Panasonic DMC-ZR3

Auto Mode

The auto mode of the ZR3 is accessed by turning the mode dial to the iA setting, short for Intelligent Auto. In this mode, the camera makes all of the decisions; the only thing the user can control is the size of the images and the burst mode. 

Movie Mode

One of the new things on the ZR3 is support for capturing high definition videos; this camera can capture video at a maximum resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels, which is the same as a 720p signal on a HDTV. A full 60 frames a second are captured at this resolution, and the files are saved in AVCHD lite format, which is compatible with a range of video editing applications, such as iMovie on the Mac. Three different quality levels are available for this video: Super High (with a bit rate of 17Mbps), High (13Mbps) and L (9Mbps). Several other lower resolution options are also available, and these can be saved as motion JPEG files if you are using a program that can't read AVCHD lite files.

Mono sound is also captured through the single microphone on the top of the camera body.

Drive/Burst Mode

The ZR3 can capture a burst of images, but it's no speed machine: at the full resolution of the camera, Panasonic claims it can only capture about 1.8 frames a second. You can increase this speed if you don't mind sacrificing resolution: cutting this to 3 megapixels allows for 10 frames a second capture, Panasonic claims. We weren't able to do a formal test of this, but our informal tests at the PMA show indicated that it is probably about right. 

Playback Mode

The ZR3 allows you to view captured images in a number of different ways, sorting them out by date, category or the scene mode used to capture them. Slideshows can also be created, complete with one of three built-in soundtracks.

Scene Modes

A wide range of scene modes are on offer, including the usual suspects of Portrait, Scenery, Night Portrait, Night Scenery and Sunset. There are also a number of movie scene modes, including Portrait, Scenery and Low Light . These scene modes can be programmed into one of two spots on the mode dial labelled as MS1 and MS2 (short for My Scene) for quick access, or there is a SCN setting that accesses a menu containing all of the options.

The scene mode menu of the ZR3