Panasonic ZR3

Panasonic ZR3 is Panasonic's Small Sensor Compact camera originally released on January of 2010. The camera comes with a 14MP, CCD 1/2.3" sized sensor and has a full resolution of 4320 x 3240. The camera is known as "Lumix DMC-ZX3" in certain countries.

The ZR3 is ranked #144 out of 261 in Small Sensor Compact cameras & overall #1046 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please check our Smart camera filter to see camera listings based on your custom criteria.

The following is a chart of multiple factors used in the rating system.

The Panasonic ZR3 is part of a family of cameras. You can view the detailed range underneath.

You can check the ZR3 from different angles in the gallery below.

Below is a shortlist of positives and negatives of the Panasonic ZR3 based on things which are generally regarded as crucial in a camera.

The Panasonic ZR3 houses the Venus Engine HD II processor chip. The specification of the sensor in the Panasonic ZR3 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4320 x 3240 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is more desirable than digital stabilization as the latter might produce cropping.

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The CCD sensor has 14 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 80 - 6400. Sadly, RAW photos are not saved which means that you have less margin for error.

The graphic underneath shows the ZR3's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The ZR3 sensor has a crop factor of 5.9 and is pointed out in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you can refer to the visual below.

Panasonic ZR3 weighs about 0.35 lb (159 grams / 5.61 oz) & has external dimensions of 98mm x 55mm x 26mm (3.9" x 2.2" x 1.0"). The weight of average Small Sensor Compact camera is 174 grams so the Panasonic ZR3 is similar in comparison with various rivals.

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Down below is a picture of the Panasonic ZR3 alongside a softdrink so you're able to get a feel for its scale.

The top view underneath will highlight the button layout on the ZR3.

The ZR3 features a built in lens featuring a focal range of 25-200mm making it a 8.0 x zoom which may not be outstanding however it will probably be convenient in certain scenarios.

At the widest 25mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f3.3 which will be somewhat slow and not good for low light occasions and you will find it difficult to get a shallow depth of field. You might also need to up the ISO leading to noisy pictures. Towards the tele end, 200mm comes at f5.9 making it really sluggish and you would need to set slow shutter speeds.

The ZR3 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras which include NFC and / or Bluetooth support are able to be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to send pictures and at times alter settings without connecting straight to the camera.

A few applications even give a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI port, it can easily be connected to an external display. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB socket.

The highest possible video quality in the Panasonic ZR3 is 1280 x 720 and you can shoot in AVCHD Lite format. 720p is low for today's standards. You really should strive for at least 1080p quality for video recording. The camera does not offer a microphone and / or headphone jack which means you have got little control over the audio. It is probably a better idea to get a different model in case you need decent audio for your video clips.

There is no environment proofing in the Panasonic ZR3 so you need to be careful in wet or dusty conditions.

The Panasonic ZR3 comes with a 2.7 inch fixed screen supporting a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Please note that the screen has no touch support.

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The ViewFinder specifications for Panasonic ZR3 are below:

• ViewFinder None

For sunny outdoor conditions which make the camera displays washed out and difficult to see, viewfinders can be pretty helpful.

Panasonic ZR3 has the capability to shoot continuously at 2.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/1300 seconds.

Panasonic ZR3 comes with only integrated flash without external flash support.

Panasonic ZR3 comes with just Contrast Detect Auto Focus & is missing Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more faster & precise when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.

The Sensor comes with 11 focus points to pick from. It also has Tracking Auto Focus for moving objects. Panasonic ZR3 has not got manual focus. Manual focus ability is useful in low light or you need more accurate control on depth of field.

The average Small Sensor Compact camera battery life is 241. Fujifilm X30 has the best (470) battery life in this kind of cameras.

Here is a listing of Small Sensor Compact cameras that come with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X30
ZR3 vs Fujifilm X30470 yesnono

Casio EX-10
ZR3 vs EX-10455 yesnono

Photography Glossary

Ricoh GR Digital IV
ZR3 vs GR Digital IV390 yesnono

Canon G12
ZR3 vs G12370 yesnono

Canon G16
ZR3 vs G16360 yesnono

The following bar chart presents a rundown of the Panasonic ZR3 for specific categories of photography. To learn more, have a look at the specific section underneath.

The Panasonic ZR3 gets a points tally of 28 which is horrible, meaning that it is simply not suitable for portrait photography. Photographing portraits leans heavily to sensor dimensions, RAW support together with the ability to utilize external lighting.

With a moderate points total of 56, the Panasonic ZR3 is somewhat suitable to use in street photography. A very good street photography camera comes with a fine balance of image quality and portability.

A horrible sports photography points total of 36 means the Panasonic ZR3 is simply not suitable for photographing sports. A camera should have excellent autofocus and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Weight is extremely important when choosing a camera for travel. All round, the Panasonic ZR3 gets a above average 64 as a travel camera which is a respectable fit to take with you on your journeys.

For those who are looking to choose a camera for landscape photos, the biggest aspect is going to be image quality. The Panasonic ZR3 and it's horrible rating of 37 as a landscape camera is simply not suitable within the current market.

A vlogging camera preferably should posses a articulating screen, microphone input and if possible IBIS. Considering every thing, the Panasonic ZR3 is simply not suitable as a vlog camera as it delivers a horrible score of 29.

If you are looking for replacements to the ZR3, below is a list of the highest rated cameras which fall within the category of Small Sensor Compact.

The line chart followed below offers you an overview of the ZR3 versus it's top ranked competitors shown above.

Following are several cameras you might look at as alternatives. To read a complete comparison, simply click on the "compare" link.