To compare noise levels under real-life conditions we shot this scene with the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3 and FZ8 within a few moments using each of their ISO settings. Both cameras have the same effective resolution.

The zoom lenses of each camera were adjusted to deliver the same field of view. In the absence of any manual controls, the TZ3 was set to Normal picture mode, and in the spirit of equality we set the FZ8 to Program mode. The FZ8’s Noise Reduction was set to Standard.

The image left was taken with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 at 6mm f3.9 and at 100 ISO; the original measured 3.4MB. The crops are taken from an area just below and to the left of the centre.

It’s quite revealing to compare the TZ3’s samples against the FZ8 though. This higher-end model appears to employ a quite different strategy to noise reduction (in Standard NR mode) with considerable processing apparent even on the 200 ISO sample. This is particularly apparent on the foliage and the TZ3’s crops look more detailed at a number of sensitivities. The FZ8 does however allow you to adjust the noise reduction and we’ll show examples of that in our forthcoming FZ8 review.

As for the TZ3, it’s yet another Panasonic compact you’d be advised to operate at 200 ISO or below for the best results.