New Camera - Lumix LX-3

mfarrell

mfarrell

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Matt
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Just bought new camera, wanted a decent compact instead of lugging the 1D around. Looked at the Olympus Pen, but for the money, couldn't justify it, as still bulky for just carrying around everyday.

Decided upon the LX-3.........was this or the Powershot S90. Am now wondering whether i should have gone with the S90 with the Digic 4 sensor, as the noise on the LX-3 above ISO 400 is just crazy...

Anyone have any thoughts? Is it worth swapping it over before it's too late?
 
The LX3 will be as good with noise as any small sensor camera, so there'd be little point swapping.

The trick with all these pocket jobbies is to shoot to their strengths and stay as far inside the comfort zone as you can.
 
That's what i thought at first....but looking and downloading samples, the S90 is far better, even at ISO 1600, looks better then the LX-3 at 800......

I know i don't need it for anything major, as I have 2 1D bodies and a bag full of lenses, guess i just forgot what it's like shooting with a compact again......

Anyone have an LX-3????

Am i missing some sort of Noise Reduction?????
 
Have you tried the S90?
Compared to an SLR the noise on all compacts is bad, the LX3 is better than most.
I find ISO 800 is plenty good enough for social images, Christmas parties, etc when I know getting the shot is more important than ultimate quality.
Generally I try not to go above ISO 200, that way I can be confident I can print to A3 if I need to.

The wider than normal lens, f2.0 and very effective OIS means having to resort to high ISO less often than most other compacts.
You should find you can hand-hold standing down to 1/5s and expect nearly all of them to be razor sharp. It's amazing what you can get away with before resorting to upping the ISO.

The LX3 does favour keeping fine detail at the expense of slightly more visible noise. If you apply your own noise reduction in PP with the settings wound all the way up then it should clean up nicely.

Bottom line is that you should do more than just compare at the same ISO - you need to try in low light and see which copes the best. LX3 is the only compact I've used which comfortably copes with a candle-lit restaurant; my 5DII is the first DSLR I've owned that does not struggle in the same situation and there is no way I'm lugging that about for a night on the town...
 
Thanx all for the response. Been very useful. The lens is what attracted me to the LX-3, not just the quality, but the speed. The S90 at F4.9 at zoom end just isn't going to cut it. Just found the NR, so will have a play with that.

You have all reinforced what i was hoping.....I wanted the LX-3, Gorgeous camera....but if the S90 was significantly better....I would have coped....but not worth the compromise.
 
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