Panasonic DMC-LX3 10.1MP Digital Camera with 24mm Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) by Panasonic
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Digital camera reviews of Panasonic DMC-LX3 10.1MP Digital Camera with 24mm Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Digital camera Review: BEST Snap shot camera
Summary: 5 Stars
BEST snap shot camera...
wide angle and fast lens!!!!
noise control is average but this has good stability control and fast lens. so Dont worry about noise..
Digital camera Review: Beautiful Camera
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this camera as my carry-around since December and I have absolutely no complaints.
Fast start-up time.
Small form factor.
Beautifully designed body.
Great image quality.
Digital camera Review: Beautiful simplicity
Summary: 5 Stars
I was looking for a camera with DSLR-style control but without the bulkiness of one and I am happy to say that I found ALL this in LX3!
The LX3 is one of the best wide-angle focal lengths in the camera market at 24 mm (not many cameras can boast this!). Granted, the zoom range on this camera isn't great (only 2.5x) so I believe that this camera is more geared towards those who are into landscape photography. Combined with the optional Panasonic DMW-LA4 Conversion Adapter (~$25) and the Panasonic DMW-LW46 Wide Conversion Lens (~$150), I found a winning combination by allowing me to have an even greater wide-angle coverage at 18 mm.
This was particularly important for me as I was going to Hawai'i and I wanted to capture as much beauty, detail and information the Islands had to offer and the LX3 did exactly that. The adapter also allows attachment of filters - another added bonus, so one can capture flowing waterfalls, include a protective UV filter and polarizing filter.
Even with the conversion lens attached to the LX3, it is still significantly cheaper (and lighter) than buying a DSLR and a wide-angle lens. For me, I get the opportunity to visit many places and the last thing that I want to do is lug around a DSLR with me. The LX3 is more like a compromise between a compact camera and the DSLR.
The LX3 also shoots HD-video but I use that less often. I enjoy subjecting the LX3 under complex light conditions as well as low-light conditions. I rarely need to "enhance" any images as the colour, detail and quality of such pictures are instantly fabulous. This camera performed exceptionally under low-light conditions with the aid of the beautiful and fast f 2.0 Leica lens. The LX3 has less auto-options visible on the dial (but easily accessible under the menu options) forcing the user to use his/her imagination while composing the shot. Thus, for beginners, this is a nice prompt to encourage their photography skills and creativity.
Some things I LOVE about the LX3 in a nutshell.
1. Aspect ratio dial = easy to change from 16:9 to 4:3 etc.
2. Focus dial = easy to focus manually in both normal and macro modes.
3. RAW = greater flexibility in post-picture processing.
4. Great battery life.
5. Easy access to important menu functions using the jog dial. Note, if your hands are not dainty, it might be difficult to access the button closest to the screen.
Here are a few things that people complain about but my thoughts on them.
The lens cap: I do not have a problem with removing it from the lens. If you have a DSLR, you have the EXACT same feature.
Poor flash: The bright f2.0 lens is so great at capturing light under low-light conditions, rarely do you need to use the flash. Use a tripod or buy a flash gun. The LX3 is equipped with a hotshoe!
Some things I would love to see in a future incarnation of the LX3 (The LX3 has been out for more than a year (as of May 2010) so there could be a new model coming out soon?:
1. Increased zoom let's up from 2.5x optical zoom to 5x or more! (If you decrease the MP down to 5MP, you will get 5x zoom).
2. Ability to zoom whilst shooting video.
One thing that might swing it for you: I have been stopped numerous times by people asking me about this camera while I have been out. It's such a great feeling to know you have a unique camera. It's such a rare build combining internal complexity and external simplicity into an all-round beautiful camera.
Final thoughts - If you enjoy landscape photography, shoot regularly under low-light conditions, enjoy simplicity and obtaining beautiful results, this is the camera for you. Although the LX3 is geared more towards the more advanced photographer, beginners will enjoy the delights of this camera. It costs almost twice the cost of a typical point and shoot camera but the pleasure of being able to capture an image under extreme conditions absolutely warrants this camera as a MUST HAVE. I am so glad I bought the LX3.
Digital camera Review: Best I've Seen
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on price and quality, this is the best camera I've seen. The pictures are great. The settings are very flexible. The lens is low light which is great. I wouldn't trade it for anything else in a point and shoot. It's not a DSLR so I don't even try to compare it to those.Digital camera Review: Best Point-and-shoot that I've ever seen!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was one of the lucky ones that got the camera directly from Amazon a couple of weeks ago. The camera is still sold out in the entire U.S. and all the stores that have it in stock are selling it for an insane price (more expensive than the Leica version). It was already part of my routine to refresh the Amazon page to see if it was in stock. One morning I was lucky, 4 items in stock. After I placed my order there was none left.
The camera is amazing, it's excellent in low light conditions (which was one of the main reasons to buy it) and everything else. You have a lot of control on the camera, but you can also set it in the automatic intelligent mode (iA) and it does a really good job doing everything for you. The macro mode is excellent and it's set automatically when on iA mode. You can take a picture of something that is as close as 1cm.
The video is HD when the camera is set to record in 16:9. It saves a .mov file that you can read directly with Quicktime for example. The only thing I don't like is that you can't zoom in/out when recording a movie.