Users Speak Out: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 fits into the compact digital category by nature of its slim, pocketable build, but it also offers a full slate of manual shooting options. A 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor sits at the heart of the LX3 along with a wide angle 2.5x optically stabilized 24-60mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens.

It's also equipped with Panasonic's iA intelligent Auto exposure mode, a 3.0 inch LCD, and a built-in pop-up flash. To top it all off, the LX3 offers 720p HD video recording.

We found a lot to like about the LX3 in our own review. Smart style, bright f/2.0 aperture lens, and great wide-angle performance topped our list of favorite features. We did have some nits to pick with default color reproduction and a somewhat limited optical zoom range, and we weren't alone.

But the final verdict from DCR readers? A solid endorsement of the LX3. Every opinion submitted to us has been a thumbs-up, though users have lodged some of their own complaints. While most were happy with the fast lens and build quality, a couple of issues came up.

Top notch, serious compact camera

Submitted by matt on 1/25/2009

PROS: Awesome lens gives superb pictures and great low-light capabilities. Size and construction means you can take this camera anywhere, meaning more photos. Good balance between number of pixels and size of sensor.

CONS: Lens cap, some distortion at wide focal length (24mm), no HDMI output, weird white balance in artificial and halogen light.

OVERALL SCORE: 9/10

F2 and usable ISO 400 give this camera an edge

Submitted by Andrew on 11/6/2008

PROS: Fast f2 lens means you can use lower ISO than other point and shoots. Wide 24mm lens. Usable ISO 400 almost everywhere, and ISO 800 is OK in good light. Small size. Very short shutter lag when used in manual focus mode. Wide depth of field - especially useful indoors to keep ISO low and everything in focus.

CONS: RAW support is awful. Lens cap will eventually be lost. No optical viewfinder. Lens is only slightly telephoto. Portraits will have to be done close. Wide depth of field doesn't allow background blur for portraits.

OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

Photo and video combo unit

Submitted by BChau on 8/6/2008

PROS: High quality lens and CCD sensor. Reasonable pixel counts. Supports RAW image recording and HD videos (720p).

CONS: No options in HD video for 25 fps and 30 fps. HD video not encoded with H.264. No HDMI interface for video out.

OVERALL SCORE: 6/10