Panasonic’s toughest digital camera, now with big discounts
Posted on 22. Feb, 2012 by Steve in Deals, Digital Cameras
Panasonic's current line-up of rugged digital cameras. The TS10 is above the TS3.
The Panasonic LUMIX digital camera line-up for point-and-shoots is pretty deep in all areas except for the rugged category. Panasonic currently lists only two rugged digital cameras on their website and those cameras, the 14.1MP Lumix DMC-TS10 and the 12.1MP Lumix DMC-TS3. In contrast Panasonic’s other Lumix cameras number eighteen in total.
Your only two options
Panasonic has equipped the TS10 and TS3 to reach two different demographics within the rugged camera market. The folks that want a stylish camera that is designed to work with the elements to a degree and comes in at a very affordable price, the TS10. And the people that want a truly rugged digital camera that they will be able to take with them on their global adventures, the TS3.
Even though cameras with higher numbers in their names are usually better the TS10 really isn’t better than the TS3. Sure the sensor inside the TS10 offers 14-megapixels of resolution, but the TS3 offers better quality images and the ability to record Full HD video. And that’s not to mention that the TS3 offers a design that is a lot more rugged.
To get all the specifics out of the way for the TS3 the camera features the following:
- 4 Active Outdoor Scene Modes: The DMC-TS3 has 4 active outdoor Scene Modes – Sports, Snow, Beach & Snorkeling and Underwater
- Quad Protection–waterproof (up to 40ft submerged), dustproof, freezeproof (14F or -10 C) and shockproof (6.6ft drops)
- LEICA DC Lens with Folded Optics Technology: The DMC-TS3 features a high-quality LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4.6x optical zoom
- 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 output structure
- Sonic Speed AF (Autofocus): A new faster Autofocus system
- 2.7-inch TFT LCD with 230k dot resolution
- Optical viewfinder for accurately framing shots using your own optics (your eyeball)
- Up to Full HD 60i video capture
- GPS Function + Compass + Altimeter + Depth Indicator + Barometric Sensor for Outdoor Use
- HDMI output, SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot, USB 2.0 port
The Deal
Right now the Silver Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 digital camera is available for just $244.95 on Amazon.com. That price includes the instant discount of $135.04 that has been put into effect. When Panasonic launched the TS3 in 2011 it retailed for $379.99 MSRP.
If you’re not afraid of loud colors you can save a few more dollars by picking the Blue, Red or Orange TS3 from Amazon.com. The Blue model has been reduced down to $232.08 and the Orange model is available for only $213.80. Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TS3 on Amazon and at other online stores is a highly recommended camera by owners, on Amazon alone the TS3 is rated 4/5 stars.
The catch
The only negative mentioned that you should really know about is linked to the TS3′s mono microphone. A customer notes that if you take the TS3 underwater to record video the microphone records the noise made by the cameras focusing system which is automatic.
The noise is noticeable in your videos which is a bit annoying, because your only option is to edit that particular noise out of the final video with editing software which can be pretty challenging. Also with the TS3 not allowing you to disable the microphone for video it’s hard to avoid the noise if you plan on recording video that’s in-focus.
However looking past the sensitive microphone the TS3 is a camera with only minimal faults when compared against other makers offerings in the same price range.
