Home > Consumer Reviews > Panasonic DMCLX3 Digital Camera - Black (10MP, 2.5x Optical Zoom) 3.0 inch LCD

I'm not going to attempt to repeat what other reviewers have said (and it's their advice that led me to this camera). Instead, a handful of observations from the field:

- This is a great camera. The lens is stunning. The menus are easy to navigate. The lens stabilisation is wonderful. It's the best compact I've had

- It won't fit in your pocket

- Have a search for Flickr LX-3 and learn more about what this camera can do. I was finally sold on it when seeing someone's photos from climbing Kilimanjaro. It's very capable

- In particular, look up the Ricoh RC-1 lens cover 'hack'. It'll save lens cap frustration


The only things that may count against your purchase:

- The lens is, ultimately, best for wide angle shots - you will NOT be zooming in the same distance as many compact cameras. It's a trade off; don't expect it to be useful on safari (where I did take it, but in full knowledge of the drawbacks). You have been warned

- I hope I'm proved wrong, but the RAW codec for this camera (a key reason for my buying it) is not widely supported, e.g. I don't have it in my Photoshop CS3 suite. There are various debates about it on the internet, and whether or not Panasonic have requested this support, and how the lens distortion may be 16% or more that requires correction via the codec. Do your searches and make your own mind up, bearing in mind you'll be stuck with the bundled software for making RAW conversions.

Lovely camera though. Recommended.

I have been using the LX3 for about a month now and so far am very happy with it. I have owned a series of cameras going from SLRs to high-end film compacts then high-end digital compacts and this time was looking for a compromise which would deliver high-quality results, give me the option for some more "creative" photos but did not have the weight and bulk of an SLR, because from experience I know that it would just stay at home. From reading reviews the LX3 seemed to fit the bill and having the camera in my hands I can confirm the excellent results the camera can produce. For me the most impressive feature is the speed of the semi-wide angle lens combined with the sensitive exposure meter - they produce sharp images without flash under low light conditions in which one would never expect a compact camera to operate. I recently took a series of interior photos to advertise a flat for rental and produced an excellent series of natural-light images without the problems noramlly associated with flash use in confiend spaces. For work such as this the LMX is perfect. The few criticisms I have to date are that I have produced some images with colour balance problems - a couple of skies with turquoise casts and over-vibrant reds from interior photos of plastic toys; in full sunlight the LCD screen is sometimes difficult to use and this is when lack of a viewfinder is brought to mind; it would be nice to have a wrist strap for those who choose to use a case with strap and thus don`t want to use the long Panasonic strap (a bootlace works but doesn`t look very good).

Camera is a five star product, f2.0 lens for unbelievable low light photography, build quality, features, ease of Panasonic firmware updates that add more features and help make better quality photo's, Intelligent framing, scene modes, face detection, big clear display, movie mode, battery that lasts a long time, full manual modes for creative photography, good software and web download updates and it's pocket able... Simply stunning all round camera for beginners to pro's. This isn't a zoom camera though, it's for portraits and scenery/landscapes.

I am a professional photographer who also likes to be an amateur photographer and take photographs outside of my professional role. Working with DSLRs I am often frustrated and disappointed with compact cameras. I'd heard good things about this from other professionals and after some more research I took the plunge and ordered the camera.

The key things for me are the wide angle lens (24mm equivalent), quality lens, quality sensor and compact size for easy portability. I like to carry a compact with me all the time so I can take photographs when I'm out and about and I also like to take street photographs without drawing attention to myself. This camera is not as tiny as some compacts but it's also quite light and isn't too bulky.

I was also drawn to the camera for its retro styling. The non-integral lens cap took a little getting used to but I hardly notice it now and I just love the whole feel and style of the camera. The only thing I didn't like was the neck strap - I swapped it for a wrist strap as I like to hold the camera in my hand, it handles better that way for taking street photographs.

If Panasonic could increase the length of the telephoto end of the lens (60mm equivalent) without compromising all the great things about this camera then it would be even better. However, I rarely need to use more than the 60mm end of the lens and I did buy this camera for it's extra-wide lens compared to most compacts.

I'm more than pleased with this camera and since I've had it I've been enjoying taking more photographs for my own enjoyment than any other compact I've owned before. Highly recommended!

I read reviews of this camera comparing it with the Leica and there was not much to choose between the two other than the relative cost! Internally it was suggested that the camera's electronics and lens are identical, only the case and the Leica logo differentiate the two. They certainly look similar!

The Panasonic version I have is remarkable and the lens certainly pulls details out of a shot that my other cameras fail to find. As long as you accept that the zoom range is intentionally limited but certainly not a drawback to its use as images can be cropped when necessary without a dramatic loss of definition.

Highly recommended but be quick as I understand this model is now withdrawn. Now, where can I buy that red Leica logo to stick on the front........ ;-))