The new camera (s)

I bought the Panasonic LX3 from Blacks because they said I could try it out and bring it back, no questions asked, within 15 days after xmas.  The perfect solution for me to find out if I would find the camera too limiting.  I am willing to pay non-bargain prices to get a good return policy incase I need it.  In this case, however, it ends up that I don’t need it.

The LX3 is fun, simple to use (not to say it’s a simple camera – but all the myriad of  useful adjustments or options you might want to make/use are easily accessed), takes handheld pics in stupidly low light, the wide angle is excellent, and the cam is small enough that it’s easy to have with me (although it’s not an ultra compact by any means).   I was worried that 60mm at the longest zoom would be too short, and I’m sure for many things it would be.  But when I ‘ve been using the LX3 so far, it hasn’t really been an issue.  You just have to see your photographic opportunities a different way.  Of course, I can say this knowing that if I went on a safari somewhere, I’d get a camera with a much longer zoom.

I think I’ve seen LX3 output from others (on Flickr etc) that look better than mine (less with the yellow blotches, crisper indoor pics) – but I’ll assume that they do some effective tweaking in post processing.   I tried Silkypix, the software that comes with the camera to develop Raw photos, and really have no idea what to do with it.  A blind person randomly clicking buttons  would probably have similar results to my mindful work.  But the in-camera Dynamic B&W setting gives quick, excellent results (a little underexposed, so I play with the exposure compensation a bit).  I’ve never shot in B&W as much as I have in the short time with this camera. And the standard colour is saturated, but in a pleasing way (except for the overly red faces, especially on flash photos).

Meanwhile, on boxing day I happened to be looking for any spectacular deals online.  Futureshop had the Canon XS DSLR in silver with the 18-55mm IS lens for $449 (with bag and cheap ass mini tripod).  They had a better deal on the same camera in black, for $499 (with bag, extra battery and battery grip), but it was out of stock.  So I bought the silver one, and a couple of hours later the other one was available to order, so I bought it too (although it wouldn’t ship until it was in stock) – aware that when I returned the silver one I’d still have to pay for shipping.

So now I have a black Canon XS with the 18-55 IS lens (plus extra battery and battery grip), and into the bag goes my 50mm 1.8 lens and my 70-210mm USM lens from my old EOS 10s film SLR.  The 28-70 will stay on the  SLR.   Everyone says a DSLR is the way to go for taking pics of kids…so since S is pregnant, a DSLR makes sense.  Of course, the due date isn’t until Sept – so the purchase could have waited.  But it was a great price!

The Canon XS definitely does not have as many bells and whistles as my old Canon EOS 10s.  I can’t use my wireless remote shutter release with the XS (the XSi would have used it – but the XSi costs around $200 more).  The XS doesn’t have a focus assist beam (well, it does — but only in the form of a variety of pre-flash bursts.  If you just want focus assist and but not take a flash photo, you have to go into the menu system and suppress the flash, pop the flash up and use it for the focus assist only.  Then you have to remember to undo that if you ever want to take a flash photo).  And I have to use the 50mm 1.8 lens to take pics indoors without flash (using 800 ISO).  800 ISO looks a LOT better on the XS than the LX3 – and that’s no surprise.

Initially, I was trying to decide whether to return the LX3, but I still want a small carry around camera.  I like the LX3, but could return it to get a cheaper camera (the LX3 is freakin expensive).  But S and I discussed it and I decided to keep the LX3 – and haven’t looked back since.

G10?  No regrets in not choosing that one at all.  The DSLR and LX3 combo will cover my needs much better than the G10 or a G10 + DSLR combo.  And that safari - I suppose I could just keep the 70-210MM USM lens on the XS and I’m all set.  Except with junior on the way – there won’t be any safaris on the horizon for quite a while.

Now I just have to keep people from stealing my cameras and I’m all good.  Maybe I can hide the DSLR in the floor boards when I’m not at home!

n.b.  Interestingly, I almost exclusively use the LX3.  I’ve played around with the XS a bit but it’s not geting anywhere near as much use as the LX3 right now.  I’m not at the point of saying the XS purchase was a mistake, but I can say that the LX3 purchase was definitely a good one.

Update:  By December 2011 I found that I wasn’t using the camera for the types of photos I had begun taking.  Those photos were pretty much exclusively pictures of my  2 yr old son.  I found I had to switch to the DSLR just to get the fast shutter response I needed when taking pictures of little kids.  However, the Canon XS began to give me error messages that I couldn’t resolve through the “take a pencil eraser to the contacts” method that worked for some people.   I ended up selling the LX3 and using the cash toward a decent deal on a replacement DSLR.

My general views: the LX3 had a wonderful wide lens and I had a lot of fun playing with the 24mm end of it (rarely did I use the zoom feature).  I had a great time taking landscapes and urban shots and really enjoyed the results I got, especially with the dynamic B&W setting.  It could take handheld night shots very well — and many of my favourite shots were evening or night shots.  It really made taking photos fun again.  As for people shots, though,  I found the colour cast on skin tones jarring  –  too magenta — and I couldn’t be bothered working to tweak out a custom colour setting.

Do I miss it?  A little bit.  I miss the fun of taking random street scenes …. something I just don’t have the same degree of opportunity to do anymore.  I work longer hours, drive instead of walk to work, and spend my leisure time playing with my son.   I have since bought a little Canon P&S with a freakishly long zoom for its size. It’s a SX220 HS.   Sensors have really improved over the years and it takes decent shots at high ISOs.  But it is not a fun camera.  It’s utilitarian.  It’s something to have on me when I don’t want to carry the DSLR and want more reach than the iPhone.  I think I tend to use it mostly as a video camera.  It’s no LX3 by a long shot.  but then, it isn’t meant to be, either.