Panasonic Point and Shoot and Non-DSLR
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Digital Camera Review

by Tim Barribeau
Published on September 18, 2008

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Color and Resolution	Noise and Video
Speed and Timing	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Sample Photos
Specs / Ratings

The Lumix DMC-LX3 is Panasonic's newest high-end point-and-shoot camera. Designed for use by photo enthusiasts and professionals, it boasts a distinctive retro style, the option to use an external viewfinder and external flash, and extensive manual controls. However, for a camera that is aimed at such a sophisticated market, it produced average results on the majority of our performance tests, only distinguishing itself in color, manual noise and video capture. Its mediocre scores are problematic for a camera that’s trying to attract serious users, and while it regained some ground by having a high level of customizability, a good lens, and extensive controls, we found its test results were too low to justify the $500 price tag.

Section	The Good	The Bad
Tour	Attractive retro body	Cramped, small buttons
Testing/Performance	Good color, manual noise and video scores	Unimpressive automatic noise, resolution, white balance, low light and dynamic range scores
Components	High quality wide-angle lens, powerful pop up flash	Fixed lens bulks up body considerably
Design/Layout	Attractive aesthetic, feels solid and well built	Poorly designed menu system
Modes	Extensive scene modes, HD video	Minimal editing in playback, almost no control in Auto Mode
Control Options	Fast auto focus, good macro mode, extensive ISO range, good automatic white balance	No fluorescent white balance preset, maximum 8 second exposure in Shutter Priority mode
Image Parameters	Three aspect ratios, RAW and RAW+JPEG modes	Limited number of picture effects
Connectivity/Extras	Worthwhile included software	Minimal DPOF support
Value	Able to use existing external flashes	Expensive for average test results

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