« [THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY] | Main | PANASONIC LUMIX G1 »
December 17, 2008
[REVIEW—PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-LX3 compact camera]
Price: $829 camera $359 viewfinder
Seriously good
The low-down: This is a 10 megapixel camera with a 24–60mm (film equivalent) fast (f2 to f2.8) zoom lens. It has effective optical stabilisation. Construction quality is outstanding, with most important controls accessible on the camera body. Two ring selectors around the lens set aspect ratios – 3:4, 2:3 and 16:9 – and focus mode – auto, macro and manual. The 75mm LCD is clear and sharp but not totally truthful to the tone and colour of the captured picture. Capture in RAW is provided and conversion software is supplied, and the latest version of Adobe Camera RAW handles these images. We used the optional optical viewfinder, which has only one angle of view – 24mm and is very expensive.
Like: Image quality at low ISO speeds is exceptionally fine. At ISO400 a little noise is apparent, and we found that shooting RAW and applying a small amount of noise reduction in Adobe Camera RAW removed the grain. Response times are very fast. The Leica branded lens, with its modest zoom range, is superbly sharp with insignificant distortion at 24mm.
Dislike: The lack of an integrated optical viewfinder is a disappointment. We would have settled for a smaller LCD and an in-body OVF coupled to the lens zoom.
Verdict: Only 10 megapixels? The Nikon P6000 has 13.5. Only a 2.5X zoom? You must be joking! That may be the reaction of any ill-informed customers looking for a top level compact, but not from photographers who understand that big numbers do not equal top quality. Panasonic deliberately constrained the pixel density on the LX3 to improve picture quality. They chose a limited zoom range in order to increase maximum aperture and resolution. The company has dared to do what serious photographers have been requesting, and they have ignored marketing focus groups. Bravo!
*
Posted by terry at December 17, 2008 10:10 PM
Worth Checking Out
Digital Cameras SydneyTrackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://bleedingedge.com.au/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1648
Comments
Nice camera.
Small issues:
1. there is no stock
2. panasonic australia would easily be the most impenetrable company to find out any delivery dates - or any info. Sent over 20 emails - yet to get a reply. Try phoning - good luck with that.
3. if the company is this uncommunicative, you do have to be concerned on any warranty issues.
I'm tempted as it's the right product - just with the wrong company.
Posted by: terry at March 20, 2009 12:42 PM