Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
- 4 Active Outdoor Scene Modes: The DMC-TS3 has 4 active outdoor Scene Modes – Sports, Snow, Beach & Snorkeling and Underwater
- LEICA DC Lens with Folded Optics Technology: The DMC-TS3 features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 28mm wide-angle lens
- 28mm Wide-angle Lens: The 28mm wide-angle lens lets you easily capture large groups of people indoors
- Newly Developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-speed CCD: The newly developed 12.1-megapixel CCD with 2-channel signal output structure
- Sonic Speed AF: The Sonic Speed AF system includes numerous re-engineering enhancements
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 Megapixel Compact Camera – 4.90 mm-22.80 mm – Blue DMC-TS3A 31
List Price: $ 399.00
Price: [wpramaprice asin="B004KKZ0JM"]
[wpramareviews asin="B004KKZ0JM"]
[wprebay kw="mp3" num="0" ebcat="-1"] [wprebay kw="mp3" num="1" ebcat="-1"]
Comments
3 Comments on Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue)
-
MikeF on
Sat, 18th Jun 2011 5:10 am
-
surfinglifebk on
Sat, 18th Jun 2011 5:26 am
-
BCL Beatnik Roaster on
Sat, 18th Jun 2011 5:34 am
Outstanding rugged camera,
Had my TS3 for about a week and I have to say it looks snazzy in blue. It has so many features that it is going to take a while to figure them all out. Actually most of the features allow the camera to take better pictures in a wide variety of conditions automatically (iA modes). It is definitely more rugged and ergonomic than the TS1 I lost 
. You do have to be careful how you hold the camera on the left side as a finger could easily block the lens or cover the mic.
I was very happy with my previous TS1 and I can already tell the TS3 it is as good or better in terms of picture quality. I have taken a series of indoor and outdoor shots, with and without flash, macro to full zoom, and overall the sharpness, color and light balance where very good. So far I liked the “intelligent” features like iExposure, iISO and iZoom and decided to leave them on. HD video looks great and the anti-shake works very well while walking with the camera.
GPS, one of the main reasons I bought this camera, is a little tricky. If you turn it on it stays on even when the camera is off so it can keep track of it’s position, however I am not sure how the battery will last in this mode? The manual says it will eventually shut off if the camera is not used for an extend amount of time (doesn’t state how long that is) or if the battery become to low. If you put it in the airplane mode, the GPS shuts off when you turn of the camera, which will conserve power, but it takes a few minutes to acquire when you turn the camera back on. I am probably going to leave it in the airplane mode but will switch to ON if I plan to take pictures for an extend amount of time so it is ready to go and I am sure for that short of time the drain won’t be an issue. In any case it is good to have spare battery charged up in the camera case.
Speaking of cases I also picked up a Lowepro Rezo 30 compact case which fits the TS3 perfectly, and is very well built with an extra pocket that holds pretty much everything I could want including the case strap, extra memory card, USB SD card reader stick, and extra battery very nicely. Highly recommended and a great value. Lastly picked up two Wintec 16GB SDHC Class 10 Flash memory cards. I wanted 32 GB of memory to be able to record video and photos but didn’t want to chance having one card in case it died so I bought two 16 GB cards. I am not a fan of Transcend cards from my experience with them on my TS1, so I did some searching and saw all 5 star reviews on every site I found the Wintec card. All I can say is these cards work great! I had no problem recording HD video and they are very fast at pulling off data with my USB2 reader. Add in a lifetime warranty and they are an amazing value!
Update: Be sure you update the camera to the latest firmware. Mine came with V1.0 and Panasonic recently released V1.1 which I installed and it definitely helps GPS acquisition and location handling.
for all those wondering..,
For anyone out there looking at the many, many waterproof cameras out on the market these days, I have a few words to say..
I spent ages looking for the best ‘rugged’ digital camera; photo quality, ruggedness, price, features and warranty. I spent a year, and was always dissapointed with the 1-2 star ratings telling of repeatedly failing water seals. Olympus, sony, pentax, panasonic, canon, they ALL failed to some extent. So, rather than buying a camera I thought would never fail, I went for the one with the best reviews, and LEAST bad reviews. Olympus and sony had just as many 1-star reviews as they did 5-star. THATS OBSURD! panasonic seems to build a quality camera they are proud to back as oppossed to the many ongoing lawsuits with olympus and canon cameras. Among buying the best product, I believe a reliable accident included extended warranty is a MUST for purchases over a few hundred dollars. Manufacturer’s warranties rarely cover accidents, and in the case of water leaking, its always YOUR fault, not a malfunction of the camera. SO, get a good warranty. SquareTrade is who I went with, and they do offer a 3-yr coverage with ADH (accident included) for a reasonable price and with shipping to and from included in as little as 5 days!
Now to the camera, I have only had it for a week, and will repost if anything changes, but so far I think the camera is GREAT! i have taken many pictures, explored the different features and can say that it feels and acts like a reliable sturdy camera. It does all it says it can, shoots video in 1080i, etc, and even passed a 10 min water seals test recording underwater. So far so good, I love it, will use it a ton as I teach surf lessons in venice, ca. Come down and surf! Cool color (blue) and good picture quality for a CDC.
hope this helps!
Wonderful Camera,
This camera has exceed my expectations in every way. I’ve had the opportunity to use in the rain, the sea and in a pool. The image quality is far superior than I imaged, especially underwater. The HD video is very good both above and below water. The unit seems sturdy based on the abundant amount of metal use on the body. I wouldn’t be worried if I drop it.
Why did I buy this? Well for one an upcoming Caribbean vacation, reviews and specifications. I plan to take video of Stingrays and turtles soon. Originally I purchased a Pentax WG-1 which really had terrible HD video and image stabilization on land. Admittedly, I am extremely picky about HD video quality (I do videos) and the Pentax just didn’t cut it for me. So I returned it and obtained this unit. Glad I did.
Photos and video taken with the Ts3 underwater are sharp + balanced. The water tight seal seems adequate and did not fail after three hours in the pool and several excursions in the sea. The pictures taken on land are very good and appear 85% as good as a DSLR (this will never replace a DSLR). I enjoy using it and what appeals the most is that I can get it wet and not worry. I can accidentally drop it and not worry. Plus I can slip this camera in my pocket- its portable.
Things to know about this camera:
1) Don’t expect to record your cannonball jump into the pool. The units water tight seals are not meant for impact in the water. Don’t put it into rushing water like a creek or massive wave.
2) Sand- a sand grain got wedged into my shutter button and made the camera act as if it was attempting to focus all of the time (this made the other buttons on the camera useless). The camera comes with a little brush and I used it to take the sand out. Works fine but the whole experience was not a fun time. At least I’ve posted this for others.
3) If used in the sea, remember to soak it in tap water when you are done per the instructions. Then let it dry before opening. Don’t rush it.
4) follow the instructions on caring for the unit such as making sure the seals are clean before going in the water.
5) Buy a CHUMS (float for the camera- search amazon) especially if you plan to use this in a pool. It came out of my pocket a few times and luckily I had a CHUM attached which allowed it to float instead of sinking.
I really like this camera.
Cheers
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!