Over the last couple of weeks I've bought all three, returned the Canon
and Panasonic. Here's my opinion (again this is mostly opinion, not
fact):

- P300 and S95 are almost the exact same size, LX5 was too big (i.e., too
thick for a pocket)
- P300 and LX5 both have direct video record buttons
- LX5 and S95 both shoot RAW (wasn't a factor for me, but may be for
you)
- All three have great picture quality (1. P300, 2. S95, 3. LX5)
- Two have great video quality, S95 is just OK (1. LX5, 2. P300, 3. S95)

Because I have an SLR for high-quality pictures, I just want a portable
p&s for when I don't feel like carrying an SLR. That factor hurt the
LX5, which I thought was the best camera, just not pocketable.

The LX5 had great video, really fast focusing (for pics and vid), and
strong build quality. It's JPEGs were the worst of the three, but third
best in this class is generally better than 1st place... Read more

Note: this review is for the layman--who wants to eventually learn to use manual features--but ends up using only auto-mod, so all you pros please don't make too much fun of me.

I'm a father of a 2-year-old and I take lots of indoor shots and tons of video clips. My almost 3-year-old camera was a Canon SD790IS: 10 MP, 640p video (Yes, very low resolution but it never lost focus!), mono microphone.

Question: Is it too much to ask for a camera with great low-light abilities, Full HD video, a stereo microphone, and no removable lens cover? Apparently the answer was YES!

I bought a Canon SD4000IS but returned it because it couldn't hold a focus in HD video mode. Not even on stationary objects using a tripod! Ridiculous!

My online search continued with finding cameras that had good video but too many megapixels (above 12 MP is bad) for a point-and-shoot, which made the pictures worse!

I eagerly awaited the reviews for the Canon SX230... Read more

"Should I buy this camera?" is like asking "Should I buy this car?" The answer to both questions is: It depends on what's most important to you. For me, I was looking for a point-and-shoot that takes good HD video as well as good still photos, and is reasonably small, light and affordable. I already have a DSLR, and wanted a camera to complement that -- one I could slip in a pocket and take to the beach or an evening out without having to worry about it.

I believe other commenters that there are P&S cameras out there that take better photos than the P300, but those models are either considerably larger and heavier, a good deal more expensive (one comment here compared a camera costing $500 with this one at slightly over $300), or the video quality is unacceptable. After a lot of research, the P300 turned out to be the camera that best met my needs.

I've only had this for a couple of days, but here's what I like so far:

* Nice ergonomics. I enjoy... Read more