The new Lumix ZS3 features 10.1 megapixels, a 25mm ultra wide angle lens and 12x optical zoom, meaning they have added 2x optical zoom with the award winning TZ series camera, yet reduced its size. The ZS3 also contains a Leica DC Vario Elmar lens and Harley davidson (HD) video recording ability, generally known as AVCHD Lite.

The ZS3 certainly is the world’s first video camera to feature HD video recording in "AVCHD Lite." In contrast to the normal Motion JPEG format, AVCHD Lite allows longer recordings with breathtaking HD visual and audio quality. This combined with the a well considered control interface, with a dedicated movie recording button on the camera’s back panel, is 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. If your registered face appears while in the frame, you will prioritize focus and experience of capture it beautifully. With Face Recognition, because a familiar face is recorded a couple of times, you will prompt you to sign up the face. Once registered, if for example face appears into your frame again, your camera will display the name specified to make the person and prioritize focus and exposure so the registered face is bright and sharply focused.

New this holiday season on the ZS series, iA mode can also be included in Movie Mode. It automatically selects the most suitable Scene mode helping remedy handshake, focus and brightness problems making iA mode your one stop method for capture beautiful still and motion images. In Movie Mode, the ZS3, Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S.) aids in preventing handshake while using the high powered zoom. Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion in order that it turns out perfectly. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions switch to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. And Intelligent Scene Selector automatically switches between Normal, Portrait, Macro, Scenery, and Low Light modes in accordance with the situation to optimize visual quality.

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

Playback while using ZS Series can also be easy. Simply insert the camera’s SD memory card inside the VIERA HDTV’s Image Viewer Facts slot for a photo slideshow. Alternatively, connect you via an optional HDMI mini cable, the DMW HDC2, into a VIERA Link equipped Panasonic VIERA HDTV and employ the television’s handheld control to own mixed slideshows of pics and vids. The ZS3 comes with a 3 inch, a much higher resolution 460,000 dot Intelligent LCD accompanied by a wide viewing angle, improving visibility during recording and playback.

Other attributes of the Lumix ZS3 include:

• Increased Scene modes for both still and motion image shooting optimized for the amount of situations. You'll find 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 usually used Scene modes for the setting, based on an uncomplicated switch, allow use of either scene instantly.
• New Panorama Assist scene mode allows users to shoot various consistent photos, either vertically or horizontally, by aligning them based on tips that overlaps the screen. Then using those photos as well as bundled PanoramaMaker software, users can make dramatic panoramic images.
• High Speed Burst (Speed Priority) that fires off approx. 10 shots per second.
• Menus are clearer and simpler to navigate in the Display Size option.
• Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even closer to capture dramatic close up shots with the 3x digital zoom on the wide angle.
• Bundled Software: The new 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 generally used in laptop using a USB cable for viewing and archiving. Using PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 HD Edition, users can edit and take away unwanted portions of video lessons recorded in AVCHD Lite. Contents recorded in AVCHD Lite is burned directly onto a DVD disc as well as software can convert contents to MPEG2 format. The technology also incorporates the eye Recognition function, which recognizes registered faces in photos stored on the computer, making organizing and archiving photos along with a specific person less difficult. Additionally, movies is generally uploaded straight to YouTube.

What's around the Box
Battery Pack, Battery Case, Wall charger, AV Cable, USB Connection Cable, CD ROM, Hand Strap, Operating Instructions