I agree if your concern is that this is not a great camera for people who want to do more than one-click pics.
Otherwise, a bevy of colors simply is an indicator of devices being for consumers, the “Flip” crowd.
Actually, just announced was the Nokia N9 smartphone, that comes in various colors. Nicest tech I have ever seen come in four colors (if you want to include black as a color).
IMHO this is a great camera. It’s a great price point and Panasonic Lumix cameras get great reviews.
As others said, do NOT get this confused with Panasonic high-end Lumix DMC-LX__ cameras, that will cost you $300+ for a used LX1, and $400+ for a current DMC-LX5.
No one should be comparing a $70 camera with a $400 unit. That’s like saying “Warning, this 3 Series BMW does not have the same features as the 7 Series.” Duh, no kidding. One car is in the $35,000+ range, the other in the $80,000+ range.
IMHO this Lumix is competitive with Canon’s consumer, budget “Powershot” point & shoot cameras, but the Powershots always win in shoot-outs.
If I did not have 20 cameras already, including Canon’s N95 and a Lumix DMC-LX1, I’d get a few of these for situations where I would be hard on a camera. But I don’t feel like getting chewed out by my GF for buying more stuff that I don’t need.
And truth be told, consumer point & shoot sales are plumetting, because people are happy with the quality of pics their cell phones produce. And you can’t beat the convenience of having a 5MP or 8MP camera in the cell phone.
I think most people would not compare this $70 camera with a $300 to $500 model. And if people want a Leica lens, that privilege is not going to cost $70. 
(A used DMC-LX1, that has the lens of which you speak and is still a great camera, can sometimes be found for $300 on eBay.)
Well, what can I say. I saw that this shoots video in 720p HD and had to buy one.
I’ll simply have to hide this in my stack of cameras so my GF won’t notice. (I got black so it blends in with the pile).
As soon as I saw this I wished it had been up last Christmas. My daughter got her first camera and we had a hard time finding a “pretty colored” one for her. These would be perfect for a young budding photographer and just slightly more than a crappy kid camera. Both of my daughter’s got cameras at 3 years old, real cameras, and they both work great still!
I put it in my Amazon cart as required to check price and this camera was $248. You keep using those words, “same price.” I do not think it means what you think it means.
From the Mothership:
“Hey, we noticed you looking at cameras on Amazon.com and thought you might be interested in today’s Woot deal:
Panasonic Lumix 12.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom”
I just bought a DMC-ZR3 last night, c’est la vie.
I bought the 15MP Lumix with no zoom a few weeks ago and it has been an amazing camera. Battery lasts forever, the image stabilizer is excellent, and picture quality is astounding. If this one is anywhere near as good, it’s a steal at under $100.
You mean I can’t take a shot that looks like the cover of Sports Illustrated of my son Nerdly trying to sink a shot at the high school basketball game, using no flash and being 200 feet away? I mean, $69 is a lot to pay for a camera (my Instamatic was $10) and digital cameras do defy the rules of physics, or so I’m told.
If you’re comparison shopping, make sure you search for Lumix S1 12.1MP. It is not an S2 or S3. This S1 is 89 at BestBuy. Also Amazon has it for $108 w/free shipping
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Digital-Optical-Stabilized-2-7-Inch/dp/B004HW7KDW
I just have to comment on the write-up:
“It’s My Party” by Lesley Gore, cute song from 50s/60s era.
Not sure the birthday girl’s name was Betsy, but it could’ve been…
Inconceivable
The extra optical zoom isnt a gimmick its the digital zoom that doesnt matter. I have 18 optical zoom and I can bring a bird in a tree in from 75+ ft. 4X optical isnt enough.
He was saying its the same price as the one the spammer posted. Of course the spammer is posting a link to his amazon store… so… Duh. Everyone just go tattle on the spammer that makes a new account and does this every woot.
Props for bringing up my future phone - I love the specs, and don’t want fake Linux (Android) or walled-garden Linux/Unix (Apple) - the N9 for me!
And back on topic, judging a device by colors it is sold in is feeble, because a lot of people like the ability to make a fashion statement with their camera. I bought myself/the wife a Canon SD-something, and I went with the conservative silver/default color. At home, I still don’t hear the end of it, considering this comes in black, brown and blue etc.
I have an earlier version and love it. Great wide angle lens is the best for me. Really dependable. BUT, I will never buy another camera that doesn’t accept AA batteries. Tell Panasonic to go back to AA batteries and I will buy two!
Anyone know how battery life is on this one?
I’ve taken about 100 (3000 x 2000) pics and about 2 minutes of HD video and am still above half charge. Most have been without flash and the battery is brand new. I am still on the first charge.
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ha ha ha…too funny. They misspelled Lummox!