Best High End Compact: Lumix Lx5 Vs Powershot S95

With so many decently priced compact cameras on the market these days, it can be hard to know which camera to choose. But this year has seen the introduction of two new high end compacts into the market; the Panasonic Lumix LX5 and the Canon Powershot s95. Both cameras feature a 10 megapixel CCD sensor, can shoot in raw and offer full manual control with excellent lowlight shooting (ISO 80 - ISO 3,200). The war between Panasonic and Canon is hotting up, so which camera is the best?

Panasonic Lumix LX5

The successor to the very successful LX3, the LX5 whilst on the surface would appear to have just a few minor upgrades, where improvements have been made, they certainly count. Panasonic have kept their very popular 24mm ultra wide angle lens but extended the zoom range to 90mm (2.5x). The lens is also very quick at f2.0-f3.3 at the full telephoto lens, allowing fantastic creativity for most shooting conditions along with maximum shooting in low light conditions across the zoom range. The Lx5 offers long exposure options (up to 60 secs compared to 15 secs on the S95), and a very fast top shutter speed (1/4000). The Lumix also offers an optional external LCD viewfinder and hotshoe and the ability to zoom while recording is a feature not found on most compacts including the s95.

Canon Powershot s95

The s95 is an advanced, highly compact digital camera for keen photographers looking for outstanding low light performance and manual control in a pocket-sized body. For such a small camera, it boast an incredible amount of photographic features including 720p HD video recording, canons own Hybrid-IS system that compensates for handshake and other types of movement which makes the camera superior for macro photography. The lens has a solid zoom range 28-105mm (3.8x), with a fast F2.0-4.9 aperture. The s95 has a maximum shutter speed of 1/1600 and a very high minimum of 15 seconds, whilst not as high as the Lx5; it is more than adequate for most.

Whilst both cameras are worthy of the top spot, it really comes down to a what is important to you, the deal breaker for the s95 is its size (and weight of only 193g compared to 271g for the LX5), it will fit easily in your jeans pocket, however on account of its better handling, faster lens and crucially, wider zoom lens, the LX5 probably offers a little more for the pro photographer. With both cameras being so strong, it would be easy to sit on the fence with this one.

By: Gary Firestone

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Gary Firestone is an electrical goods guru who is currently researching the best deals in refurbished electricals in the UK