14 DAY TRIAL // The best photo and video cameras are the big ones, with interchangeable lenses and all that jazz, but they aren't exactly the most popular, because not everyone is a professional photographer.
That is why compact digital cameras sell so well: they are small, easy to carry around in a pocket or bag, yet more than decent at what they do.
The (sadly unpriced) Panasonic Lumix DMC-XS3 is no exception to this. Indeed, it may be even better than many of its peers.
That's because of the high-sensitivity 14.1-megapixel MOS Sensor, the 5x optical zoom capability, and the Intelligent Auto feature.
Intelligent Auto, iA for short, automatically initializes Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection, and Intelligent Exposure.
These modes tweak the picture in the way judged to be the most suited to the scene or other factors. Basically, the camera will try to make the pictures turn out as well as possible by analyzing the view, the distance of the objects or people, the light angle, etc.
The 2.7-inch Intelligent LCD allows for the changes to be seen immediately (100 percent field of view).
The iA mode is just one of the assets of the newcomer though. There are others, like the aforementioned 24mm to 120mm 5x optical zoom, the 10x Intelligent Zoom feature, the various filters and retouch options (Beauty Retouch, Creative Control, Creative Retouch, and Creative Panorama), and the Handheld Night Shot mode, whereby owners can layer several images together to create brighter photos.
Add that to the Full HD resolution of everything recorded (1920 x 1080 pixels in MP4 format) and you have a winning combination of hardware and software.
For those who want to go further into the specifics of the software, Panasonic decided to include The Beauty Retouch (Smokey, Glamour, Cheerful, and Elegant filters), Impressive Art, Sepia, Low Key, High Key, Old Days, One Point Color, Miniature Effect, and the Aesthetic Retouch (Clear Skin, Shine Removal, teeth whitening, etc.).
No clue when sales will start, unfortunately.