[SkyCaptain]

I want something i can quickly whip out on the street, that has that old retro rangefinder look to it and takes good pics.

I was looking at the Panasonic LX3 which seems to have pretty good reviews and is in my budget (sub 500)

Would anyone suggest anything else?

[johnaalex]

Slightly over budget, but what about the Olympus PEN?

[SkyCaptain]

that olympus does look gorgeous, but theres a few important cons in the review that would put me off at that price.

[weetsie]

blargh leica

the LX3 is nice so long as you dont need interchangeable lenses, if i were to buy a bridge camera i would want it to have either a fixed prime or interchangeable lenses.

[SkyCaptain]

well ive got my d300 and a small load of lenses for anything fancy, its just a bit cumbersome to lug about all the time.

[lmccauley]

Originally Posted by SkyCaptain

I want something i can quickly whip out on the street, that has that old retro rangefinder look to it and takes good pics.

I was looking at the Panasonic LX3 which seems to have pretty good reviews and is in my budget (sub 500)

Would anyone suggest anything else?

Canon S90 if you want small, or G11 if slightly bigger is OK.

[morb666]

I have the LX3 and can totally recommend it...It's capable of some fantastic results.
I use it for situations when it's not practical/suitable to take my DSLR.
Here's a recent set from a visit to Florence earlier this year, all taken with the LX3.

Florence (Feb '09) - a set on Flickr

Mark