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 (Orange)
- 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
- Sonic Speed AF: The Sonic Speed AF system includes numerous re-engineering enhancements
Panasonic Lumix TS3 2.7-Inch LCD 12.1 Weatherproof GPS Digital Camera. Creativity controls bring out your creative side with the Panasonic digital camera. The Panasonic Lumix TS3 2.7-Inch LCD 12.1Megapixel Weatherproof GPS Digital Camera is shockproof, waterproof, dustproof and freeze proof in design with the capability to record high-definition movie in AVCHD format. This versatile camera lets you capture your moments no matter what the intended shooting terrain is. Features Include: 12.1 Megapixels 4.6x Optical Zoom Lens Aspect Ratio of 1:1 / 4:3 / 3:2 / 16:9 Battery Life approx. 300 pictures Face Detection 28mm wide-angle lens, the iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode and GPS function Dimensions: 1″L x 4.1″W x 2.5″H
List Price: $ 379.99
Price: $ 379.99
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best of the ‘rugged’ cameras,
I purchased this camera as an upgrade from my Fuji xp10. I also bought an xp30 and the Panasonic consistently blows it away.
GPS: First sat aquisition takes a while, that is to be expected. After than in clear view (no trees, etc) I have gotten quick consistent signals in Hawaii and decent signals in Washington. Hawaii is much better as would be expected because there are more available sat’s the closer to the equator. If you are expecting performance on par with your Garmin device, you will be disappointed. If you are expecting the tiny gps sensor to work under most reasonable circumstances, then you will be pleased. The GPS data on the display screen is a nice bonus but again, don’t fool yourself into expecting dedicated gps device performance.
Underwater camera: I’ve snorkeled in 75 degree salt water for four days in a row for not less than 3 hours. In clear water the underwater pictures are amazing. I never got anything close to this quality out of the XP10 and it is a good camera. It completely blows the XP30 away. The full 1080 movies underwater are also excellent, though to be fair I’ve only watched them on the 720 laptop screen. The camera has gotten a rinse in fresh water after each ocean bath and plenty of time to air dry. So far very good. I can’t say enough about how much better the images are from this device.
Battery: yet another custom sized battery and accompying charger. I’m not going to pick on companies for having a custom sized battery too much, but for my sanity, please just make the darn camera charge over a standard usb plug. I see how having a seperate charger coudl allow me to run with one and charge another but really, the battery life is very good (2-3 hours of actual snorkeling with the camera on all the time and still only using about 60% of the battery.
Outdoor picture quality: Good. lots and lots of specific modes (everything from portrait, to sunset, to fireworks, etc..) good enough general use that I left the canon SX100 at home but I do miss the 10x zoom. I’m willing to trade off the zoom for the one device and the massive improvement in ruggedness.
Haven’t done much indoor shooting yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this camera gives up a little bit in that side of things. There are LOTS of good cameras for shooting indoors, but there aren’t many that you can take snorkeling in the morning, drop on the gravel road loading up the car, and then rise and dunk into a snowbank in the evening. This camera impresses me more every day of vacation. I brought the xp10 as a backup but it hasn’t even gotten out of the suitcase.
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|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
update- Used this camera for 11 days in the Caymans and never had an issue. I made sure to allow the camera to dry before opening and closing the door. Also make sure to clean it each time with the little brush that comes with the package. I think some folks may ignore this and that’s why they have issues with water entering, etc. I took about about 4000 pictures/video with this camera during my vacation. I did notice when you got into dark situations the camera had issues with focusing but really what do you expect for a camera at this price? It’s a trooper in my opinion. Make sure to purchase the CHUMS flotation strap as that saved me from loosing my camera a couple time when it fell out of my pocket in the ocean.
For an idea of what this camera is capable of here is a link to view.. ;
Enjoy
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