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•	12x Optical Zoom
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Nikon D80

Panasonic DMC-LX3K 10.1MP Digital Camera with 2.5x Wide Angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)

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Brand: Panasonic
Category: Photography

List Price: ~~$499.95~~
Buy New: $419.88
You Save: $80.07 (16%)

New (2) from $419.88

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

21 reviews
Sales Rank: 154

Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
System Memory: 50
Floppy Disk Drive: None
Monitor Size: 300
Optical Zoom: 2.5
Digital Zoom: 4
Display Size: 3
Maximum Focal Length: 12.8
Minimum Focal Length: 5.1
Maximum Resolution: 10.2
Has Red Eye Reduction: Yes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 2.2 x 1 x 4.2

MPN: DMC-LX3 Black
Model: DMC-LX3 Black
UPC: 037988988136
EAN: 0037988988136
ASIN: B001CCLBSA

Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.

Features:

•	10.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints
•	2.5x wide-angle MEGA Optical Image Stabilized zoom lens
•	3.0-inch high-resolution LCD screen; HD video capture
•	Classic SLR-like manual operations include selectable AF spot/multi AF area, customization button, aperture, shutter, program and full manual modes
•	Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)

Accessories:

•	aVinci Media SMG-51-0013 Personal DVD Movie Kit
•	Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB
•	aVinci Media SMG-51-0003 Polar Express DVD Kit
•	Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac)
•	Transcend TS8GSDHC6-S5W 8GB SDHC6 Memory Card with Card Reader

Similar Items:

•	Kingston 4 GB SDHC Class 4 Flash Memory Card SD4/4GB
•	Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD (SD 2.0 SPD CLASS 6) with Compact Card Reader
•	Transcend TS8GSDHC6 8GB SDHC card (SD 2.0 SPD Class 6)
•	Panasonic CGA-S005A/1B Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery for Panasonic FX8, FX9, FX01, FX07, FX3, LX1, LX2 and FX50 Digital Cameras
•	Sandisk 8GB EXTREME III SDHC SD Card Class 6 (SDSDX3-8192, Plastic Case)

Editorial Reviews:

Product Description
Designed for easy, creative shooting, and high-performance in low-light conditions, the DMC-LX3 features a F2.0 24mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens, 10.1 megapixels and an ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specifically for this model. By combining a high-quality lens and sensor ready for a variety of shooting conditions with a wide-range of accessories and manual controls, the DMC-LX3 is ideal for professional photographers and serious amateurs looking for a compact digital camera that furthers their creative photography.

Customer Reviews: Read 16 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

A real gem of a camera ... but don't expect image quality miracles September 28, 2008
Pseudorandom Person (San Jose, CA)
103 out of 105 found this review helpful

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

5 out of 5 stars

The Digital Camera I've been waiting for!!!!!! October 3, 2008
Mark Millan (Brooklyn, NY)
49 out of 55 found this review helpful

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.

5 out of 5 stars

Compact that thinks it's a DSLR September 25, 2008
Hotspur (New York, NY)
20 out of 22 found this review helpful

I've owned a lot of digicams including a Canon 20d with a slew of "L" lenses. The DMC-LX3 is the best of the bunch. I've had it for over a month bringing it on a recent trip to Sydney as a backup to my dslr setup. After the first day I left the dslr in the hotel room and spent the remaining week with the Panasonic. This is not a point and shoot and allows me to be as creative as I want to be (I can finally get a nice bokeh with a compact!). However, unlike the 20d where I can get clean shots up to ISO 1600 the noise is definitely noticeable above 100 with the LX3. Save for that I have no other complaints.

5 out of 5 stars

A JOY! October 2, 2008
Mo
16 out of 20 found this review helpful

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.

5 out of 5 stars

Crystal Clear Photos October 7, 2008
Joseph L. Defrancisci (New York City, USA)
13 out of 15 found this review helpful

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.

24mm fast lumix lx3 wide angle

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