Panasonic LX3 Digital Camera Review: The Best Compact Available Now

{ Panasonic LX3 }

One of the most popular topics on this blog right now, if my stats are to be believed is anything involving the Panasonic LX3. Reviews, image samples, anything LX3 is getting literally thousands of hits. Meanwhile my post on a Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken knock off recipe is languishing in blogging purgatory. While I’m sad no one wants to share my excitement over Fiesta Lime Chicken, I’m very excited about the LX3. So when I saw that Lawrence Ripsher had reviewed it I knew I’d be sharing it here.

By now regular readers must know that I love the LX3’s wide, fast lens. From an artistic point of view, I thing framing shots in this manner creates a greater amount of interesting compositions (from a compact’s point of view) and the f/2 gives the photographer the ability to take some decent shots in low light, stop motion, create some creamy backgrounds, and let the photographer not have resort to the higher ISOs.

But what does Lawrence think?

I’d say Lawrence is quite enamored. It’s possible that Panasonic may have overstated “Best Image Quality Evah!”, but looking at all the samples I’ve seen, the LX3 does take very good pictures, maybe not foveon good, but I guarantee you’re having an easier time getting great shots than with the DP1. You of course should go read the full review, he runs down ISO performance, the lens, and functionality, but I think this makes a pretty strong statement:

I believe this is the the best compact camera out there right now. The LX3 has all the things that should matter (and certainly all the ones that matter to me) - class leading optics, excellent build quality and size, great controls (despite a few quirks) and evolutionary improvements in sensor performance. These all add up to a photographic tool that has allowed me to capture high quality images with greater ease than any other compact camera I’ve used before

-Lawrence Ripsher

Get yourself over to Ripsher’s review here…

h/t Imaging Insider

Tagged as: image quality, iso, lawrence ripsher, noise, overview, panasonic lx3, pictures, review, samples