Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

Noise
Image noise is an insidious problem that slips into even the most carefully prepared images. It looks like static in the picture, and is especially noticeable while shooting across higher ISOs or large areas of flat color.

To test the LX3 noise performance, we shot the standard Gretag Macbeth color chart at every available ISO, putting the resulting images through Imatest. The resulting score gave us an accurate representation of noise levels, and how they compare to other cameras.

Noise – Manual ISO (6.53)
The graph below shows how the LX3 performed at each ISO level. As you can see, there is a distinct upward trend. This is normal for cameras, as the higher light sensitivity provided by the greater ISOs has the effect of increasing the amount of noise as well.
 

The LX3 scored above average in the area of the tests, and managed to prevent passing 2% noise until ISO 1600. There is a significant jump in noise at ISO 3200 but once again, this is to be expected.

The Lumix LX3 did well in this test; scoring above every camera we compared it with. It outdistanced the Canon, Nikon and Samsung significantly in noise levels, a performance we've come to expect from the Lumix line. This means that if you're using this camera, and you manually choose the best ISO for your situation, you can expect your images to be comparatively low on noise, which makes for cleaner, better looking pictures.

 

Auto Noise (2.77)
This second part of the noise test isn't so much a measure of noise levels as a way of gauging the camera's intelligence. We shoot the well-lit Gretag Macbeth chart on Auto ISO, and let the camera decide what's the best setting to take the picture. The test is bright enough that the camera could easily shoot at ISO 100, which would lead to low noise levels and a good score. However, the LX3 deigned to use ISO 320, which is considerably higher than needed, and led to its low score. This is an all too common occurrence, as you can see in the comparison chart with the other cameras. What is interesting to note is that the relatively inexpensive Lumix DMC-TZ3 scored significantly better in this test.
 

Low Light (6.88)
We tested the LX3's low light capabilities in two ways. In the first, we shoot our standard Gretag Macbeth color chart under a number of low light conditions. We illuminate this chart at 60 lux (the brightness of a room lit by two small lamps), 30 lux (equivalent to a single 40 watt bulb), 15 lux (the light provided by a television screen) and 5 lux (about a single candle in a dark room). All shots were taken at ISO 400.

Once again, the LX3 produced middling results in our tests. While the low light scores weren't bad, they weren't particularly great. The camera really struggled at 5 lux, but the other light settings were considerably better. Panasonic has made a point of touting their new, large image sensor on this camera, which is meant to 'work optimally in low light.' Unfortunately, in this test we saw no evidence of this, and we were frankly unimpressed.

The second half of this test involves putting the camera's long exposure settings through their paces. Once again, we use the Gretag Macbeth color chart, this time lit to 30 lux, and we shoot it at a range of shutter speeds from 1 second up to 30 seconds. We were unable to perform this test accurately for more than eight seconds with the LX3, but over the exposure lengths we did test, the camera performed well with a very small amount of noise. When using the LX3, you will notice that after a long exposure, the LCD will show a timer counting down before you can use the camera again. This is an automatic noise reduction technique that is built into the camera. After the photograph is taken, the camera closes the shutter and takes a second shot of exactly the same exposure length as the first. The noise that appears in this second shot is then subtracted from the first image in a bid to reduce static. This technology cannot be turned off on the LX3, and will significantly increase the amount of time it required to take your shot if you using long exposures.

Panasonic DMC-LX3 Low Light Scores

While the LX3 didn't have the greatest low light performance, its score for long exposure was enough to bump the camera up to a decent level for this round of tests.

 

Still Life
To show how the vagaries of high ISOs and noise levels can affect your day-to-day shooting, we take a series of photographs in a normally lit room at every available ISO. The results are posted below, so you can see how the camera deals with these situations. Clicking on the images below will bring up the full-size originals. However, these photos are very large and may take a significant amount of time to download. 

 

ISO 80
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
Hi 3200

Video Performance (8.01)
The Samsung LX3 can shoot video in both 4:3 mode and 16:9. In the former it records either 640 x 480 or 320 x 240, while in the latter it records at 1280 x 720 or 848 x 480. It uses Quicktime MP4 format, which doesn’t take up much space on your memory card.
 

 

Low Light - 30 Lux
While the color was significantly noisier and less accurate in the low light version of this test, which was unsurprising, the LX3 still managed to score well for shooting in very poor conditions. This test was undertaken at 30 lux, which is about the level of light provided by a single 40-watt bulb, and we found the LX3 performed well in these less-than-ideal conditions.

 

Resolution (1.78)

Once again, the LX3's lackluster resolution performance is apparent, as it only managed to capture a maximum of 508 line widths per pixel height (lw/ph) horizontally and 350 lw/ph vertically.

 Motion (1.00)

We took the Panasonic out into the fast-paced streets of Boston to film speeding cars and see just how well it deals with moving objects. We found the colors to be bright, and objects to be clear.

This camera performed very well in our video tests. While it might not overtake the family camcorder, it can take 720p video with very accurate color, which is something nice to see on a point-and-shoot.

Panasonic DMC-LX3 Video Scores