The odd shape of the camera is countered by the very positive grip afforded by the battery compartment. This is partally covered by a 'rubber' layer to improve handling further. The camera shape also means you are very unlikely to accidentally poke a finger in front of the lens - something I was prone to do with the C30! The start up time is quite impressive which means that you shouldn't miss the action.
Connection to a computer is through the usual USB link - the C30 was limited by a serial connection which took ages to download pictures. Alternatively, the memory card can be removed and placed into a card reader.
Taking pictures is straightfoward - almost point and click. The shutter is the usual two-position type where you press it half-way down to enable the camera to focus on the subject and all the way down to take the shot. Although there are options on the exposure/mode dial to set which type of scene you are photographing leaving the camera in the auto mode setting allows it to figure the scene type out for itself - I notice that it usually makes the correct guess. After taking a shot you can view it with a quick press of the QV (Quick View) button. Pressing this a second time produces a dialog which allows the image to be deleted if required, a third press returns to picture taking mode. You may also opt to enable the 'instant playback' feature which displays the picture for either 2 or 10 seconds after it has been taken.
The 12x zoom produces pictures that are quite crisp - see the squirrel picture below which was taken at full optical zoom. The anti-shake is a boon when taking such long distance shots though a tripod is still recommended as hand shake can still be a problem at such distances. The macro and super macro modes are quite superb and the subject matter can be millimetres from the lens without losing focus. Of course, if the flash is required when taking macro shots then you will find that it cannot illuminate subjects too close to the lens - separate lighting is recommended in such cases (a separate flash is available from Konica Minolta). The camera compensates for internal daytime shots which reduces the need for flash; I and a relative were taking photos of another relative's paintings - he required flash turned on to get a decent picture while the Z3 was producing well lit pictures without the need for flash.
See the photos section for examples of the camera's output.
