Panasonic Lumix LX5

As I mentioned in this post "http://thenorrisfiles.blogspot.com/2010/07/warrie-circuit-springbrook.html" my camera was damaged when I fell while out hiking. Since then it has continued to operate okay but with the automatic lens protector broken it has become difficult to keep the lens clean. The camera took some great pictures in South Australia but towards the end of the trip some black spots appeared on the lens and in the images and they can't be removed by cleaning the lens. Together with the need to clean the lens before every shot I am a bit over it and have lost patience with the camera so it is time to purchase a new one.

Initially I was interested in the new four thirds style camera in particular the Panasonic GF2 the successor to the popular GF1 which has a large fan base. In essence these cameras are a compact version of a DSLR with some of it capabilities but in a 'compact' body. They take a great photo judging by the images on online blogs. However, the cost, complexity and being less compact than I desired made the decision not to purchase this camera easier.

My attention turned to the Panasonic Lumix LX5 which is also a successor this time to the the hugely popular LX3. The camera can be described as a top of the line point and shot camera and carries the high quality Leica lens. It is compact, shoots well in low light, has increased functionality outside of auto mode and appears from the images I have viewed to posses higher image quality across a range of conditions when compared to my previous camera. These attributes cover everything I was looking for in a camera the only downside being the price which is just under the $800 mark from TEDS's.






Out of curiosity I checked an online camera dealer and found the price to be around $300 less expensive than TED's including delivery. Plus the online dealer came with a recommendation from people who had purchased cameras from them previously without issue. So it looks like I will place an order in the next day or two, in the mean time here is a few photos of the camera until the real thing arrives.