merely the low frequency noise to attenuate the unwanted noise and help produce beautiful, sharp still and motion images.

Playback along with the ZS Series is likewise easy. Simply insert the camera’s SD memory to the VIERA HDTV’s Image Viewer Facts slot for the photo slideshow. Alternatively, connect your camera via an optional HDMI mini cable, the DMW HDC2, to the VIERA Link equipped Panasonic VIERA HDTV and use the television’s remote control to perform mixed slideshows of pics and vids. The ZS3 carries a 3 inch, hi res 460,000 dot Intelligent LCD by using a wide viewing angle, improving visibility during recording and playback.

Other highlights of the Lumix ZS3 include:

• Increased Scene modes for both still and motion image shooting optimized for the amount of situations. There can be 26 scene modes for still image and 17 for motion image (Portrait, Soft Skin, Transform, Self portrait, Scenery, Low light, Food, Party, Candle light, Sunset, High sensitivity, Beach, Snow, Aerial, Pin hole, Film grain and Underwater)
• Two new My Scene settings let users assign their two most often used Scene modes into the setting, based on an easy switch, allow the means to access either scene instantly.
• New Panorama Assist scene mode allows users to shoot several consistent photos, either vertically or horizontally, by aligning them as outlined by tips that overlaps the screen. Then using those photos and the bundled PanoramaMaker software, users can cause dramatic panoramic images.
• High Speed Burst (Speed Priority) that fires off approx. 10 shots per second.
• Menus are clearer and easier to navigate with the Display Size option.
• Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even nearer to capture dramatic close up shots by using the 3x digital zoom around the wide angle.
• Bundled Software: The newest version of PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition allows users to see, edit and archive captured pleased with greater ease and fun. Still and motion images is utilized in development via the USB cable for viewing and archiving. Using PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition, users can edit and take away unwanted portions of movies recorded in AVCHD Lite. Contents recorded in AVCHD Lite is usually burned directly onto a DVD disc or use the software can convert contents to MPEG2 format. The software program also incorporates the head Recognition function, which recognizes registered faces in photos stored via my pc, making organizing and archiving photos using a specific person faster and easier. Additionally, movies will be uploaded directly to YouTube.

What's within the Box
Battery Pack, Battery Case, Battery Charger, AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, CD ROM, Hand Strap, Operating Instructions