Although there are hundreds of pocket cameras out there, for the most part they are boringly similar to one another, amost all aimed at the same broad middle of the casual snapshooter market. The assumption has been that advanced amateurs and pros will use DSLR's. But nobody really wants to carry those things around all day. So it's good to see a manufacturer like Panasonic take a chance on producing a more differentiated compact for enthusiasts.

The best part of the LX3 is the lens, which is three times unique. First, the 24mm equivalent focal length is the widest angle available on any pocket camera. (It zooms to 60mm equivalent, which I consider perfect - longer focal lengths cannot be held steady.) Second, the f2 aperture is also the fastest lens on any pocket camera, meaning one can shoot at a faster shutter speed in low light. Third - and not even widely advertised by Panasonic - in macro mode the lens will focus to within 1cm of the front element! Extraordinary. The combination of the wide angle and very close focus allows the capture of highly unusual images which are just not possible otherwise and the LX3 has already become something of a cult sensation; check out some startling images from around the world on flickr.com by searching for "DMC-LX3." This gem of a lens is testimony to recent advances in optical design and manufacturing; with four aspherical surfaces, the cost would have been prohibitive just a few years ago.

But how about image quality? Alas, the 10MP sensor is just ordinary. It takes nice photos in good light - but so do all pocket cameras these days. The Enhanced Sensitivity claimed by Panasonic was disappointing. The pictures are noisey above ISO 400, and at 800 or 1600 or 3200, far inferior to my two year old Fujifilm F30, which produces usable indoor, no-flash photos at those speeds. Above ISO 400, the LX3 gave very rough noisey images you will want to erase. It's too bad the Panasonic lens and chassis cannot be combined with a state of the art sensor like the Fuji, but the Japanese companies are too competitive for that. (Remember the old days when you got to choose the film independently of the camera and lens?)

I also found the color rendition to be inaccurate and dull, especially the reds, but I have not yet had time to try to adjust for this with the many manual settings, nor to access RAW images. Some other good points are the strong popup flash and the nice big LCD. The body is precision made with good materials. And the LX3 is blessed with a great variety of settings and modes which of course is appreciated by the advanced photographer.

Using these things quickly and easily however is another story. The camera comes packed with a 150 page user manual, tediously written in inept Jap-lish, with sentences like "this takes pictures of a baby with healthy complexion." Be prepared to take a week off work to study the manual if you really want to take advantage of all the features. For example, you won't want to miss the "Food" scene mode which is intended for taking pictures of your plate in a restaurant! I'm not making this up.

A good user interface (like an iPod) should allow you to use the features without the manual. Not here. The back and top and front of the little camera are festooned, studded, cluttered and crammed with no fewer than 21 metal levers, buttons and knobs to press, turn, twist, slide, push or jiggle, one of them a dial you can turn to 9 positions. Believe it or not, some of these controls are actually redundant! To navigate through the many menus, you can wiggle the joystick OR twiddle the multi-cursor controller, your choice, they do exactly the same thing! This stupifying design decision means that five buttons could have been eliminated without losing functionality. There are other frustrations in navigating the menus, which take more time and button-presses than they should.

There is really a cultural gap here - Japanese customers love the little buttons, the more the better - but I'm afraid the Asian camera manufacturers just do not get it when it comes to designing elegant ease of use for western customers. Panasonic is not alone in mixing brilliant features (in this case, the lens) with poor decisions elsewhere. I'm waiting for Apple to design a pocket camera, in which case they would take over the market as they did for MP3 players and cell phones simply by making them easy to use.

Some reviewers have complained about the detachable lens cap, but this is a small price to pay for the large lens which obviously does not accommodate retraction. If you prefer, Panasonic offers a UV filter you can screw on instead of fumbling with a lens cap. There is also said to be an optical viewfinder available for the 24mm angle of view, but it's expensive and so far, hard to find.

Bottom line: Serious photographers will buy this little beauty for the unique wide angle lens and compact package, and put up with the imperfections or idiosyncracies which are endemic to all the Japanese cameras anyway. And let's hope to see still more specialized pocket cameras in the future. How about a dedicated underwater camera? Or one which allows zooming while recording short movies? And why can't anyone offer an ISO 3200 low light camera?

This camera was a delightful surprise. It is small and easy to use, yet takes beautiful pictures. I am especially pleased with:

1) Uncanny flash performance - the flash looks like a joke, it is so tiny, but it really does the job. Closeups without being washed out, surprising distance range as well.

2) Battery life - also uncanny. You can shoot hundreds and hundreds of shots without depleating the battery. Fringe benefit of buying a camera from a leader in battery technology. (I bought spares but don't expect to ever need them).

3) Gorgeous LCD - best in the business, viewable in any light.

4) Virtual film types - there are several effects to choose from. My results have been startling - especially the dynamic B&W and Vivid Color settings.

5) Quick Menu - a tiny joystick gives instant access to many popular settings. Very cool and uncomplicated.

6) Multiple Exposure - you can use this for impressive artistic results.

7) Fit and finish are like fine jewelry, it's a pleasure to hold and to use

Other reviews have hit the basics, but these are a few of my favorites that may not be obvious from the other reviews.

Kudos to Panasonic for making such a ground-breaking product even when the competition is so good.

O.k. Let me start off by saying that I bought this camera via 17th Street Photo's actual store in the photography district on 17th street here in New York City. I called (on Sept. 10th 2008) before I went to the store and I spoke with a super friendly man named Doug who told me that they got the silver and black ones and that they had 50 each. So, I went down there and immediately bought one. They have a 7 days no questions asked return policy so I tried it out like a crazy man. Keep in mind that if you mention the fact that on EBAY they have the price listed at $475, they will honor it in the store even though they have it priced at $499. Anywho, the purchasing experience with them was excellent.

By the way, I've been waiting for Amazon to have this camera too. I pre-ordered both of them (black and silver), and never received an email saying that they were finally available to purchase. So, I took things into my own hands and found it myself (which is explained above).

So, onto the previous testing and my current camera:

Before purchasing the LX3, I bought the fx500 from Panasonic (from amazon.com) and the Fujifilm f100 (from B&H) in order to try those out. I wanted to try the fx500 because of the 25mm wide angle lens, 5x optical zoom, and to see what recording movies at 1280 x 720 at 30fps was like. And, I tried the f100 because I was told at B&H that the f100 was the best non-noisy camera to shoot indoor shots without flash (FYI the best movie option on the f100 was at 640 x 480 at 30fps so I had no desire in trying that). I'll get to the results in a minute. Before those two, I was a Canon Powershot sd500 owner for more than 5 years and loved the camera, but I needed a new one for my honeymoon that is coming up on 10/12 for Hawaii.

Results of testing:

FX500: 25mm wide angle was awesome, 5x zoom was nice but focusing was a problem even after trying to focus 3 times (keep in mind my hands were steady as a rock so it wasn't due to camera-shaking). the movie quality at 1280 x 720 at 30fps was a nice improvement from my powershot sd500's 640 x 480 at 30fps, but in the end the actual quality and sound wasn't as eye popping improvement. Picture quality was very noisy, no matter all of the tinkering that I tried.

F100: yes, the picture quality indoors without any flash with this camera was better and less noisy than the fx500, but I ultimately did not keep this camera because of the poor movie quality, wide angle only goes to 28mm, the LCD is small and it's resolution is horrible.

So, sorry for the wait, but I thought I'd be as thorough as I possibly could about my review before the review.

LX3:

Keep in mind, I'd say that I'm an advanced beginner digital photographer. So, after owning the LX3 for almost a month, I simply have to say that I am SOOOOOOOO happy to have finally found the digital camera I've been looking for. I've read all of the digital camera websites out there, gone to the brick and morter stores to ask specialists directly, gone out and purchased digital cameras to test hands on, etc. etc. to finally come to the pleasure of owning the LX3.

What I was look for was a compact digital camera that had:

-Excellent wide angle: at 24mm, it's the widest I've ever used, and I cannot go back to a camera even with 28mm ever again. the 24mm on this camera is SICK! it blows 28mm out of the park. I haven't noticed any barrel distortion at 24mm. if wide angle is the main thing you are looking for in a compact digital camera, LX3 is where you will need to stop. and it doesn't stop there. if you get the lens adapter and purchase the wide angle lens, you'll be able to even go to 18mm!!!!. I haven't gotten that yet. Oh, I definitely do no mind that this camera doesn't have insane optical zoom options. I'm totally happy with the 24mm-60mm range. I found out that I personally didn't even use the zoom options that much when I had the sd500 canon that it's range was 35mm-115mm.
-Low f-stop: Finally the LX3 is the camera that steps up to the plate to offer an f-stop starting at 2.0. The slowest you'll see on the other comparable camera companies are at like 2.8.
-Excellent indoor no flash quality: If you use the "iA" mode in a low light situation it will most likely automatically use ISO400 to take the picture and in the darker parts of the photo (like shadows, etc.) there will be noise, which is common anyway. But, if you use the "P" or "A" modes and change the "+/-" with the "Q.Menu" joystick, it will lighten up the photo and reduce the amount of noise. I found this out on my own, and I've been INSANELY pleased with the difference. So, all in all, in indoor low light situations, I now use either the "P" or "A" mode over the "iA" mode.
-1280 x 720 HD movie quality: The fx500 had 1280x720 HD quality at 30fps, while the LX3 has 1280x720 HD quality at 24fps. And honestly, the LX3 resolution LOOKS and SOUNDS much better to me than the fx500. Movie after movie that I take, they look and sound amazing. i LOVE the movie HD option on the LX3. My advise, I bought two 16gb extreme 3 sdhc cards from amazon and I'll have no worries about recording speed and space issues.
-Easy to use manual controls: It took me no time to learn them. Easy breezy for a photographer at my level (again: advanced beginner)
-Easy to hold: I actually use the around the wrist cord that came with my powershot sd500 and that's fine. The LX3 comes with a around the neck strap (which I don't use). It does not come with an "around the wrist" cord. Maybe I'll use the "around the neck" strap for days that I would go on hikes or something like that. This is NOT a pocket camera. More of a "around the wrist" camera.
-3.0inch 460k resolution LCD: Best LCD for a digital camera I've ever used, and it's AWESOME. I'd rather have this than a 3.0inch 230k resolution touch screen LCD that the FX500 had.
-South of $500: Bought it at $475, no sales tax.

...and the LX3 met all of those requirements.

CONS: You do need a cap for the lens (it comes with one and a cord to attached it to the camera). Initially, I'd say that was the only semi-annoying thing, but I've already gotten used to it, and it's no biggie at all. It's a little tough taking vertical shots, but again ... not a big problem at all.

Any questions let me know. I've easily taken north of 2000 shots already of all different types. Honestly, I'm insanely pleased with this camera. Oh, I read in another review about noise at iso400. If you really want to keep a shot taken in iso400 indoors without flash and there is still noise in it, there is an AMAZINGLY helpful plugin used in Adobe Photoshop that you can get called "Imageonic Professional Noiseware" that does an amazing job in totally removing it.

Mark.

Finally found the digicam to replace my DSLR. No, it doesn't have high ISO performance equal to any DSLR but the f2.0 lens and image stabilization more than compensates. I also got the Panasonic 18mm wide angle lens. Well worth the money.

In all, a great little system that's good enough to have me selling off my DSLR for our needs.

The greatest surprise? How well that tiny little flash works. It's far more powerful than I anticipated and works great even in mid day fill flash. A remarkable camera.

This camera is just a joy to use.

In the last 6 years I've used a couple of compacts which I've since got rid of after upgrading to DSLRs (Canon XT and then 40D). For a while I was waiting for a compact that I could carry with me anywhere I want, and particularly to parties and other social occasions where bringing a DSLR is really not an option.
When this camera was announced it really looked like a dream compact for me. Fast, wide and optically stabilized lens is ideal for low-light indoor shots. The design is stylish and beautiful, the camera is quite compact and it has all the controls an advanced amateur would need.
Further the sensor is essentially as big as they get in compact cameras and with almost reasonable 10mp (still about 5mp too many but not as bad as 12-15mp you would get in any other compact with a comparable sensor).
I've had the camera for a couple of weeks now (and shame on Amazon for not having it in stock a month after it appeared in some other big stores). I like it a lot and the camera delivers on most of Panny's promises. Here are some of the experiences.
1. The image quality is certainly and noticeably better than the ulracompact cameras (like Panny's own FX series). It is however still a compact camera ... meaning there is visible noise even at ISO 80 and lots of noise at ISO 400. However noise reduction algorithms seem to be doing quite a good job and ISO 80 pics look very nice ... sometimes almost like a DSLR. And even at ISO 400 most shots are good enough to keep. In general the output from this camera is comparable to my 40D at 8 times the ISO (that is 80 on LX3 is about 640 on 40D and 400 LX3 is a bit better than 3200 on 40D). Fortunately, with fast lens and image stabilization I almost never need to use ISO above 400.
2. The camera is very responsive and the autofocus is fast and seems accurate.
3. Changing ISO through the menus is a bit of a pain but a variety of useful ISO regimes are provided. In general controlling all the options is not very easy ... but I guess that's the compromise you get with such a small camera with a large LCD.
Update: it is possible to simplify ISO changing by reassigning a button for this purpose. The drawback of this is that now reviewing pictures becomes more cumbersome.
4. Aspect ratio switch on the lens is more useful than I thought ... saves quite a lot of cropping.
5. White balance is not very reliable ... but I can live with it
6. Shooting in RAW+jpeg is fast enough but annoyingly neither Lightroom nor Photoshop recognize the LX3 raws. The supplied software is not so convenient (and I don't want to deal with two programs for processing my pics)
7. The camera is quite a bit bulkier than it might seem (and the given dimensions are misleading since they do not include the lens and other protrusions from the main part of the body). It is not pocketable both because of its size and weight.
8. The macro capability of the camera is really excellent.
9. Having user customizable preset regimes on the dial is very useful and quite a luxury not present even on Canon XSi DSLR (shame on Canon!)

Overall it's a great compact camera: in my opinion certainly the best on the market by a margin (I've studied the market very thoroughly). It is in the same league as Canon G-series (which I owned back when they were the best and liked a lot) but fits my current needs much more than a Canon Gx. I also think it's a real bargain at around $400.
But it is still a compact camera with a sensor 1/8 area of most DSLRs and 1/20 of full frame (mostly pro) DSLR. So those expecting miracles like close-to-DSLR quality or usable ISO 800+ might be disappointed.

A quick update in response to a comment:
1. At widest setting of the zoom there is quite significant distortion especially noticeable in 16:9 regime. There is also noticeable loss of sharpness in the corners. This might not look good in some shots (like if a straight like or someones face is close to the border) but nothing too bad for most of the shots.
2. HD video is very good for a compact. There is no zooming, no auto focus and sometimes exposure adjustments are not very smooth. So I'd not recommend to treat it as a camcorder. But overall it gives detailed and reasonably smooth video (well not quite 30fps smooth). I've just made a quick comparison with Canon HF10 dedicated compact camcorder (which is as good as they get these days). In bright light LX3 cannot quite match the 1080p detail of Canon. But in relatively dim light it is about as good. Also LX3 has a huge advantage in wide angle. All dedicated consumer camcorders have widest angle around 40mm which is much worse than 24mm of LX3.

Another impression which I have with LX3 and certainly did not have with other compacts is that it is a tool worth learning and investing some time and experimentation. My pics with this camera keep improving even the first ones were already decent.

For anyone interested in sharpness and noise level comparisons with some cameras you can check out
http://www.dkamera.de/testberichte/panasonic/lumix-dmc-lx3/bildqualitaet

For a compact, non-SLR camera the LX3 seems to have everything a photographer could want. The features do go well beyond what someone interested in a simple point-and-shoot would need. However, for those looking for something more, the LX3 offers some fantastic additions. The highlights:

-A nice, wide angle Leica lens (bright enough not to require the flash where lesser cameras would only see black and shadows)
-Multiple film 'modes'--different color and B/W options for a different looks, all with great results allowing for a tremendous range of artistic expression
-Solid body feel, compact size (but the lens does protrude a bit)
-16:9, 4:3, and 3:2 aspect ratios
-Great macro capabilities
-Full auto and manual capabilities

Some cons: the menu options/navigation screens have a steep learning curve; the battery/SD card door seems a tad flimsy, no optical viewfinder

In short, the LX3, as many other reviews have noted, is one of the nicest digital cameras available, offering fine quality photos with options that allow one to shoot more than just nice vacation photos.

I received this camera a week ago & have not had all the time I would like shooting pictures but anyway. I understand why people make reference to DLSRs but as a threshold issue-it is NOT a DLSR so I don't know why people even mention it.

I am an average camera user, and have had a FZ50, FZ1, TZ1, & FZ8. This model is the Gem of gems. I now have just this camera & a Sigma SD14 which I will be bequeathing to someone. Given all the cameras I have owned-why does the LX3 beat them all?
If I had to say it in a sentence-it would be the high quality of the picture I get without any post processing.

I know digital photographers don't seem to mind PP. I think it's a pain where I sit down. And i don't buy the argument that with 35 millimeter film cameras-having owned my share-that much PP was done when you had the film developed. Some-yes; a lot no way.

So what does this have to do with the LX3? Simply that for me this camera over all takes the nicest pictures I have seen without a lot of encumbrances.

I don't have to hassle with a DLSR's size, the zoom is enough not to compromise the quality of the image it produces, the build is lovely. Not a lot of frills but many options. How can you beat that combination?

FYI to all- Imaging Resorce has reported that if viewing images captured with RAW you will see barrel lens distortion in the picture(s) UNLESS you use the Silkypix RAW viewer to open the file. Apparently the Silkypix SW corrects for this problem that is already corrected internally in the camera for the JPEG files.

I'm a professional and I bought the LX3 as a travel/take everywhere camera. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied with the noise in the shadows even at ISO 100 and 50. It wasn't just noise either, it was bad or lack of data. I don't mind a little noise----in fact I like it in black and white and that's what I shot mostly. But the color shifts in the shadows, and the noise were unattractive and simply not up to snuff.

My ideal camera of this size would have at least a sensor the size of a 35mm dslr (like the Rebel), and a fixed lens the equivalent of 28mm or 35mm. Unfortunately, this just isn't "the one."

I will say the optics are superb. It's just that the dinky little sensor can't do it justice.

This camera is a pleasure to use. Whether using manual settings or the automatic (ia) setting, the IQ is fantastic. My first Lumix was the FZ-10. It, too, produced amazing shots. Since then, I've had two other cameras in the Lumix lineup. I enjoy both of those, but they've never given me the excitement of the FZ-10. With the LX3, I've found that excitement all over again. The Leica Summicron lens give super sharp, beautifully saturated photos. In short, I love this camera!

My Lumix LX3K just arrived and I took my first pictures this afternoon. Wow! I've never shot anything quite like it before. You obviously can't compare this camera to either my Canham with Schneider lens or my Mamiya 7II, but, it does come darn close to my Nikon D200. The lens is fabulous. Again, it can't compare to my father's 1953 Leica and Leitz lenses, but, for the price, I can't imagine a better point and shoot on the market.

Had this camera for 2 days now and I'm amazed by it's set of manual exposure. I was deciding between the LX3 or Canon G10, but the wide lens on the LX3 really got my attention. Although this is not a DSLR, I expected less noise on high iso shots. Better than it's competitors though, including the G10

BEST snap shot camera...
wide angle and fast lens!!!!
noise control is average but this has good stability control and fast lens. so Dont worry about noise..

I've owned the LX2 for a year and a half now and decided to try an LX3 to see if any of the LX2 shortcomings were remedied.
Long story to short,don't bother.
Yes the lens on the LX3 is slightly faster and goes a little wider and yes
the noise has been reduced a bit but in reality you will rarely notice the improvements in noise over the LX2.
Unfortunately none of it makes up for the big detraction from the new LX3 which
is the radically shortened Zoom range which I miss a lot.You just can't move in on a subject like you could with the LX2 and therefore must do it with software after you have taken the picture.Of course when you have to blow up and crop a photo is when the noise in the photo can become a more noticeable problem. The camera is also slightly larger than an LX2 and unfortunately Panasonic decided to continue with the very annoying lens cap design for lens protection.If they are going to make us use a lens cap why then would they make us buy a special adapter just to add a filter to the end of the lens.The lens sticks out anyway so let us screw a filter on it without adding even more length of an extra adapter barrel.
Another annoying carryover is if you decide to use the video recording
mode you still cannot zoom the lens while shooting video.And why are video clips limited to ten minutes when you use a multi-gigabyte card that could record for much longer ?
So I'm not finding the improvements to the LX3 and the continued glaring lack of other improvements all that useful in the real world.

Great camera for low light (f2 lens) and landscape (24mm wide-angle lens). HD video recording. I used it for street and travel photography also. Highly recommended.

The camera is performing exactly as designed. The many professional reviews I could find on the net helped me to pick that camera. Smallest digital camera with full manual control and superb lens!

I really want to keep this camera, because the image quality is so good, and wide angle is heavenly. However, after some use, I found that I need a little bit more reach too often. For a general purpose pocket camera, 24mm X 2.5 zoom is way too little. 3.5X could have been acceptable. And I was very disappointed by the huge video file size. It uses Quick Time JPEG motion, which is an outdated technology. And when you take HD video, the file size is ridiculously immense. Panasonic should have used H264 mpeg, which will reduce the file size at least by quarter. When I pay almost $500, I don't want to pay for the outdated technology.

I am looking forward to the next version, LX4 which will fix these two problems. But I praise Panasonic for its first try to "Image quality, not mega pixel war". Good work !

Took this beauty across country from Utah to NY State and NH during the Fall color season right after it was released from Panasonic to this country... amazing camera!
All external buttons are quick and strategically placed... still have not used manual control much AND I always shoot in RAW PLUS LO-JPEG with a 16 gig sdhc class 6, "standard" speed memory.

Leica Summicron lens history... are low light capable optics - these lenses sold for over $2k each on Leica SLR version bodies as removable 35mm lenses at f2.0 fastest aperture. AND widest, at 24mm equivalent!

This camera also has a very interesting new feature from Panasonic called: "AF Tracking", by setting the menu option to use the external button designated "AE/AF", you can do some amazingly simple depth of field control shots by picking the object you most prefer in focus in a still life picture, for example, and click the AE/AF button on that spot then move your LX3 where you want to frame the actual image. A little yellow square stays with the part of the picture you fixed on while you are re framing to where you want to take the picture int the frame... very coool, and really works well.

This is my third Lumix from LZ 5x to TZ1/10x, to TZ3/10x. It has been worth the 2.5x optical trade off because of the RAW capability. I read somewhere, the TZ5/10x now handles video zoom capability like the first TZ1 model... TZ3&TZ4 did not have video zoom.

I only wish Panasonic would partner better with Adobe: Photoshop CS3/CS4 RAW plugin ver. 5.2 works, HOWEVER, Lightroom 2.0 will not handle 5.2 RAW files until LR 2.2 is released next year... see Mike Lao Photography blog for more detailed info.

[...]

I have been using the LX3 for about 1.5 months. I find it to be a good substitute for my DSLR in many situations.

One weird thing about it: when the lens is set at the widest setting the lens is fully extended. This works really well, because I can put on the lens adapter and use it like a lens shade. In other situations, if you have shading for wide, you have no protection for telephoto. Not so for this camera, because if the lens shade is not blocking anything at wide, it certainly is not going to block anything at the telephoto (retracted position).

Those who use off-camera flash/strobes should consider a hotshoe-to-PC synch cord adapter such as the Nikon AS-15. I used this camera to do my son's passport pictures and it worked surprisingly well.

This camera is designed for those who crave for wide coverage. Those who like to use 85mm+ lenses on a full-frame DSLR (equivalent) should not consider this one.

The options available in-camera are substantial. If you're faithful to learn them, you'll be taking some amazing pictures. The Leica lens does not disappoint.

This is not a distance camera. The quality of Macro far exceeds that of anything out of portrait range. I'm using this as my primary camera, and have been satisfied, but would like to purchase an SLR in the future.

Bear in mind that this camera uses a lens cap, which for some point and shoot users will seem cumbersome. If that really bothers you, I can recommend the Canon G10, just keep in mind that your macro shots will take a hit (you won't be able to shoot as close).

I've had the camera about one week and it meets the expectations I had from reading many reviews. I have not had an issue with the lens cap; I use the strap and put it on the left side of the camera and then cup the cap in my hand while I shoot. It actually kept me from dropping the camera once. The picture quality is really outstanding and am having fun with the dynamic B/W. Would recommend this to anyone who wants more than a simple point and shoot but doesn't want to lug an SLR around.

I really wanted to like this thing, it looks cool, and has a nice lens (24mm F2.0) - but the JPEG processing is just plain awful. The reds are completely over-accentuated (i.e. the so-called red-push), and auto white-balance is a joke. Moreover, skin tones just don't come out right in either JPEG or RAW (ACR).

It's great to see a company focus on actually improving an existing product rather than just bumping up specs in an attempt to sell more cameras, introducing issues such as increased noise that come with cramming additional pixels onto a small sensor.

The LX2 was a great camera and the LX3 is an excellent evolution of this design. I went to look at the Canon G9 / G10 as well as a few Nikon point-and-shoots while shopping for a camera of this feature set.

What really sold me was the wider lens, better low-light performance and HD video capabilities. This camera also has an excellent form factor that can actually fit in a loose jeans pocket. (It's no ultra-slim camera by any means, but when compared to the G10 it's definitely more pocket-able. The P6000 is about the same as an LX3.)

The lens is fast at f/2.0 and pictures look great from ISO 80-400. ISO800 is okay but beyond that, you had best be prepared for some grain.

The only thing that bugs me is that the lens cap comes of a bit too easily. I don't terribly mind using a lens cap -- I'm used to it on an SLR -- but if it stayed on a bit more securely, that would be great. Not enough to reduce my overall rating, however. I highly recommend this camera if you're looking for a great camera with a variety of available accessories that can do all the things this camera can do.

I have only had the LX3 for a couple of weeks and so far it performs as advertised. I especially like the opportunities the wider-than-usual lens offers. Image Quality is at least as good as my other P&S cameras from Canon and Sony, but at this point I really can't say it's any better. Much better value than it's Leica relative. Good, solid feel suggests excellent construction and reliability. I'm quite happy with this camera based on initial results. I do wish there was a good, reasonably-priced auto flash available.

After years of searching for a "perfect" point-and-shoot to complement my other heavier gear, I think I have finally found a close approximation of THE solution. I am not going to go through the usual pros and cons of this machine, as most have already been covered by other reviews. I just want to touch upon the issue of the much hated separate lens cap.

Yes, I do hate to deal with a separate lens cap, tethered or not. It was not clear to me but once I saw the camera I understood why Panasonic had this "overlook." Well, it was not an overlook, it was an unfortunate design compromise. And the key term here is "f2.0".

This is their flagship point-and-shoot, so they can't use a smaller sensor. To draw enough light onto that sensor to create f2.0 they need some lens real estate. If you look at the lens barrel (the smallest section of the telescopic mechanism), you'll see that the lens actually goes almost all the way to the edge of the barrel. Now take another P&S camera with an integrated lens cover and see how it works and ask yourself, where and how could you integrate a lens cover in LX3 to cover the entire area of the lens?

Sure they can make the barrel thicker, but that will directly impact the overall size of the camera. And I thought we wanted this thing to be quasi-pocketable. Given the current form factor, I won't say integrating a lens cap is impossible but it would certainly take some major innovation.

Another side effect of this large lens is that the mounting hole for the tripod has to be pushed to the side, another victim of f2.0.

So, it all boils down to this. If you want a fast lens in a pocket P&S, you can't have that integrated lens cover. You can't even mount your tripod at the center of the camera. Well that's just too bad. Sure, people have different priorities, but my money goes to the fast lens. I'll live with the lens cap, for now.

PS. I have seen an external integrated lens cover for LX3 made by a third-party. It looks like a pizza cut into three pieces that get pushed open by the lens when extended. Pretty clever idea but very ugly in my opinion. It looks like a cannon popping out from an ambush. I'll stick to my lens cap and risk losing it.

Panasonic has just released new firmware v1.1 on 12/15/2008, which adds these improvements to the great LX3:
1. Compatibility update for the DMW-FL220 flash unit.
2. Improved auto white balance performance.
3. Improved auto focus performance.
Grab it at:[...]

I love the LX3. When I go on vacation, I take the LX3 along with the TZ5, and I'm all set. In good lighting, the LX3 takes pictures that can compare to a DSLR. They're stunning. Even in low light, the pictures are still excellent. This camera is perfect for the person that wants a somewhat compact camera that has manual controls, and takes much better pictures than any point and shoot.

I had to get one due to its larger sensor and the 24mm wide angle lens and the large f2 stop, as my Canon G9 didn't have either. Taking pics with it is great, but you have to remember to just tap the zoom button before taking a shot; you're starting at 24mm so unless you want to risk wide angle distortion for a portrait, you'll want to at least go to 28mm or higher to reduce the possibility. Some of my early portrait shots had severe wide angle lens distortion towards the edges, and faces got a little skewed there. But otherwise, that's what I bought the camera for, which is to take wide angle shots, and also the f2 really helps in low lights and also blurring backgrounds. All in all, a great camera.

Camera packed with many useful features, good quality pictures and video. the best you can get in a compact camera. Ideal if you want decent pictures and do not want to carry a bulky slr.

The Panasonic LX3 is a great advanced compact camera for the photo enthusiast. The photo quality is terrific, the build quality is great, the size is perfect, and it has all the manual and automatic controls you could ever need.

First let me start by saying that I have always wanted a Panasonic digital camera, most Panasonics have always had great lenses, a good interface, great built quality, and image stabilizers. I never bought one, though, because photo quality was subpar, with lots of image noise and noise reduction mushiness. The LX3 is the first Panasonic camera I have bought and I love it.

The best aspect of the camera has to be that lens. It's super-wide at 24mm and is great for indoor shots, and landscapes. Moreover, the maximum aperture of the lens is f2.0 to f2.8 and really helps in low light allowing a faster shutter speed and avoiding the flash, while macro shots benefit from the greater depth-of-field. The lens is also sharp from corner to corner, and the jpeg processing removes any barrel distortion and fringing. The only downside to the lens is the 60mm reach; so take that into consideration before buying.

The rest of the camera is no slouch either. The sensor is a bit bigger than most point and shots and has a modest 10-megapixel resolution. Panasonic claims to have kept the megapixels at 10 to increase sensitivity and decrease noise, and it has worked to an extent. If you don't expect SLR quality at higher ISO speeds you'll be pleased. From ISO 80-200 I have no complaints with image quality. There is plenty of detail, good exposure, and natural looking colors. Above ISO 200 to about ISO 400 it's still plenty acceptable and depends on the subject matter and lighting. Anything above ISO 400, in my eyes, is for emergency use, or photos that are not very important. At that point most of the detail is mushed away and noise is pretty high. Of course, if you prefer to do the processing yourself you can always shoot RAW.

The camera is a good size, not large, but definitely not a pocket camera either, the protruding lens sees to that (see my included picture). Build quality is great; most of the camera is made of metal (even the front of the lens cap). The 3" screen on the back is bright and clear with a high resolution. There are manual controls for pretty much every function, two custom white balance settings, and two custom setting on the mode dial. Of course there is also a fully automatic mode and plenty of scene modes as well. I especially like the different film modes to tweak your results, and the two custom film modes, which even give you control over noise reduction. The aspect ratio switch on the lens let's you shoot in 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9, but also allows you to bracket in the three ratios.

The only minor negatives I have about the camera is as follows: 1) The lens retracts too quickly when you switch into review mode, delaying the next shot, 2) The lens cap can be finicky to put on, the release buttons are quite small, 3) There is no sensor to prevent the camera from extending the lens when the cap is on, I always turn it to playback mode when I turn it off just in case, 4) The battery door, and playback/record switch don't feel as sturdy as the rest of the camera, 5) The flash release switch is small, 6) The camera can be slow when going from record to playback.

All in all... despite the few flaws it's an awesome camera, and a great companion for my digital SLR.

Great little camera. Easy to carry around with you, and capable of making print-quality photos. The limited focal length is a downside, but there are many upsides that make this a great camera in my opinion. The LCD is large and bright. The HD video capture capability is very convenient. Great bang for the buck.

There is already a lot of info out there on this camera, so I'll just quickly highlight a few things, mostly from the perspective of someone who normally shoots with DSLRs.

- Unlimited control - You can control just about anything on this camera, and a surprising amount of it very quickly through the "quick menu" accessed through the joystick.

- Wonderful wide angle lens - The 24mm equivalent field of view at the wide end is wonderful for landscapes, street photography and tight quarters. The fast F/2.0 max aperture and IS make the camera an awesome low light performer. I have a Fuji F30, long considered the king of compact low light cameras, and in reality the LX3 is able to get far more low light shots than the F30.

- Excellent user interface - Coming from almost exclusively using Canon cameras I was concerned about another user interface to deal with. I love the LX3 interface, it is so intuitive and transparent that I'm amazed that I often can get settings the way I want faster than with my SLRs.

- Excellent RAW shooting - The camera has a fairly decent RAW buffer (about three shots) and doesn't slow down at all in RAW shooting. Remember, it is still a compact camera and thus shot to shot time is longer than an SLR, but the point here is that the speed is the same regardless of whether you are shooting RAW or JPEG. Most of the few compacts that shoot RAW suddenly become glacially slow if you actually try to use the RAW mode - not the LX3.

Those are probably the four things that made me fall in love with this camera. Be advised of course that it isn't the perfect camera for everyone. If you tend to shoot in auto all the time (and the LX3 does have an excellent auto mode) you really won't be using a great part of the LX3's advantages. If you aren't comfortable working with the relatively restricted 2.5x zoom range you might also be frustrated and would probably be happier with cameras that have longer zoom ranges either by being larger (Canon G10, Panasonic FZ28) or by making a few more compromises in the lens design (Panasonic TZ5).

This camera really is a "photographers" camera that gives you not only complete creative control, but most importantly easy and transparent control through its wonderful user interface.

Even the variable aspect ratio setting, which I thought was sort of gimmicky when I read about it, has proven to be a feature I use almost continuously. The LX3's novel implementation of this (the different aspects preserve the diagonal angle of view rather than just cropping down one of the other aspect settings) is wonderful.

The size is wonderful, it is truly pocketable unlike the Canon G10 (of course the G10 has other benefits).

Being a wide angle junky I actually did purchase the wide angle adapter lens for this camera. Wow, wow, wow. I always thought these accessory type lenses were a silly idea, but this one gives an 18mm equivalent field of view and the optical performance is stunning for such a wide angle lens. My Canon XTi and 10-22mm no longer need to be hauled around for ultra-wide shots.

Finally, to repeat a point made by many, this is NOT a DSLR replacement. It can't do everything a DSLR can. It does have way more manual control than almost any other compact, it can shoot RAW much faster than most compacts, and its imager size and pixel density are better than the vast majority of compacts. That said, it doesn't offer the fast autofocus of an SLR, the deep RAW buffers and fast frame rates of an SLR, nor high ISO performance anything like an SLR. But it is a camera that performs admirably in many of those departments and most importantly it does a great job of getting out of the photographers way just like a SLR. I have now taken the LX3 on two dedicated landscape shooting trips instead of my SLR, so for some tasks is can be a replacement and for others a complement. Don't expect miracles, but do expect to be pleasantly surprised if you've shot with other compacts.

As long as you are aware of the restrictions of the 24-60mm focal range you just simply can not get a better compact camera.