Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

well it's been nearly a year since owning and writing the initial review! Raw compatibility long since updated. I've had this camera up hill and down dale, rain, sleet, snow, sand you name it. It's VERY reliable and in most conditions I get good clean images. Battery life is excellent, the HD video is brilliant for such a little camera. Used it for hikes mainly and everyone asks the same question: what camera is that? Nuff said! recommended!

(Written by: DodgeandBurn37)

A useful camera to take everywhere, though not without some disappointments: 1: lens protection is by means of a (captive) lens cap which has to be removed and replaced, rather than an automatically-opening protective shutter. 2: the Program dial is VERY easily moved, and I'm constantly having to reset the dial to the required setting. I'll probably have to gaffer-tape it eventually. 3: even at ISO 80 the blue channel is very noisy -- annoying as deep blue skies feature in a lot of my work. 4: really does need an optical viewfinder... but not at the list price! OF should really have come in the box. 5: even when the lens is retracted it's a bit large for the pocket. I'll try Anonymous' suggestion of the Lowepro30AW as I'm not happy with it rattling around with my keys. 6: viewfinder completely invisible in sunny weather -- which will be the first manufacturer to use an OLED screen? OLED is expensive, but the screen is only 3" across! In response to DodgeandBurn and Anonymous: yes, Adobe's free DNG converter will convert the .RW2 files to DNG BUT they will be around 32MB each, compared to the original .RW2's 10MB!

(Written by: friendlydragon)

First up - In response to DodgeandBurn's review: RAW images - If you download Adobe's free DNG convertor you can change your .RW2 files to .dng files. These can be worked on in camera raw which is embedded within all versions of Photoshop if I'm not mistaken - problem solved. With regards to the comment regarding noise, I agree that it's very noticeable above 200ISO, but you've got to bear in mind that apart from the Sigma DP1, compacts do have smaller sensors than budget/mid range DSLRs. Take 10MP on a Sony a100 for example and 10MP on the LX3. The same number of photocells on different sized sensors = smaller photocells on the LX3 = worse light gathering capability = more noise. It's virtually unavoidable and something that you just have to come to accept when using compacts. It's as simple as this - If you're used to using a DSLR, it's quite likely that you'll struggle to match the quality of your images taken with your DSLR. That said, given that it's a compact I'm very impressed with the results I've had so far. The advantage is that you no longer have any excuse to say "God I wish I had my camera with me". - just pop it in your pocket whenever you go out the front door. One thing that I really struggle with is the time autofocus takes to lock on, but again I'm comparing this to my a700 and a £500 sigma lens...no contest...and you can always manually pre-focus if needs be. It's very easy to accidentally alter the camera's settings, which is a bind - always check before you shoot. The HD video is a nice touch, but be aware that the lens will take a focus point at the start of filming and focus will stay locked on that point until you finish filming. The Lumix leather case looks gorgeous, but is ridiculously expensive. I got a Lowepro30AW camera case. It's a tight fit (barely space for a spare battery or memory card) and even coiling the camera strap in to the bag can be time consuming, but you want it to be compact right? After all you're buying a compact camera - chances are the main reason you will buy a compact is for it's non-hindering portability. The screen is pretty good. I wish there was an inbuilt vew-finder for the sunny days (buy this add-on separately for lots of your hard earned £'s). Build quality is really good (for £300+ you'd expect it) and styling is a gorgeous mix of retro and contemporary. Although it takes longer to set up settings for a shot(having to go through menu driven settings) compared to most DSLR's one or two touch settings changes, it's relatively easy to use. The wide angle of the lens is good and you really can't go wrong with a Leica lens can you? Let's face it (I'm going to really upset some Leica users here!)...it's basically a cheap altenative Leica with a different badge (place here your own Skoda/VW analogy!). If you're considering it, do it - it's a really good camera all in all. Otherwise consider the Canon powershot G10 if you're not so worried about the size - and if you want a larger sensor (and therefore potentially and theoretically, yet not always definately less noise at higher ISO's) go for the DP1.

Bought this upon release as I needed a good compact. The build quality and features are impressive and the lens speaks for itself. I would'nt use it in a pro backup sense - this will never produce the clarity of an SLR. That said, for fun use, parties, hiking, and general shoot from the hip stuff, its superb. 2 drawbacks, for RAW import you have to use SilkyPix which is okay but I'd rather import straight to LR2 which as yet does not support .RW2 files. Second, even though Panasonic say it has a larger sensor, the noise above 400 ISO is very noticeable, especially in processing and cropping. The cameras manual features are very useful but it seems to work very well with Intelligent Auto - makes for quick photography and you can rely on the results with confidence, leaving you with more time to compose your shot. I would defo recommend this camera to anyone looking for a quality compact.

(Written by: DodgeandBurn37)