Have both the Canon S95 and the LX 5 "in the house". It has confirmed what one has actually read everywhere anyway. The Lumix has a clearly larger "WISH TO HAVE factor". The camera looks great and fits comfortably in your hand. But This is accompanied by the great disadvantage of this camera. While the S95 is really pocketable, the LX is already so large that it will only fit into a large jacket pocket. In addition, this camera also acts significantly more fragile due to the attachable lens cover and the protruding lens. The hotshoe makes handling in bags any easier. The stylish retro bag the LX5 is also no real consolation, because if I start to hang me what around the neck, which can also be my D90 with the 35mm lens, not harder is very much in the Lowepro Mini. The videos of the LX5 I found something better than the S95 (less rauschig). Sharp focus I have noticed no big difference in practice. What the LX5 something makes me despair, are the jpegs. I shoot exclusively jpegs (due to time constraints) and am one of which LX5 disappointed. I do not understand how it can install an engine in such a high-tech camera. On one hand, the already mentioned color stains occurring at ISO from 400 (low noise reduction). And then there is the white balance. One has to play around quite hinzubekommen to sensible skin colors. Now you might say that these are a matter of taste. But it is striking that there are pages and pages of threads in dpreview and other forums that deal with how to this camera good jpegs (color, noise, etc.) may elicit. That it can at the price simply can not be. I have many, many pictures needed to find settings that I'm reasonably happy (nostalgic, Contrast 1 Sharpness 0 Saturation 1-2, noise -2, AWB two to one by B M). But even that does not always work, so I think about the camera to re-sell.
If someone were to ask me which of the two cameras I would rather recommend: The (very stylish) LX5 always rumzutragen for Raw shooter, who is willing to take a "not quite Compact" with it. The S95 for the Jpeg shooter, the compact "always there" looking camera that is really compact.
