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Canon G10 vs the Panasonic Lumix LX3
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Last night, I finally made up my mind to buy a new compact digital camera, but figuring out which compact camera to get took a little more deliberation. At first, I had my heart set on the Canon G10 – I fell in love with how it handled colors when I first used one. But after asking for the advice of several friends, I decided to go for a Panasonic Lumix LX3 instead. I’ve yet to try using one but it looks like I’ll get more out of the LX3 based on the research I did.
Feel and Ergonomics
The Canon G10 is very easy to handle – nice firm grip that feels right in my hand. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve yet to handle an LX3 but many reviewers complained that it’s a little weird to handle. On the other hand, it’s smaller, lighter, and easier to carry around, and I love that it looks like an old school film camera. The G10 is definitely not something you can just slide into a small purse without feeling like you’re carrying a brick with you.
Lens Speed
A fast lens is what the LX3 has that the G10 doesn’t. What this means is that you can get great photos in low light conditions, which is exactly what I’m looking for in a new camera. I hate having to use a blinding flash when I do night time photos in indoor shots. When you use the G10 in low light conditions, you have to bump up the ISO in order to get the same exposure the LX3 has at a lower ISO. Which ties in to another complaint most reviewers have – the G10 churns out grainy photos at high ISOs.
Color
I’ve always been a Canon fan because of its bright vivid colors, especially in natural lighting. It turns out that the G10 and the LX3 is at par in terms of color. Although some reviewers had complaints about color accuracy, it turns out you can always tweak the colors to suit your tastes. I suppose I can figure this out with the help of the manual.
Accessories
Apparently, there are tons of accessories you can buy for the LX3, including a wide-angle lens and fish-eye lens! The G10 has lenses as well, but they’re not as accessible as the LX3′s.
Price
Both cameras are in the P24,000 – P26,000 range, which makes sense.
Now, to make a couple of calls to camera stores! If I can find a store that can give me a Panasonic Lumix LX3 at installment with 0% interest, I’m definitely grabbing one.
Were you able to find a store that sells Lumix with 0% interest?
Try calling digital zoom.
I’m also torn between the two P&S. What’s holding me back from getting the lx3 is its 2.5x zoom which is only half of G10′s. But im still leaning towards lx3
I did get to handle both cameras. That was important to me. The Canon G10 feels great. It has enough weight so it feels secure in your hand. The LX3 has that “itty bitty shooter” feel that 99 percent of all compacts have. It’s a little longer than most compacts, but it’s still quite light and delicate feeling. I prefer the g10′s feel, by far. I also loved the controls on the G10. I think if you want to mess around with exposure, aperture and speeds, there’s no contest. The layout of the G10 takes it. I love the spinning thumb wheel for scrolling through speed. For me, the least amount of electronic menus you have to navigate, the better. Now, I’ve looked at hundreds of comparison shots and I’m STILL undecided. The best of LX3 shots are just phenomenal – smooth and creamy — but looking deeper into their history, they’re usually taken by pros with off-camera strobes and the best setups. I’ve likewise seen many of your ‘average Joe” shots taken with the LX3 that look, well, very average. I’m not even impressed with some of the samples taken by a pro at the Panasonic website. But it’s practically the same story with the G10. I’ve seen great and I’ve seen blah…. But there is something more dynamic about the LX3 photos when they’re good ones. And I respond to that artistry deeply. I found a website comparing the dynamic range of the two cameras and the LX3 beats the G10, which I think explains their differences. So this is one of the hardest camera choices I’ve ever had to make, There IS NO SIMPLE ANSWER! I think if I lived in a perfect world where I could play Cartier Bresson all day I’d take the Panasonic. But for carrying around to take snapshots, family pics, graduations, I’d have to go with the Canon just for the telephoto lens (and not an extravagant one at that). I used to shoot 35mm and, frankly, the 60mm “zoom” on the LX3 is no zoom at all. I’m mean, the standard lens on cameras were 50mm or 52mm. That’s a 1:1 ratio. So a 60mm is basically nothing – you’re just going from wide angle to normal. No ‘zoom.’ Again, this is really a tough call. But one thing swaying me toward the G10 is practicality in real world situations. I found a website that describes how the G10 was a popular choice on a recent Antarctic exploration and that they bore up well under that climate. I probably won’t get that extreme with mine, but if I were forced to hold both cameras and drop one (under gunpoint, that would have to be!) I’d drop the G10 and feel better about it. The LX3 is nicely made, but it looked and felt fragile to me. I also think light aluminum is more liable to damage than the G10′s magnesium alloy. So real world vs perfect world. The wealthy artist in me says get the LX3 and live the life of light and perfect — the family man with a tendency to bump things says the G10 and ‘you probably won’t break it….’ I guess I should just reckon with who I really am…. and get the G10. Anyway, I hope my impressions help someone else.
Im on the same shoes JUST RIGHT NOW!!!
really feel so distant with these two cams.. I even consider getting Sony HX1…
the show-stopper for the LX3 is the 60mm max zoom… for G10, for me, its the non-HD video recording and size being stereotyped “point and shoot”.