Customer Reviews

Panasonic DMW-LW46 Wide Conversion Lens

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a great addition to the LX3 giving a ultra-wide angle angle of view equivalent to 18mm on a full frame SLR. Be advised that you'll need the adapter tube as well and that the conversion lens is a bit large and heavy given how small the LX3 itself is. That said, it is probably the cheapest and lightest weight way to get ultra-wide performance. My Canon XTi and 10-22 cost and weigh a whole lot more! Optically the performance is excellent and keeps up with the LX3's already high quality output. If you are an ultra-wide junkie this lens will give you another excuse to leave your SLR behind. If you've never tried out ultra-wide this may be the least expensive way to do it, and you'll still get top notch results. I purchased thinking I'd try it and perhaps return it, but after a few weeks of use I'm definitely keeping it and it has become part of my standard walk-around kit.

I had previously bought the extension tube to use a filter on my camera which is the Leica D-Lux 4, the teutonic twin of the Panasonic model. The next step was this wide angle accessory lens which give you the equivalent of an 18mm lens. It's a high quality piece of glass for a fine camera. One of the best features of these cameras is the wide angle. This makes that even better. Wide angle freaks rejoice! Wide angle without the pain of parting with big money for an SLR wide for many times what this cost. Weighs less. Takes up less space in your camera bag (yes, you need one even with a small camera like this).

I am accessorized to the max: Metz 48 AF-1 TTL flash for Panasonic, Leica, Olympus; 16GB SD card, extension tube, and this. It all fits in a LowePro Fastpack 100, small, comfortable, light, and it lets me do anything this camera is capable of doing (except telephoto, of course).

If you were thinking you could use a larger or cheaper accessory lens using step-up rings - forget it. I had a wide-angle and a telephoto for use with my Leica V-Lux 1 and Fuji S7000 bridge cameras which it tried on for size. No go. Vignetting and tunneling respectively. Plus much more weight and size.

This lens makes this beauty of a camera a little more beautiful to us photographers. It's great to be able to do even more of what you want with a great camera. Plus, there is always pride of ownership in gear of this quality. You're getting a lot for your money. And, best of all, this is a SHARP lens!!

You must remove any filter you were using on the extension tube or you will have vignetting. This, itself, does not take a filter, so get a good lens brush - looks like it would be a dust magnet.

I'm very happy with this important accessory lens for my Leica D-Lux 4. Be careful - extreme wide angle is addictive! Recommended.

This little wide angle conversion lens cost me approx. $160 plus $20 for the screw on barrel. I have taken it to Havana, Cuba and taken some amazing photos with it. It is tack sharp and such an inexpensive addition to an already brilliant little camera that I would say it is an absolute must have accessory. The only downside is taking shots with the built in flash as it superimposes an enlarged shadow of the wide barrel on your subjects so take it off for flash shots or put a flash on the hotshoe and ignore the built in flash. There are no other point and shoots that have the capacity to go this wide (18mm) so this is a rare gem of a lens that will be a part of my system for a long time to come.

I purchased this lens for my Panasonic LX3 camera. I haven't had much opportunity to use it yet but from what I have seen so far it's a very good lens that matches up well with the high quality of the camera and it's fantastic oem lens. This lens is fast and of superb quality. It gathers a great deal of light and although fairly expensive I believe it is worth the price for the extra dimension it lends the LX3 camera. There are other, cheaper lens out there but I doubt any are of this quality. Since the original lens supplied by Panasonic for the LX3 is among the very best available I figured this lens, manufactured by the same company and designed specifically for the LX3 camera would be worth the extra cost. So far I'm very happy with my purchase.

Despite the bulk it adds to the camera, I leave it on all the time. The barrel distortion it creates is easily removed with Corel, and there isn't enough chromatic abberation to notice. Zooming in pretty much gets rid of both, and the images are nearly as sharp as with the standard Leica lens, even at high magnification. None of the other converters I've tried (Raynox and Opteka) are even close. Well worht the premium price if you enjoy wide angles.

I sell Real Estate which is why I bought the Lumix LX3 camera, for it's wide breadth of view. This great little lens takes that width one step further without too much barreling or distortion. I am very happy with this great little lens! Just remember; you'll also need to purchase the Panasonic DMW-LA4 Conversion Adapter to make it fit on your LX3 and be very careful when threading it onto your camera as the threads on the LX3 seem to be plastic (?) and fairly susceptible to getting chewed up if threaded wrong and forced on.

First, I got a great deal on this lens, which is otherwise pretty pricey. One had better be into wide-angle to justify the price. But I got a great deal through Amazon, and so thank them for that.

When I got it screwed onto my DMC-3 I was pretty knocked out by the truly wide-angle view. The thing is bulky and all but it really is a lot of fun to fool with and does widen, so to speak, considerably picture-taking possibilities. (I noticed zero vignetting, which is the main reason to get the same brand lens as camera. Plus, glass quality is usually a lot better. Those in part account for higher price, if not entirely.)

My only objection is that the lens doesn't allow for attachment of filters, a polarizer in particular. That's a little nutty, maybe especially with a wide-angle lens. True, the filter would have to be large in diameter, but given the size of the lens... The camera is a little awkward anyway. One has to get the extender to attach anything because of the built-in zoom. I doubt such an arrangement is really necessary. My SLR doesn't work like that with a zoom attached. Any filter is simply attached to the front of the zoom.

But okay, I can recommend this lens, even had I bought it at the listed price here. (I got it slightly used from another seller through Amazon. A lot of the secondary sellers are good ones. The thing arrived within three days, and THAT was great!)

Bought this one for D lux 4, after taking some pictures , not too crazy about it.D lux 4 takes better pictures without it.

The LX-3 is just the best little camera I have ever owned. The Leica lens is the key to its performance. Add the DMW-LW46, and you have the finest travel camera..ever! I just returned from a trip through Napa/Sonoma in California. My photographs with the LW46 are some of the best I have ever taken including those w/ my Canon D40 and my finest lenses. If you enjoy your LX-3 (or its Leica twin)please treat yourself to the LW46...you will amaze yourself with the pictures you can take.

I would recommend this for your Lumix DMC-LX3. Really helped me when I took landscape pictures of Mt. Charlston and Nevada mountains.