DIGITAL CAMERA UPDATE: So I got a Panasonic LX-3 the other day, and I’ve been trying it out as I’ve had time. It’s supposed to be the compact camera for people who own high-end digital SLRs — with a fast f 2.0 Leica lens, upgraded sensor, etc. So far, the quality seems excellent. (Here’s a picture from the other day). The attractions to me were its unusually wide-angle lens for a pocket camera, and its low-light capabilities. Both seem good so far. It also shoots HD video, but I haven’t really experimented with that much. Full report later. Meanwhile, here’s the DPReview.com assessment.

One thing that struck me first off, though was that it radiates an aura of quality. It feels solid, the controls feel high-quality, everything just seems like a high-end camera. Whether that’s just clever human engineering, or actually reflects a better build quality, I don’t know, but it’s very noticeable and I like it.