It has once again been a great year for Panasonic Lumix cameras. Four Lumix cameras in particular have impressed judges worldwide by repeatedly beating out tough competition to take home more than their share of awards. In this article, we will discuss each of the four well-lauded Panasonic Lumix cameras – the DMC-ZS10/TZ20, DMC-FZ150, DMC-TS3/FT3 and DMC-G3 – and describe the types of photographers and photographic situations best suited to each award-winning Lumix camera for 2011-2012.

The first digital camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10, also known as the DMC-TZ20, which is a travel zoom (the Z in the title is an abbreviation for ‘Zoom’). It is essentially built to suit the needs of travellers. It’s light to carry, small enough to slip into a pocket, and also has a whopping 16x optical zoom capacity so you can easily get close-up shots of all your travel moments. In 2011, the DMC-TZ20 was awarded the Photo Review ‘Editor’s Choice’ Award, the Good Gear Guide ‘Best Buys 2011’ Award, and the PC World ‘Best Buys 2011’ Award.

The second award-winning digital camera off the rank is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150. It is also a super-zoom, but less compact than the DMC-ZS10 and built for advanced amateur photographers (it’s a “bridge” camera, meaning it’s somewhere between a compact and SLR camera). The FZ150 is for folks who don’t want a straightforward point-and-shoot camera, but instead wish to exercise more control over their images. The FZ150 includes manual control, a hot shoe for adding a flash, and the ability to shoot in Raw format. This camera has won the CNET 'Editor’s Choice' Award, the Photo Review 'Editor’s Choice' Award, and the Buy-n-Shoot 'Platinum Medal' Award.'

Our third award winning Panasonic Lumix camera is the DMC-TS3, also known as the DMC-FT3, and it’s a seriously tough piece of work. Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, freezeproof – it even features GPS, an altimeter, compass and barometer. This model is definitely for photographers who find themselves shooting in extreme environments (or who love the beach!). The DMC-FT3 has won the prestigious TIPA 'Best Rugged Compact Camera' Award, the 'CAMERA of the Year' Award for best Consumer Digital Compact Camera 2011-2012, the Digital Photography Review 'Gold Award' for Underwater Compact Cameras, the Buy-n-Shoot 'Gold Medal', and Photo Review 'Editor’s Choice' Award.

The final model is the most advanced Panasonic Lumix camera in this accolade-winning mix: the SLR-style, mirrorless DMC-G3. It is similar to a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex camera) in that it has an interchangeable lens, meaning that other lenses can be purchased and fitted to the camera. It also auto-focuses and shoots very quickly, making it ideal for sports or action photography. The DMC-G3 has been awarded the 'CAMERA of the Year' Award for Best Consumer Digital Compact Camera 2011-2012, EISA Award for European Compact System Camera 2011-2012, Photo Review 'Editor’s Choice' Award, and Digital Photography Review’s 'Silver Award'.

It’s almost impossible to go wrong buying from the Panasonic Lumix cameras range, but these four models really are exceptional quality and value, as evidenced by the mountain of awards listed above. By carefully selecting the most suitable camera for your situation and abilities as a photographer, you’re bound to enjoy fantastic photographs, whether you’re shooting a local football match, stained-glass windows in European cathedrals, or polar bears in the Arctic Circle!