If your funds, or your spouse, or your personal god, only allow the acquisition of a single, small camera; then I would unreservedly recommend the Panasonic LX3. Until today that is; because now I can’t recommend it any more. Panasonic have replaced it with the LX5 (the number four sounds similar to the word “death” in Japanese so they prefer not to use it, unless they are selling the Banzai Bazooka Widow Maker Mark 4).
It’s nothing radical, just a number of small improvements which make the best a little bit better. Or as Panasonic put it, in words that seem to have been rammed through Google Translate multiple times:
As a pocket camera of professionals and high amateurs, or an advanced camera of step-up users, the DMC-LX5 promises none-the-like picture quality and creativity backed up by crystallization of Panasonic’s state-of-the-art optical and digital technologies. Leading the expressive possibility of compact cameras to even higher dimension, the DMC-LX5 starts its history that will surely be passed into legend.
I am all for none-the-like picture quality so it sounds good to me, although it will probably be a while before you can find one in the shops and I have no idea of pricing. Meantime, you can read more about it here.
And if you think that you can’t take decent photos with a small camera, check this gallery of shots taken with the LX5.
Comments 🔗
2010-07-21| wentworth saysYou probably won’t like this question but is the lx3 ok for shooting video? I’m looking at buying my 1st point and shoot camera and the Panasonic ones I’ve looked at seem so much better constructed than Canon ones. Also where is the best place to locate my hello kitty decals?
2010-07-21| Billy saysGod forbid that a point and shoot man advise you but I can say that the video output is of quite stunning quality (720HD or whatever) but I at least can’t get the thing to zoom in and out when shooting video … you set the zoom before filming and that is it ….
2010-07-21| Spike saysWentworth, The LX5 shoots 720P HD video which is not as good as 1080P, but as good as you are going to get on a small camera. The LX3 shoots MPEG 720, which is not HD and not as good; but still impressive; as Billy confirms.
One of the best small cameras for video is the Panasonic GH1 with the 14-140 lens; but you are talking much more serious money for that.
2010-07-21| Pete saysThanks for the link to the Iceland pictures. They are quite none-the-like.
2010-07-21| TheSon saysPsh, it’s all about the Holga D:
http://www.saikatbiswas.com/web/Projects/Holga_D.htm
number 4 unlucky? Try telling that to Apple and their smooth-sailing 4th gen product
2010-07-21| TheSon says(that was me channeling Lloyd, seeing as he hasn’t turned up in this thread yet)
2010-07-21| Camberley saysBut I’m running out of money!
2010-07-22| Spike saysThe Holga looks wonderful. Something without a viewfinder would be very liberating, or totally useless, depending on your point of view.
Lloyd has already been with us on a previous thread complaining about the iPhone 4 which he inexplicably bought for his wife.
Camberley, oh please….
2010-07-24| Lloyd saysMissed the post too busy fighting soi dogs in Phuket.
Exchanged the iPhone 4 for a new one and its great huge improvement over 3Gs and worth the money. Dont understand why no iOS 4 for the ipad as it would make it half respectable.