Customer Reviews

Panasonic PV-DC3000 3MP Digital Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have to say that I like this camera. It's stylish, sturdy, and takes high resolution pictures. However, in this market, these features are just not enough. Especially in the $400 - $600 range.

The biggest negative for this camera is that the flash pictures are terribly overexposed. That is to say, the camera does not handle highlights well at all - especially at close range. This can be somewhat overcome with an eye for the proper anti-reflective angle. But why should we have to worry about such things?

Negative number two is that outdoor pictures are flat and undersaturated. I took the same pictures with this camera and a Kodak DC4800 side-by-side, and it was literally like night and day. Granted, Kodak is known for its super-saturated setting, which is absolutely beautiful in comparison to the Panasonic. But the problem with the Panasonic is that it is understaurated in comparison to real life. And that just cannot be excused. Of course, the saturation problem can be fixed with software, but, again, why should we have to worry about such things?

The last negative has to do with the batteries. The life is short - no doubt about it. But, what's worse is that the power functions become erratic when the batteries are even slightly worn. For example, the camera will not turn on consistently, the display cuts on and off, and the response time becomes slower. A constant fresh set of batteries fixes these problems. But, once again, why should we have to worry about such things?

In summary, this is a nice camera, but it is hardly worth the money. I previously owned a Panasonic PV-DC2590 and was hoping that they had learned from their mistakes. There are improvements in the shutter response time and in the camera's ability to take better motion shots. But, overall, Panasonic just hasn't gotten it right yet. Their lack of attention to the needs of the consumer will certainly keep them at the bottom of the digital camera field. In Spring of 2002 they will be introducing a new line of digital cameras called Lumix. Personally, I won't be standing in line to get one.

My advice: Invest in an equivalent 3-megapixel Kodak or Nikon camera. These cameras have been designed with you and I in mind.

It is true that the camera devours batteries. My first set lasted about 20-30 minutes but those batteries came in the Panasonic box and could have been already drained. In any case, next time 'round I put in some Duracells and did not waste power by playing with the screen and visualizing prior shots. I only turned the thing on to snap and that's it. So these second batteries seem to be doing well.

The good news is that the images are great (amazing detail on zoom view) and the software and hardware were easy to install and use on my windows PC. No problems. Also, the audio feature should come in handy to say something brief about the shot so I don't forget who, where, what, etc.

It is a bit on the heavy side but certainly lighter and more compact than an optican camera with a big zoom zens.

Drawback (?): why doesn't the camera have an automatic shutter to protect the lens? Perhaps the designers deemed it superfluous.

I purchased this camera about 6 months ago and love it... although it does chew through batteries, I have discovered that if I buy Energizer E-2 or similar batteries designed for digital equipment they last MUCH longer.

I went with this camera because it seemed like a good value... 4 months later, after using the camera only a handful of times, the LCD would not light up for no reason at all. I immediately brought it back to the store that I had purchased it from since it was still under warranty. The store (Office Max) informed me that I had to deal with panasonic directly. I had to pay to ship/insure it by mail to Panasonic's service centre... soon after I received a phone call that they needed a credit card number to do the repairs. They stated that the warranty covered parts only and that the labor would be additional. Basically they told me that there was a standard charge of $228 U.S. to fix it... they were not however able to tell me what the problem was. I figured that since I was meticulous about taking proper care of the camera that the problem would have had to be very minor AND it was only 4 months old... I sent a letter complaining about my service and the quality of the camera to the manager at their facitlity. Soon after I received the camera back-- still broken. They didn't bother fixing it nor did they respond to my letter.

To sum it all up--- lemon of a camera, terrible warranty and customer service at the company itself... consider a company that will stand by their product.

although, this camera has many good features, it is incredibly annoying to have to replace batteries after every photo session (less than 10 pictures, maybe?). I decided to get rechargable batteries but you still find yourself replacing them as well all the time!!!

This camera replaced a hp 1 megapixel. I was so disappointed in it. The manual is difficult. The pictures were horrible, I took 50 pics x-mas eve of family and all turned out poor. The facial features were so white sometimes all I could see was their eyes and mouth with a blob of white for their faces.

I am packing it up to return to the store!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would not buy this camera if I had it to do over again. Of 5 digital cameras I have owned, this is 2nd to worst. There are many other cameras offering better features in the same price range.

A major problem is the camera is a battery hog. It consumed 12 AA batteries taking, reviewing and downloading 20 pictures. (no video either)

The zoom is very weak and picture quality is mediocre.

Love the size. Love the quality of the 3.3 mega pixels. Love the panorama feature of the software. (Lets you splice multiple images together to produce really neat panoramas.)Batteries no problem. Use Nickel Metal Hydride rechargables. Have an extra set on hand. Wish I had got one sooner. Takes great pictures at the beach. Hard work but somebody has to do it! Aloha.

One word, ...
wonder why the price has been reduced so low.
Takes up batteries like you've never experienced with anything before, picture quality is bad, colors dont match (almost one of those sticker picture quality color) and weak features. Extreamly overpriced for what you get.
This one was my mistake...

Highly recommended camera. Compact and easy to use.
Handbook instructions were clear and precise.
Took many pictures (aslo close up) and had no problems.