Overview
The Panasonic DMC LX3 has the widest angle lens available on a compact digital camera. This is ideal if you are interested in landscape photography. The lens offers 2.5x optical zoom, but this can be increased to a maximum of 4.5x if you shoot at lower resolutions. The DMC LX3 can also shoot HD quality movies. It also has a full selection of manual features giving you great control over your photos. The maximum aperture of F/2 is the widest currently available on a compact digital camera and gives you the opportunity to use fast shutter speeds.
Why Buy The Panasonic DMC LX3
The DMC LX3 is suited to someone looking for a smaller camera with a wide range of features. Picture quality is very good indeed. One of the biggest factors in deciding if this is the camera for you is whether or not you take a lot of photos that would benefit from such a wide angled lens.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
2.5x
3 inches
108.7 x 59.5 x 27.1m
265g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
Yes
Yes
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/SDHC
Where to Buy - Panasonic DMC LX3
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
There are a number of plus points in this picture. To start with sharpness is comfortably above average. The level of sharpness is maintained as you move out towards the edges too. I like the colours in this picture and they appear as a fair reflection of the scene on the day. Any glare from the sun and reflection from the boats and other bright areas are also coped with impressively by the DMC LX3.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
Sharpness is far better than I am used to seeing, especially from a camera with a wide angle lens. My thoughts are that as Panasonic have kept zoom down to 2.5x they have gone for lens quality rather than extra zoom at the expense of focusing. The colours in this shot are strong.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
With the lens fully zoomed in sharpness is once again some way above what I am used to seeing. With only 2.5x zoom you may struggle to zoom in from distance and this is worth taking into account when considering whether or not the DMC LX3 is right for you.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
Overall this camera has to rate between 9 and 10 out of 10 for focusing. It outperforms the vast majority of cameras on the market. This helps to give a real edge to the photos and helps to contribute to outstanding picture quality.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
There is plenty of detail in this shot. Moving in closer does not present any problems to the camera. Colours are vivid.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
The face is illuminated by the light of the flash, but there is a darker corner in the photo. The pink in the skin tones is very strong.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
Without flash the skin tones take on a more natural look. There is a small amount of noise in the shot. This is roughly in line with my expectations.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
This is another photo that works well. This is a high quality lens and it is well suited to close up work.
Colours:
The colours produced by this Panasonic digital cameras are stronger than I'm used to seeing. If this is a problem for you, you can adjust the levels of saturation.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600:
Noise shows up quite clearly, even at lower ISO settings. I wouldn't like to go any higher than ISO 800 in any situation.
Summary
All in all the DMC LX3 produced an impressive set of photos. Sharpness and definition is someway above average.
Style
This is quite a wide digital camera. It has a feel of good quality about it. Panasonic has added a joystick to control various features including manual focusing.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.36 seconds
9.57 seconds
0.53 seconds
11.19 seconds
2.65 seconds
Ease of Use
There are plenty of features crammed into the DMC LX3, so it will take a while to get used to the camera and find out where everything is. Overall I think Panasonic have done well with the design of the camera to make it easy to use.
Points I Like
HD movies - features - design - picture quality
Where it Could Improve
None that I can come up with
Verdict
The Panasonic DMC LX3 gives you that bit of extra all round quality. It compares well with other cameras in its niche. Panasonic have included some nice touches in the design. If you are looking for a camera with an ultra wide angle lens then this is a very good choice.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC LX3 Review Panasonic DMC LX3 Specification Panasonic DMC LX3 Sample Images Panasonic DMC LX3 Features Panasonic Digital Cameras
Review Date
February 2009
