Panasonic LX3 diary

Welcome to the brand new Panasonic LX3 diary, moving here from the RAWsumer blog! Check the bottom of this page for links to the four previous LX3 diaries. For all the reviews so far, be sure to visit and bookmark the list of all the reviews so far at the new Compact Organizer.

Fri July 10
And now some samples with cousin D-Lux 4 posted at the website of photographer Simon Hughes.

The LX3 caught some 4th of July fireworks, see pictures and a couple of videos by heavywinds on flickr.

Thur July 9
Panasonic really needs to come clean on the stock-status of the LX3. It is ridiculous that in 2009 we have a company refusing to provide an update or at least acknowledge the stock-situation of the LX3. We have representatives of various companies on Twitter even describing their lunch, yet when it comes to providing actual and much needed information, there is still communication-fail.

So Panasonic, please, SAY SOMETHING!

Wedn July 8
Here we have a b+w picture in the forums, entitled Storm over Manhattan.

Tue July 7
The LX3 is taking on its contemporaries, G10 and GX200 in this new RAWsumer comparison at Photo.net by Josh Root.

Thur July 2
The Imaging Insider has posted some nighttime samples, available as full-size downloads, that include cousin D-Lux 4 and competing compacts Sigma DP2 and the hot-shooting Olympus E-P1 sensation.

And now back to LX3 proper. Here is a trio of dpreview forum threads of interest:
+ atmospheric pictures from Denmark
+ manual focusing the zoo - will the animals co-operate?
+ open discussion: would you like a longer zoom lens on the LX3?

And we close today's udpate with London at Dusk, a picture by Nick Bland.

Wedn July 1
A tape-delayed "Happy Canada Day". And a picture of the festivities taken with the LX3 of course at Vivid Photography.

Tue June 30
Lightscrap points out the benefits of the LX3 when it comes to depth of field.

Mon June 29
E-P1 this, E-P1 that! Lightscrape, which has now surpassed 50,000 shutter actuations with the LX3, is posting a long article on why they still prefer the LX3 over the buzzing Olympus E-P1.

The LX3 captures an impromptu Michael Jackson memorial in London, taekn by Nick Bland.

Sat June 27
Nick Bland pays a digital homage to the (now departed) Kodachrome film with a new side-by-side LX3 picture, generated of course during the post-processing cycle.

Is the Leica D-Lux 4 Safari shipping from Adorama? We found it listed there with free shipping and no message noting that it is no pre-order. We obviously can't place an order every time we see a new camera in-stock, although if Bill Gates or Warren Buffet are reading and want to fund this project, then we'll be glad to buy every camera we see in-stock and then raffle it to our readers. Bill Gates, the ball is in your court ;-)

Fri June 26
How about big prints with the Lx3? Nick Bland just recently made some 24x16 and 30x20 inch prints and he talks about them at his latest blog update.

The Leica D-Lux 4 Safari edition has now been added to the B&H Photo website. The price is $1000, but it cannot be ordered just yet.

Thur June 25
The limited edition "olive-green" Safari version of "cousin" D-Lux 4 is going on sale in Japan for 120,000 yen says DC Watch.

Steve Huff has just reviewed the Canon G10, and in his review, he compares it with cousin D-Lux 4. And at the end of the review, he picks one of those two as the best compact right now - in his opinion of course. We won't reveal it here, but you may like his pick ;-)

Wedn June 24
In a busy and semi-serious post at the Panasonic dpreveiw forums, the question is asked: Can the LX3 do clouds?

Cousin D-Lux4 is one of four camera participating in a flower-shootout at the Botanical Garden posted by the Imaging Insider.

Tue June 23
If you are a fan of b+w, you may want to check out Nick Bland's latest b+w conversion, using DXO with the Ilford XP2 option. You can also check the color version of the above picture.

Mon June 22
The CameraPorn blog is back (it's about camera-gear, not adult movies), and they proclaim three good reasons why they love the LX3-cousin, the Leica D-Lux 4.

Japanese website DC-Watch has an interesting experiment, comparing the black and white mode of the Panasonic LX3 along with the Pentax K20D and Olympus E30. The images are available as full-size and can be downloaded for your personal evaluations.

A RAW landscape with the LX3, captured by Nick Bland and posted at his new LX3 imaging blog.

Thur June 18
As of 2:29pm eastern time, the LX3K is in-stock - however, it has a limited-availability premium: OneCall.com is offering it for $570 $550 plus $10 shipping and handling. And as of 6:06pm eastern, you can also get it from OneCall at Amazon for the same price. As usual with Amazon, be sure to locate the correct seller in the "More buying Choices". Right now a higher-price from Ace is the featured seller at Amazon. This changes all the time, so as always at Amazon, pay close attention to who the actual seller is, don't just look at the "featured seller" slot.

Wedn June 17
Late on Wednesday, the LX3K was in-stock at Amazon for $462 for a few minutes but it's gone already. We chronicled this incident in this in-stock alert.

Update at 8:49pm: As of earlier today (we don't know exactly when), all three B&H Photo kits have sold out! The original post follows in parenthesis (As of 12:45am eastern, all three B&H kits continue to be in-stock. See yesterday's post for price and details. It is interesting to see. Do they have a bigger supply or is the Olympus E-P1 diverting interest from the LX3?)

Tue June 16: in-stock now!
Update: This has sold out! The original post follows in parenthesis (We have an in-stock alert! As of 5:11pm eastern time, B&H Photo has the standard LX3K kit in-stock and shipping for $500. Free shipping is included this time. You can check the latest status update at the in-stock alert on the front page of the blog).

The Panasonic LX3 is one of 37 (!) fixed-lens cameras included in a brand new mega-reference-roundup posted at Tom's Guide by Digital Versus. You can check them all out, starting with the Panasonic LX3 page.

Mon June 15
You can follow our on-going countdown to the official Olympus E-P1 announcement - some have called it an LX3 with interchangeable lenses.

This one has sold-out! The original post follows (We have an in-stock alert for you at 8:09pm eastern time. Well-regarded western retailer OneCall.com has the black LX3 for $579 delivered. This is a high price, but if you must have it, then it is safer to go with OneCall than the unknown auction sellers and marketplacer sellers at AMZN.)

Sun June 14
One newbie asks, what's special about the LX3? Why the buzz?

And now let's take a look at some real-world pictures shared in the Panasonic dpreview forum. We start with A href='http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=32134932'>Graceland - yes, the home of Elvis!

And from one theme park to another, this time Disney!

And a city-up-scape from London.

Thur June 11
Here are some b+w street photography pictures from India, taken with the LX3 of course!

Wedn June 10
A new Canon G10 vs Panasonic LX3 comparison has been posted by a "bicycling photographer". Details via this long front page update, where we grab grab Panasonic by the ear for not being more forthcoming about the LX3 supply issues.

From our flickr pool, here is an LX3 picture. We hope it's not an homage to the Bill Gates book cover :)

All three kits have now sold out at B&H Photo (updated at 3:50pm 5:07pm eastern time):

+ standard LX3K kit - SOLD-OUT ($500)

+ Basic LX3K kit for $546 - SOLD-OUT

+ deluxe LX3K kit for $620 - SOLD-OUT

Tue June 9
All kits have now sold out as of Wednesday 5:08pm eastern. The original post follows: (Another in-stock alert as of 5:45pm eastern. One of our readers notified us that the LX3K (black finish) is in-stock at B&H Photo for $500 plus shipping. The photographer who placed an order was notified that the camera would ship around June 15. We have posted a detailed in-stock alert on the front page of the blog, with all three kits (one standard, two created by B&H). The reason being that the standard kit usually goes first, and then the B&H custom kits which include extra accessories).

Cousin D-Lux 4 went on a trip in Asia as part of the "3 Cups" project by the Imaging Insider. They have posted a teaser of the project, with all the pictures shown in their podcast coming from the D-Lux4.

DCWatch has tested out the new 1.3 firmware comparing it to the 1.2 version. More via this front page update.

Photographer and blogger Nick Bland, an LX3-photographer himself, has just started a new LX3-themed blog. His first LX3 update talks about the impact of the firmware update on AWB and landscapes.

Mon June 8
That didn't last long. As of 1:31pm eastern Amazon has sold out and the price-hiking 3rd parties have taken the featured seller spot. The original post follows: (As of 12:04pm eastern time, Amazon itself (not 3rd party sellers) are offering the black Panasonic LX3 for $462 with free shipping. Current shipping estimate is June 15. This post is not updated automatically).

Sun June 7
A five-minute podcast at the Imaging Insider discusses cousin D-Lux 4 and the Nikon Coolpix P6000. This is intended as a quick discussion and introduction of the two cameras, not a comprehensive review.

Sat June 6
Photographer Nick Bland shows us one of his dynamic B+W pictures and discusses on how it compares (function-wise) to the Ricoh CX1.

There is some hope on the in-stock horizon. One of our readers who placed an order in late April 2009, got his camera shipped by J&R World this week. Still the camera shows as out of stock at the J&R World website, which means they are receiving some new supplies but all they are filling previously placed orders.

Fri June 5
It lokoks like the LX3 may be having an interchangeable-lens competitor from the Micro Four Thirds family! A picture of the top view of the upcoming Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera was leaked in Hong Kong. Details in this M43 rumor alert.

A photographer installed the new firmware, gave the camera a good workout, and shares his results in the dpreview forums.

Another photographer shares three b+w early morning pictures, also in the dpreview forums.

Tue June 2
The Imaging Insider has found a very interesting story, the LX3 went ten feet high and took some pole-orama pictures from the Maker fair.

As of 10:18pm eastern time, all three LX3K kits at B&H Photo have SOLD OUT. You can relive the excitement at this in-stock alert at the front page.

Thanks to Alberto Lau for the tip!

Mon June 1: Firmware 1.3 is here
As Panasonic promised, the LX3 firmware has arrived! Detailed coverage of the firmware update at:
+ Panasonic (five listed improvements) - download page
+ Discussion of the firmware installation in the dpreview forums
+ details on the firmware by dpreview forum user Guy Parsons
+ another dpreview firmware thread
+ "What about us?" ask D-Lux 4 users. Same question at the L-Camera-forum.

Sun May 31
Twenty macros at 1cm at 24mm wide (I think) we posted in Japan. Details via this front page update.

Sat May 30
Nick Bland looks forward to the upcoming LX3 firmware update, and as the same, while you are at his blog, be sure to check his on-going report on the Ricoh CX1.

Fri May 29: new firmware announced
Panasonic has announced firmware update version 1.3. More through this front page update.

Thur May 28
In addition to the black model, now the silver model is also in-stock at OneCall.com. The out-the-door price is however $550.

The LX3 drops one slot to the #3 spot in the latst Map Cameras monthly top ten list, published by digitalcamera.jp. This is a shop that attracts enthusiast and professional photographers as you can tell from the list of cameras making its list.

Wedn May 27
One of the photographers that has made the most of their LX3 experience, without doubt, is Lightscrape. There are plenty of comments and lots of pictures taken on their blog. The latest one being a picture of cloud formations.

In addition to the 3rd party sellers at Amazon mentioned yesterday, OneCall.com has joined the LX3K in-stock party, with the camera selling for $550. The price, as you can tell, is a perfect example of the supply and demand curves they teach in economy 101 classes. Panasonic apparently has yet to catch up with demand!

This is obviously frustrating, because at its peak, the camera was going for $400 at reputable retailers, although supply had never really been completely smooth, even during the "glory days".

On the plus side however for Panasonic, none of the other manufacturers has released anything that comes anywhere near to challenging the LX3. Infact Canon itself has been raising the prices for the G10, now trending close to $475, up from a bottom of near $400.

Tue May 26
Here we go again, but nowhere near as good of a price. Third-party seller "6ave" on Amazon is offering the black LX3K for $550 with free shipping. We are not familiar with this 3rd party seller, but if you are interested, you can start by checking their Amazon feedback and their own ResellerRating. This is posted at 12:33am eastern time. Price and availability is not updated automatically. If you notice a change in status, please let us know.

Mon May 25
LX3 fans, you can celebrate another #1! CNet Asia has posted their April Top Ten, based on research data from Singapore, and the LX3 was ranked #1! Celebration time!

Sun May 24
Another update, as of 1:40am eastern time on Sunday-to-Monday morning, all LX3s kits at B&H Photo have SOLD OUT :-(

Previous update: To keep things simple, the latest updates will be posted at this LX3 deal alert post. The latest update is as of 9:48pm eastern time on Sunday. Prices and availability are NOT updated automatically.

Original post follows: The silver LX3(S) model WAS in-stock and shipping at B&H Photo for $430. Free shipping is included. This WAS as of 6pm eastern time.

Fri May 22
Update! This one has sold out as well! Original post follows: We just checked (6:13pm eastern time) Amazon.com, and we noticed that the silver Panasonic LX3 is listed for $500, sold and shipped by Amazon itself, with an estimated shipping date of May 26, 2009. This is by Amazon itself, not a 3rd-party seller.

It is rather ironic, that in the past, there were so many promising Panasonic cameras whose mainstream success was typically hampered by "Monet" issues (real or perceived), and the one camera that managed to escape the orbit of Planet Monet is being hampered by self-inflicted wounds, namely Panasonic-side supply issues!

Thur May 21: catching up edition
The LX3K was briefly in-stock at Amazon, sold by Amazon itself, for $500. When we noticed, there were three left. It has now sold out :(

Here is a promising website, created by a duo, using the LX3 and a GPS logger. You know they are LX3 fans, because the name of their site is LX3Love.com.

An in-forum first-impressions post from a birder at birdforum.net. This was posted about a month ago. We are trying to catch up with the LX3 news :)

Greg Wilson got his camera about two months ago, and earlier this month, he posted his two months after report. Samples are included and more via his SmugMug account.

Camera abuse! This five-minute video shows a photographer putting the D700 and LX3 in harm's wave way as he tried to capture some dramatic landscape+waves pictures!

Greta van Susteren of Fox News asks for suggestions (go to page #2 of the comments) for a compact digital camera and sure enough, one of the reader suggestions is the LX3!

If you can't have enough unboxings, here is another one at the gadget-blog Gear Live. Yes, there are about one trillion gadget blogs on the net right now :) They also have a sixteen picture unboxing-gallery. All are pictures of the camera body and box contents. And if you want more, here is a smaller unboxing by a young photographer.

Don't look at this LX3 picture if you have a "fear of heights" - at Top Left Pixel. This one is safe to look at, it's a street photography picture, but some tomatoes may have been hurt.

Next we have an excited new LX3 user in Korea, sharing first impressions and some downsized sample pictures.

The EveryDayFool is liking his LX3 for b+w photography.

And now some iridescent clouds with the LX3. Don't ask me what that word means. They lost me at "iri" :)

And here is a bokeh test picture from flickr.

Tue May 19
The waves of new cameras and rumors, along with the lack of LX3 availability have decreased the flow of updates here. While we have no clue as to when Panasonic will have more LX3 units available, we will try to pick up the pace here after the K7 Beatle-mania quiets down in the next couple of days.

Fri May 15
This has sold out! Original post follows: But wait, there's a better price! You can get it for $530 with free shipping and handling by Norman Camera on Amazon.com. This is a good sign, two retailers having it in-stock at the same time :)

This has sold out! Original post follows: The LX3 is back in-stock, however it has a limited availability premium, OneCall.com is offering it for $550 plus $10 shipping and handling. Panasonic needs to confess what the issue is that is causing all these delays!

Thur May 7
The "EZ" feature was supposed to be something simple and practical, but in practice, it is a major headache, at least when it comes to forum discussion. Case in point, take this long EZ discussion of the LX3 in the dpreview forums.

Tue May 5
This has sold out! Original post follows: The LX3K (black finish) is in-stock at OneCall.com but it comes at a limited availability premium, it goes for $550 plus $9 FedEx Ground shipping.

Sun May 3
The LX3 goes out and about and comes back with some outdoors pictures, shared in the Panasonic forum at dpreview. Staying there, another photographer shares some colorful pictures from Bosnia.

And some D-Lux 4 pictures, oh yeah, you guessed it, a BMW logo is included ;-) More from this photographer on his flickr page.

Sat May 2
The Insider points to rumors that the Leica D-Lux 4 production may be near its end. Considering that Panasonic has not been able to keep up with LX3 demand, why would they cancel a successful camera? It doesn't make sense, but then again, it doesn't always make sense. However, please note that this is only a rumor.

Thur April 30
Update: It has sold out again! Original post follows: She's back in-stock, but only the black finish mode, the LX3K, at OneCall for $500 plus $10 shipping and handling. Yes, this is the standard price, that was in place before the "glory days" discounts kicked in.

Tue April 28: double in-stock alert! (now sold out everywhere)
The Lx3 is in-stock, both the silver and black models! The silver goes for $430 and the black for $500. The latest status update can be found in this in-stock alert post at the front page. Here is the summary:

+ LX3S (silver): $430 with free shipping by J&R World and B&H Photo

+ LX3K (black): $500 plus $9 shipping at OneCall.com

Mon April 27
Pictures, pictures and more pictures, taken with the LX3, can be found at Nick Bland's zenfolio. There are LOTS of LX3 pictures, broken down in different folio-folders. Enjoy! And then yell at Panasonic for not having more LX3 units readily available :-)

Sun April 26
Some new nice-weather pictures have been added at Lightscrape. Our favorite is the faux-atmospheric picture #2.

Sat April 25
The LX3 goes to an artist's studio and comes back with lots of pictures, colorful pictures. Discussion follows in the Panasonic dpreview forum.

Thur April 23
LX3 is #1! LX3 is #1! Along with "cousin" D-Lux 4, they were picked the #1 favorite serious compact camera at Serious Compacts. Why was it picked ahead of other digital and film cameras? The explanation at Serious Compacts!

Tue April 21
Who needs a TIPA award, when instead, you get picked as the #4 favorite camera of all time by the Online Photographer! That's right, out of digital and film cameras throughout the ages, the LX3 was ranked #4 in their opinion!

Mon April 20
A three-way shootout at Shutterbug magazine is featured in this front page update, where the LX3 is taking on the Canon G10 and Nikon P6000, Peter K. Burian style! This is a magazine-style shootout, so please do not expect a 30-page dpreview extravaganza :)

A walk in the gardens with the LX3, 10 b+w pictures shared in the dpreview forum.

Meanwhile, cousin Leica D-Lux 4 shows that the Red Dot is not just the wine-and-cheese crowd, here are some pictures of a free speech event.

Graffiti at night is the theme of this capture by the LX3.

Sun April 19
Outrage! The LX3 wins zero out of the forty awards handed out by TIPA in 2009! I think this calls for a protest in Sweden :-)

Sat April 18
Even hard-core Canonites are falling for the LX3 as you can see in this thread. This Flash-based gallery shows 130 pictures from a Leonard Cohen concert in Oakland, California.

And now the LX3 jumps on a plane and goes to the East and South, where it beats a Nikon D200 to the click, and instead it is the camera that takes these Charleston, South Carolina pictures.

As you can see above, both a Canon and a Nikon DSLR user have agreed independently to keep their DSLRs in the bag in favor of the lightweight and breezy LX3 :-)

Thur April 16
ChiaroScuro points to a flickr discussion of LX3 accessories galore. Mouse-over each accessory in the picture to find out a little bit more about it! It's all about accessorizing :-)

Photographer is thrilled to get rid of the "burden off my shoulder" (DSLR) as he now has a Panasonic LX3 and he shares some of his pictures from a weekend getaway.

New LX3 owner needs help finding a new computer to go with his shiny new LX3!

The LX3 finds itself in a ...poem! Yes, a poem :)

Mon April 13
40,000 pictures and going is the Lightscrape LX3. The cold winter of Finland has not deterred the LX3, that's almost 7000 pictures per month!

Some nice pictures from Hawai'iii, by a new LX3 owner, posted in the Panasonica dpreview forum.

"Cousin" DLux4 spends Easter Sunday in New Orleans, with pictures shared in the forums.

Sun April 12
A new first-impressions hands-on review of the camera by a new owner! See what the pixel peeping blog thinks about it. Despite the name, we did not find any reference of "Monet" :-) Yet another photographer "falling" for the LX3?

Now if only Panasonic could find a way to make these cameras generally available with an uninterrupted supply stream...

Here is an f2.0 macro flower taken with the LX3. Shared in the dpreview forums.

Oh my! The LX3 is going to get drunk :-)

Sat April 11
The LX3 goes snow-boarding and returns with a gallery of 130 pictures and a video at Passing Perception.

But it's not just fun and games, the LX3 captures an important family reunion event in South Korea!

Fri April 10
The LX3 goes to a concert and listens to some Metallica. Lots of pictures from the concert taken by Redwall Photo. Enter sandman, exit f2.8 light! Most of the shots were taken at 60mm and f2.8 says the photographer on his blog.

More excited new owners, check out the first impressions of Keith Peters, and Niebrugge Images.

Next up, Bill Wadman is using the LX3 as an example to illustrate the different aspect ratios and paper sizes.

The VitalBodies blog has a couple of LX3 vs G10 side by side pictures, while Travel Japan squares off the LX3 with the Canon S3 IS.

Thur April 9
A new LX3 owner, and as it is typically the case, waves of first pictures are posted and shared with the world. This time, in the GetDPI small forums.

Here are six non-traditional ways to use a Panasonic LX3, as explained at the Found Photography blog. This is more for new(er) owners of the camera, not the grizzled LX3 veterans who have worn out the camera already!

Wedn April 8
It's always exciting when you first take your new camera out for a spin! Here is what this photographer took, his first pictures with the LX3, shared in the Rangefinder forum.

From our flickr pool, here is an LX3 picture from Vienna. Insert theme-song "Vienna" by Ultravox :)

Tue April 7
Legitimate complains or trolling in the forums? We blog, you decide!

Sat March 28
If you like camera comparisons for fun and such, be sure to check this dpreview thread where the photographer posts two pictures taken with the LX3 and D300 and asks which is which. As usual, a multi-faceted debate ensues, forum-style.

Tue March 24
"Cousin" D-Lux4 got a firmware update, and the Imaging Insider has tried the firmware update and points to where you can download it from Leica.

Fri March 20: silver lining
Of course it is extremely frustrating for people who want to get an LX3, but, just like everything negative, it has a silver lining. In this case, it is that it was made clear to Panasonic that people want and need cameras like the LX3. And Panasonic is taking notice - as you can see from the interview at dpreview (see March 19 update), the Panasonic Japan executive even knew the eBay prices of the LX3.

Thur March 19
Dpreview's brand new interview with Panasonic touches briefly upon the LX3 and also the future of LX-like cameras. Panasonic promises to solve the availability problems, and they have R&D work in making advanced compacts, but they wouldn't promise anything concrete just yet.

Tue March 17
Number 1! Number 1! Number 1! That's where the LX3 jumped up to in the top selling cameras list for February 2009 at MAP Camera in Japan. Details via the RAwsumer blog.

Mon March 16
The black version (LX3K) is in-stock at OneCall.com, but it is at full-price, $500 plus $9 shipping and handling.

Fri March 6
TWIP Photo spotlights a more affordable 3rd party battery charger for the lovely LX3.

Sun March 1
A new photographer-review has been posted of "cousin D-Lux4", check it out at Steve Huff Photo. Lots of sample pictures, pros and cons and a whole lot more. This is a photographer's review, not a pixel-peepers review, although it does have some pixel-peeping as well :)

A nice selection of LX3 pictures has been posted in this dpreview Pana-forum thread.

Tue Febr 24
All apologies for the lack of update, unfortunately the waves and waves of new camera and rumors leading up to PMA-2009 are slowing us down significantly. We should be able to catch up after PMA-2009 is over. For now, here is something fun, a discussion on the LX3K mania, while the LX3S gets overlooked among potential buyers.

Tue Febr 17
Where are you LX3? That's the question DC-Resource asked Panasonic and got an official response - wait for March!

Meanwhile the silver model (LX3S), is in-stock and shipping from J&R World for $400 flat.

Sat Febr 14
The Imaging Insider spotlights a new single-page-format review by a UK camera site.

Thur Febr 12
The LX1 special mentioned in this paragraph has SOLD OUT as of 5pm eastern time today. Original text follows: We have a bargain alert for you! You can complete your LX-series series by getting the one that started it all, a brand new in box model from an authorized Panasonic dealer, the silver Panasonic LX1 for $130 and with free ground shipping and a bonus neoprene camera case from Vanns.com! For a quick list of reviews, be sure to check this bargain alert.

Wedn Febr 11
While we are waiting and waiting for the LX3K (black), the silver model is available at Adorama for $400 and with free shipping.

LX3 captures a picture of Notre Dame. And some beautiful pictures from Belgium.

This is a great post in the dpreview forum on the LX3 cancellation panic. It only goes to show that manufacturers have yet to understand how to communicate effectively online with their users and potential buyers.

Tue Febr 10: NOT CANCELLED
The Panasonic rep who used to frequent the Panasonic dpreview forums categorically states that the LX3 is not cancelled.

Imaging Insider sources also confirmed that the LX3 and cousin DLux4 are alive and kicking and not discontinued.

Cousin D-Lux4 has a limited edition titanium package available for 900 euro. You can see a giant picture of this special kit at Focus Numerique.

Mon Febr 9: Not discontinued?
One photographer managed to break through and talked to a manager at Panasonic direct. Judging from her conversations, the camera may be deeply back-ordered but not discontinued.

But that still doesn't answer the question as to why hasn't Panasonic been able to keep up with demand. Because as many of you may recall, this camera had a lot of demand even during the pre-order season.

Silver and black, side by side. One photographer has both, so you can see how they look side by side.

Sun Febr 8
A forum user was told by Panasonic customer support that the LX3 is discontinued and a new line is coming in April 2009. Please treat this as a rumor as it is not an official announcement! Certainly the LX3(K) supply issues are adding fuel to this type of a rumor.

We don't recall when this was posted, but it was in our to-do list, a short review of the LX3 at Tech Radar. This, along with the DXOMark tests were added to the list of LX3 reviews.

Fri Febr 6: LX2 for $230 (SOLD OUT!)
With the LX3 getting harder to find and establishing a bottom at $400, if you are looking for something nearly half as much the price, but obviously without all the new features and improvements, you might be interested in the LX2 offered for $230 by Vanns.com and that includes free ground shipping. For more on the LX2, be sure to check its list of reviews.

On the DLux4-cousin front, the Imaging Insider points us to a short review of the Leica D-Lux 4.

Mon Febr 2
Part #3 of the 3-part series at TwiP Photo on pocketable serious compacts has been posted. You can find the link and our opinion on this refreshing yet flawed series at the RAWsumer blog.

Sun Febr 1
Professional wedding photographer and Amazon-photo-blogger Ryan Brenizer has a new post discussing using the color in your environment and he shot the pictures for this example, not using a pro DSLR, not even a DSLR, but the one and only LX3.

A hands-on report after using the camera for a while at the PR Photography blog. Included is a sample LX3 movie.

The LX3 pictures along with thoughts on the camera and on photography in general keep coming at the Lightscrape blog. They are perhaps on pace to break the record on LX3 shutter clicks :-)

Don't look at this if you are hungry or if you are going to buy groceries soon. Don't look at it! Okay, you have been warned! Lots of pictures from a veggie restaurant taken with the LX3 are posted at Southernoise Gluttony, a food blog. Yum!!!

New LX3 owner, a birthday present, and then a few shutter clicks later, some sample pictures.

Photographer Jane may sell her LX3 to make room for new studio gear. Will she sell it? Can you convince her to keep the LX3?

Jim Worrall recently got an LX3, and so far he is impressed with this alternative. Alternative to what? More-of-the-same point and shoots?

LX3 users there is a contest just for you at the LX3 Contest blog. See pictures already submitted and learn more on how to enter the contest which continues until February 28.

Mon Jan 26
The quest for an advanced pocketable camera continues at TWiP Photo with part #2 which focuses on the P6000 but also compares to the LX3.

Sat Jan 24
Cousin D-Lux 4 has a major get! Pentaxian Ned Bunnell got a D-Lux 4 to add to his busy camera bag. Check out his blog for his first impressions on the camera.

Fri Jan 23
We may be seeing the dawn of a new review genre, "emo reviews" - discussion and critique at the RAWsumer blog. Or you can visit the actual comparison directly at TwiP Photo.

Wedn Jan 21: new review
Brad at DP Interface has just posted a brand new Panasonic LX3 review. As usual, no spoilers, but you can find conclusions at the bottom of the page, including a long pros/cons segment.

Sat Jan 17
The LX3 gets new firmware, version 1.2. Details via dpreview.

Wedn Jan 14
The Vitalbodies blog has an interesting test, the Sigma SD14 versus the LX3. Obviously different type of sensors and cameras, but if the picture matters, then all comparisons are fair :) Check it out!

Brett Jordan recently got an LX3 and he is sharing his first thoughts in a very easy to read format. He also has the TZ3.

Inspired by the LX3, TWiP Photo has written a write-up on JPEGs and Aperture. Aperture the software package, not a relation between the lens aperture and JPEGs :)

Meanwhile the LX3 pictures keep streaming at the Lightscrape blog!

Lynn-on-top describes their LX3-buying experience, and the decision whether to keep it or not. Price of course is always an issue. So did the LX3 make it after all? No spoilers here :)

Sat Jan 10
The LX3 has been behaving, so it was rewarded with a trip to Majorca in Spain.

The LX3 was part of the "biggest stories of 2008" discussion at podcast #63 of TWiP Photo.

Lightscrape talks about LX3 settings in response to a question.

Fri Jan 9
A nice new hands-on review of the camera is posted at Lighting the Way. The camera took the photographer out for a night on the town and they have the sample pictures to prove it. Also discussed are RAW, flash tricks, and of course image quality.

A new hands-on report on the LX3 at MyBearBrick.com. To find the start of the actual hands-on report, you have to page down 3-4 times depending on screen height, that blog has perhaps the longest "header" ever :) Lots of pictures of the camera and taken with the camera are available as part of the review.

If your actual or computer-translated Czech is good, then you can check the review at digiarena, including ISO-range tests, sample pictures and of course charts for the number-crunchers!

The Lumix Photography blog spotlights an underwater case for the camera made by 10bar.

The GX Garnerings blog is spotlighting a camera-popularity vote by DCWatch. and in the compact category the LX3 finished 4th, however, it was just 0.2% points away from the #2 spot where we find the Canon G10. Clearly within the margin of error!

Gene Wilburn has posted a mini-b+w musings-photo-essay, which includes of course b+w photos taken with the LX3. Check it out!

An ethusiastic K20D photographer has now gotten a Panasonic LX3, and is sharing first thoughts and impressions.

Tue Jan 6
I can has LX3 my way! This Panasonic dpreview forum user has customized his camera. He includes instructions for those who want to try it at home.

Sat Jan 3, 2009
Award time! The LX3 has won the uncoveted Camera of the Year award by this very blog, beating the other 200 or so new models that came out in 2008. But that's just the tip of the ice-berg. The Lumix Photography blog (no relation to Panasonica) has assembled a pictorial summary of the LX3 awards (click on the image to enlarge to readable size).

Cousin D-Lux 4 continues its shootout battle with the Canon G10 at Serious Compacts, with part #4 focusing on noise comparisons. No spoilers here, but SC thinks that one of the two cameras has won this round. And you too can decide, as SC makes available the RAW files for download. So put on your pixel-peeping hats and "peep peep!".

Mike Lao has a new toy, but that's okay, you can tell his wife, for the new toy is a camera ;-) So what does he think of the LX3 and the wide-angle adapter lens? Find out!

The lens caps mods that have been buzzing in the forums are now making the rounds at the gadget blogs. Leonard Goh, the chief shutter-bug at CNet Asia craves about the lens-cap mod.

More mods, this guy has created a DIY intervalometer.

An ...idiot has a new friend, Noise! This may sound strange until you visit the blog. Then it will all make sense (I think) :-)

One of the photographers giving the LX3 a great workout is Lightscrape, with already over 20,000 photos taken. Be sure to visit and bookmark!

Another photographer is making available his full-size RAW evaluation photos for a fee via Smugmug. No one donates any more :)

Sat Dec 27
Rumor has it that the LX3 may be one of the winners, when the 2008 1001Noisy Cameras of the Year are revealed on Monday. We were not able to confirm or deny this rumor with 1001 Noisy Cameras ;-)

Fri Dec 26
Those first impressions! Random Wire posts their first impressions (and dinner) with the LX3.

Part #3 of the Serious Compacts shootout was posted with "cousin" D-Lux 4 taking on the Canon G10 and the guest-star, Sigma DP1. Find out how it did at SC!

TWiP Photo has recently written about brand wars and one of the examples of brand wars was the anti-LX3 sentiment when he posted his LX3 review. Oh those Canon users are such spoiled brats! We can say it here, it's an LX3 page. Canon users are not reading it ;-)

Part #2 of the RAW Rant has been posted at Wouter 28mm. It continues the discussion and provides some more clarification and fine-tuning to the original post.

The LX3 pictures keep on streaming at Lightscrape where they have surpassed 20,000 images taken with the LX3! Viva LX3! Congratulations Lightscrape!

The LX3 fan club continues to grow, the Idiot Hat blog lets three pictures do the talking, and Joonas Mikola has gotten one from Santa.

Meanwhile, Lumix Photography has named the LX3 as the gadget of the year, beating popular i-gagdets-ii.

Tue Dec 23
LX3's first cousin, the Leica D-Lux 4 is taking on the Canon G10 in a brand new shootout at Serious Compacts. Already, the first two parts have been posted, with a look at the design and feel of the cameras, and then performance at 28mm wide-angle. Part #3 is coming later and will cover dynamic range, with the DP1 added to the mix.

Sat Dec 20
The LX3 has a new rich cousin. CNet Asia writes that there is a limited edition version of the D-Lux 4 coming up, with a limited run of 10,000 units produced. Limited of course means "more expensive" :)

Santa came and delivered Sean Sense a brand new LX Trois!

DigitalFreak.net spotlights a "fan club video" made by the bloggers of a popular ...magazine! The number of people falling for this camera keeps on growing!

Wouter 28mm RAW-rants - a rant on the RAW situation for smaller sensor digital cameras - mainly of the 1/1.6" to 1/1.8" variety.

Fri Dec 19: dpreview group thing!
dpreview has just posted a 13-page group test featuring the LX3 with its two frenemies (G10, P6000) and also some ...superzooms. Spoiler Alert: LX3 wins!

*** baloons dropping from the ceiling ***
*** baloons dropping from the ceiling ***

Wedn Dec 17
The LX3 gets a nice mention at the Twit.Tv Giz Wiz by Leo Laporte and friends. This is a 23-minute "podcast". Okay, it's an mp3 download for those who don't worship every word Apple creates ;-)

Meanwhile Leonard Goh of CNet Asia rates the LX3 as the #1 retro flare camera, edging the G10, NV9 with the old-school gauges, the "carrot cam" and ...Leica itself!

Rob Blatt and dogs help video-test the LX3. More LX3 pictures at the Beautiful Daze blog.

Tue Dec 16
Si tu as missed la review at Focus Numerique, be sure to check it out. La review est in french, mais the sample images sont en linga universalis ;-)

Translation of the above: If you missed it, here is the LX3 review in french at Focus-Numerique.

Sun Dec 14: Correction
Thanks to one of our readers who pointed out that we had the wrong url for the Ming Thein review of the LX3 in the Panasonic dpreview forums. We have just corrected the url in the list of reviews. This is the Ming Thein in-forum review.

Sat Dec 13
It's all about the LX3 at the flickr LX3 forum with over 1200 members joining the group with over 8,000 LX3 pictures shared!

Fri Dec 12: Award time
Update! The price is back down to $400 and with free shipping for the black model (LX3K) at J&R World.

The LX3 brings home the hardware, this time a DIVA award! Oops, I mean, DIWA :-) Here is what the DIWA Labs tester said: "LX3 is by far the most powerful compact camera available, even when compared to much larger cameras". Someone has fallen in love with the LX3, something that seem to happen on an hourly basis around the world!

But that's not all, the LX3 was among the three finalists for TWiP Photo's 2008 Hardware Award. This is quite impressive considering the other two cameras were 35mm full frame DSLRs selling for over $2500 each!

Thur Dec 11
The LX3 fan club grows by the hour, the latest to showcase LX3 pictures is the multi-talented and multi-disciplined Stephen Lewis.

Mon Dec 8: Barrel Distortion Day
Update! J&R World has the black LX3 in-stock for $420 and with free shipping. This is in-stock as of 11:05pm New York City time on Monday. These don't last long, so don't be surprised if it's out of stock by the time you are reading this.

The Online Photographer spotlights the barrel distortion situation with the LX3, and this includes commentary from Amin of Serious Compacts. The discussion generated enough buzz that Eric Chan of Adobe chimed in as well (see page #2 of the Comments).

And here's a festive low-light picture at MakingPhotographs.com.

News of the firmware update (Dec-15) is making the rounds on the high-tech blogs.

Fri Dec 5: Mega-catchup
Serious Compacts points us to a three-way shootout at Japanese site DC Watch, squaring off the LX3 with the G10 and the NRW-P6000 from Neekon.

Et tu Brutus? Lots of people have "fallen" for the LX3, but it's time for a reality check: What is it that you don't like about the camera?

Canon G10 vs LX3 - it's no longer a cakewalk for Canon says Digital Story.

Who's praising the LX3 now? The ...Trusted Santa! The LX3 tops the list of technology items team members of Trusted Reviews recommend.

Here's a curiosity question for LX3 owners: What camera(s) did you have before the LX3? There are some quite interesting answers there, with cameras ranging from the legendary Fuji F31fd to the Sony U20!

Sherwin has dugg up an old Yashica, and DIY-voila! The Yashica viewfinder is on the LX3. See the pictures.

Have not touched the LX3 yet? The Lumix Photography blog has spotted a page that has 60 pictures of the camera from various angles. If you are a gearaholic, don't look! You may fall in love with the LX3 :)

Alpha Gemini describes in detail the decision making process he went through before picking - you guessed it - the LX3!

The LX3 has even done the JFK-50 marathon! This says something about the lightweighteness of a camera when you carry it around for the whole marathon! Check it out at Tom Sperduto's blog.

PJ Micah picks a favorite picture from the LX3 pool. Reverie-what? :)

The LX3 bandwagon continues to grow! Blogger Kandi is between the LX3 and the D-Lux4. She says it's "OC territory" already. It looks like Panasonic has created a camera that is getting people excited about photography again!

Leicaphiles don't read this! Destruction of Empty Spaces puts some elitist Leicaphiles in their place in this post - with the LX3 vs DLux4 being used as an example.

Even toy cats gravitate towards the LX3!

Thur Dec 4: Celebration!
The bean counters have finished counting, and the results are in! The LX3 has won the "Compacts with RAW (RAWsumers)" category of the first-ever Reader's Choice award of this blog! Read more.

The Insider points us to an article by Mike Lao on LR 2.1 and LX3-RAW.

Sun Nov 30: new review
Ryan Brenizer, the official photography-blogger of Amazon.com, has posted his Panasonic LX3 review. There are pros and cons, but as usual, no spoilers here! One quick teaser: There is distortion, but it's not the music group.

Wedn Nov 26
Panasonic is now launching the FL220 external flash unit they announced at Pho2008, and they have also announced the mid-December release a firmware update for the LX3. Details at dpreview.com.

Sun Nov 23
Ever wondered about the LX3 and the 58mm fisheye lens? The Phooey Pics blog has posted pictures of the lens and pictures taken with the lens. An early ...LX3 Christmas.

Inspired by The Online Photographer and Saul Leiter, the Beautiful Daze blogger reaches out for the LX3. Count one more photographer getting inspired by the LX3!

Saturday Nov 22
Two new short reviews have been been posted. First up, Info Sync World, which also provides a number of sample images as well. Also. The other review comes from photographer Ian Tan at his Empty Vessel blog.

An interesting discussion in the flickr forum of TWIP on the G10 vs LX3, with the OP making the case that the G10 is winning. Meanwhile, Ian Ho is making the case of the LX3 over the G10. They blog, you decide!

Neutral Day discusses a long ISO comparison between the G10, P6000 and of course the LX3. Lots of sample crops at the featured Hong Kong website.

The best prices we found at the moment are $420 at Adorama for the LX3k model, and $400 at Amazon for the silver model.

Monday Nov 17
Side by side pictures, the LX3 vs the Leica D-Lux 4 at Life is Good. Can you spot any differences? And if so, what might be the reason?

More on those two, a very busy thread at the Pinoy Photography forums talking about the LX3 and its cousin, the Leica D-Lux 4. Samples, first impressions, discussions, and a lot more!

Eric Cheng has made a choice. Why did he pick the G10 over the LX3?

It's a lovefest says Neutral Day of some of the latest LX3 reviews.

Previous LX3 diaries at the RAWsumer blog

• Diary Part IV
  
• Diary Part III
  
• Diary Part II
  
• Diary Part I, the one that started it all on August 13, 2008.