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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

J

John Channing

fruit box forever
I am interested in replacing my Canon Ixus 800is and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 caught my attention.
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Any opinions on how it compares to compact Canons?
John
 
The DP Review samples are all I have to go on but it looks good bright and sharp, has natural colours which the Canons seem to exaggerate a bit, the high ISO is impressive for such a teeny tiny sensor (twice the size of the Canon Ixus size at 1/1.6), noise reduction keeps good detail too. Smaller, cuter package and faster lens than Canon G10.

I want one :rolleyes:
 
I have one...

High Iso: Nah, only up to 400. Everything above is noisy. Double that in B&W mode, which is very very good.
Compared to just about any other compact you have far less zoom range. I think it is max factor 2.5.
For its size, I think the LX3 is excellent. Have a look at Flickr groups, you'll often see pictures that surprise you, knowing they were taken with a limited compact. The greater limitation with this camera only seems to be the photographer.

I've never had a Canon, so I can't compare.
 
John, mine is up for sale on ebay if you're interested.
 
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Nice Camera the LX3.

One of my friends has just bought one. My only concern with it (for my use that is) is the lack of a decent telephoto capability (35mm equivalent: only 24mm - 60mm).

It takes very nice pictures.
 
Cliff has probably decided that his new Fuji 6*8 is the perfect walkabout camera, so has no need for the LX3.

Cesare
 
John, I'm selling quite a few things at the moment, partly to raise cash and partly to declutter the place. I do think the LX3 is a great point and shoot camera with a very good lens. The F8 minimum aperture is a bit limiting but the F2 maximum aperture is excellent in that type of camera, making it very usable in low light without having to go to ridiculous ISO numbers. If I ever need anything better in low light, I have the D3 and an F1.2 lens anyway.

Markt, I may well sell the Viewfinder, but probably to go with the GRD2 if I decide to sell it. It is quite handy that it fits on two cameras though.

Cesare, absolutely the GX680 at around 4kg with lens, battery and AE finder is easily used for exactly the same job as the LX3.

Biggus-Dickkus, the zoom is limited to maximuse the aperture. If you need longer telephoto lens capability Panasonic do make other Lumixes but you'll be shooting at F5.6 or so.
 
Cheers, didn't know you still had the GRD2, I guess it makes more sense like that.

Scored a Panasonic G1 at the weekend for half-moolah (providing the postman doesn't play football with it on friday.)
 
markt said:
Cheers, didn't know you still had the GRD2, I guess it makes more sense like that.

Scored a Panasonic G1 at the weekend for half-moolah (providing the postman doesn't play football with it on friday.)
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The GRD2 is really my daughter's camera, but she doesn't use the VF. But these days she uses her phone camera more often.

The G1 is a great camera, just be careful you don't drop it because it isn't built like a Nikon pro camera.

Cheers
Cliff
 
cliffpatte said:
The G1 is a great camera, just be careful you don't drop it because it isn't built like a Nikon pro camera.

Cheers
Cliff
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There's bound to be some after-market rugged case soon so in the mean time I'll be careful with it.

Is there anything in particular that is delicate on it?
 
cliffpatte said:
I do think the LX3 is a great point and shoot camera with a very good lens. The F8 minimum aperture is a bit limiting...
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Limiting how? In my experience with similar sensor-sized cameras lack of DOF has never been a problem. Long exposures maybe, but my guess is that the sensor probably won't even handle exposures much longer than you'd get with f/8 and the sensitivity cranked to minimum anyway. You might have meant something else though?
 
andc said:
Limiting how?
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Well, for instance in manual mode on *any normal camera*, I know that on a sunny day F16 needs a shutter speed roughly equal to the ISO, and there isn't an option to do that setting on the camera. OK, if you trust the onboard metering and don't need the DOF of F16, then fine F8 and aperture priority will do. So by "A bit limiting" I mean it is a bit (small thing) limiting, but not a major problem. I don't think any of these P&S cameras really do small apertures irrespective of the make.

The lack of a really small aperture and a really low ISO number could also limit the possibility to do creamy water pictures of a waterfall, but then again I haven't tried it with that camera.

cheers
Cliff
 
markt said:
Yeah, but isn't a bad kind of noise though, take a look at this sample: http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/panasoniclx3_samples/ & http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/panasoniclx3_samples/
Try that on other compacts and the noise has blotches in it, but that's not bad at all.
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Dunno, to me all the shots > ISO 400 look pretty ugly. You can probably get away with it in b&w, but the colour noise is not pleasant, if you ask me. Small sensors are all pretty sucky in that dept, though.

Anyway, if I was in the original poster's shoes I'd be looking at a compact DSLR. Some of them are pretty tiny nowadays, and prices are cheap.
 
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