Whenever I am lucky enough to get a new tool or toy, I always want to feel like I have the cream of the crop. I think deep down in side, everyone wants the satisfaction of feeling they made the best purchase. Recently, I was in the market for a compact digital camera. I already knew I wanted a Panasonic model, but I was torn between several models.

Let me share with you how I figured out the LX5 is the best Lumix camera of the compact models.

Shop with a Set Budget

Until I join the 5% club, I will continue to operate within a budget in all aspects of my life. This included my awesome new camera. Now, using common sense, I knew that I would not be able to get anything substantial under $300. So, I set a maximum price of $450 for this purchase.

Everyone should decide on a spending limit before even looking at a camera. This helps narrow the field right away. In the rare event you can't operate in your budget, you can of course revise it.

Considered My Experience Level

This is probably the most important factor in the purchase decision. We need to know our capabilities in order to assess which is the best Lumix camera for us. I am somewhere in the middle. Not a novice, also not an expert. I understand lighting and exposure enough to get the shots I want 90% of the time. However, I knew I didn't need a honkin' huge DSLR with settings I didn't even know how to pronounce.

Know You Want to Shoot

I take a lot of action shots for whatever reason. Maybe it's because I am hyper most of the time, who knows? I also like to shoot a lot of video. The point is that I know the types of photos I normally take. This is a huge part of the buying process. Be sure you know what settings you are most likely be shooting in.

Check Out the Reviews

Always, check out the reviews. Reviews are a quick way to weed out all of the non-contenders. I searched around and it didn't take long to conclude that the LX5 was the best Lumix camera for me.

List of Desired Features

At this point in the game, I pretty much knew what features I wanted on my camera. The reviews help a lot identifying features that I wanted and you will find this to be true as well. Often, there were features I noticed missing on many cameras and then a few had some I didn't consider.

Battery Capacity

Don't laugh!

It may seem trivial when you are just sitting here reading this article, but battery capacity is huge for digital cameras. You don't want to be in the middle of the woods trying to get that perfect shot of wildlife or at your kid's game trying to continuous shoot his game winning play only to find out the battery went poof halfway through.

After, narrowing down the field using these criteria, the LX5 clearly is the best Lumix camera available and I will give you a quick overview of what I got in purchase.

The best Lumix camera includes:

24mm wide-angle Leica lens (Excellent low-light and True macro) Maximum 1/4000 shutter speed 2.5fps continuous shooting 400 shot battery capacity (Double the competition) 720p HD video with zoom during recording (This is rare) Battery charger Battery pack AV Cable USB cable Shoulder strap CD-ROM Lens ring front Hot shoe cover Lens cap Lens cap string

So, I get top performance in the categories I want. There are actually many more features that make this the best Lumix camera, but I would need several pages to list them. I like the fact that Panasonic included all the accessories I needed. I hate having to go out and buy the necessities after making a big purchase.

I hope this helps give an idea on what to consider before making your camera purchase. You should check out the LX5. I think you may find out it is the best Lumix camera for your needs too.