Panasonic Lumix LX3 vs Canon PowerShot G10 – Design

Panasonic Lumix LX3 vs Canon PowerShot G10 – Design

What’s striking on first impressions of both the G10 and LX3 is their relatively ‘retro’ design. The Panasonic LX3 is available in both silver and black, though the black version we tested seems the more appealing thanks to its understated nature and an overall finish which suits the models features, and which is also the default colour of the robust G10. Another facet that adds to the pair’s retro feel is a range of manual controls on the cameras bodies. For example, rather than a button or assortment of buttons, as is conventional on a compact, the G10 sports attractive manual dials for control of both ISO setting and exposure compensation.

While the LX3 offers controls over ISO and exposure compensation in the conventional manner, it too sports its own manual controls – the camera’s houses switch for both focus, on the side, and aspect ratio, on the top. While these represent by no means a wholesale manual control set-up, it’s a nice gesture that makes the pair refreshing to use and a nice break from the continuous wave of compact cameras difficult to distinguish one from another.

The size and weight of the Panasonic LX3 varies only slightly from a conventional compact, with the only real difference being a noticeably protruding lens. The Canon G10, on the other hand, is generally larger and heavier than most compacts on the market – in fact, the G10 weighs in at 350g, just 30g lighter than an Olympus E-420 DSLR.

This difference in size and weight characterises the difference between the two cameras – where the LX3 feels like a creative compact camera which would be a worthy companion for your DSLR, the G10 feels more like a model that’s competing to be a viable alternative to a DSLR. While the LX3 could relatively comfortably fit in your pocket, at around 50% larger heavier, the G10 would probably be best suited to a dedicated camera bag or shoulder strap.