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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

18 Aug 2010

The DMC-LX5, successor to the DMC-LX3, features a fully re-designed lens, CCD, image processing engine, and a bright F2.0 ultra-wide-angle 24mm LEICA lens.

Tags: panasonic, digital cameras, lumix

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HWZ's Overall Rating: 9.5

Performance:

Design:

8.5

Features:

User-Friendliness:

9.5

Value:

8.5

Vibrant photographs

Low image noise

Easy to use handling

Slight loss of resolution

Manual lens cap

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			<h2 class="header-green">Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX5 Review</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Alvin Soon on Sunday, 29 Aug 2010</span>
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		 		<h2 class="page-title">Introduction</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">Introduction</h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4 class="page_sub_title">Where in the World is the Panasonic LX4?</h4>
<p>When we asked why Panasonic skipped number 4 from the <a href="/product-guide/view/23380" target="_blank">LX3</a> to LX5, a Panasonic spokesman told us that anticipation for the new LX had built up so much over so long that they decided to skip a generation and go straight to the number 5.</p>
<p>Whether it's a marketing tactic or simple superstition (the number 4 sounds like the word for 'death' in Mandarin), it's true that the Panasonic LX3 has enjoyed booming success (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.flickr.com/cameras/panasonic/">a quick search on Flickr</a> shows it's the most popular Panasonic in use). When it was launched in 2008, it created quite the stir by having an F2 lens in a compact body, which meant it could capture more light than ordinary compacts, so you don't need to bump the ISO as much and you get faster hand-held shots.</p>
<p>At the same time, it's been two long years since its release, in a competitive market that sees new camera models being rolled out once to twice a year. Since then, the LX3 has found itself in an increasing crowded space, having to compete with other prosumer cameras like the <a target="_blank" href="/product-guide/view/1620/review/1623">Canon S90</a>, and encroaching competitors from mirrorless system cameras like the <a target="_blank" href="/product-guide/view/49357">Sony NEX-5</a>.</p>
<p>So it's high time that Panasonic has finally released its successor, the LX5. What's new?&nbsp;Under the hood, the camera sensor has been reworked. While it's still the same 1/1.63&quot;, it's been redesigned for improved dynamic range and noise performance. While the LX3 had a 24-60mm lens (35mm equivalent), the LX5 has a longer 24-90mm lens, all while keeping the F2-3.3 aperture.</p>
<p>Now that you know what's new, the real question is:- was the LX5 worth the wait? We'll answer that soon after our evaluation in the following pages.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img height="372" width="500" alt="" src="/files/images/LX5-hero-blackwhite.jpg" /></p>			</div>
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

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