Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 / LX15

The Lumix DMC-LX10, also named the LX15, is a fixed-lens compact from 2016. It measures 106 x 60 x 42 mm and weighs 310 g, so it slips into a jacket pocket rather than demanding a camera bag. That portability is the whole idea here.

The one-inch sensor and 4K video recording let one camera cover both stills and movies. That combination suits travel, family and everyday photographers who would rather not carry a bag of interchangeable lenses.

You compose on the three-inch touchscreen because there is no viewfinder, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth round out the wireless options.

The 20-megapixel CMOS sensor uses a one-inch format, a size that helps keep the body small. There is resolution to spare for cropping and for prints you want to keep.

Autofocus draws on 49 points, and the camera shoots at up to 10 frames per second. That burst figure is a maximum rather than a sustained rate, but it still gives you several frames of a moving subject, whether that is a dog mid-leap or a child blowing out candles.

Image stabilisation counters camera shake, so handheld shots in dim rooms are less prone to blur. It does nothing for subject movement, so a slow shutter speed still asks for careful timing or something solid to rest on.

The lens is fixed, so the camera never grows and you never hunt for glass. Eye-level framing is out since there is no viewfinder. The shutter tops out at 1/4000 second, and sensitivity runs from ISO 125 to 12800.

Recording tops out at 4K, a resolution that leaves room to crop or reframe footage in editing. For a camera this size, that sets a high ceiling for movie work.

Frame-rate support includes 60fps, which can render movement smoothly and give you some flexibility for slow-motion work in editing.

Clips record as MPEG-4 or MOV files, giving you two format choices for video.

The flip-out screen helps you film from waist or overhead angles, making unusual viewpoints easier to frame.

Framing and settings run through a three-inch TFT LCD with roughly a million dots. The touch panel speeds menu navigation, and the screen flips out when you shoot from low or high angles.

A built-in flash is there for fill light indoors, but there is no provision for an external flash, so your lighting options stop at what the camera carries.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in. GPS is absent, so the camera itself does not tag pictures with a location.

The body has no weather sealing, so rain and blowing sand call for care. Treat it as a fair-weather companion that lives in your pocket.

A single slot takes SD, SDHC or SDXC cards and is UHS-II compatible, so fast cards are supported. With one slot, capacity planning falls to you: bring enough card for the whole outing rather than counting on a swap between two.

The DMW-BLH7 battery is rated at 260 shots per charge. A second battery is sensible for a long day away from a charger.

USB charging lets you top the battery up between shoots. A charged spare remains useful for long days.