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Panasonic FP3

 
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 front
 
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 35-140mm (F3.5-5.9) lens
  • 155g - 99 x 59 x 19mm
  • Launched January 2010
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
95
Imaging
36
Features
25
Overall
31

Panasonic FP3 summary

Panasonic FP3 is Panasonic's Ultracompact camera first revealed on January of 2010. The camera comes with a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" size sensor with a full resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The FP3 is placed #89 out of 151 in Ultracompact cameras & over all #1082 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our database. Please check our Advanced camera finder to get camera results based on your customized factors.

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Here is a graph of multiple factors used in the rating system.

Panasonic FP3 family

The Panasonic FP3 has a history of related digital cameras. Below, you can check out all older and latest models as well as important specs.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP5 front thumbnailPanasonic FP5
FP3 vs FP5
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP7 front thumbnailPanasonic FP7
FP3 vs FP7
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
16MP1/2.3"2011
Photography Glossary
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP3 front thumbnailPanasonic FP335-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP1 front thumbnailPanasonic FP1
FP3 vs FP1
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP2 front thumbnailPanasonic FP2
FP3 vs FP2
35-140mm
F3.5-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2010
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FP8 front thumbnailPanasonic FP8
FP3 vs FP8
28-128mm
F3.3-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
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Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS12 front thumbnailPanasonic FS12
FP3 vs FS12
31-124mm
F2.8-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009
Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FS15 front thumbnailPanasonic FS15
FP3 vs FS15
29-145mm
F3.3-5.9
12MP1/2.3"2009

Panasonic FP3 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of advantages and disadvantages of the Panasonic FP3 based on criterias that are generally regarded as necessary in a camera.

built in zoom lens (35-140mm 4.0 x zoom)
comes with touch focus
has built in flash
has image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count good (14 megapixels)
screen size is good (3")
touchscreen capability
very good minimum ISO (80)
can't switch lens (fixed lens mount)
does not have selfie friendly display
external flash not possible
focusing manually not possible
heavier than competitors (155 grams)
lack of aperture priority mode
low quality video (1280 x 720 pixels)
manual exposure not possible
max fps low (5.0 frames/s)
max zoom aperture not good (f5.9)
missing HDMI port
missing headphone port
missing mic port
missing Time Lapse mode
no articulating screen
no phase detect auto focus
no RAW files
no shutter priority
pixelated screen (230 k dot)
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
wide angle not the best (35mm)
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Panasonic FP3 Sensor features

The Panasonic FP3 is powered by the Venus Engine IV chip. The measurement of the sensor in the Panasonic FP3 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor can capture 4320 x 3240 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). In body stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization as the latter might lead to cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 14 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 80 - 6400. Unfortunately, RAW files are not saved therefore the user has less room to maneuver in post.

The graphic below shows the FP3's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The FP3 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is shown in green.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 sensor size Snapchat Adds Watermarks to AI-Created Images

To get an understanding of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Panasonic FP3 dimensions

Panasonic FP3 weighs around 0.34 lbs (155 grams or 5.47 oz) & has outside proportions of 99mm x 59mm x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7"). The weight of average Ultracompact camera is 121 grams so the Panasonic FP3 is weightier as compared with other rivals.

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Listed below is a pic of the Panasonic FP3 next to a soda to help you to get a sense of its size.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 dimensions scale

The top view directly below will show the button design on the FP3.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 topview buttons dials

Panasonic FP3 Lens features

The FP3 provides an inbuilt lens having a focal range of 35-140mm making it a 4.0 x zoom which may not be great but it is likely to be useful in certain circumstances.

At it's widest 35mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f3.5 which will be rather sluggish and not very good for low light occasions and you may struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You will probably also need to boost your ISO which causes noisy photographs. At the long end, 140mm comes at f5.9 which is really slow and you would have to set slow shutter speeds.

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Panasonic FP3 Connectivity

The FP3 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that have NFC and / or Bluetooth support are able to be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can transfer pictures and sometimes adjust settings without connecting physically with the camera.

Several apps also give a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI port, it can easily be hooked up to an external screen. Many cameras will allow you to recharge the battery pack through the USB socket.

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Panasonic FP3 Video features

The highest possible video quality in the Panasonic FP3 is 1280 x 720 and you can record in Motion JPEG format. 720p is terrible for today's standards. You should aim for at least FUll HD quality for video. The body does not offer a microphone and / or headphone port which means that you have absolutely no control over the sound. It is perhaps best to purchase another camera should you require good sound for your video clips.

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Panasonic FP3 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing for the Panasonic FP3 so you have to be careful in rainy or dusty conditions.

Panasonic FP3 Display and Viewfinder

The Panasonic FP3 comes with a 3" fixed display screen having a resolution of 230k dots.

Additionally the display screen is touch friendly which means you are able to change focus point and adjust settings using your fingers.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3 screen and viewfinder Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

The ViewFinder specs for Panasonic FP3 are the following:

  • ViewFinder None

Viewfinders are pretty handy in bright outdoor conditions which can easily make the camera display washed out and very difficult to see.

Panasonic FP3 Shutter features

Panasonic FP3 can shoot continuously at 5.0 frames/s. The highest shutter speed is 1/1600 seconds.

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Panasonic FP3 Flash and Hot shoe features

Panasonic FP3 comes with just built in flash with no external flash support.

Panasonic FP3 Autofocus features

Panasonic FP3 comes with only Contrast Based AF & lacks Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection focusing is a lot faster and exact as compared with Contrast Based focusing.

It comes with 9 focus points to choose from. Panasonic FP3 has tap to focus. You can use your fingers in order to adjust where you focus. Panasonic FP3 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing is good in low light or you need more accurate control on depth of field.

Photography Glossary

Panasonic FP3 Battery life

The average Ultracompact camera battery life is 214. Nikon L32 has the best (320) battery life in this range of cameras.

Below is a list of Ultracompact cameras with the highest battery life:

Panasonic FP3 for specific categories of photography

The following diagram shows a summary of the Panasonic FP3 for specific categories of photography. To view more, check out the specific section below.

Panasonic FP3 Portrait photography info

The Panasonic FP3 receives a rating of 28 which is low, and means the camera is simply not very good for portraits. Shooting portraits favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, support for RAW files along with the capability to work with off-camera flash.

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decent MP (14MP)
focusing manually not possible
no manual control
no external flash support
sensor size is tiny (1/2.3")
does not have RAW support

Panasonic FP3 Street photography details

Having a reasonable points total of 60, the Panasonic FP3 is fairly appropriate to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera offers a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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built in image stabilization (Optical)
has focus by touch
no moving screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
heavier than average (155g)

Panasonic FP3 Sports photography advice

A low sports photography points total of 34 suggests the Panasonic FP3 is simply not very good for taking pictures of sports. A camera needs to have excellent autofocus plus fast continuous shooting for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Optical)
decent megapixels (14 megapixels)
slow fps (5.0 frames per second)
no shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
does not have phase detect autofocus

Travel photography with Panasonic FP3

Size is pretty important when buying a travel camera. On the whole, the Panasonic FP3 gets a modest 60 as a travelling camera which is relatively suitable to take on your travels.

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comes with focus via touch
decent sensor resolution (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
doesn't have Timelapse mode
more heavy than competition in class (155 grams)
screen isn't selfie friendly
wide angle not great (35mm)
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)

Panasonic FP3 Landscape photography factors

When you're looking to pick a camera for landscape photos, the most important aspect will be image quality. The Panasonic FP3 and it's low grade of 37 for a landscape camera is simply not very good within the current market.

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screen is a good size (3")
has image stabilization (Optical)
MP count good (14MP)
manual focus not available
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
wide angle not the best (35mm)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
lack of manual exposure
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW files
no Timelapse function

Vlogging with Panasonic FP3

A vlogging camera should really posses a moving display, mic input and if possible IBIS. Taking all things in to account, the Panasonic FP3 is simply not very good for vlogging as it delivers a low rating of 27.

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screen is touchscreen
built in image stabilization (Optical)
wide angle not the best (35mm)
somewhat slow max aperture (f3.5)
does not offer selfie friendly screen
low quality video (1280 x 720 resolution)
does not have external microphone support
more heavy than average (155 grams)

Panasonic FP3 Alternatives

If you need alternatives to the FP3, below is a collection of the top placed cameras that fall within the family of Ultracompact.

The line graph here gives you a summary of the FP3 compared to it's highest ranked rivals suggested previously.

Following are additional cameras you may check out as alternatives. To read through a thorough comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Manufacturer
Panasonic
Model type
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP3
Type
Ultracompact
Launched
2010-01-06
Body design
Ultracompact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CCD
Processor Chip
Venus Engine IV
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor surface area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
14 megapixels
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
4320 x 3240
RAW photos
Highest native ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch focus
Continuous autofocus
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Autofocus multi area
Autofocus live view
Face detect autofocus
Contract detect autofocus
Phase detect autofocus
Total focus points
9
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
35-140mm (4.0x)
Largest aperture
f/3.5-5.9
Macro focusing distance
10cm
Crop factor
5.9
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display size
3"
Resolution of display
230k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Minimum shutter speed
60s
Fastest shutter speed
1/1600s
Continuous shutter speed
5.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Set white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
4.90 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30 fps), 848 x 480 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
1280x720
Video data format
Motion JPEG
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
155 gr (0.34 pounds)
Dimensions
99 x 59 x 19mm (3.9" x 2.3" x 0.7")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots
1
Cost at release
$182