Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 with 11.3 Million Total Pixels CCD

The Panasonic DMC-LX3 is the perfect digital camera. The new camera features a Film mode with six color types and three types of monochrome selections. Designed for easy, creative shooting, the new camera comes two years after its predecessor, the Lumix LX2, the new camera comprise wide-angle lens, 16:9 CCD and LCD.

The new LX3 camera took about 2.2 seconds to start up, and the shutter lag measured a hair less than 0.1 second.

The LX3's design is nothing to shout about. Its chassis is relatively plain with the extreme right end raised slightly to provide a better grip - a practical design consideration further complemented by a textured rubber surface. The lens protrudes from the body, and if you are wondering why it has to be engineered this way, it's probably because the sensor in the shooter is larger than your typical point-and-shoot, resulting in an adjustment of the lens-to-sensor distance (known as flange focal distance). On the lens barrel are two switches for toggling between picture aspect ratio as well as focusing mode.

Keeping true to retro camera style, the new camera's optics is protected by a removable lens cap. While it does add a sense of originality to the snapper, we feel that this can be quite a hassle sometimes as we had to remove the cover before taking a shot, as opposed to just pressing the power button and snapping away. The supplied camera strap further accentuates the retro theme and we found it quite classy.

Panasonic usually keeps the mode dial nestled under the top right corner, but for the new Panasonic camera, it is right on top. The tactile feedback was great when we turned it, and users who are used to operating a dSLR will find the labels familiar.

This digicam has a hotshoe onto which you can attach an external flashlight or an optional viewfinder. A small switch beside the hotshoe pops up the built-in flash.

The rear of the LX3 houses a lush 3-inch widescreen LCD. The Q.Menu button on the side also acts as a four-way joystick, which can be used in place of the navigation pad situated below it.

Although it may not look especially outstanding, the new camera somehow exudes a professional aura that we could feel when taking pictures. This may sound pompous, but for a moment we felt like Henri Cartier-Bresson (the man who used and made Leica famous).

Simply put, the new Panasonic camera smashes all previous perceptions about the limitations of a digital compact camera, setting a lofty new standard in performance, quality and creative capabilities. At the core of the LX3 is a large, ultra-sensitive 1/1.63-inch CCD developed specially for the new model. The old formula equating pixel count with image quality does not always hold true. In general, if two CCDs have exactly the same physical size but different pixel counts, the one with more pixels is not necessarily better - in fact, it's likely to generate more picture noise, especially in low-light parts of the image.

This poor low-light image quality has been a source of great dissatisfaction for compact camera users. The Panasonic DMC-LX3 responds to this problem by boldly reversing the industry trend of pushing toward ever-higher pixel counts. Rather than cramming in the maximum number of pixels possible, it limited the LX3's 1/1.63-inch CCD to 10.1 megapixels. The result is a CCD that provides a generous amount of space for each pixel while offering superb sensitivity and a wide dynamic range made possible by maximizing the size of the photodiode. These enhancements greatly improve imaging performance, boosting sensitivity by around 40% and saturation by around 35% compared with ordinary 10-mexapixel compact cameras. The CCD in new camera can reproduce images shot with the lens set from 24mm to 60mm in any of three aspect ratios; 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9, so you can always capture dynamic, richly expressive shots with a wide perspective. The newly added Multi-aspect mode allows the camera to take a image in all 3 aspect ratios simultaneously for photographer to choose the one that best takes the advantage of the scene after shooting.

The new camera f/2.0 24mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens also represents a major step up from the new camera. The f/2.0 lens is about twice as bright as the previous f/2.8 lens, itself generally considered a bright lens. With the new f/2.0 lens, the new camera can shoot at higher shutter speeds and capture stunningly clear, sharp, blur-free images even in lower lighting conditions. This advanced lens also makes it easy to produce beautiful photos with pleasing soft-focused background. Also, the 24mm ultra-wide-angle lens - rare on a compact camera – gives photographers a wider range of composition possibilities. The super-high-quality Leica DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens minimizes distortion even at the wide end, so users can get stunning, true-to-life images with outstanding resolution and detail.

The Panasonic LX3 is equipped with advanced image processing LSI, the Venus Engine IV. This high-speed high-performance imaging engine makes it possible to capture clean, beautiful, low-noise photos even when shooting at high sensitivity settings. Separating chromatic noise from luminance noise and low-frequency noise from high-frequency noise, and applying the optimal noise-reduction processing to each, the Venus Engine IV provides superior noise control and minimization of color bleeding.

The new Panasonic camera boasts a large 3.0-inch large LCD with a 3:2 aspect ratio and high 460,000-dot resolution. Performance is outstanding for both shooting and viewing. A new LCD panel provides bright, easy-to-see images over a wider viewing angle. The Intelligent LCD function, standard on all Lumix models, assures comfortable viewing in virtually all conditions by automatically adjusting the backlighting of LCD as the ambient light level changes. One key advancement over previous models is the LX3's superb expandability. Mounting the optional Wide Conversion Lens brings the maximum wide angle all the way to an incredible 18mm. Other optional equipment such as the ND Filter and new PL Filter also broaden image-creating possibilities. The high-end aluminum External Optical Viewfinder provides bright, clear viewing without wearing down the battery. And the optional GN22 Compact Flash mounts to the hot shoe newly added to the LX3. These and other accessories let users build around the LX3 to create a powerful, versatile camera system that can take them as far into photography as they want to go.

On top of the camera we find a hot shoe to place an external flash. The optional DMW-VF1 optical viewfinder can also be mounted on the hot shoe. This is a nice accessory which saves energy while the LCD monitor is not being used as viewfinder. The range of the optical viewfinder supports up to 24mm. The internal flash is standard hidden in the housing and has to be manually folded out through a small switch. The familiar command dial is placed on top of the camera and offers direct access to main programs such as aperture and shutter priority, scene mode etc. The shutter release is placed more into the corner and features a ring around it that serves to operate the optical (and digital) zoom. The shutter release button has a nice pressure point and feels perfect under your finger. Also very convenient is the focus button that lets you place the AF field very precisely to focus without having to change the composition.

Panasonic claims that the Lithium-ion battery can last for 380 shots, and it certainly lived up to expectations. You will take five HD-quality videos, each lasting three minutes as well as about 200 still images, and there was still juice in the battery.