Panasonic DMC-LX3 vs Sony QX1

Sony QX1 advantages over Panasonic DMC-LX3

• Focus peaking
  Peaker vs Non-peaker
  Your camera will highlight what's in focus
• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs 1/1.63 inch
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.25 vs 1.98 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Built-in Wi-Fi
  Wi-Fi vs None
  Share your photos wirelessly
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  QX1 test data on DxO Mark DMC-LX3 test data on DxO Mark
  23.8 vs 19.6 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  QX1 test data on DxO Mark DMC-LX3 test data on DxO Mark
  1,063 vs 94 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  QX1 test data on DxO Mark DMC-LX3 test data on DxO Mark
  12.8 vs 10.8 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Newer
  9 years vs 16 years old
  Newer cameras often support more advanced features
• Shoots 1080p video
  Yes vs No
  You'll want this if you shoot video
• More pixels
  20.1 vs 10.1 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Faster JPEG shooting
  3.5 fps vs 1.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  15 vs 4 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/4000 vs 1/2000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light
• Higher extended ISO
  16000 vs 3200 ISO
  Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility