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The reviews were right on. I have not been disappointed. I read a lot of reviews on this camera before buying. I have a Nikon D300 and needed a quality point and shoot.
Tack sharp lens, very low noise sensor, this is a perfect camera for travel or for use in bar or night photography. Highly recommended. Excellent low light camera, slightly bulkier than most P&S cameras but I found it easy to use and very portable. but regular photos turn out fine.
I generally use the aperture priority setting.Just as with my M6TTL, I can just go out with my little camera and make lovely pictures without getting wrapped up in the technology. Some have expressed concern about the lens cap. It is not a problem. The camera is portable and fun to use. So is the f/2.0 wide aperture.
It invites low light photography. A great combination. I don't use the tether since it just gets in the way. I miss my tripods, but find the OIS lets me get along without them in most cases. Virtually all of my cameras (Canon, Nikon, Leica, Hasselblad) have had lens caps, not built-in lens covers. The OIS feature is very effective.
It is charming to use black and white at a wide angle and fill the frame with an interesting composition, such as people interacting in a room. I am very pleased with the results. Too much fiddling gets in the way of the joy of photography.I am enjoying the camera very much. So is my wife. Great results.
Then I had to wrestle with whether to buy the D-Lux 4 instead. The LX3 is easy and fun to use. I was held back initially by the outer limit of the lens [about 60mm]. The 24mm view is a very attractive feature.
The LX3 is delightful. Of course that is so with the M6, too. I am low on the RAW learning curve, so I have little to say about RAW capture.I must add that I also bought the G1 last spring so as to use my Leica M lenses on a digital body [with the Cosina Voiglander M adapter]. I have been chiefly using jpegs and like what I see.
I put the cap in my pocket or in a camera bag, just as I have done with other cameras. I decided the cost difference was not worth it.
The ability to quickly change formats is handy. It is great fun to use the different film modes with this little camera.
I tend to do less fiddling and concentrate on the image, not the technology. It reminds me of my Hasselblad days.
After much internal debate, I finally bought the LX3 last December. I enjoy the square format option.
Of course, with the LX3, I can quickly change the film or the format.
Within a few days of being in Thailand, the sensor developed a sizable black spot in the lower right hand corner.mostly visible in the 16:9 mode shooting zoomed in at a bright subject. I returned to my home computer to find that about 50% of the photos I shot in RAW format were out of focus. My last Lumix never produced a single out-of-focus shot. I think the stabilizer is not adequate.3. So if you can haul around a mono or tripod to ensure sharpness and you take the time to make SURE you're focusing correctly, and if you're not really into shooting video, go ahead and get this camera.
I bought the LX3 after about a year of salivating for this camera and not being able to find it in stock. The VIDEO mode really is pretty miserable. What about that image stabilizer that worked so well in the TZ3 and ZS3. I knew that. The remaining unfocused shots were camera shake at 1/40. 4. The sharpness and sensitivity of the sensor when shooting in RAW are better than any compact I've ever seen or used.
One has to be very careful about what exactly the camera is focusing on. Very retro and styling. It does it abruptly so you have these SUDDEN shifts in exposure which are jarring.What good I will say about the camera is that the f2.0 lens is great. What. It is also a very attractive package when coupled with the Leica leather case. The zoom really does suck. I have returned to the US and sent it in to Panasonic ($11 in shipping paid by me) and am waiting for its return.2.
If you use Lightbox or Bridge, OK. The wide capapbilities are great. Chalk that up to user error, but still, it was disappointing. At first I was so in love with the camera that I practically took it to bed with me. But it doesn't do it gradually or elegantly. I have been a photo for 35 years. We all know that at the outset, but I found myself using my travel companion's Lumix ZS3 b/c of its extraordinary zoom capability.5.
VERY, VERY annoying for a professional photog. That is a BIG DRAG. But if you're NOT going to shoot in RAW, don't waste your money. Get the ZS3, an overall better camera for the good amateur. That alone makes this cranky camera worth the investment. BUT, then I headed out for a month of trekking (not wanting the weight of a DSLR) in Thailand and Laos and the camera began to fail:1. WHAT.
The LX3 is not supported in RAW format on iPhoto. BUT, what I didn't know is that the camera adjusts its aperture on the fly as you're panning from a bright to dark subject. Enough when using the camera in not-so-bright settings to ruin the shot. I'm a professional photog who grew up shooting in medium format. I examined them all carefully and can see that in some cases the auto focus didn't grab my intended focal point.it grabbed something like a shirt color instead of a nose. It won't zoom.
I have printed up to around 16x20 with excellent clarity. Lots of great features. At least when I bought it, this was definitely the best digital camera available. A great camera.
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