Upgrade Guide
Lumix G3→Lumix LX5
Is it worth upgrading? Spec analysis, key improvements, and our verdict.
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Situational
One clear hardware improvement over the G3. Worth it if that specific upgrade aligns with what you shoot.
What's new in the LX5
-
Battery life~400 shots (CIPA) vs ~270 shots (CIPA)
Unchanged or similar
-
Resolution10MP (down from 16MP — optimised for low light)
-
StabilisationIBIS not present in new body
Suitability by genre
Base scores — computed from verified specs for an enthusiast shooting photo and video. The Upgrade Checker adjusts them for your skill level.
| Genre | G3 | LX5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portrait | -1.3 | ||
| Street | +0.7 | ||
| Travel | +0.8 | ||
| Wedding & Events | -1.0 | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Documentary | -0.2 | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Landscape | -1.1 | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Casual | -0.3 | ||
| Food | -2.5 | ||
| Macro | -2.4 | ||
| Architecture | -1.9 | ||
| Astrophotography | -1.8 |
Full spec comparison
| Spec | G3 | LX5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £20 used | £245 used | |
| Released | 2011 | 2010 | ↓ |
| Sensor | 16MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS | 10.1MP 1/1.63-inch CCD | |
| Resolution | 16MP | 10MP | ↓ |
| Video | Full HD 1080/60i | HD 720p (AVCHD Lite) | |
| Autofocus | 23-area contrast AF with face detection, touch AF | Contrast AF; face detection, AF tracking, 23-area | |
| Stabilisation | No IBIS (lens-based stabilisation only) | Optical image stabilisation (lens-based) | |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 2.5fps | ↓ |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~400 shots (CIPA) | ↑ |
| Weight | 388g (with battery) | 271g (with battery) | ↑ |
| Weather Sealed | Not weather sealed | Not weather sealed | |
| Viewfinder | LCD EVF, 1.44M dots | None built in (optional DMW-LVF1 electronic finder) | |
| Screen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 460k dots | 3.0" fixed LCD, 460k dots | |
| Mount | Micro Four Thirds | Fixed Leica 3.8x zoom lens (24-90mm equivalent, f/2.0-3.3) | |
| Memory Cards | Single SD slot | Single SD slot |
Compare side-by-side
⚖️ Compare these cameras
See G3 and LX5 next to each other with our interactive comparison tool.
Get a personalised upgrade score
Run the upgrade checker →
Tell us what you shoot and we'll score the LX5 against your specific genres — not just specs.
Other upgrades from the G3
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Camera family history