Lumix tz3 Please turn camera off and then on again" as soon as camera is switched on. I Can view any menu, or read SD card, but cannot take any pictures. If I turn on in a picture taking mode it starts to focus and then the message appears, when I turn it off the lens does not close. If I turn on in playback mode, it works fine, if I turn it off from playback mode, then the lens closes. Basically, any picture taking mode triggers the error message. Solution?

It most certainly could be the camera miss reading the card. However, lately many of the sd cards I have purchased can't be formatted. If you have a PC/Laptop you can re-format the card and then try it in the camera.

It seems maybe there is something wrong with your card slot or the card type isn't suitable for your camera(else you have use before), such as the size of card (some old camera won't use large SD card). Here maybe something help you: digital cameras after holidays

The maximum size SD card you can use is 2GB because that is the maximum size SD card you can buy. Cards bigger than that are SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards. Fortunately the TZ3 is capable of using SDHC cards of 4GB and larger.

Format the sd card and try again.

Try formating the SD card by pressing center Menu button then scroll to end of Menu for FORMAT.

Memory card likely has temporary(needs formatting) or permanent problems(needs replacing, common for off branded china junk).

First format the mem card on your camera by pressing center Menu button then scrolling down to the end of the menu to Format. If this does not work, and you have bought a Name Brand SD card; Sandisk/Kingston/Patriot etc, return it to place of purchase with receipt, or creditcard use to purchase it, and they will replace it.

Hi,

The picture that I posted shows a TZ3 mode dial. I added a blue arrow to point out an icon on the mode dial.
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1. Turn the mode dial on the camera so this icon is selected.
2. Switch on the camera.
3. Aim the camera at your subject, press the shutter button halfway to focus, then press it fully to begin the video. (Just as you would take a picture.)
4. To stop taking video, press the shutter button fully again.
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~When a video starts being taken, its current length will appear on the camera's LCD screen.
~Videos take up more space on the memory card than do pictures.
~If an SD memory card becomes full while recording, then the video will stop automatically.
~Videos can be played back on the camera's "PLAYBACK" mode. They can also be viewed on a TV or downloaded to a computer.

Plug you camera into USB. Go to My Computer and find a drive device named External Drive or USB Storage etc. Click on this and you should see a folder named DCIM (digital camera EXIF standard Digital Camera IMage folder. This is your cameras memory card.

Click on this and find a subfolder(s) named according to manufacture. For Panasonic it would be 100_PANA or maybe 101_PANA. These are you picture folders. Click on one to find pictures. Drag and Drop folder to computer to download them.

Like mem card problems. Try another in the camera, try reading card on a computer via a usb port card reader. Try reformating card using camera FORMAT function.

Read previous post with similar problem, Try removing battery and reinserting after about a minutes waiting time. Resets camera.