Me and my LX-3

...and you know what else I like? PHOTOGRAPHY.

Its not surprising. I work as a professional photo retoucher in NYC. Photography is by far my main hobby.

About 6 months ago I faced a dilemma. I wanted a powerful yet portable camera that allowed me to get super creative with quality results whilst not being weighed down by a cumbersome camera body/lens.

Enter Panasonic DMC-LX3K ( Lumix 3 ).

I purchased it when it debuted back in August '08. Im sure it is already somewhat out of date compared to new camera's out there. The photography industry has us all in a tight grip, keeping up is not only exhausting but expensive. I chose a camera that I think will last at least a couple of years before I will consider buying a newer one.

I searched high and low for the right travel companion and all round decent camera that gives me manual control as well as being a point-&-shoot. I also made a point to choose one that gave me a wide angle option & good quality lens construction and optics.


'The camera is aimed at DSLR users who are looking for a compact camera to complement their existing SLR gear. Consequently the LX3 comes with comprehensive manual controls and a fast F2.0-F2.8 24-60mm (35mm equivalent) Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens. Images are captured on a 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor sporting 10.1 million effective pixels.'

I proudly bray its humble greatness...

Features :

• 24mm wide 2.5x optical LEICA DC lens
• F2.0-2.8 maximum aperture range
• 10.1 MegaPixel
• MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer)
• Venus Engine IV
• Joystick-operated manual control
• Large 3.0” 460k dot LCD monitor
• Raw and JPEG recording modes
• Up to ISO 3200 sensitivity
• Up to 1280x720 (30 fps) pixel movie capture
• Manual exposure and focus options
• 1/2000th to 60 sec shutter speeds
• Flash hot-shoe
• Threaded lens barrel for adding optional conversion lenses or filters
• USB 2.0 Hi Speed interface
• Internal memory (50 MB)
• Close focusing distance: 1cm
• Fast continuous shooting (2.5fps for 8 frames )
• Great battery life

The LX-3 harnesses full automatic and full manual controls. Perfect.

This camera has had great press and won numerous awards.

I have 3 cameras in total:

• Canon Rebel XTi - For extensive semi-professional shoots. Top quality. Too big for travel.
  
• Panasonic DMC-LX3 - Perfect for travel. Power & portability in one.
  
• Casio Exilim-S10 - Very small ( world slimmest camera when it came out - January '08 ) Perfect for nights out with friends and dinners - can hardly feel or see it when in your pocket.

Here are some pictures I took with the LX-3 to show low light handling, wide angle lens capability & creative manual focusing. These are only the tip of the iceberg as to what this baby can achieve. Some of these have been color treated and retouched in Photoshop - to show the endless creativity that is waiting for you... ( click to view )

I purchased it on amazon.com ( Surprise surprise )
I also purchased the stylish Leica case for it. ( It looks cool. No really. )