We bought a new camera on the weekend, the Panasonic DMC-FS3. This new acquisition completes our trifecta collection of Panasonic cameras - we also own a DMC-LX2 and a DMC-FZ20. We originally bought the LX2 as a smaller, more portable alternative to our FZ20, but Nat had a lot of trouble taking indoor photos with the LX2. Despite it’s small size, it’s definitely not a point and shoot, requiring some tweaking to get decent shots.

We had considered going with a Canon SD750, but after playing with one for awhile, we grew to really hate the Canon’s “iPod-esque” thumbwheel. I don’t know what the Canon engineers were thinking when they designed that feature, but it just doesn’t work on a camera.

Panasonic seems to be making some great cameras these days, which is why we’ve stuck with the brand. Our new FS3 is a true point-and-shoot, takes great photos both indoors and out, and is very pocketable. Another bonus: it takes great photos at high-ISO settings, with much less noise than I expected. I’ll post some of our photos on my Flickr page in the next day or two. The price was right too: $199 CDN at the local Best Buy (and as we discovered later, Black’s Cameras sells them for $189). Here’s a review of the FMC-FS3 over at Digital Camera Review.