A great review on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3 has been done by Imaging Resource where they write, 'The Panasonic LZ3's performance ranges from quite fast to just average, depending on what you're trying to do. It starts up reasonably fast, and has a fairly fast shutter response when the lens is set to its wide angle position. At the telephoto end of the lens' range it's only a little slower, with a lag time of 0.55 second, about average. And if you "prefocus" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure, it's blazingly fast, with a shutter delay of only 0.013 second, among the fastest on the market. Shot to shot cycle times are average, at about 1.95 seconds for large/fine JPEGs.

Continuous-mode speed is quite good, at a bit over three frames/second, for up to three shots in succession in large/fine mode. The flash takes about seven seconds to recharge after a full-power shot, a little longer than average for this class of camera. Connected to a computer, download speeds are fast enough that you probably won't feel a need for a separate card reader, but nonetheless aren't as fast as many cameras currently on the market. Bottom line, while not a first choice for sports or other fast-paced action, the Panasonic LZ3 is responsive enough (particularly at wide angle lens settings) to handle most family photo opportunities.'