Panasonic Lumix DMC

In many ways, the all-new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3 – a new offering in a completely new series of models from the manufacturer – tries to be the best of both worlds, offering ultracompact style at what nearly qualifies as a budget compact price. In the flood of new high-profile tech from Panasonic, this diminutive camera has largely been cruising under the radar for the past month, but after more than a week of shooting with the FS3, I have a feeling that this may be about to change.

Styled to appeal to users looking for a precise, well built camera with lots of class (in addition to our test unit's silver finish, the FS3 comes in understated yet trendy blue and green hues), the FS3 promises a lot of usable tech and minimal gimmickery. The FS3's look is convincing enough, and with performance to match, it seems to me that there might well be a serious camera value waiting to be discovered here.

FEATURES OVERVIEW

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3 Specifications:

Sensor	8.1 megapixel, 1/2.5" CCD
Lens/Zoom	3x (33-100mm) Leica DC Vario-Elmarit, f/2.8-5.1
LCD/Viewfinder	2.5", 230K-pixel TFT LCD
Sensitivity	ISO 100-1600
Shutter Speed	8-1/2000 seconds
Shooting Modes	Intelligent Auto, Normal Picture, Scene 1, Scene 2, Motion Picture
Scene Presets	Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby 1, Baby 2, Pet, Sunset, High Sensitivity, Hi-Speed Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial Photo, Underwater
White Balance Settings	Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, User Set
Metering Modes	Intelligent Multi
Focus Modes	Face, Nine Point, One Point, One Point High Speed
Drive Modes	Normal, Burst, High Speed Burst
Flash Modes	Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync, Forced Off
Self Timer Settings	10 seconds, 2 seconds, Off
Memory Formats	SD, SDHC, MMC
Internal Memory	50 MB
File Formats	JPEG, MPEG
Max. Image Size	3264x2448
Max. Video Size	640x480, 30 fps
Zoom During Video	No
Battery	Rechargeable 1000 mAh lithium-ion, 330 shots
Connections	USB 2.0, AV output, DC input
Additional Features	Mega O.I.S., iA Intelligent Auto mode, Intelligent ISO, Venus Engine IV processing