Panasonic LX5 or S95/G12

[tdigi]

<p>I have heard a lot of talk about the new Canon S95 but not much about the LX5 which looks very nice for a point and shoot. Anyone else looking for more info about this camera? For once I actually just went on a limb and pre-ordered one but I hear very little talk about this. Just curious. slow day today.</p>

 

[steve_solomon2]

Tommy, congrats on your new LX5! I recently got the Panasonic G2, and it is

proving to be a phenomenal camera! If its' build and image quality is

indicative of the LX5, you're in good company! (Realizing of course, the

sensor size difference!), including fine optics.

Good luck!

[tdigi]

<p>Thanks, I ordered it mainly because it offers 24mm and a fast lens with the ability to shoot HD Video. The 2 canon offerings look good as well but I really like the ability to go a bit wider on a p/s. should be fun.</p>

[leslie_cheung]

<p>So, Tommy, you didn't get the Nex? </p>

[tdigi]

<p>Yes I did get the NEX, tried it in the store, was very impressed. Fast autofocus, great photos lots of fun to use so I ordered one. What I could not see in the store is that after about 30 mins the batter was down to about 55% and if you shoot video it got very hot so I decided ( have a bad history with Sony ) that I would just go with a rebel or 60D + kit lens as a smaller option and get a nice p/s for everyday.</p>

<p> </p>

[bill_tuthill]

Tommy, today the LX5 is one of the top-selling cameras on Amazon, not just P&S cameras, but all cameras. We'll see how long that lasts.

 

Personally I'm having trouble understanding a $499 protruding-lens P&S when the Olympus E-PL1 is only a bit over $500. The S90/95 is more pocketable, the G11 has an optical viewfinder, and the Fuji F300EXR has fast autofocus. But ya can't argue with sales numbers.

[keith_anderson7]

Bill, the allure of the LX5 for me is that, IMHO, the Lumix cameras in general

have pretty darn IQ, with another advantage on the LX5 being the high quality

lens.

 

We have a Casio FH100 to satisfy my wife's desire for a simple (and cute)

camera with decent IQ. However the images from this camera all have a

noticeable green cast at times, the shooting lag is horrible, the flash is

garbage, and the 10x zoom is more or less useless since above 3x or so, the

images get soft, dark, and generally are impossible to keep from blurring. That said, compared to most P&S cameras I've used, it's one of my favorites.

 

The LX5 is nice because the lens is more modest for zoom, but is probably

safe to describe as being one or two tiers above the typical telescoping

lenses on smaller P&S cameras in terms of sharpness. Furthermore, the

aperture is quite large thru the whole zoom range so presumably taking

indoor shots is more likely to produce good results. In addition Bokeh is nice with the Lumix lenses.

 

I would only compare to LX5 to the Gxx series to make a fair judgement

based on cost and more advanced capabilities of the two cameras, and the

IQ. Although I haven't used a LX5, I can say I was fairly unimpressed with the G10 I owned in terms of IQ. There was a lot to like about the manual settings, RAW shooting, etc, but found the optics, color rendering, and shooting lag to be disappointing. For a P&S camera, I prefer the cheaper Casio.

 

I think it's a fair question if the LX5 is worth nearly $500, I assume in a couple of months it'll be i'n the $425-450 range, at that point I may consider buying it. Or maybe not. The Casio isn't that great but serves it's purpose.

[zijun_qian]

<p>I've worked in a camera store casually the past year and just from customer feedback I know Panasonic is a superior brand when it comes to compact imaging gear. I will often get customers coming in with a Panasonic LX1 or TZ3, cameras that are 3-5 years old, still in perfect working order. This has never happened with a Canon product for example and that says something...<br /> <br /> Recently I purchased a LX5 and I could not be happier. Coming from only ever using SLRs I'd found recently I was missing great moments as I had left the SLR at home. Since receiving the LX5 it has been with me everyday as the weight and size means I barely notice its there. I have been taking many more candid photos too, without feeling pretentious or evasive with a big SLR.<br /> <br /> Recently wrote a brief overview of my experience so far with the Panasonic LX5 and some images on my blog so check it out at <a href="http://blog.ronidesigns.com.au/2010/09/my-panasonic-lx5-why-it-will-never.html">blog.ronidesigns.com.au</a>. A great pick and I hope we enjoy our cameras for many years to come.</p>

<p> </p>

[ed_shields]

<p>Has anyone located a source for a spare battery for the LX5. I've searched the internet and can only find a LX3 replacement and it has a different part number than the battery that came with my LX5</p>

<p>-Ed</p>

[richard_meyers]

<p>Batteries are available here.<br /> http://cgi.ebay.com/GENUINE-Panasonic-DMW-BCJ13-Battery-Pack-DMC-LX5-/360302815790<br /> As the OM says there is proprietary firmware to tell if the battery is a genuine Panasonic LX5 battery so I would be wary of others.</p>

[mindbodyspirit]

<p>The Canon PowerShot S95 is the best compact digital camera, bar none! I have the <br />Canon Digital Rebel which is totally awesome, but I can't always take it with me like <br />I can the PowerShot s95. I had also considered the LX5 as it is similar in specs to the S95, but overall the clarity of pictures of the Canon were better. Also it is more compact and therefore I am more likely to take it everywhere. It takes clear and bright pictures, even in low light. The close up function is blur free and it is a great point and shoot camera. <br>

<br />It can easily fit into my pocket, so I do end up taking it everywhere and capturing <br />that "Canon" moment. The video camera is really good and the full stereo audio will <br />not leave you speechless (loud and clear!) Overall the best digicam on the market! I <br />did a review on squidoo on the <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/s95-canon-powershot-best-in-class">s95</a>.</p>

[jay_p.]

<p>Tommy, did you ever make a decision and settle on one of the models? If so, which one and why? I'm still toying with the idea of buying a P&S to complement my Canon 7D.</p>

[paulie_smith1]

<p>For the LX5 and users, what is the shutter lag when shooting? Have tried a couple point and shoot cameras but the lag from pushing the shutter to the photo actually being taken was way too long for me.<br>

Is the LX5 a quick one?<br>

I see that Leica has their version and the price is at $800 compared to $400 for the LX5. You get lightroom but I already have a good photo editing program I prefer so that is not an enticement. Why would I buy the Leica rather than the Panasonic for the same camera for double the price?</p>