View topic - Panasonic DMC-ZS3

My wife bought this camera and asked me to figure out how to use it. We are both challenged technologically. The problem is that the camera has no view finder only a LCD screen. When the sun shines on the LCD screen it blacks out and it is impossible to frame a picture. One could try to shade the screen, and I have, but it really does not work.
Any suggestions?
S

Thats a big problem with LCD screen only pictures.

Thats a major reason I am going with a DSLR so I start shooting level pictures. The viewfinder really helps in seeing what you are actually shooting while bracing the camera well.

(I also miss my Minolta SRT 101)

I have a whole collection of canoe pictures going uphill from my point and shoot.

For now the best you can do is a good guess and a photo editing program.

The camera probably has a "brightness" setting for the LCD screen. Try boosting that up to maximum. The default setting may be medium to conserve battery power. There may also be anti-glare transparent stickers you can put over LCD screen (but I've never looked for them in store). Worth a try if it continues to bother you. This is a typical complaint on a camera without a viewfinder or a adjustable LCD screen. The viewfinder adds bulk to a camera, and the ZS3 is ultra compact. I don't find it to be that much of a problem, but for the odd shot when the sun is clearly not cooperating, it can make for a difficult shot.

I had to look that one up - it's an interesting dilemma....

The manual is at http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/DMCZS1.PDF - in the basic set-up instructions, it explains how to choose one of the seven levels of brightness.

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Yes ... default setting looks like it is "0" (see page 21 of manual). You want to boost it up to "3." I think this will probably fix the issue for you, but it will still be slightly difficult to see the screen in direct sunlight on the brightest of days, and it will also draw more power from battery (perhaps by up to half). The LCD screen is the most power hungry feature on the camera.

Thanks guys. I will give the brightness setting a shot.
S