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Panasonic Lumix TS3

KathyD

Paddler
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
111
Has anyone tried the Lumix TS3 yet?

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/ts3_ft3/index.html

I'm looking for a point and shoot that I can use for work (in rivers, rain) as well as kayaking. The GPS option would be great for work. Just wondering about the optics. I know it's a point-and-shoot, but want something somewhat decent. I have an Olympus Stylus 600 right now, but it's only water resistant (not waterproof). Small is good since I often have to hike with it too and fitting in my workvest pocket is convenient so I can just pull it out to snap photos instead of digging through my pack.

Thanks for any input!
 
I have never tried any of the Lumix cameras but have used several of the Olympus rugged cameras (currently I have the 6020). It seems that all of the current rugged cameras (Olympus, Panasonic, Fuji etc) are fairly compromised in the optics capabilities by virtue of being rugged. For me having a camera that can take some abuse outweighs the poorer optics (I use the Olympus 95% of the time and my dSLR the other 5%). To be rugged the contraints on moveable optics means that they just cannot match what even a $150 regular camera can manage. The camera you mentioned must be pretty new as I could not find any online reviews that were much beyond reprints of the marketing blurbs. BTW I saw that Dell Canada has a pretty good deal on the Olympus 6020 right now ($160), though it lacks the GPS you mentioned.
 
We had a Olympus *%0 Waterproof camera. The pictures were good but battery life was good for 50-60 pictures.

We bought the Canon D10 waterproof and it works like a hot damn! Takes great photos and the battery last all day, 250+ photos. Tootsal has one too and swears by it also.
 
When I compare the underwater pictures I get with the Canon D10 they are better than those taken by any of the other "point and shoot" cameras with underwater rating (Canon has an underwater colour compensation built-in). But, the Canon only has a 3X optical zoom and when I compare the above water pictures with the Olympus Tough 6020 the Oly comes out ahead in terms of picture sharpness, video quality, etc. The Canon is, I think, more rugged than most of the others with waterproof rating because it doesn't have those moving "leaves" to protect the lens (which means dust and/or dried salt crystals can't jam the leaves and cause a "lens error"). But...it may be possible to scratch the glass "lens cover" on the Canon (a permanent wound...which I've managed to avoid so far) and the Canon is definitely larger and can be a pain to get out of a PFD pocket quickly (which is why I tether mine to my PFD and just let it lay loose on the spray skirt). The Canon also has a better waterproof rating (10 meters) than most of the others (I think the Panasonic is also 10 meters?...most of them are only about 3 meters). As Rick suggests, the Canon does have a good battery (I could do 2 snorkeling trips of 1-1/2 hours each per day on a single battery) and it's easy to pick up spare batteries from Ebay (I got 2 for about $10...no-name Chinese...and they work fine).

So if your primary use is getting shots underwater (snorkeling) then the Canon is better all round. But if you want to take pictures with a camera that is just "rugged and splashproof", fits in a pocket easily, then you may find the Panasonic to come out ahead. I have a Panasonic "extended zoom" point and shoot for regular photography and love it (Panasonic lenses are "Leica" ... great for a non-SLR camera).
 
So far I'm really happy with our Pentax W90 (coming from an older Olympus Stylus Verve). Picture quality has been very good and it's been in the pool lots without issues. I've been impressed with the underwater photo and video quality. We've only had it for 3 1/2 months and I know very little about photography so take what I say with a giant grain of sand.

Cheers,
Bryan
 
Yeah, I think that goes back to the issue of salt crystals forming and jamming the "leaves" of the lense cover as the salt water dries. I know people who have complained about the fine, coral "sand" jamming them but I strongly suspect the real culprit to be the salt (after experiencing other, non-camera mechanism clogging up from same).

Still, even though it doesn't have those shutter covers, even Canon recommends that you rinse the camera thoroughly in fresh water and then let it dry before opening any of the access points (battery/memory card cover and mini-usb port cover).
 
I religiously soak my camera gear in fresh water after a paddle but my paddling outings are usually longer than 1 hour, usually they take all day
Panasonic does not honor warranty claims for corrosion problems.
 
The instruction manual for my TS3 says merely
"After use at the seaside or underwater, soak the unit in fresh water pooled in a shallow container for 10 minutes or less." (page 11)
"Dip the camera in a shallow container for 10 minutes or less after using it [underwater], then wipe the water off with a soft dry cloth." (pages 67 & 68)

Panasonic does state:
"After use at the seaside or underwater, soak the unit in fresh water pooled in a shallow container for 10 minutes or less. Do not leave uncared for more than 60 minutes after using underwater. It may cause deterioration of the waterproof performance." at https://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo ... atures.asp
 
I have a DMC-ZS8 and love it.. made a small water proof case and it works great. To the point I leave my SLR at home now.
As well two friends have the same camera and they love it.

Only down side is GPS units suck batteries like no tomorrow.

I'm amazed the TS3 has a 28mm Wide-angle Lens !!
then all these other features
•Shockproof, Waterproof, Freezeproof and Dustproof Protections
•Altimeter / Depth Indicator / Compass / Barometer / GPS
•4 Active Outdoor Scene Modes
•Large, 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot High-resolution LCD
•Optional Marine Case DMW-MCFT3



DMC-ZS8 specs
14.1 megapixel
16x optical zoom
20x intelligent zoom
24 mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens
3.0" Intelligent LCD (230K pixels)
Intelligent auto mode
- POWER O.I.S. (Optical image stabilizer)
- Intelligent ISO control
- Face detection
- Face recognition
- Intelligent scene selector
- Intelligent exposure control
- AF tracking

TS3
•LEICA DC Lens with Folded Optics Technology
•28mm Wide-angle Lens
•4.6x Optical Zoom / 6x Intelligent Zoom / 9.1x Extra Optical Zoom
•Newly Developed 12.1-megapixel Hi-speed CCD
3.7 fps in 12.1-megapixel Full Resolution
•Sonic Speed AF / Short Release Time Lag
•Venus Engine FHD
•Intelligent Resolution Technology
•Battery Life – Approx. 310 Shots on a Single Battery Charge

KathyD said:
Has anyone tried the Lumix TS3 yet?

http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/ts3_ft3/index.html

I'm looking for a point and shoot that I can use for work (in rivers, rain) as well as kayaking. The GPS option would be great for work. Just wondering about the optics. I know it's a point-and-shoot, but want something somewhat decent. I have an Olympus Stylus 600 right now, but it's only water resistant (not waterproof). Small is good since I often have to hike with it too and fitting in my workvest pocket is convenient so I can just pull it out to snap photos instead of digging through my pack.

Thanks for any input!

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:roll: Frustrating isn't it. Canon D10..the Lumix T3 and the new kid on the block, the Pentax WG1...was keen on the WG1 due to the macro which to my mind is a wow but reading the posts/reviews in other forums and it seems the pics are not terrific beyond the macro. Oh well...patience is called for but sure would be nice to have one for those expeditions that only ever does once. Anyone know if some of the video cams have decent still reproductions? Might be the way to go.
 
i have the Lumix ts1 (earlier version) really great pictures, really amazing video, and so far it is working great. Lots of dropping it in salt water while kayaking and it still runs, ( year or two old) My photos are significantly better than my friend with the equivalent olympus waterproof cameras. I wondered about the Canon waterproof, as i wondered if it was more waterproof and i have had great luck with canon cameras, but it was way too big for me.

Not the best battery life but then i tend to not use the power saving features.

All the waterproof cameras are not good deals. I really like the convenience myself, before this i used a canon point and shoot with a waterproof diving case, it was great, but the diving cases are rather large.

anyway i have not looked into the newer versions as things are still working great....
 
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