Part of Panasonic’s LX-line of high-end cameras, the LX3 is truly in a class of its own, offering the extensive manual controls and solid build quality that the series has been known for, RAW capture, and a unique 24-60mm (2.5x) lens. While the 2.5x lens covers one of the smallest zoom ranges around, its 24mm wide-angle is extremely useful for the landscapes or large landmarks that are often encountered while on travel.

Though Panasonic’s previous cameras have been dogged by noisy sensors and poor high-ISO ability, the LX3’s new sensor and processing engine do a good job of handling noise, producing better than average high-ISO images in low light. The ability to capture RAW images in addition to the usual JPEG also gives users more control over noise processing, in addition to other low-light problems like white balance.

As with all Panasonic cameras, the LX3 also features an image-stabilized lens system that effectively reduces camera shake. The low-light feature that really sets the LX3 apart, however, is the lens - the camera’s 24-60mm not only provides an extremely wide 24mm wide-angle, but also features a huge f2-2.8 aperture, an unheard of range for a zoom lens on any camera, even among SLRs. The large aperture allows the camera to use lower ISOs and faster shutter speeds, reducing noise and blur.

The LX3 features a pop-up flash, so redeye should be a minimal problem. For more advanced users, the LX3 also has a hotshoe that can be fitted with an external flash, allowing for even more creative lighting options.

At just 1.1 in. thin, the LX3 should be easy to take just about anywhere. It’ll last for 380 shots on a single battery, which should last for plenty of days under moderate usage.

While moving to a compact body always introduces compromises, the Panasonic TZ5 is one (and perhaps the only) compact camera that nearly matches larger, more expensive travel cameras feature-for-feature. With a large 28-280mm zoom range that includes both a wide-angle (great for landscapes and big landmarks) and a long telephoto range (for portraits and zooming in on small details), the TZ5 is the most versatile camera in this class. Best of all, especially for travel, the TZ3 packs this versatile zoom range into a body that’s half the size of the large, high-end ultrazoom cameras, and does it at half the cost!

The TZ5 is a slightly weak low-light performer, however. Though it does have an image stabilized lens to reduce camera shake, the TZ5’s high ISO performance is somewhat below-average, and its f/3.3-4.9 lens doesn’t let in a particularly large amount of light, meaning low-light photos will either end up being blurry when using longer shutter speeds or noisy when using high-ISOs.

The TZ5 is equipped with an embedded flash, so red-eye may be a slight problem as well.

Travel isn’t all about low-light, however - the best travel cameras need to be sufficiently competent across a wide variety of photography. In this case, the TZ5’s range and versatility across all shooting situations partially makes up for its ho-hum low-light performance and is actually the better all-around travel option if you don’t plan on shooting in low-light all that often.

The TZ5 lasts about 300 shots, which is average and good for several days of shooting. Its 1.4 in. size isn’t quite tiny, but it should definitely fit into most large pockets and be carried around anywhere.