Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera Review

Front (8.0)
The front of the Panasonic Lumix FZ3 features a nicely sized 12x extended optical zoom lens barrel that, when retracted, doesn’t burden the user of the camera with a frail extension that might break. When viewing the camera from the front, the left side has a right-hand grip that moves slightly forward from the camera body and features a rubber grip for added comfort and support when shooting. Slightly above the top right of the lens barrel are the microphone and the Self Timer/AF Assist Lamp, awkwardly positioned so that the user may obscure one or all three features with the fingers of their left hand. Also, the microphone is situated so as to block sound traveling from the right side of the lens barrel.

Back (7.5)
The center of the back face has a 1.5-inch LCD monitor that seems small when the overall size of the camera and the frame surrounding the monitor are considered. Situated next to the upper left corner of the LCD screen is the Color Electronic Viewfinder that allows the user to view LCD screen images via the smaller viewfinder window. The small size of the viewfinder and the raised gray frame surrounding it make it nearly impossible to use. The viewfinder is built slightly above the rest of the camera body; since it is an electronic model, the accuracy is nearly perfect when compared to the final image captured.

To the right of the viewfinder is the EVF/LCD button, which allows the user to switch between the viewfinder and the LCD monitor. Next to this is the Display button for the Panasonic Lumix FZ3, which allows the user to specify the information displayed on the LCD screen. To the right of the Display button is the Exposure button, which engages the exposure settings immediately without the user needing to select them from the onscreen menu. It also controls the shutter speed and aperture settings. Beside the exposure setting is the Off/On slide control for the camera, which is neatly labeled and easily discovered. Beneath the Off/On switch is the Menu button for the camera, which allows the user to enter the onscreen LCD menu.

Below the Menu button is the four-way controller, which allows the user to navigate onscreen menus via the standard up/down/right/and left controls, and it also doubles as controls to access a few features when not used for menu navigation. These features are Self Timer (left), Review (down), Flash (right) and Backlight Compensation in simple mode, Flash Output, Exposure Compensation, Auto Bracket, and White Balance Fine Adjustment. Beneath the four-way control is the Delete/Focus button, based on the mode the user has the camera set in. To the right of the four-way controller is the playback speaker, which is built into the Lumix FZ3. At the top of the back is the flash button, which when depressed allows the embedded flash to pop open and give more lighting to the subject.

Left Side (8.0)
The left side of the Panasonic Lumix FZ3 has a hinged terminal door that snaps neatly open and closed to reveal or conceal the underlying A/V out USB and the DC in socket. Otherwise, there is only the solidly constructed eyelet for the included neck strap.

Right Side (8.0)
The right side of the Panasonic Lumix FZ3 only has an eyelet strap, with no other features available to the user. The battery and memory card port are located on the bottom right side of the camera.

Top (8.0)
On the top of the camera body, the user will find the embedded Flash, which is opened via the Flash open button on the back of the camera body. To the right of the flash is the Mode Dial which has settings for Program AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Shutter-Priority AE, Manual Exposure, Macro Mode, Motion Image Mode, Scene Mode, Simple Mode, and Playback Mode. Slightly forward and to the right of these features is the shutter button with the zoom lever situated on a ring surrounding this control, which allows the user to specify Wide Angle and Telephoto in regular mode and when in playback mode allows for selection between thumbnail modes and Playback Zoom. Behind the Shutter button is the Burst button, which allows the user to quickly and easily engage or disengage the burst mode without the hassle of entering into the overall onscreen menu.