Panasonic FZ3 awesome 12x leica lens

condyk

Can't believe this hasn't been posted here yet.

The best bargain bar NONE for a digital camera at £199.99 is via:

http://www.photooptix.co.uk/index2.html

£350 in my local Jessops and an awesome camera with great resale value. 12x optical zoom and Leica lens! Details on jessops.com web site

SARKI_2

Superb camera, I bought it a few months ago for £250 from pixmania!

talkshop

It's very expensive for a 3 megapixel camera.

Probably was a good camera in it's day.

Amazon are selling HP R707 5 megapixel camera for £149.99,
Also the Kodak CX7530 5 megapixel for £149.99, both of which are highly rated cameras.

5 megapixel cameras allow you to have good quality enlargements.

loafer_2

Sony P93 "Mutts nuts" for the money £155
http://www.google.dealtime.co.uk/xPO-Sony_DSC_P93

mediaman

talkshop wrote:

It's very expensive for a 3 megapixel camera.

Probably was a good camera in it's day.

Amazon are selling HP R707 5 megapixel camera for £149.99,
Also the Kodak CX7530 5 megapixel for £149.99, both of which are highly rated cameras.

5 megapixel cameras allow you to have good quality enlargements.

size isn't everything when comparing picture quality of a digital camera, physical size of the sensor and lens quality have also to be taken into account. Excellent find. I'd go for the panasonic they are getting a very good reputation for build quaility and picture quality. I wouldn't touch HP and Kodak's not much better. My personal opinion.

Mustang

MegaPixels isn't everything....

What you are paying for is not the 3.1 Megapixel CCD, but the fantastic, high quality leica lens and awesome stabilised zoom capability. If you aren't planning on printing images more than A4, 3.1 MP is fine. If you want to print poster sized prints, then you need more MPs.

From the review at: http://www.dcmag.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/508/v/1/sp/

"Leica's DC Vario-Elmarit lens makes similar ranged optics look positively obese."
"This is a camera capable of taking superb images."

Reading the review, and looking at the bargain price, I'm quite tempted to get one myself ;-)

supernudger

tempted myself, that is a good review. time to upgrade to a serious camera, your right megapixals arn't everything.

polarbearit

Seems like an exceptional price for a stabilised F2.8 zoom lens... Very seriously considering one myself as a point and shoot...

condyk

talkshop wrote:

It's very expensive for a 3 megapixel camera.

I think you need to look at a camera in terms of what use it will be put for. If you're into wildlife or birds, for example, then the quality Leica zoom (12x optical NOT digital remember) it great. Add the image stabilization facility (essential with this kind of zoom capability) then the price is awesome. As has been said, pixels isn't necessarily that important, though you make a valid point about print size. It's what you get out of the camera as a whole system, including the user ;-) that counts.

The Sony is a very decent camera if you want to point and shoot and don't need large optical zoom capability.

One thing to bgear in mind is that the FZ4 and FZ5 will replace this camera within a couple of months. Specs are VERY similar apart from the 4 and 5 MP resolution on new models. However, FZ3 is still mighty value at the price.

rizla01

Look at this One!!

Could you lovely and very knowledgable types do me a favour and compare the one above with this one, please.

I'm going blind studying the various features mainly because I don't understand them all.

This one is available for £140.00 from HERE

Thanks for that. Your views are much appreciated.

Riz

condyk

A very decent camera at the price but unfortunately doesn't have image stabilization and so longer zoom shots will be blurred much of the time unless you use a tripod. This is the problem with all cheaper super zooms.

If you don't want to stretch to the superior Panasonic then this is still a better buy at the price than others mentioned in this thread in my view.

Review here:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/z10_pg5.html