| | |  | Digital Cameras | Home » » Panasonic DMC-LX3S 10.1MP Digital Camera with 2.5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver) | | | | | | | Description: | | Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, 10.1 megapixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model. By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography. | | | Features: | |
• 10.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
• 2.5x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens
• 3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture
• Classic SLR-like manual operations include selectable AF spot/multi AF area, customization button, aperture, shutter, program and full manual modes
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 2.19 inches | | Product Width:
| 1.03 inches | | Product Height:
| 4.16 inches | | Product Weight:
| 0.35 pounds | | Package Length:
| 7.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 5.5 inches | | Package Height:
| 3.1 inches | | Package Weight:
| 1.7 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 160 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
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2 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Replacement for this camera just announced: LX5Jul 21, 2010
I have lusted after this camera for over a year. If you're looking at it, chances are you probably want something in between a compact camera and a digital SLR. This one has a great lens (wide angle plus no need to use the flash too much), bigger sensor (less noise), and just the right amount of bells and whistles. However, Panasonic has just launched a successor to this camera as of July 21st, 2010. It's available for pre-order now.
My context
To give you the context of my own situation, my last two digital cameras have been Panasonic compactss and I've been very happy with them. I own one of the early ultra-zooms and really liked the amount of light that the large lens let in at the wide end. I also own one of the wide-angle compacts and I really like the ability to take landscapes that a wide-angle allows.
As a side note, I've also tried a few Casios (EX-S1, EX-S500) and a few Canons. I no longer recommend most Casios: the two models that I've used both discharge their batteries when not in use. I am impressed by Canon's SD series, which are very reliable, but I've never found them as exciting in terms of features as the Panasonics. I've also noticed that Canon tends to let other companies innovate (slim size, long zoom, wide-angle compact) and then creates a competitor. This explains why Panasonic remains my favourite camera maker.
Dream camera?
Imagine my excitement at discovering my favourite camera maker made my dream camera: a wide-angle, large-lensed camera that supposedly produces great images and does not require much use of the flash. I was smitten.
Unfortunately, when I tried the LX3 in stores, I found it was bulky and did not have an integrated lens cap (the downside of all that glass). But the real surprise for me was how slow it was to record the images. I also found the zoom very limiting. So I didn't buy it, and now I'm glad I didn't.
Successor
Panasonic has just launched the LX5, which has the same bulk and lens cap. In fact, it may even be slightly bulkier with an enlarged grip. However, it now has more zooming power (and note that unlike the Canon S90, this camera lets a lot of light in even when zoomed in - that means fewer accidental flashes when you're trying to shoot landscapes at sunset/sunrise, or get close to that squirrel that you're trying to watch stuff its face), and improved handling. There's also more movie capability. Panasonic claim to have speeded up the camera, but I've yet to try one out and see if it's as disappointingly slow as the LX3.
Is it worth it?
The last word on this will be the price. I think that the sweet spot for a camera like this is probably 4/5 of the MSRP, which is where its biggest competitor (the S90) is. My take on it is that if you like the handling (bulk, speed, lens cap), you can't get a better compact camera. In the grand scheme of things, the price difference probably isn't as important as the pictures you'll take. This camera will be hard to improve upon, if only because of the laws of physics! When the S90 successor comes out, they may lengthen the zoom (probably at the expense of low light performance and noise on the sensor) and finally improve the control wheel, which I just didn't like. Panasonic is using a recessed thumbwheel in its newer models that I really prefer.
As for me, I've decided I want an even wider angle and an even larger sensor (to get even less noise), so I'm going for the GF1. I was surprised with how much better it felt to use than the LX3, even though there isn't too much difference in size (GF1 is 50% heavier ... without a lens!). The control wheel is great and the camera is pretty quick. I'll review that one soon.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Still a contender, 24 months later...Jul 14, 2010
There's a reason why the Lumix LX3 has no shortage of rave reviews; this is a camera that yields amazing pictures. Panasonic has made huge improvements in image processing between the LX1 model of 2005, and the LX3 of 2008. The LX3 is my first compact digicam that I can confidently use at ISO 400 and higher. With my older LX1, I was very reluctant to go above ISO 200. When you combine the improved higher ISO performance with the extremely fast lens, you have a camera that can be used in virtually any level of light from bright outdoor scenes to dimly lit interiors.
The LX3 is not the best camera for a beginner; it has a lot of features (perhaps too many) and lacks a wide zoom range. Also, the LX3 is quite thick compared to other models. But these trade-offs are more than balanced by the LX3's image quality and the ultra fast lens.
1 of 4 found the following review helpful:
great high end compactJul 11, 2010
It's not super compact. It's easy to use if you don't want to get complicated but no point in paying this much for a camera if you want to point and shoot.
The lens isn't very long. Great wide angle and decent portrait length but that's it.
The removable lens cap concerned me but having the extra protection for the lens is worth the extra effort keeping track of the cap.
The camera has manual focus, manual control of aperture and shutter, RAW capability, fast f2.0 lens with thin depth of field and decent macro. It also has simple control of the auto focus point, simple access to exposure compensation and force flash.
You must remove the battery to charge it so a backup battery might be worth considering. The battery takes a few hours to fully charge.
The included RAW processing software (Silkypix) is easy to use but I've started to use the Photoshop capability simply because it's convenient to launch straight into Photoshop after processing.
Careful with lens cleaning solution. Less than a drop was enough to fog the inside of the lens which took a day to dry out. Since I've used only SLRs I don't know if this is a common compact camera problem or one unique to this one.
Overall, it's a great camera for someone who wants creative options not available in many compacts.
2 of 4 found the following review helpful:
A great DSLR alternative, with some obvious concessions.Jun 22, 2010
Bought this to replace the DSLR I was sick of lugging around. A bit on the noisy side at anything above ISO 100, but other than that a great all around shooter with more features and settings than one could shake a proverbial stick at. Awesome, awesome macro capability, even in HD movie mode. Speaking of which - nice to have the 720p video, but it is mostly a novelty, as it is limited to 24fps. Overall I am quite pleased, and would love to pick up a GF1 sometime once the price dips a bit more - the Lumix menus and interface are pretty intuitive and the build quality of their cameras is quite impressive, especially when my previous camera was a plastic-bodied entry level DSLR.
1 of 8 found the following review helpful:
review on lx3Jun 03, 2010
good camera but 2.5 optical zoom is not enough. perfect for the view but for the object faraway, it's kind of hard to shoot.
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