I'll eventually have a complete update to my Compact Shootout article (originally P6000, G11, LX3, this time P7000, G12, LX5), but I thought to be fair, I'd do short takes on each as I've had a chance to use them a bit. I've already written about the P7000 (now on the 2010 Nikon News archive page). Today the LX5.
There was a lot to like about the LX3, and I'm happy to report that Panasonic apparently understood what that was and stuck with it. Going from a LX3 to an LX5 is almost a no-brainer, as the new camera and it's controls are near identical to the older version.
So what's different? The lens is 24-90mm instead of the previously restrictive 24-60mm (but still a fast f/2 at 24mm, and only f/3.3 at 90mm). The joystick has been replaced by a command dial. There's a 1/4000 shutter speed added. And there's now the option of adding the GF1's EVF viewfinder. Plus, of course, the sensor has been updated, with the claim of an expanded dynamic range. There are other small changes, too, but none that are particularly significant to our discussion.
The body looks the same, but actually, it's a teeny bit different, which a redesigned grip that makes it easier to hold. The LX5 is also slightly heavier than the LX3, but you'll still find this an incredibly light camera (lighter and smaller than the P7000 and G12). Overall, this is a very photographer-centric camera: while it's not at all retro and doesn't have all the dials and buttons of the P7000 and G12, it takes only a few minutes to understand how to get quick access to the things you want to change frequently. The only complaint I have is that, like virtually all Panasonic LCD displays, the overlays are so busy that it becomes a bit problematic for framing, so you end up turning the overlay information off and on a lot (including the histogram, which needs a bit of work of its own). Panasonic needs to carefully rethink what information the photographer needs, when they need it, and how it is displayed.
As before, people want to know about image quality. Pretty darned good, actually. The LX5 definitely is a step forward from the LX3, which was pretty good itself. But it's that fast lens that really shakes things up in the serious compact race: f/2 is already a stop faster than the f/2.8 of the Coolpix (at 90mm, the Coolpix is only down two-thirds of a stop, though, at f/4). Put another way, the Panasonic sensor could perform one stop worse than the Nikon's in low light and the image should still come out about the same if you used aperture to compensate. But from what I see, the sensors are pretty close, so that extra stop on the lens does indeed give the Panasonic an advantage, I think. I'll know more when I've managed to go through all my testing procedures.
The LX5 is no speed demon with raw, but it's faster than the P7000. And a full buffer flush appears to be about three times faster (5 seconds instead of 15). Focus speed generally is faster with the LX5 than the P7000, but not always--the P7000 seems to do better when the AF Assist light is needed, for instance.
Overall, the LX5 feels a bit more like what I want a compact camera for than the P7000: wide to moderate telephoto, usuable in modest low light, small enough for a shirt pocket, and simple enough to fully control in the heat of battle. We'll see how that all stacks up against the competitors soon, but I'm carrying the LX5 more than the P7000 at the moment, which should tell you something.