was discoursed at length, I was quite relieved to find that in my picture taking situations (outdoors in daylight with or without clouds in 95% of the cases, balance indoor with flash at parties) the noise level of the pictures when viewed with PhotoShop 7 at high magnification was from minimal to nowhere to be seen. I also discovered that, if you read the user manual and follow its instructions to set the picture adjustment level to high noise reduction, then noise is pretty much eliminated. There is a caution: this high noise reduction setting cannot be obtained when you use the fully automated or "point and shoot" mode.

Regarding size and usability, the camera is small (fits in my shirt pocket) and very easy to use. The menu system is simple and highly accessible. The camera provides a surprising high degree of manual operation. I can manually focus, set aperture, select aspect ratio, set shutter speed. The camera even has a micro mouse to move around the menu system. The large 2.5" LCD display (it has no optical viewfinder) is bright, even after I applied a protective polymer film (from Radio Shack, USD6.5 for a pack of 4 3"x6" sheets)

BTW, I went to Amazon to check out this camera's price and end up buying it new in the box with US warranty elswhere (Butterfly Photo) for USD 420, i.e., at a price significant below Amazon's.(They charge an extra USD10 for the black model, so this is a black mark against them since everybody else including Panasonic sells either model at the same price)

Conclusion: I highly recommend this camera if your shooting parameters are like mine (outdoors mostly, some indoors with built-in flash).
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I Love the WIDE ANGLE Lens!!!! , December 3, 2005
Reviewer: jerry preusser
I traded in a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30K for this camera. As I stated in the review for theDMC-FZ30K I did not need the ultra zoom that made that camera so bulky. Lots of people benefit from the longer lens though.

I personally like to shoot indoors, smaller rooms filled with people mostly. And for that this camera can't be beat by anything in its size/price/quality categories. OK maybe the price can be beat but thats it.

The wide-angle added to the 16:9 aspect ratio are fantastic. Then give it the stabalization trick which allows a slower shutter speed and you get flash-free indoor shots that are very practical.

The body is heavy compared to others in its size range. But I just think that if I designed a digital camera I would add weight wherever I could making it feel more solid, more metal.

And I wish it came with a cute little carry bag. Those are easy to find though.

One last thing- the lens protrudes out just about the same thickness as the body. Before I received the camera I was under the impression that the camera was rectangular on all sides when not in use. If this concerns you try to find a side view photograph.
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a joy to use, November 22, 2005
Reviewer: Rumi "Ceci"
This is an incredibly good camera. For it's diminuative size, there's very little "wrong" with it. Sure, it doesn't excel at high ISO shots and due to it's size, the flash is a little weak and there's no optical viewfinder. But other than those things, I can find no real flaw. It's very easy to clean up noise in postprocessing by using noise ninja or neat image. Unlike other pocket cameras, the LX1 doesn't do much NR for you and it even supports RAW for those that really want to take charge of their image processing. That means you have the control. If you're the kind of person that enjoys a bit of postprocessing and plans your pictures around a camera's strengths and inherent weaknesses, then the LX1 will be a joy to use. In my opinion, it may not be the best camera for a pure snapshooter that is new to photography, but it's very rewarding for the advanced amateur or the pro looking for a pocket cam to keep along side his/her dSLR.
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 A dandy travel companion, November 15, 2005
Reviewer: Stephen Ege
Michael Reichmann brought this camera to my attention in his excellent photographic website, Luminous Landscape. He takes the little camera along with his more serious gear in order to capture snapshots and the occasional gallery quality image.

Having just returned from a trip, I find this a dandy little camera. I shot about two hundred photos with it. The issues with low light sensitivity (high ISO settings) are certainly there. I would limit use to 80 or 100 ISO. There is another issue general to all these little cameras. Because of their light weight, it can be difficult to maintain a steady grip so that images are not blurred. I also prefer to shoot through a viewfinder, not the back of an LCD screen - but that is the trade off for size. The LX1 has optical image stabilization to help you, and I found its use essential. The 16:9 aspect ratio, the same as for high def TV, is very pleasing in many exterior and interior situations. You can also pick two other, narrower aspect ratios through a switch on the lens. The sensor is a true 16:9 sensor, meaning you get full resolution, up to 8 mb, at all aspect ratios.

There are a number of camera friendly aspects to this camera. For one, it will fit easily into the inside pocket of a light outdoor jacket or the inside pocket of a suit. The battery recharger is tiny and light with no cord. Just insert the battery (about the size of a thick postage stamp) and plug the recharger directly in the wall. So it's easy to pack for a trip. If you start the camera without removing the lens cover, the camera notifies you to remove the lense. This has the effect of training you to always replace the lense when the camera is not in use, protecting the excellent Leica optics. It has several modes for common situations, such as shooting at parties (I found it worked well to capture both the subject and background using flash).

It has a very easy to use auto shoot mode that let's you get into the picture. It is located on a button in the back, so you don't have to hunt through menus to find it. Because you can use manual focus as close as 5 cm in a wide angle format, you can shoot a picture of a group of people at your table - just place the camera on an overturned glass at the end of the table and wait for it to click. The auto shoot mode can also be used to deal with low light and less than steady hands. It has full manual mode capability so you can adjust parameters to you liking. It has a 2 or 10 second delay. Using the 2 second delay and bracing the camera on a nearby support or on your chest (hold your breath), you can capture excellent indoor pictures without flash. I used this several times to capture sharp, well saturated color panoramas of church and monument interiors. They look like picture postcards.

The camera is one of the few, or only, to shoot in RAW mode, allowing complete control of the picture when you download to your computer for printing.

If you are a fairly serious amateur, or a professional like Mr. Reichmann, you will find this camera a handy and fun traveling companion to your Canon or Nikon. Or just take it alone, as I did, when you don't plan on doing any serious shooting.

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