Panasonic LX5

so, aside from the (probably) better high ISO output and slightly longer zoom reach (24-90mm) it's not all that different from the LX3 I have that I never use? :)
 
I'm glad that they took down the chromey design accent used for years. :)

I hope the EVF is smaller than GF-1's.
 
24mm-90mm is a very practical focal length and the aperture starts at F2!

Maybe I'll ask my mother to buy one... then borrow it indefinitely :D
 
Wasn't this rumored to have a bigger sensor or something significantly different than the LX3 besides zoom length? Seems like an incremental update.
 
Wasn't this rumored to have a bigger sensor or something significantly different than the LX3 besides zoom length? Seems like an incremental update.

I think there is another rumor about a Panny cam featuring m4/3 sensor and fixed lens, but this one is really a direct successor of LX3.

BTW, they most likely skipped the name LX4 because 4 is a bad number and Japanese companies don't like using it, much like 13 in many western countries. (Canon also skipped PowerShot "G4" for this reason.)
 
I like the LX-3, which I own, but it is just too small for my hands. The Olympus EP-2 is much better and seems to be just the right physical size for a camera, IMHO.
 
I have just checked the full size samples on dpreview.com. Well - however nice lens it has it is still just a P&S with too small pixels - the samples at full size even at ISO 80 show this quite clearly as thy are a bit fuzzy. ISO 800 is then only for computer scren. In general the noise suppression seems too aggressive (hopefully this can be set by the user)

When will Panasonic bring us similar camera with fast fixed zoom lens but larger sensor - m4/3 would be just fine. That would be a P&S I would consider to get for holiday shots and a nice complement to Mamiya 6.
 
Well, if the camera is reliably available in the United States, then that feature alone would mark a considerable improvement over its predecessor.

I'll agree that on paper the improvements seem minor, but the expanded zoom range (to my telephoto sweet spot of 90) solves my major lens problem with the LX3. The clickable thumb wheel instead of a joystick solves my major ergonomic problem with the LX3. Provided improvements in noise performance, it seems like there's little to complain about here. Most people with an LX3 like it alot for the kind of camera it is. If the worst thing we can say about the LX5 is that it improves on every headline flaw of its much-beloved predecessor, then I don't think that's so bad.

They've also given it step zoom, a feature that I love, though in the press release it conspicuously doesn't state that 50mm is a step, which baffles me (24, 28, 35, 70, and 90 are cited).

All praise aside, though, I think the smart money will wait for Panasonic's September announcements to see what the GF2 and possible LC-1 successor with a m4/3 chip offer as alternatives. Depending on one's needs though, I think the LX5 looks like a more than worthwhile camera.
 
I used LX3 for the past 2 years and 100% of my post card size P&S photos. I dropped it into rivers, minus 5 temperature and in the rain. This great little thing keeps working. Look forward to see LX5.
 
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