Panasonic DMC-GH1 pros:

+ Plenty of customizable color modes
+ Nice design, small size
+ 3-inch LCD screen displaying 460,000 pixels
+ 12.1 megapixel photos
+ Sharp images
+ Full HD video recording

Panasonic DMC-GH1 cons:

- Color accuracy below average
- Noise higher than in competition
- Little in camera editing
- Slow burst speed

Performance:
Panasonic DMC-GH1 has a very effective image stabilization system. The resolution achieved by the camera is much better than in the competitive digital cameras, such as Olympus E-P1. The playback mode in the Panasonic DMC-GH1 offers plenty of features and up to 16x magnification. There is also the slideshow feature and a calendar to help you browse your photos by date. However, there is no software for Macs and only few in-camera editing features.

Video quality:
In the video mode the Panasonic DMC-GH1 produces accurate colors and little noise. Motion is recorded very well, and the images are sharp. In low light the camera produces slightly worse color than the competition and more noise than in bright light. Thanks to the abundance of manual control you can further improve the video quality.

Other recently reviewed digital cameras:
Panaconic Lumix DMC-ZS3 Kodak EasyShare Z950, Nikon Coolpix L100, Olympus E-P1, Canon PowerShot S90

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 pros:
+ 10.1 megapixel photos
+ Compact size, pleasant design
+ 12x optical zoom
+ SD, SDHC support
+ Full HD video recording in AVCHD
+ Excellent color accuracy
+ ISO ranges from 80 to 1600
+ 3-inch LCD display

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 cons:
- No viewfinder
- Images get noisy in poor light
- LCD display is hard to read in bright light
- Smallish buttons

The design:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 measures 4.1 x 2.3 x 1.4 in. And weighs 214 grams so it is quite compact. The front of the camera features the 12x zoom Leica lens, the flash and the  AF illuminator. The back of the digital camera houses the bright, 3-inch LCD screen, the 4-way controller and some other buttons in charge of quick menu, video capture, and mode switching. The left side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is completely bare, whereas the right side houses the ports hidden under a protective cover. The bottom of the digital camera features the tripod mount and the battery cover. The top is crammed with the speaker and the stereo mic, shutter release butt, power button and mode dial.

Performance:

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 can take up to 10 megapixel photos in 3 different aspect ratios and so the largest images are 3648 x 2736. As with all bigger photos the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 tends to produce slightly too much noise. Fortunately, the optical image stabilization is very effective which makes all the photos look sharp.
The Panasonic camera is also capable of recording videos in up to 1280 x 720 pixels. As they are saved in AVCHD, or Motion JPEG formats most users should have no difficulties handling such files. The video performance of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is very good.

Image quality:

The color accuracy is almost perfect in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3, perhaps because it offers 4 color modes to choose from. The noise levels produced by the camera are decent in good light, but the low light noise performance is below average for compact digital cameras. The chromatic aberration, amount of detail and sharpness are all outstanding which combined with the accurate color reproduction make the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 a very good digital camera.

Conclusion:

To sum up, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 is a very good compact digital camera offering plenty of features and good quality photos for a reasonable price. Therefore, is you are not a professional and you’re looking for a fast, easy to use and user-friendly digital camera the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 might be just right for you.
Selected Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 features and specifications:

• lens / zoom

25mm – 300mm (12x) (21.4x @ 3MP or less)  (dig. 4x)

• focus / macro

auto / 50cm / 3cm

• metering mode

intelligent multiple; center weighted, spot

• aperture

auto / F3.3 – F6.3 (W) / F4.9 – F6.3 (T)

• white balance

auto, 5 presets, adjustable

• shutter

auto / 60s – 1/2000s

• exposure

+/- 2EV in 1/3EV steps

• flash / mode

internal –  5 modes / 0.6m – 5.3m (@ iso auto)

• iso ratings

80, 200, 400, 800, 1250, 1600  (1600 – 6400 in high sensitivity mode)

• image size

3648×2736, 3072×2304, 2560×1920, 2048×1536, 1600×1200, 640×480 / [3:2] 3776×2520, 3168×2112, 2656×1768, 2112×1408, 2048×1360 / [16:9] 3968×2232, 3328×1872, 2784×1568, 2208×1248, 1920×1080

• image format

jpeg (exif 2.21)

• image compr.

fine, standard

• remote control

self timer 10s, 2s

• video options

Qt m-jpeg, with audio – 1280×720, 848×480, 640×480, 320×240 (30fps)

• audio options

wav, stereo

• connectivity

usb 2 HS;  A/V (PAL/NTSC)

• storage

40MB internal; SD, SDHC, MMC (still images only)

Panasonic HDC-TM300 pros:
Eye-catching design
+ Little noise
+ Perfectly sharp image
+ Built-in 32GB Flash memory
+ Plenty of manual controls
+ Very good still photo performance
+ Compact size
+ Abundance of audio features

Panasonic HDC-TM300 cons:
- Inconvenient hot shoe
- Poor editing software
- Lens ring only controls zoom and focus

Performance:
The Panasonic HDC-TM30’s lens ring is an excellent tool for making manual focus adjustments. The camcorder has an abundance of aperture and shutter speed options for more advanced users. But also the easy mode is good so beginners will also be satisfied with the Panasonic camcorder.
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 records movies on the internal 32GB flash drive, yet thanks to the SD/SDHC card slot you can add a few GBs. The camcorder records films at 17Mbps which is not as high as competition, but does the work.

Image quality:
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 has very high color accuracy at the same time keeping noise at a very low level. Only the pink and brown hue are slightly skewed. The Panasonic HDC-TM300 camcorder produces smooth and clear motion and keeps 650-750 lw/phi sharpness. As the camcorder has 24p frame rate it also has extraordinary sensitivity. The colors are rendered very well also in low lighting conditions, yet the noise level is very low.

Still features:
The Panasonic HDC-TM300 offers surprisingly good (for a camcorder) still photo features. Not only can you take 8 megapixel photos with the camcorder, but the image quality is good. Perhaps the noise is average for a camcorder, but the color accuracy is top-notch and you get plenty of additional features and settings.

Selected Panasonic HDC-TM300 features and specifications:
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range
3.3 ft – 8 ft
Red Eye Reduction
Yes
Flash Modes
Fill-in mode, flash OFF mode, red-eye reduction
Camera Flash
Built-in flash
Features
Flash +/- compensation
Main Features
Remote Control
Remote control – infrared
Still Image Format
JPEG
Digital Video Format
AVCHD, H.264
White Balance Presets
Cloudy, sunlight, indoor, outdoor
White Balance
Custom, automatic, presets
Exposure Modes
Program, automatic, aperture-priority, shutter-priority
Min Shutter Speed
1/2 sec
Max Shutter Speed
1/8000 sec
Image Stabilizer
Optical (Advanced O.I.S.)
Shooting Programs
Spotlight, portrait mode, night portrait, scenery, fireworks, low light, night scene, sports mode, sunset, beach, snow
Shooting Modes
Digital photo mode
Digital Zoom
700 x
Analog Video Format
NTSC
Min Illumination
1 lux
Optical Sensor Size
1/4.1″
Optical Sensor Type
CMOS
Color Support
Color
Media Type
Flash card
Camcorder Effective Video Resolution
2.07 Mpix
Camcorder Sensor Resolution
3.05 Mpix
Camcorder Effective Still Resolution
2.65 Mpix
Widescreen Video Capture
Yes
Face Detection
Yes
Battery
Supported Battery Details
1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery – 1250 mAh ( included )
Microphone
Microphone Operation Mode
Surround
Microphone Technology
Electret condenser
Type
Microphone – built-in
Microphone Features
Zoom
Software
Software
Drivers & Utilities, Panasonic HD Writer AE 1.0
Miscellaneous
Cables Included
Component video cable ¦ A/V cable ¦ USB cable
Included Accessories
Stylus
Product Type
Camcorder – 1080i
Enclosure Color
Black
Lens System
Lens Manufacturer
Leica
Filter Size
43 mm
Zoom Adjustment
Motorized drive
Lens Aperture
F/1.8-2.8
Focus Adjustment
Automatic, manual
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera
44.9 – 539mm
Focal Length
4 mm – 48 mm
Type
Zoom lens – 4 mm – 48 mm – f/1.8-2.8
Features
Built-in lens shield
Additional Features
Additional Features
Direct print, USB 2.0 compatibility, touch-screen control, built-in speaker, backlight compensation, DPOF support, PictBridge support, Dolby Digital 5.1 channel recording, takes photos while movie recording, automatic face tracking technology, face detection
Digital Still Camera Function
Yes
Low Lux / Night Mode
Yes
Self Timer Delay
10 sec
Self Timer
Yes
Display
Display Format
230,400 pixels
Display Form Factor
Rotating
Type
LCD display – TFT active matrix – 2.7″ – color
Memory / Storage
Supported Flash Memory
SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card
Environmental Parameters
System Requirements for PC Connection
Peripheral Devices
USB port, CD-ROM drive
Power
Power Device
Power adapter and battery charger – external
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Resolution
113,000 pixels
Viewfinder Diagonal Size
0.26″
Viewfinder Color Support
Color
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Image Aspect Ratio (camcorders)
16:9
Connections
Expansion Slot(s)
1 x SD Memory Card
Connector Type
1 x HDMI output ¦ 1 x USB ¦ 1 x composite video/audio output ¦ 1 x microphone