Steve'sDigicams

fireworkz · Oct 14, 2004, 12:14 PM

Hi all.
I was reading the review by Jeff Keller.
Apparently its not much in favor of the Z3 which is quite a shame as the Z3 looked hopeful !

" What I didn't care for:

* Images seemed soft and noisy
* Poor low light focusing; no AF-assist lamp
* Lens is on the "slow" side
* EVF and LCD are small, low resolution
* Plastic body scratches easily; SD card slot cover ready to break off at any moment
* Camera bundle is not great
"

more here http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/mi...ew/index.shtml

Jerryclick · Oct 14, 2004, 4:27 PM

Well, for completeness, he also said:

What I liked:

12X optical zoom lens [/*]
Anti-shake image stabilizer [/*]
Blazing AF performance in good light [/*]
Full manual controls [/*]
Supports wide-angle conversion lens and external flash [/*]
EVF and LCD "gain up" in low light [/*]
Good redeye test performance [/*]
Excellent macro and movie modes [/*]
Many continuous shooting options [/*]
Can use optical zoom in movie mode [/*]
Histograms in record and playback mode

[/*]
After running a few thousand exposures thru the Z3, I would have to say it's a very good camera for the money. Picture quality is not what I had hopedin low light situations (I was spoiled by film), but it does a great job when there's plenty of light. It has features of cameras costing twice as much. Because I had already paid big bucks for the Minolta 5600 flash for my Maxxum 5 film camera, I wanted to stick with Minolta. Had it not been for that, I would have taken a harder look at the Panasonic FZ20 and others in the price range.

sensovision · Dec 19, 2004, 12:42 PM

couldn't say it better than Jerry, it's great camera, and once you get used to it, it will provide you with nice shots. Right now weather isn't good here so I mostly take macroshots and find this mode just exellent.

Fossie · Dec 21, 2004, 10:58 AM

Hi, I've had the Z3 for a month and shot about 1,000 frames. I agree with other comments - good pictures, great zoom but not good in low light conditions. Even outside, if the weather is gloomy then pic quality suffers more than with a Dimage f100 that I've used previously.

The firmware upgrade is important - resolves issues with the continuous mode for example.

Oct 14, 2004, 4:27 PM	#2
Jerryclick Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 10	Well, for completeness, he also said: What I liked: 12X optical zoom lens [/] Anti-shake image stabilizer [/] Blazing AF performance in good light [/] Full manual controls [/] Supports wide-angle conversion lens and external flash [/] EVF and LCD "gain up" in low light [/] Good redeye test performance [/] Excellent macro and movie modes [/] Many continuous shooting options [/] Can use optical zoom in movie mode [/] Histograms in record and playback mode [/*] After running a few thousand exposures thru the Z3, I would have to say it's a very good camera for the money. Picture quality is not what I had hopedin low light situations (I was spoiled by film), but it does a great job when there's plenty of light. It has features of cameras costing twice as much. Because I had already paid big bucks for the Minolta 5600 flash for my Maxxum 5 film camera, I wanted to stick with Minolta. Had it not been for that, I would have taken a harder look at the Panasonic FZ20 and others in the price range.

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Oct 14, 2004, 12:14 PM	#1
fireworkz Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 164	Hi all. I was reading the review by Jeff Keller. Apparently its not much in favor of the Z3 which is quite a shame as the Z3 looked hopeful ! " What I didn't care for: * Images seemed soft and noisy * Poor low light focusing; no AF-assist lamp * Lens is on the "slow" side * EVF and LCD are small, low resolution * Plastic body scratches easily; SD card slot cover ready to break off at any moment * Camera bundle is not great " more here http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/mi...ew/index.shtml

Dec 19, 2004, 12:42 PM	#3
sensovision Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 198	couldn't say it better than Jerry, it's great camera, and once you get used to it, it will provide you with nice shots. Right now weather isn't good here so I mostly take macroshots and find this mode just exellent.

Dec 21, 2004, 10:58 AM	#4
Fossie Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 4	Hi, I've had the Z3 for a month and shot about 1,000 frames. I agree with other comments - good pictures, great zoom but not good in low light conditions. Even outside, if the weather is gloomy then pic quality suffers more than with a Dimage f100 that I've used previously. The firmware upgrade is important - resolves issues with the continuous mode for example.