please help me decide ; canon G11 vs. Lumix DMC-LX3

<p>hello;<br>

you sure know that phenomena ; you just go for a walk or to an event, you think about should I pack my ... but which lens, flash,.. then carry around these 10kg ... NO let just have a nice little tour ... and then >> wow look at this why didn't I ...</p>

<p>ok so it's time for some capable compact; and the ones of choice would be the G11 and Lumix DMC-LX3; I#ve read all the reviews, i'm aware of the range the g11 covers but i think i wouldn't need that at the cost of 5.6, though I'm a canon(ian) and couldn't consider this model;<br>

<img src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:aI0CqpI_3R4kBM:http://www.eastcoastphoto.com/images/bfinder/Lumix-DMC-LX3_1542.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="95" /> <img src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:pa0XexwK6hFFzM:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YJ9hd2ucL.jpg" alt="" width="138" height="104" /><br>

I want to step back to a more " { analogue } " workflow, doing lots of b&w mostly landscape,arch and abstract structures;<br>

i've read all the reviews out there and the customer opinions too; but most of these people have another "level" and understanding of photography and so its hard to judge from their impression;<br>

please just leave a short note when you own one of these cams about your pros and cons;</p>

<p>best regards</p>

<p>forget camera religion</p>

<p>to help you decide I say get the LX-3</p>

<p>Nikolai, I was tempted to get the LX3 myself (being a Leica person), but instead opted for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-S90IS-Digital-Stabilized/dp/B002LITT42">Canon S90</a> ? I've been impressed with the photos people have posted online. I just received it last night and am charging the battery as we speak :) I wanted something very small - a take anywhere camera - that shoots RAW, and that I could wear around my neck on a lanyard. It's very diminutive - about the size of a deck of cards.</p>

<p>Good luck with your decision.</p>

<p>I am in the same boat, I keep going back and forth so I do nothing. I had a G11 in my shopping cart clicked order then quickly cancelled my order. If you already have a DSLR you would probably be happier with something smaller like the LX3 or Canon S90 as an alternative. The S90 is the smallest and easiest to take around so that is what I would probably suggest but all of the above have advantages/disadvantages that you seem to be aware of.</p>

<p>I made this table to help me decide. Might help you. Some very important items are missing from the G11, such as HD video and 3:2 aspect ratio. The LX3 has a lens cap and not much telephoto. I like the F200EXR, but use it almost exclusively in 6 Mp DR mode, which might not suit your style. Like Sigma/Foveon, I find the EXR sensor superior to Bayer-pattern at similar pixel sizes.</p>

<table border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">

<tbody>

<tr>

<td> <br>

</td>

<td><b>F200 </b></td>

<td><b>G11 </b></td>

<td><b>S90 </b></td>

<td><b>LX3</b></td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>lens </td>

<td>28-140 </td>

<td>28-140 </td>

<td>28-105 </td>

<td>24-60</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>cover </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>no</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>aperture (telephoto)</td>

<td>f/5.1 </td>

<td>f/4.5 </td>

<td>f/4.9 </td>

<td>f/2.8</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>shutter </td>

<td>1/1500 </td>

<td>1/4000 </td>

<td>1/1600 </td>

<td>1/2000</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>sensor </td>

<td>1/1.6" </td>

<td>1/1.7" </td>

<td>1/1.7" </td>

<td>1/1.63"</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>technology </td>

<td>EXR </td>

<td>Sony </td>

<td>Sony </td>

<td>Pana</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>flash </td>

<td>4.3m </td>

<td>7.0m </td>

<td>6.5m </td>

<td>8.3m</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>AF lamp </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>LCD size<br>

</td>

<td>3.0" </td>

<td>2.8" </td>

<td>3.0" </td>

<td>3.0</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>LCD pixels </td>

<td>230k </td>

<td>461k </td>

<td>461k </td>

<td>460k</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>close focus<br>

</td>

<td>5.0cm </td>

<td>1.0cm </td>

<td>5.0cm </td>

<td>1.0cm</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>3:2 mode?<br>

</td>

<td>view </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>view</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>exposure compensation</td>

<td>+/-.3 </td>

<td>+/-.3 </td>

<td>+/-.3 </td>

<td>+/-.3</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>bracketing </td>

<td>dynRange </td>

<td>EV, focus</td>

<td>no </td>

<td>EV</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>continuous speed<br>

</td>

<td>1.4fps </td>

<td>1.1fps </td>

<td>0.9fps </td>

<td>1.0fps</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>ISO max<br>

</td>

<td>3200 </td>

<td>3200 </td>

<td>3200 </td>

<td>3200</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>battery life (CIPA)<br>

</td>

<td>230 </td>

<td>390 </td>

<td>220 </td>

<td>380</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>weight with battery<br>

</td>

<td>205g </td>

<td>375g </td>

<td>195g </td>

<td>265g</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>HD video? </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>yes</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>video frame rate<br>

</td>

<td>25fps </td>

<td>30fps </td>

<td>30fps </td>

<td>30fps</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>histogram? </td>

<td>no </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>orientation sensor?<br>

</td>

<td>no </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes</td>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>RAW mode?<br>

</td>

<td>no </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes </td>

<td>yes</td>

</tr>

</tbody>

</table>

<p>thanks bill for your share and all the others too for their contribution; somehow i#m tending more and more to the LX3; i've seen some samples of the leica D4 which should be the same cam and couldn't believe that an image with this quality could be captured with a compact; I thought about the S90 too, ( especially because there is this ixus firmware-hack-community ) but i think this cam would be too small and light;<br>

thought about that new ricoh gxr system too; the concept is not that bad at a closer look;but i doubt it will be continued an you#ll have masses of lens-ccd-ad-s _> units some day ?!<br>

all this recherches are such a loss of time, think about what we spend for a single lens and then...<br>

thank you anyway; tips are still welcome</p>

 

<p>Hi Nikolai<br>

I was considering the S90 and the LX3, and bought the LX3. What I was most worried about was the ISO noise of these cameras. Because of the way I shoot, I can live with the disadvantages of the LX3. But the deciding factor for me was the f2.8 lens, which allows me to lower the ISO and reduce the noise. I know that there's a lot to consider here... this is simply what drove my personal decision. Enjoy you new toy!</p>

<p>I don't think the G11 is missing anything important for me, but I would also recommend the s90 if you wanted a quality small pocket camera. I'm actually using both, but too early to say if one really is better than the other, as usual it will probably depend on the individual as well as how they use the camera. No doubt though the s90 is easier to pocket. </p>

<p>I think once all these cameras are replaced by their manufacturer with 'enhanced' models I'll be able to tell you which of the 3 was/is the best.</p>

<p>Get the g11. I use a g9 x2 years,yes I know how bad the optical finder is, but I use it all the time on the g9 - more stealth, I am usually cropping anyway. I know the lx3 is nice and i would love to have that 24mm wide, but like i said i can't stand no optical finder. I handled a co-workers s90 and don't like it. The location of the shutter release button, "what were they thinking"... </p>

<p>The g9/g11 is not pocketable, you might be disappointed if you expect it to fit in a shirt pocket. It is a jacket pocket size though, which is where mine goes. You could also look at a G6, has an f2.0 lens, pretty sweet, but you want new. B/W/abstract, shoot raw, which all these cams do - you'll eventually understand that if you start working with it. good luck Tom</p>

<p>I bought a G11 back in October and have not regretted it. It works very well with an external flash, the swivel LCD is fantastic, and features are great for me. It doesn't replace my DSLR, but it's a lot easier to take along when I want a camera that is light, capable of getting excellent results, and unobtrusive. As a "street" camera, it's pretty darn good. Some of the images from that camera are here: <br>

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mfobrien/sets/72157622774216657/</p>

<p>@Bill Tuthill</p>

<p>Re: no autobracket</p>

<p>The Canon S90 has both exposure and auto-focus bracket...check out the main menu.<br>

David</p>

<p> </p>

<p>@Bill Tuthill</p>

<p>Re: no autobracket</p>

<p>The Canon S90 has both exposure and auto-focus bracket...check out the main menu.<br>

David</p>

<p> </p>

<p>The LX3 comes in silver or black. Two choices are better than one.</p>

<p>Im stuck too.I like the fact the S90 has more zoom and the small size, however with the LX3 i like the f2.8 it seems very easy to use to find the controls compared to the s90. Ofcourse due to its size with the S90 you need to be careful of the buttons you press. similar price range the two. Im going crazy too ahh</p>

<p>Hmmm. I haven't paid much attention to compact digicams since I bought my LX3 about a year ago (and the G11 wasn't on the market then). The things that attracted me about the LX3 were its large (for a compact digicam) sensor, rejection of the silly megapixel race, and fast lens. Just looked at the specs for the G11 and note that the LX3 still has a faster lens and a bigger sensor, so if I had to buy today, I'd still go with the LX3.</p>

<p>I've had my LX3 for just over a year now, and am still very pleased with it. It can be limiting to not have the zoom range of other compact digicams at times, but I find it a worthwhile trade-off for being able to shoot in low light without having to pop a flash or crank the gain way up.</p>

<p>Also, I really like the flash design on the LX3. It physically pops up after one moves a little latch. If you don't manually pop up the flash, it will never fire. Ever. If you're trying to be discrete and avoid popping the flash, it is a HUGE plus to have something as intuitive and failsafe as this, rather than having the flash status buried in a settings menu someplace.</p>

<p>I wrote this about the G10 and not the G11, but it might be helpful:</p>

<p>http://www.photo.net/equipment/prosumer-digital/lx3-g10-gx200-review</p>