The Canon Powershot G10 and Panasonix Lumix LX3 offer advanced compact capabilities in a package small enough to carry on you at all times. But which is best – G10 or LX3?

You could be forgiven for thinking that the rise and rise of the entry-level DSLR effectively meant the downfall of top end compacts. After all, all reports we hear at the moment point to the fact that more people than ever are entering the market at the starter DSLR price point. And, with bargains such as the Nikon D40 on the market, it’s not hard to see why.

However, in what may be as a consequence of buyers getting the bug for advanced photography but still wanting a compact companion, the advanced compact market is as prosperous as ever before. Now in its eighth incarnation, Canon’s ‘G’ series – the Canon G10 – is one of the forbearers of offering DSLR-like functionality and specification in a more compact body, and the G10 has proved as popular as any before.

Panasonic, on the other hand, is relatively new to the field, with the Panasonic LX3 being the latest in a short line of the type. So, how exactly does the veteran Canon G10 fare against the new boy Lumix LX3, and do either offer such a proposition that could allow you to drop the DSLR altogether?