Panasonic adds to its LX range

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3

Panasonic has announced a successor to its popular Lumix camera the DMC-LX2, and it's imaginatively titled the DMC-LX3.

The new LX sports a modest 10.1 megapixels with a 1/1.63in CCD that was specially designed for the model.

This new sensor is said to reduce picture noise and helps lighten pics in low-light settings.

Less noise

Panasonic has gone back to the drawing board with this cam, redesigning its circuitry which has reduced noise further – by 40 per cent, when compared with other 10MP compacts.

Thankfully, you aren't tied down to shooting ratios. The LX3 offers a choice of 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9, and the lens can be set anywhere between 24mm and 60mm.

If you can't choose which ratio to shoot in, then Multi-aspect Bracket mode will allow you to shoot your images in all ratios, leaving your decision-making for later.

Leica the lens

Lens-wise, the LX3 is definitely well-endowed, especially compared to its older brother.

The F2.0 24mm Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens is ultra wide-angle, so perfect for shooting stunning vistas.

To view your images, simply take a gander at the 3.0in LCD. It's 460,000 pixel res means that it should be super-bright.

The camera is available in black and silver. No prices have been released, but we will update when we get word.

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.