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Editor’s note: We’re adding something new to our camera reviews. Along with images of the FZ100 camera, we’re including a series of photos shot by the camera.

From the box to your hand to snapping away with the Lumix FZ100, the latest feature-laden compact superzoom from Panasonic, you get the impression you’re handling a camera that means business.

The FZ100 is packed with some tried and true Lumix functionality, like its Power OIS optical image stabilization, a new Motion Deblur feature, face detection, a 24x optical zoom, an 11 frame-per-second burst rate even in RAW, an articulating LCD and scads more. Lumix’s Intelligent Auto processes and pumps out reliably exposed, nicely saturated, almost always true-to-color images — just so long as they’re shot at ISO400 or below. The industry has been preening its feathers over supposed sensor improvements, more ISO latitude and better image quality, but sadly, in spite of a really smart feature set and functionality, the images out of the FZ100 still suffer when pushed beyond ISO400.

On the motion-picture side, it offers many flavors of video. It’d take a whole paragraph to list them, but the top end is Full 1080i HD at 30 fps in AVCHD, which is fantastic for viewing on the big screen. You can also shoot in Motion JPEG format, less technically wieldy and more appropriate for sharing on the web or making simple edits. The 24x zoom range of the FZ100 adds a lot of versatility, as well. However, the upgraded stereo microphone atop the body picks up the sound of the zoom’s motor.

Panasonic has done a pretty good job of fitting the FZ100 to your hand. The controls at the top of the body are easy to identify and operate and the Mode Dial’s indents are snappy enough to prevent accidental changes. The back of the camera becomes a bit of a challenge for those with medium-sized fingers and beyond. Making room for the hinge and housing of the articulated LCD takes some real estate away from the function buttons. That means they have to be smaller and are a tad tough to operate.

WIRED Mode wheel has very distinct indents so the camera doesn’t accidentally switch modes. Li-Ion battery rather than AAs. Stereo microphone. Nimble RAW shooting.

TIRED Poor image quality above ISO400. Electronic viewfinder is a throwaway afterthought. Expensive.

Photos by Jackson Lynch for Wired.com

Editor’s addendum: The photo and text that were originally posted here were from an earlier article reviewing a Panasonic G10. This text and the accompanying images correctly reviews and reflects the FZ100.

Rhythm games get a lot of guff from naysayers. If you’re a fan, you’ve surely heard the catty complaints: “That’s just a toy. It’s not a real guitar.”

And it’s true. The typical Rock Band or Guitar Hero controller is fun, but it’s a bit of a joke compared to the real thing. It may look guitarlike, but the primary-color buttons up top and the plastic flipper at the bottom don’t exactly impress the ladies. You can be the best guitar “hero” in the world and you’re really still just a loser with a plastic ax.

Well, the time is here to silence the naysayers — if you can handle it. For Rock Band 3, Mad Catz is seriously upping the ante with a whole new approach to guitar gaming. Put simply, the Fender Mustang PRO-Guitar Controller is not really a game controller at all, but a full-on guitar simulator. Seventeen frets split up a total of 102 buttons which correspond to a traditional six-string guitar fingerboard. Below that, you are now tasked with actually strumming the proper string — a real wire string — instead of moving a little plastic nubbin up and down. You can play with a pick or with your thumb and fingers. Callous lotion is not included.

The PRO-Guitar completely changes the Rock Band experience from top to bottom. No longer are you simply relying on muscle memory and blind luck to power through an Expert-level song, now you’re actually learning how to play it for real.

Is this difficult? Yes, it is difficult. If you’ve never picked up a guitar before, the learning curve is extremely steep. This is night and day vs. the standard rhythm game ax, and you’ll need to slave through the Rock Band 3 pro lessons — learning chords, arpeggios, muting strings and more — to have any hope of success. But as with a real guitar, practice and you’ll get there. I (a guitar novice) was at last breezing through Medium songs on day three, though completing tunes on Hard was still out of reach when my deadline arrived and the controller had to be returned to Mad Catz. The controller can also be used to play authentic bass guitar tracks, which are easier, and standard five-lane Rock Band guitar parts, which are surprisingly not.

What’s lacking? Despite the new approach, the Mustang still looks like a toy. It’s the same size as a standard guitar controller and is completely made of plastic. If you do want to eventually switch to a real guitar, you’re going to have to get used to everything being farther apart.

And sadly, this controller’s authenticity will do nothing to head off that other standby quip of the naysayers: “Why don’t you just play a real guitar?” Well, really, why don’t you?

WIRED You’re not playing a game any more, you’re learning how to play guitar. Totally revolutionizes Rock Band gameplay (and makes you the weakest member of the band).

TIRED No whammy bar — but, trust us, your hands will be full. Lacks weight. Big investment.

At last, it is possible to relive the humiliation of childhood piano lessons all over again.

One of Rock Band 3’s key innovations is the addition of a keyboard part to songs. While older versions of the game had the guitar track picking out many of the keyboard notes, now keyboard players gets their due.

Naturally, they also gets their own new instrument: a keyboard.

It’s long been thought that adding keys to rhythm gaming would be a bit of a joke, and when you play non-pro keys, using just five buttons and with no need to strum, it pretty much is. But with Mad Catz’s pro-keyboard controller and a much broader spectrum of buttons to hit, the keyboard part can be just as challenging as the rest of the band.

The Rock Band 3 keyboard is a miniature keyboard that can be played on a tabletop, placed on a stand or worn, keytar-style, around the neck. The controller spans just two octaves (that’s 25 keys total, white and black), and it is technically designed to be played with just one hand — no matter what the song’s difficulty level is. (Your other hand operates a somewhat-silly modulation touchpad and a lone Overdrive button, both on the neck of the device.) But when songs ramp up in difficulty — some use just a few keys, some use the whole set of 25 — going two-handed is the only way to keep up.

And you know what? Keyboards in Rock Band 3 are surprisingly fun. Many songs on the disc were clearly selected with keys in mind, and the pianist gets to shine frequently. I’ve found few moments in Rock Band as satisfying as nailing “Imagine” on pro keys. And remember: You’re playing the honest-to-god notes to the actual song.

The keyboard’s diminutive size and one-handed parts are the only real concerns. But while it would be fun to be smashing out 10 notes at a time with both hands, maybe that’s something best left for Rock Band 4. For now, it’s hard enough just to figure out where your fingers are while you’re playing. The little ridges located on three of the keys aren’t a lot of help, and it’s tough to figure out where your hands are without either taking your eyes off the TV or just experimenting with random hits.

Now get back to your scales, kid! Practice! Practice! Practice!

WIRED More fun than you’d think. Surprisingly sturdy, with decent action on the keys.

TIRED Not the manliest of instruments. No onscreen cues as to where your fingers are before you commit to hit the keys. Best keyboard song ever — “I Ran (So Far Away)” — tragically not included in Rock Band 3.