Panasonic LX100 First Shots posted: The first fixed-lens 4/3rds camera takes on the Sony RX100-series

posted Monday, October 6, 2014 at 4:38 PM EST

For several years running the Sony RX100 series of cameras has been the undisputed champion of the premium compact world, with no real rivals to match its combination of small size and larger-sensor image quality as compared to traditional compacts. Now, both Canon with its G7 X and Panasonic with its LX100 have stepped into the ring with offerings designed to compete in this popular class.

Just a few weeks ago we posted First Shots from the Canon G7 X, and many of our readers must be interested because as of today that camera has now jumped into the #1 most popular position on our site. And with the RX100 III coming in at #5 and the LX100 at #7, it's obvious that this camera class is of very high interest to our esteemed readers.

Both the RX100 III and G7 X sport 1" type sensors, which are roughly 4 times the size of the traditional 1/2.3" type sensors, and yet are only about half as large as the LX100's Four Thirds sensor. Today the LX100 steps into the ring with our lab First Shots, allowing you to view not only full resolution test images, but to also pit the LX100 against the other two aforementioned models, or any other camera we've ever tested, in our Comparometer across the available ISO spectrum.

So how does this larger-sensored camera fare in the ring? Below are a few 1:1 crop comparisons beside the RX100 III and G7 X to whet your appetite. [The LX100 has less resolution at 12.8mp than the 20.2mp sensors found in the two 1" type cameras, and thus the size difference in the Comparometer window.]