Color (6.78)
To test the color reproduction of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3, we took several images of the industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart and uploaded them into Imatest imaging software. The software analyzes the camera’s output colors as compared to the original chart. Below is a modified version of the color chart following Imatest analysis. The outer square is the color produced by the camera. The inner square is the corrected version of the color that would appear when uploading into Photoshop or a computer application. The small vertical rectangle is the ideal color on the original GretagMacbeth color chart.
Another representation of the camera’s accuracy can be seen below. The circles represent the colors produced by the FZ3. The squares represent the ideal colors. The greater the distance between the two shapes, the less accurate the color reproduction is on the FZ3.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 had a mean saturation score of 105.1 percent, which is a relatively good score. Almost all digital cameras over-saturate colors in an attempt to produce richer colors. Many compact cameras score around 120 percent, which I consider too much. The 6.78 overall color score is okay for an SLR-shaped point-and-shoot camera, but nothing to celebrate. The mean color error score for the camera is 8.85. The FZ3 uses its primary color RGB filter to produce even and natural colors, although resolution seems to be far more of a performance strength than color production on the FZ3.
Still Life Scene
Below is an image of our inventive still life scene recorded with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3.
Click on the above image to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: The linked image is very large!)
Resolution / Sharpness (2.34)
Digital camera manufacturers sometimes use the lose term “megapixel” as a marketing tool, rather than a quantification of the camera’s image clarity and sharpness as is typically alluded to within the industry. Therefore, it is not uncommon to find a camera advertising more megapixels than it may actually use to create its images. Our resolution test is designed to measure the amount of pixels used to create the actual frame; we then contrast the detected pixel count with the advertised image size to get a percentage score of the attained resolution versus the manufacturer’s estimation. When this test is conducted, a camera that scores 70 percent of its advertised megapixel count is perceived to be a “good” score, while any camera the produces within 80 percent is “very good” and above 90 percent is “excellent.” The Panasonic FZ3 is marketed as having 3.34 total and 3.1 effective megapixels on its 1/3.2-inch CCD. When we tested the FZ3 in Imatest Imaging Software, we found that the camera records about 2.34 megapixels in its images. This is about 77 percent of the advertised 3.1 effective megapixels, classifying it as having “good” resolution. This is largely attributed to the sharp Leica lens applied to the end of the FZ3 and ensures high quality images are recorded with crisp definition.
Noise Auto ISO (1.54)
When images from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3’s automatic ISO setting were tested, the camera produced terribly noisy images. This camera scored a 1.54, which is a huge step down from the Lumix FX5’s 5.14 score.
Noise Manual ISO (2.78)
For cameras that offer manually adjustable ISO settings, we test the noise levels at each setting, then compile the results into a regression analysis to determine an overall manual noise score. The graph below portrays these results. The horizontal axis represents the camera’s ISO settings and the vertical axis represents the noise produced by the Lumix FZ3.
This Lumix received an overall manual ISO noise score of 2.78. While this is higher than the automatic score, it is still quite poor and drastically detracts from the camera’s strong resolution capabilities.
Speed / Timing
Startup to First Shot (5.1)
The FZ3 takes 4.09 seconds to turn on and take its first shot. When the power switch is activated, the huge 12x optical zoom lens slowly comes out of its shell. Then, the lens must focus before taking its first shot.
Shot to Shot (9.1)
So long as the AF doesn't lock up on you, the camera responds quite quickly. From one shot to the next, the Lumix FZ3 takes 0.9 seconds in normal mode. When in the continuous mode, it takes 0.4 seconds. This is extremely fast for a compact camera and approaches digital SLRs in speed even without using the burst feature.
Shutter to Shot (8.38)
From the moment the shutter release button is pressed to the moment the shutter actually flips up and down, 0.31 seconds pass. This means relatively no shutter lag!
