Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

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Features

Depending on your preference, you can choose one of the three aspect ratios: Widescreen 16:9, or the more conventional 3:2 or 4:3. Although this is actually quite a common feature for high-end compacts, the resolution usually gets downsized when set to different aspect ratios, especially 16:9. But the LX3 is optimized to capture images in this format. The sensor is capable of rendering 10-megapixel images in 4:3 and 9-megapixel pictures in widescreen format.

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Photo credit: John Chan The Leica optics is widest at 24mm, which makes the viewing angle on the LX3 one of the widest available on the market besides Samsung's NV24HD. But the LX3 has the upperhand, considering that the len's aperture is biggest at F2.0, which is not a common feature for compact snappers. The chances of getting blurry shots in low-light conditions are lower because the corresponding shutter speed can be faster. However, it has only a 2.5x optical zoom which by today's standard is pretty limiting for a point-and-shoot. Most photographers we spoke to were not concerned about the limited zoom range as they are willing to make a compromise in exchange for other features like the F2.0 lens and high-resolution panorama mode.

We were spoilt for choice when it came to choosing the exposure option. It has the company's proprietary intelligent Auto (iA) mode designed for simple point-and-shoot purposes, though we preferred using the manual, aperture priority or shutter priority modes. Tweaking the settings can be done using the joystick and the onscreen instructions are easy to follow. Within minutes, we were shooting like pros, changing the aperture and shutter speed to suit different situations.

There is a simulated film mode which allows you to adjust the sharpness, saturation, contrast and noise reduction in up to +2/-2 levels. This is used in conjunction with the different options such as Standard, Vibrant, Nostalgic, etc. There are also two custom film modes (one in color and the other in black-and-white) which let you save your preferences and leave the others at default.

For custom settings, there are also two modes, C1 and C2, found on the mode dial. If you have customized settings that you want to access easily, save them under either one of these modes, and with a turn of the dial, all the settings will revert to your preset options. This high level of customization is usually reserved for dSLRs, and we were pleased to see them on the LX3.

For the really picky users, there is a RAW format capture option which allows you to take .RW2 files that has to be processed on the computer with the packaged SilkyPix image-processing software or a third-party application. We will discuss more on the RAW files later.

For those into video, this shooter is capable of capturing HD-quality (1,280 x 720-pixel) clips at 24 frames per second. Do keep in mind that such recordings can produce really large files, so it's always advisable to keep a few SD/SDHC cards handy if you intend to utilize this feature.

The LX3 has the usual face detection function and 24 scene modes if you are lazy or just want to snap a picture quickly. It is powered by a Lithium-ion battery and has approximately 50MB of internal memory.

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