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139 of 150 people found the following review helpful
TOP 500 REVIEWERon November 3, 2014
Color Name: Black
I've owned exch of Panasonic's LX cameras since the revolutionary LX3 in 2008. In two year successions, the LX5 and LX7 each brought worthy updates to the line, but when Sony debuted the RX100, it really showed that Panasonic wasn't evolving as quickly as it should have.
Not only has Panasonic made a great leap with the LX100, they've designed a compact that is of equal significance to the LX3 when it debuted.
A lot of commenters disagreed with my comparison review of the LX7 vs. the RX100, especially after Panasonic dramatically cut their pricing in the face of the Sony camera's popularity. So here we are two years later, and I'm seeing the matchup as valid as ever (with the most current RX100 III, of course).
The LX100 has crept in size since the original LX3, and even compared to the LX7 (also incrementally larger than the LX3), the new dimensions are worthy of consideration -- if you're at all on the fence. While the RX100 III has also "filled out" a bit compared to its introduction model, it's still comfortably pocketable in a loose pair of pants. Additionally, weight has increased by 100g from the 300g weight of the LX7 -- that's a significant 33%! And that, right there, is my sole reason for considering the Sony RX100 III over the Panasonic LX100 for this go-around -- it's the camera I'd be more likely to have with me on a day-to-day basis. Where the LX3 was marginally "pocketable" in a pair of baggy shorts, the LX100 is too much of a stretch.
With the Sony's advantage of compactness comes the main trade-off (as it did two years ago): usability. But where the LX7 relied on an inferior sensor, the LX100's micro four thirds sensor invalidates that point, and the Sony now only competes in terms of portability.
Controls:
In hand, the LX100 is imminently a "usable" piece of technology. All of the controls I want to modify are presented, front and center, on mechanical dials and switches. The LX100 even manages to one-up Pana's own FZ1000, with a manual aspect ratio switch (something I use *constantly*), and a "jog dial" (to borrow Sony's trademarked term) around the 4-way controller. The LX100 even gives exposure compensation its own dial -- a function I've always been perfectly happy setting via a thumb dial.
The addition of the lens barrel control rings is the most noteworthy addition. The aperture ring is an easy-to-turn affair with a nice little grip to it. Its light detents provide just enough resistance to avoid unintentional changes, with a heavier detent on the Auto position. The zoom/focus ring is smooth turning but with light resistance. It allows for steady control (or stepped zoom -- a menu default), but is easily nudged out of position from stray finger bumps. Thankfully, it's thin -- proportional to the stowed barrel -- so mainly stays out of the way. On the other hand, the traditional "zoom toggle" around the shutter release is a bit of an unnatural stretch for my large hands (so I'm curious how smaller-handed users perceive it), and although it offers proportional zoom control, pushing to the limit for fastest rate of adjustment seems sluggish compared with my LX7 and FZ1000.
I'm particularly tickled with the absence of a "Program" mode on a conventional selector dial. It has reverted to the natural state of cameras -- as it should be. Want Program mode? Set the aperture ring to "A" and the shutter speed to "A." Deviating from this results in Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual. It's just that basic. If you find yourself in a bind, or need to give the camera to a friend, there's a convenient iA button next to the shutter release, and pressing it doesn't undo any of the other settings once you're ready to bounce back. There's very little need to delve into the menu for most shooting.
The WiFi control is unnecessarily cumbersome to launch into, but once connected, the live view and control of zoom, manual focus, auto focus override, and shooting is very useful for family portraits and long exposure photography. WiFi range is decent at about 25 feet (still disappointing, but is serves most of my needs), and still tons better than an IR trigger or self timer (which, by the way, is a function that works in conjunction with WiFi mode should you desire it).
Displays:
All the rumors leading up to this release had me hopeful for an articulating, touch-screen LCD. It's neither. It is a vibrant and decently high resolution display, though not bright enough to see plainly in bright sunlight. It's good at off angles, but again, even on cloudy days brightness is a factor. But Panasonic's Android companion app (and iPhone, too) is a fair trade for composing shots via WiFi, where the phone acts as a remote viewfinder display, and in control of the various shooting functions. The lack of a touch-screen is just puzzling. Maybe in two years?
I've gotten used to no viewfinder (and never did invest in the hot shoe-mounted EVF for my LX7. But the EVF on the LX100 is pretty nice: it's very high resolution, to where the image appears "natural" (still obviously electronic, but super crisp, though it shows a lot of pixel "noise" in low light), and menu settings can be be easily read. The display lags a little when I pan the camera, but this doesn't prevent me from tracking my subject -- I just wouldn't be able to easily manually focus while panning (not that I'd have the need to).
Speed:
This isn't even worth talking about or attempting to measure with any recent cameras, it seems. Start-up times are hardly measurable, even giving consideration to lens extension. Flick the power switch and the camera is ready to go. Continuous shooting speeds cover a range from about 6 frames per second with continuous auto-focus, up to the mid-40's (electronic shutter activated), or I can shoot 4K video and pull really decent quality 8mp still images (although this is a bit of a memory hog, and requires advancing frame-by-frame through 30 FPS video to do so in-camera). Shutdown takes a moment longer to complete, and for some reason is delayed by an extra second or two when shutting down from WiFi mode.
I don't know whether the LX100's auto focus is exactly the same as the contrast detection used on its big brother FZ1000, but it is comparably quick and accurate, and is most definitely a step up from the previous LX cameras. There's no need to half-press the shutter to pre-focus, unless you're simply interested in checking the composition.
An on the subject of focus, even manual focus is very quick and efficient. The camera automatically displays an adequately magnified view of the subject, and the "focus peaking" very quickly indicates what areas are in focus. The front ring switches to focus mode for this, and adjustments can be made quickly and precisely. Previous compact cameras' attempts at manual focus using toggles and small LCDs always drove me bonkers; the LX100 addresses all my prior complaints.
Shooting:
As mentioned, the camera is ready to go pretty much when switched On -- just over a second to get the lens extended. Video mode is always a button press away.
Composition is a strong point. In addition to the normal grid lines and two-axis auto-leveling guide lines (menu selected), the aspect ratio switch makes it extremely convenient to re-frame shots based on subject. If you've ever been shooting in 16:9 mode and suddenly want to shoot portrait, you'll know what I mean -- rather than having to break away to go menu surfing, a sure flick of the index finger instantly pops the camera into a portrait-friendly 4:3. Like its predecessors, the LX100 uses different areas of the sensor based on aspect ratio selected. This isn't just a simple crop, and your output will always have a consistent diagonal (corner to opposite corner) measurement.
While I'm slightly disappointed the zoom range is limited to 75mm, it's actually not much of a compromise based on how I've utilized the LX-series in generations past. The reality is that with this sensor and lens, with the quality of the resulting images, post-crops and even digital zoom (gasp! -- available up to 300mm) can make some of that up. But the reality is this camera isn't intended as a super zoom, and is best not used that way.
Shooting modes are selected in the drive mode menu, directly accessed from the 4-way controller. Burst shooting, bracketing, and even panorama mode are selected from this menu.
White balance is also accessed via a direct press of the 4-way. I don't normally shoot RAW (perhaps I should), so for indoor, low-light, flash-free shooting, manual white balance adjustment is extremely important for me, and I appreciate this direct access versus having to hunt through the menu.
Aperture, exposure compensation, and shutter are all set via hardware dials. ISO, on the other hand (if not set to auto), is a menu selection, and selected via the jog dial that encircles the 4-way.
I'm realizing some wonderful depth of field effects that weren't possible with the smaller sensors of the previous LX cameras. The LX100 is quite capable of nice Bokeh, and the lens ring aperture control makes this very easy to experiment with, since there's no menu selection obscuring the image on the LCD.
Image Quality:
I've read some criticism that the LX100 doesn't make use of the full 16MP sensor (which is correct). For my needs, that's secondary to the overall image quaility, and unlike the LX7 (which I noted as sometimes "soft" focus), I have zero complaints. The images are sharp in all four corners, at both ends of the zoom range. Output looks clean up to 6400 ISO,at which point some loss of detail begins to become noticeable.
I'm usually a fan of Panasonic's colors, as they tend to be true without exaggeration, though some may think of them as flat or dull. The last thing I want to do is a bunch of post processing, and I'm liking the jpeg output this camera is giving me in terms of exposure and color.
For me, one big attraction to the LX series all along as been the ability to take flash-free, wide angle shots indoors, and the LX100 improves remarkably on that. Previously, I could count on a handful of usable shots out of a dozen if my subjects (aka the family) were relatively static, but right off the bat with this camera I've noticed that I have quite a bit more latitude in higher shutter speeds and higher ISOs to capture, for instance, the kids playing indoors, without encountering smearing or noise.
This is as good a place as any to mention that there is no built-in flash -- again, something I rarely used on my previous LXs. Instead, the camera has a hot shoe, and comes packaged with a very small carry-along flash. It's no substitute for the old Metz 36 AF-4O I use with my Panasonics, but it certainly is small, meaning I'll be likely to carry it with me. Because it is powered from the camera's battery, it'll always be at the ready, but the flip side of this convenience is that the cycle times are slow, and at the expense of the camera's main power source. Additionally, although it's small, it's nonetheless chubby and oddly shaped, making it tricky to easily tuck away in the pockets provided on most small camera cases.
Video:
I'm woefully under-equipped to do much of anything with 4K video, other than shoot it. If you're in the same boat, you'll be pleased to know that the output is beautiful, and the camera will downsample (or even crop) to 1080p. The manual zoom ring is an excellent tool for smooth changes without the "stepped" look that the zoom toggle can create.
Unlike my FZ1000, there is no input jack for an external microphone. While I've seen what a difference in quality an external mic can have compared to the camera's internal mic, I'm not lamenting that -- the built in mic does a good job of capturing relatively clean audio, provided I'm not clicking any of the camera's buttons or knobs.
4K video is limited to 15 minute clips (thanks Michael's Dad!), and otherwise carries a 30 minute recording limit, a carry-over from European models that wasn't previously a factor on Panasonic's US-market cameras. Thirty minute limits never bothered me, but although I've yet to hit it, 15 minutes feels like a real barrier. To partially allay this, Panasonic provides the "loop" option to continuously record 4K, while discarding any video older than 15 minutes, saving only the last 15 minutes to the final file.
Menu:
As I've already mentioned, this camera requires very little menu interaction for normal shooting tasks. But if you're familiar with previous Panasonic cameras, this menu will feel very familiar to you. There are multiple pages for camera, video, and settings. It can feel like a lot, but pages are quickly flipped through using the zoom toggle, and the 4-way controller navigates each page. A responsive touch screen would be welcome here, but it's actually quite manageable once all the various functions are learned.
Pros and Cons:
In summary, the LX100 is a bit of a breakthrough from the old LX series, and steps up to Sony's RX100 while at the same time stepping away from it.
If you value pocketability or automatic modes, perhaps the Sony is the better choice.
But if you love the accessability of hardware manual controls, but desire the compactness of something other than a DSLR or even an MFT, this camera strikes a desirable balance.
The cons as I see it:
- limited zoom range (75mm vs. 90mm on the LX7)
- increasing girth (bigger than previous LX series, and Sony RX -- but still smaller than a comparable MFT with lens)
- no touch-screen
- artificial video limits (EU imposed carryover, I believe -- not technical hurdles)
I'm sure some of you would value an articulated display, a mic input, longer battery life, USB charging, built-in flash, etc.
In a nutshell, with the LX100 , we finally have the camera that the original LX3 has strived to become.
Not only has Panasonic made a great leap with the LX100, they've designed a compact that is of equal significance to the LX3 when it debuted.
A lot of commenters disagreed with my comparison review of the LX7 vs. the RX100, especially after Panasonic dramatically cut their pricing in the face of the Sony camera's popularity. So here we are two years later, and I'm seeing the matchup as valid as ever (with the most current RX100 III, of course).
The LX100 has crept in size since the original LX3, and even compared to the LX7 (also incrementally larger than the LX3), the new dimensions are worthy of consideration -- if you're at all on the fence. While the RX100 III has also "filled out" a bit compared to its introduction model, it's still comfortably pocketable in a loose pair of pants. Additionally, weight has increased by 100g from the 300g weight of the LX7 -- that's a significant 33%! And that, right there, is my sole reason for considering the Sony RX100 III over the Panasonic LX100 for this go-around -- it's the camera I'd be more likely to have with me on a day-to-day basis. Where the LX3 was marginally "pocketable" in a pair of baggy shorts, the LX100 is too much of a stretch.
With the Sony's advantage of compactness comes the main trade-off (as it did two years ago): usability. But where the LX7 relied on an inferior sensor, the LX100's micro four thirds sensor invalidates that point, and the Sony now only competes in terms of portability.
Controls:
In hand, the LX100 is imminently a "usable" piece of technology. All of the controls I want to modify are presented, front and center, on mechanical dials and switches. The LX100 even manages to one-up Pana's own FZ1000, with a manual aspect ratio switch (something I use *constantly*), and a "jog dial" (to borrow Sony's trademarked term) around the 4-way controller. The LX100 even gives exposure compensation its own dial -- a function I've always been perfectly happy setting via a thumb dial.
The addition of the lens barrel control rings is the most noteworthy addition. The aperture ring is an easy-to-turn affair with a nice little grip to it. Its light detents provide just enough resistance to avoid unintentional changes, with a heavier detent on the Auto position. The zoom/focus ring is smooth turning but with light resistance. It allows for steady control (or stepped zoom -- a menu default), but is easily nudged out of position from stray finger bumps. Thankfully, it's thin -- proportional to the stowed barrel -- so mainly stays out of the way. On the other hand, the traditional "zoom toggle" around the shutter release is a bit of an unnatural stretch for my large hands (so I'm curious how smaller-handed users perceive it), and although it offers proportional zoom control, pushing to the limit for fastest rate of adjustment seems sluggish compared with my LX7 and FZ1000.
I'm particularly tickled with the absence of a "Program" mode on a conventional selector dial. It has reverted to the natural state of cameras -- as it should be. Want Program mode? Set the aperture ring to "A" and the shutter speed to "A." Deviating from this results in Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, or Manual. It's just that basic. If you find yourself in a bind, or need to give the camera to a friend, there's a convenient iA button next to the shutter release, and pressing it doesn't undo any of the other settings once you're ready to bounce back. There's very little need to delve into the menu for most shooting.
The WiFi control is unnecessarily cumbersome to launch into, but once connected, the live view and control of zoom, manual focus, auto focus override, and shooting is very useful for family portraits and long exposure photography. WiFi range is decent at about 25 feet (still disappointing, but is serves most of my needs), and still tons better than an IR trigger or self timer (which, by the way, is a function that works in conjunction with WiFi mode should you desire it).
Displays:
All the rumors leading up to this release had me hopeful for an articulating, touch-screen LCD. It's neither. It is a vibrant and decently high resolution display, though not bright enough to see plainly in bright sunlight. It's good at off angles, but again, even on cloudy days brightness is a factor. But Panasonic's Android companion app (and iPhone, too) is a fair trade for composing shots via WiFi, where the phone acts as a remote viewfinder display, and in control of the various shooting functions. The lack of a touch-screen is just puzzling. Maybe in two years?
I've gotten used to no viewfinder (and never did invest in the hot shoe-mounted EVF for my LX7. But the EVF on the LX100 is pretty nice: it's very high resolution, to where the image appears "natural" (still obviously electronic, but super crisp, though it shows a lot of pixel "noise" in low light), and menu settings can be be easily read. The display lags a little when I pan the camera, but this doesn't prevent me from tracking my subject -- I just wouldn't be able to easily manually focus while panning (not that I'd have the need to).
Speed:
This isn't even worth talking about or attempting to measure with any recent cameras, it seems. Start-up times are hardly measurable, even giving consideration to lens extension. Flick the power switch and the camera is ready to go. Continuous shooting speeds cover a range from about 6 frames per second with continuous auto-focus, up to the mid-40's (electronic shutter activated), or I can shoot 4K video and pull really decent quality 8mp still images (although this is a bit of a memory hog, and requires advancing frame-by-frame through 30 FPS video to do so in-camera). Shutdown takes a moment longer to complete, and for some reason is delayed by an extra second or two when shutting down from WiFi mode.
I don't know whether the LX100's auto focus is exactly the same as the contrast detection used on its big brother FZ1000, but it is comparably quick and accurate, and is most definitely a step up from the previous LX cameras. There's no need to half-press the shutter to pre-focus, unless you're simply interested in checking the composition.
An on the subject of focus, even manual focus is very quick and efficient. The camera automatically displays an adequately magnified view of the subject, and the "focus peaking" very quickly indicates what areas are in focus. The front ring switches to focus mode for this, and adjustments can be made quickly and precisely. Previous compact cameras' attempts at manual focus using toggles and small LCDs always drove me bonkers; the LX100 addresses all my prior complaints.
Shooting:
As mentioned, the camera is ready to go pretty much when switched On -- just over a second to get the lens extended. Video mode is always a button press away.
Composition is a strong point. In addition to the normal grid lines and two-axis auto-leveling guide lines (menu selected), the aspect ratio switch makes it extremely convenient to re-frame shots based on subject. If you've ever been shooting in 16:9 mode and suddenly want to shoot portrait, you'll know what I mean -- rather than having to break away to go menu surfing, a sure flick of the index finger instantly pops the camera into a portrait-friendly 4:3. Like its predecessors, the LX100 uses different areas of the sensor based on aspect ratio selected. This isn't just a simple crop, and your output will always have a consistent diagonal (corner to opposite corner) measurement.
While I'm slightly disappointed the zoom range is limited to 75mm, it's actually not much of a compromise based on how I've utilized the LX-series in generations past. The reality is that with this sensor and lens, with the quality of the resulting images, post-crops and even digital zoom (gasp! -- available up to 300mm) can make some of that up. But the reality is this camera isn't intended as a super zoom, and is best not used that way.
Shooting modes are selected in the drive mode menu, directly accessed from the 4-way controller. Burst shooting, bracketing, and even panorama mode are selected from this menu.
White balance is also accessed via a direct press of the 4-way. I don't normally shoot RAW (perhaps I should), so for indoor, low-light, flash-free shooting, manual white balance adjustment is extremely important for me, and I appreciate this direct access versus having to hunt through the menu.
Aperture, exposure compensation, and shutter are all set via hardware dials. ISO, on the other hand (if not set to auto), is a menu selection, and selected via the jog dial that encircles the 4-way.
I'm realizing some wonderful depth of field effects that weren't possible with the smaller sensors of the previous LX cameras. The LX100 is quite capable of nice Bokeh, and the lens ring aperture control makes this very easy to experiment with, since there's no menu selection obscuring the image on the LCD.
Image Quality:
I've read some criticism that the LX100 doesn't make use of the full 16MP sensor (which is correct). For my needs, that's secondary to the overall image quaility, and unlike the LX7 (which I noted as sometimes "soft" focus), I have zero complaints. The images are sharp in all four corners, at both ends of the zoom range. Output looks clean up to 6400 ISO,at which point some loss of detail begins to become noticeable.
I'm usually a fan of Panasonic's colors, as they tend to be true without exaggeration, though some may think of them as flat or dull. The last thing I want to do is a bunch of post processing, and I'm liking the jpeg output this camera is giving me in terms of exposure and color.
For me, one big attraction to the LX series all along as been the ability to take flash-free, wide angle shots indoors, and the LX100 improves remarkably on that. Previously, I could count on a handful of usable shots out of a dozen if my subjects (aka the family) were relatively static, but right off the bat with this camera I've noticed that I have quite a bit more latitude in higher shutter speeds and higher ISOs to capture, for instance, the kids playing indoors, without encountering smearing or noise.
This is as good a place as any to mention that there is no built-in flash -- again, something I rarely used on my previous LXs. Instead, the camera has a hot shoe, and comes packaged with a very small carry-along flash. It's no substitute for the old Metz 36 AF-4O I use with my Panasonics, but it certainly is small, meaning I'll be likely to carry it with me. Because it is powered from the camera's battery, it'll always be at the ready, but the flip side of this convenience is that the cycle times are slow, and at the expense of the camera's main power source. Additionally, although it's small, it's nonetheless chubby and oddly shaped, making it tricky to easily tuck away in the pockets provided on most small camera cases.
Video:
I'm woefully under-equipped to do much of anything with 4K video, other than shoot it. If you're in the same boat, you'll be pleased to know that the output is beautiful, and the camera will downsample (or even crop) to 1080p. The manual zoom ring is an excellent tool for smooth changes without the "stepped" look that the zoom toggle can create.
Unlike my FZ1000, there is no input jack for an external microphone. While I've seen what a difference in quality an external mic can have compared to the camera's internal mic, I'm not lamenting that -- the built in mic does a good job of capturing relatively clean audio, provided I'm not clicking any of the camera's buttons or knobs.
4K video is limited to 15 minute clips (thanks Michael's Dad!), and otherwise carries a 30 minute recording limit, a carry-over from European models that wasn't previously a factor on Panasonic's US-market cameras. Thirty minute limits never bothered me, but although I've yet to hit it, 15 minutes feels like a real barrier. To partially allay this, Panasonic provides the "loop" option to continuously record 4K, while discarding any video older than 15 minutes, saving only the last 15 minutes to the final file.
Menu:
As I've already mentioned, this camera requires very little menu interaction for normal shooting tasks. But if you're familiar with previous Panasonic cameras, this menu will feel very familiar to you. There are multiple pages for camera, video, and settings. It can feel like a lot, but pages are quickly flipped through using the zoom toggle, and the 4-way controller navigates each page. A responsive touch screen would be welcome here, but it's actually quite manageable once all the various functions are learned.
Pros and Cons:
In summary, the LX100 is a bit of a breakthrough from the old LX series, and steps up to Sony's RX100 while at the same time stepping away from it.
If you value pocketability or automatic modes, perhaps the Sony is the better choice.
But if you love the accessability of hardware manual controls, but desire the compactness of something other than a DSLR or even an MFT, this camera strikes a desirable balance.
The cons as I see it:
- limited zoom range (75mm vs. 90mm on the LX7)
- increasing girth (bigger than previous LX series, and Sony RX -- but still smaller than a comparable MFT with lens)
- no touch-screen
- artificial video limits (EU imposed carryover, I believe -- not technical hurdles)
I'm sure some of you would value an articulated display, a mic input, longer battery life, USB charging, built-in flash, etc.
In a nutshell, with the LX100 , we finally have the camera that the original LX3 has strived to become.
91 of 97 people found the following review helpful
on November 8, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
As a very happy GH4 owner, I preordered this when I heard it had the same 4K video technology, and boy does it every delivery amazing 4K footage! I'm someone who takes hours of video footage for every still photo taken, and even though this camera takes gorgeous video, I've been rather disappointed in some of video-related issues this camera has.
1. The microphones are very sensitive, and thus pick up every sound the camera makes. The mics pick up the focusing engine, the Stabilization engine, and the lens zoom. If you turn of IS, turn off auto focus, and don't zoom... it still picks up some clicks. I don't know what is still happening inside the camera when all those other things are off, but it's extremely loud in the audio track. And there's no external mic input, so you're pretty much out of luck with audio on this device.
2. This lens, while crisp & beautiful, has the strongest lens artifacts of any camera I've seen in my 30 years as a photo/video guy. I'm not that averse to lens flares, but when photographing towards the sun (I love sunrise & sunset shots) this camera produces absolutely HUGE lens flares, bright purple streaks with bright green coronas. It's unimaginably bad, especially when zoomed in! I mean, they're pretty lens flares, and very unusual, but I don't want flares this bright or colorful in all of my landscape sunset shots. I'll attach some images so you can see what's happening.
3. There is a fair amount of rolling shutter effect when shooting 4K video, so if you pan left or right your architecture will tilt rather dramatically. Slow pans won't be bad, but if you pan quickly, you'll notice it. That's not that uncommon in digital cameras, but it stood out in a few shots so I felt I should mention it.
4. The arbitrary 15 minute recording limit for video is just annoying. I've heard people claim that they limited the camera for heat reasons. That's silly. You can record for 15 minutes, and then just hit the record button and it'll go on and on like that. So why limit us? Politics. Plain and simple. And it's a real set-back for people who use this for video.
That being said, getting 4K video this pristine for under $1k in a NEARLY pocket size format is just insanely cool! If they had been more careful with the audio, or at least provided a microphone input jack, and used some better lens coatings to avoid lens artifacts, this would be a perfect camera.
1. The microphones are very sensitive, and thus pick up every sound the camera makes. The mics pick up the focusing engine, the Stabilization engine, and the lens zoom. If you turn of IS, turn off auto focus, and don't zoom... it still picks up some clicks. I don't know what is still happening inside the camera when all those other things are off, but it's extremely loud in the audio track. And there's no external mic input, so you're pretty much out of luck with audio on this device.
2. This lens, while crisp & beautiful, has the strongest lens artifacts of any camera I've seen in my 30 years as a photo/video guy. I'm not that averse to lens flares, but when photographing towards the sun (I love sunrise & sunset shots) this camera produces absolutely HUGE lens flares, bright purple streaks with bright green coronas. It's unimaginably bad, especially when zoomed in! I mean, they're pretty lens flares, and very unusual, but I don't want flares this bright or colorful in all of my landscape sunset shots. I'll attach some images so you can see what's happening.
3. There is a fair amount of rolling shutter effect when shooting 4K video, so if you pan left or right your architecture will tilt rather dramatically. Slow pans won't be bad, but if you pan quickly, you'll notice it. That's not that uncommon in digital cameras, but it stood out in a few shots so I felt I should mention it.
4. The arbitrary 15 minute recording limit for video is just annoying. I've heard people claim that they limited the camera for heat reasons. That's silly. You can record for 15 minutes, and then just hit the record button and it'll go on and on like that. So why limit us? Politics. Plain and simple. And it's a real set-back for people who use this for video.
That being said, getting 4K video this pristine for under $1k in a NEARLY pocket size format is just insanely cool! If they had been more careful with the audio, or at least provided a microphone input jack, and used some better lens coatings to avoid lens artifacts, this would be a perfect camera.
128 of 139 people found the following review helpful
on November 5, 2014
Color Name: Black
I recently owned the Sony RX100III so I know a little about BOTH of these cameras.
Actually when my lx100 arrived I actually thought it was smaller, than what I thought it might be. The thing is the lens while the LX100 is off, protrudes a bit similar to an RX1 and the EVF protrudes just a little in the back of the camera too, so that's where the larger size vs the rx100 mostly comes into play. The actual body is rather small, so in my opinion this IS a very easy camera to take with you nearly anywhere. I'd never put an $800 camera IN a tight pocket, for that I'd use my darn cell phone. Anyway enough about size.
I won't write a long book here I'll try and get to the major points.
The IQ of the LX100 ABSOLUTELY beats the rx100III if IQ is your main requirement. Handling again goes to the LX100 vs the Sony, and the auto focus seems to be more accurate on the Panasonic as well, vs the Sony. As to the lens...you can get beautiful SMOOTH silky Bokeh out of this LX100. The RX100III's bokeh if you could get any, was rather rough. The LX100'S IQ just looks more in the ballpark of say an EM1 or GX7 where the Sony's IQ was really good..but just never anything THAT great.
That said, I feel the Sony's lens seemed to be a bit sharper corner to corner and to me skin tones look better on the Sony as well.
Using raw I found the LX100 to have a lot more latitude in dynamic range than the RX100 and colors are actually really GOOD just not Fuji great..or hate to say it..as of late Sony great..In my opinion.:)
I struggled a bit at first with the menu on the lx100, seems every time I customized a button etc..soon as I turned it off then on again my settings were lost. Be sure to use one of the Custom settings available, I believe thee are three, C1, C2, and C3..So you can have three different custom setups which is really nice.
As to higher ISO it's no contest the LX100 will Kill the Sony, again I have files from both cameras. I had a GX7 way back and not sure why, seems the LX100 can do better high iso retaining lots of detail and less noise than even the GX7 had.
Now to the MEH part. The camera takes really nice pictures..but it's not nearly as sharp as say a Ricoh GR which I owned, nor can it's IQ equal an x100s etc. BUT it's a much more versatile camera than either of those...and I think that is key here. Versatility. Yikes how many times have written VERSATILE and I'm not done. :)
You get a camera with VERY good IQ, a very fast lens as to aperture, generally sharp lens at all focal lengths. The camera feels great in the hand, and feels very solid and well made. The EVF is really good..as is the lcd (too bad it doesn't articulate) somehow that does not bother me though. For me this LX100 is as easy to take just about anywhere as the RX100III, but I feel you will consistently get better overall IQ, battery life also seems excellent. Depends on your wallet, this COULD be your ONLY camera..but to me the LX100 seems more well suited as a second camera to maybe a better mirror-less camera or a good DSLR that's just too big and you DON'T want to use it as it's too bulky. Honestly I think this camera would be a steal if it were priced more around $699 but the lens must be very expensive to make and the body and controls are quite good..so this camera just may be the most "versatile" SMALL camera you can buy these days. One thing that may bother you? Soon as you turn the camera on the lens will extend out about 5-6 inches roughly..then zoom internally. I mention that as maybe for street photography for example, an RX100 is a much less conspicuous camera than an LX100 with a 6 inch lens barrel sticking out oh well. BUT,If it's really good IQ you are after and versatility, again with that word?? I can't see anyone NOT liking this camera.
UPDATE: I've now owned this LX100 now for about two weeks and I just updated it to 5 stars from 4. The IQ is actually even better than I thought..dynamic range has been GREAT a pleasant surprise I was not expecting. I spent one day with this LX100 and my Sony A7S together in a beautiful Arboretum here in NY. Lots of leaves changing color, Old Mansions, fine detail in some old brick buildings there, all that good stuff. The LX100 was a great camera to have with me vs my A7S that has a large heavy 70-200mm zoom glued to it as of late. Point being the LX100 was a great compliment to my larger Full Frame camera, but I was surprised at JUST how great the IQ was from this Panasonic. Again having owned the RX100III, to me this LX100 is just in another class ABOVE the small Sony. This camera is really growing on me, wasn't expecting that. :)
Actually when my lx100 arrived I actually thought it was smaller, than what I thought it might be. The thing is the lens while the LX100 is off, protrudes a bit similar to an RX1 and the EVF protrudes just a little in the back of the camera too, so that's where the larger size vs the rx100 mostly comes into play. The actual body is rather small, so in my opinion this IS a very easy camera to take with you nearly anywhere. I'd never put an $800 camera IN a tight pocket, for that I'd use my darn cell phone. Anyway enough about size.
I won't write a long book here I'll try and get to the major points.
The IQ of the LX100 ABSOLUTELY beats the rx100III if IQ is your main requirement. Handling again goes to the LX100 vs the Sony, and the auto focus seems to be more accurate on the Panasonic as well, vs the Sony. As to the lens...you can get beautiful SMOOTH silky Bokeh out of this LX100. The RX100III's bokeh if you could get any, was rather rough. The LX100'S IQ just looks more in the ballpark of say an EM1 or GX7 where the Sony's IQ was really good..but just never anything THAT great.
That said, I feel the Sony's lens seemed to be a bit sharper corner to corner and to me skin tones look better on the Sony as well.
Using raw I found the LX100 to have a lot more latitude in dynamic range than the RX100 and colors are actually really GOOD just not Fuji great..or hate to say it..as of late Sony great..In my opinion.:)
I struggled a bit at first with the menu on the lx100, seems every time I customized a button etc..soon as I turned it off then on again my settings were lost. Be sure to use one of the Custom settings available, I believe thee are three, C1, C2, and C3..So you can have three different custom setups which is really nice.
As to higher ISO it's no contest the LX100 will Kill the Sony, again I have files from both cameras. I had a GX7 way back and not sure why, seems the LX100 can do better high iso retaining lots of detail and less noise than even the GX7 had.
Now to the MEH part. The camera takes really nice pictures..but it's not nearly as sharp as say a Ricoh GR which I owned, nor can it's IQ equal an x100s etc. BUT it's a much more versatile camera than either of those...and I think that is key here. Versatility. Yikes how many times have written VERSATILE and I'm not done. :)
You get a camera with VERY good IQ, a very fast lens as to aperture, generally sharp lens at all focal lengths. The camera feels great in the hand, and feels very solid and well made. The EVF is really good..as is the lcd (too bad it doesn't articulate) somehow that does not bother me though. For me this LX100 is as easy to take just about anywhere as the RX100III, but I feel you will consistently get better overall IQ, battery life also seems excellent. Depends on your wallet, this COULD be your ONLY camera..but to me the LX100 seems more well suited as a second camera to maybe a better mirror-less camera or a good DSLR that's just too big and you DON'T want to use it as it's too bulky. Honestly I think this camera would be a steal if it were priced more around $699 but the lens must be very expensive to make and the body and controls are quite good..so this camera just may be the most "versatile" SMALL camera you can buy these days. One thing that may bother you? Soon as you turn the camera on the lens will extend out about 5-6 inches roughly..then zoom internally. I mention that as maybe for street photography for example, an RX100 is a much less conspicuous camera than an LX100 with a 6 inch lens barrel sticking out oh well. BUT,If it's really good IQ you are after and versatility, again with that word?? I can't see anyone NOT liking this camera.
UPDATE: I've now owned this LX100 now for about two weeks and I just updated it to 5 stars from 4. The IQ is actually even better than I thought..dynamic range has been GREAT a pleasant surprise I was not expecting. I spent one day with this LX100 and my Sony A7S together in a beautiful Arboretum here in NY. Lots of leaves changing color, Old Mansions, fine detail in some old brick buildings there, all that good stuff. The LX100 was a great camera to have with me vs my A7S that has a large heavy 70-200mm zoom glued to it as of late. Point being the LX100 was a great compliment to my larger Full Frame camera, but I was surprised at JUST how great the IQ was from this Panasonic. Again having owned the RX100III, to me this LX100 is just in another class ABOVE the small Sony. This camera is really growing on me, wasn't expecting that. :)
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful
on December 10, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
The LX100 is the first compact camera I have had that I can bring with me and not second-guess leaving my dslr at home, due to it's low light abilities and image quality. I'll go over what I see as pro's and con's.
Pro's:
1. Fast and Good lens. The lens is a 24-75 equivalent, that works for most purposes, though there are times when further reach would have been nice. In order to do that, Panasonic would have had to compromise on speed and/or size though. On the wide-end, the camera requires very low light due to the 1.7 f-stop. This, combined with a large chip (for a compact) and optical image stabilizer, means you can take pictures that come out sharp, even in very low light situations. The lens is also very sharp in center, and good (but not fantastic) on corners/along edges. Some people think extreme corner-to-corner sharpness is vital, but if you are interested in taking pictures of your family, you will likely only care about center sharpness. Even if you plan to do more pro type work, good photographers know that in most situations, you actually try to focus in the center and have the edges contain very little of interest, as it draws your attention away from what you want to show in the picture. If you like to shoot test-charts or are very into landscape photography, the only compact I can think of which would be good enough, is the Sony RX1, but it costs 2.5 times more, is slower at focusing, and does not have a zoom lens, Another note is that the out of focus areas, where you can often see bokeh "balls" (think lights in the background that are out of focus), will show very nicely. This is an area where it is much nicer looking than the RX100, plus it can also do a shallower DoF than the RX100.
2. Sensor - this is what captures the image from the lens and it is very large for a compact. It utilizes the same sensor used in micro four thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus, however it does not use the entire sensor. Instead, they have opted for a cropped picture that changes which portion of the sensor you use, depending on the format you shoot in (16:9, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1). The resolution in all modes are roughly 12.8MP. Yes, this is lower than some other cameras, but you can do pretty large prints without issue, and each pixel is in essence more precise, since you have less MP per square inch. In conclusion, between the lens and sensor, this camera produces very impressive quality pictures (and video).
3. 4K video in 24p. You might think - 4K video is stupid as very few even have tv's that can handle this, but keep in mind that if you are willing to work with the files it produces, downsizing 4k to 1080p yields sharper 1080p than virtually any other camera costing less than $3-5000. You can also use the extra resolution to zoom in, in essence increase your focal length, or utilize it to re-frame your video.
4. Macro. On it's widest focal length, you can focus down to about 1 inch, which is quite good for macro, and better than any other compacts out there.
5. Controls. If you like manual controls, this camera is GREAT. You can control pretty much everything with dials or rings on the lens.
6. Build Quality - very good for a compact.
7. Responsiveness. It is very fast at focusing, and has an impressive frames per second (which varies depending on how you focus etc).
8. Features; Nice standard Hotshoe if you want flash, and it does come with a small one you can use in a pinch (I don't like to use built in or small add-on flashes personally). It has focus peaking and zebra readout which is useful for manual focusing and helping with exposure. 4K photo mode where you can shoot a clip and then pick out good quality frames from it and save as photos. Nice if you shoot a group picture and want to find a frame where nobody is blinking, or you want to get an action shot at the right time. I really like the multi aspect ratio/format. If you want to shoot more like a landscape, you can use 16:9, or for other types, pick the format that suits you best. Uses a leaf shutter which is very quiet, and allows for flash sync'ing at far faster shutter speeds than most professional cameras (either 1/2000 or 1/4000 if I recall, vs many pro dsl's that are limited to anywhere from 1/200 to 1/500). Built in viewfinder, which is great to have. It shows you exactly what you are taking photos of, and you don't have to worry about sun, plus putting the camera up to your eye, adds another contact point which stabilizes your camera. That leads me to a good Optical image stabilizer, that works very well. Remote shooting can be done using either an apple or android phone or tablet.
Cons:
1. No built in ND filters, but this is partially compensated for as there is also an electronic shutter that goes all the way up to 1/16000. This is great for pictures in fairly strong light where you still want to get a shallow area in focus. However, for video, where you tend to want to keep shutter speeds low to avoid jerkiness, you would probably rather need to use the 43mm filter ring on the lens and get an nd filter.
2. No touch screen. This would have been nice to have, mainly for moving focus points around. The rest of the controls are so nice on this camera anyway.
3. Touch screen doesn't tilt, which would be good occasionally, but on the upside, the wifi remote app for apple and android works really well.
4. For video, there is no mic in, and the audio that is recorded internally is only passable. There are ways around that like external recorders or if you shoot with multiple cameras, have another camera record the audio, but that is not always how you shoot video of course..
5. A tad big, but considering the lens they put in here as well as the sensor, that is forgiven. Don't try to stick it in your pants pockets though. It will likely fit in your coat-pocket however.
All in all, a magnificent camera that while relatively pricey, really could replace a dslr and video camera for many people. It's main competitor is probably the RX100 mk3, so a quick comparison:
1. Low Light Shooting - the LX100 wins, but not by a huge margin
2. Scenery/Pictures with almost everything needs to be in focus: RX100-3
3. Portraits/Family shots - LX100 as the out of focus areas look nicer, plus you can have a shallower focus area.
4. Video Quality - LX100 as it can shoot great 4K, and even when downscaled to 1080p it looks better than the Sony.
5. Responsiveness - LX100 has a higher burst rate and faster focusing.
6. Size: RX100-3 as it is a bit smaller and can fit in some pants pockets at least.
7. Controls: This one is probably rather subjective. I prefer manual controls of the LX100 (it does by the way have a very nice auto mode as well), but the RX100-3 has other strengths. In the end, FOR ME, the LX100 is better.
8. Still Features: Probably a tie overall
9: Video Features: RX100-3, since it has nd filters, tiltable screen
Pro's:
1. Fast and Good lens. The lens is a 24-75 equivalent, that works for most purposes, though there are times when further reach would have been nice. In order to do that, Panasonic would have had to compromise on speed and/or size though. On the wide-end, the camera requires very low light due to the 1.7 f-stop. This, combined with a large chip (for a compact) and optical image stabilizer, means you can take pictures that come out sharp, even in very low light situations. The lens is also very sharp in center, and good (but not fantastic) on corners/along edges. Some people think extreme corner-to-corner sharpness is vital, but if you are interested in taking pictures of your family, you will likely only care about center sharpness. Even if you plan to do more pro type work, good photographers know that in most situations, you actually try to focus in the center and have the edges contain very little of interest, as it draws your attention away from what you want to show in the picture. If you like to shoot test-charts or are very into landscape photography, the only compact I can think of which would be good enough, is the Sony RX1, but it costs 2.5 times more, is slower at focusing, and does not have a zoom lens, Another note is that the out of focus areas, where you can often see bokeh "balls" (think lights in the background that are out of focus), will show very nicely. This is an area where it is much nicer looking than the RX100, plus it can also do a shallower DoF than the RX100.
2. Sensor - this is what captures the image from the lens and it is very large for a compact. It utilizes the same sensor used in micro four thirds cameras from Panasonic and Olympus, however it does not use the entire sensor. Instead, they have opted for a cropped picture that changes which portion of the sensor you use, depending on the format you shoot in (16:9, 4:3, 3:2, 1:1). The resolution in all modes are roughly 12.8MP. Yes, this is lower than some other cameras, but you can do pretty large prints without issue, and each pixel is in essence more precise, since you have less MP per square inch. In conclusion, between the lens and sensor, this camera produces very impressive quality pictures (and video).
3. 4K video in 24p. You might think - 4K video is stupid as very few even have tv's that can handle this, but keep in mind that if you are willing to work with the files it produces, downsizing 4k to 1080p yields sharper 1080p than virtually any other camera costing less than $3-5000. You can also use the extra resolution to zoom in, in essence increase your focal length, or utilize it to re-frame your video.
4. Macro. On it's widest focal length, you can focus down to about 1 inch, which is quite good for macro, and better than any other compacts out there.
5. Controls. If you like manual controls, this camera is GREAT. You can control pretty much everything with dials or rings on the lens.
6. Build Quality - very good for a compact.
7. Responsiveness. It is very fast at focusing, and has an impressive frames per second (which varies depending on how you focus etc).
8. Features; Nice standard Hotshoe if you want flash, and it does come with a small one you can use in a pinch (I don't like to use built in or small add-on flashes personally). It has focus peaking and zebra readout which is useful for manual focusing and helping with exposure. 4K photo mode where you can shoot a clip and then pick out good quality frames from it and save as photos. Nice if you shoot a group picture and want to find a frame where nobody is blinking, or you want to get an action shot at the right time. I really like the multi aspect ratio/format. If you want to shoot more like a landscape, you can use 16:9, or for other types, pick the format that suits you best. Uses a leaf shutter which is very quiet, and allows for flash sync'ing at far faster shutter speeds than most professional cameras (either 1/2000 or 1/4000 if I recall, vs many pro dsl's that are limited to anywhere from 1/200 to 1/500). Built in viewfinder, which is great to have. It shows you exactly what you are taking photos of, and you don't have to worry about sun, plus putting the camera up to your eye, adds another contact point which stabilizes your camera. That leads me to a good Optical image stabilizer, that works very well. Remote shooting can be done using either an apple or android phone or tablet.
Cons:
1. No built in ND filters, but this is partially compensated for as there is also an electronic shutter that goes all the way up to 1/16000. This is great for pictures in fairly strong light where you still want to get a shallow area in focus. However, for video, where you tend to want to keep shutter speeds low to avoid jerkiness, you would probably rather need to use the 43mm filter ring on the lens and get an nd filter.
2. No touch screen. This would have been nice to have, mainly for moving focus points around. The rest of the controls are so nice on this camera anyway.
3. Touch screen doesn't tilt, which would be good occasionally, but on the upside, the wifi remote app for apple and android works really well.
4. For video, there is no mic in, and the audio that is recorded internally is only passable. There are ways around that like external recorders or if you shoot with multiple cameras, have another camera record the audio, but that is not always how you shoot video of course..
5. A tad big, but considering the lens they put in here as well as the sensor, that is forgiven. Don't try to stick it in your pants pockets though. It will likely fit in your coat-pocket however.
All in all, a magnificent camera that while relatively pricey, really could replace a dslr and video camera for many people. It's main competitor is probably the RX100 mk3, so a quick comparison:
1. Low Light Shooting - the LX100 wins, but not by a huge margin
2. Scenery/Pictures with almost everything needs to be in focus: RX100-3
3. Portraits/Family shots - LX100 as the out of focus areas look nicer, plus you can have a shallower focus area.
4. Video Quality - LX100 as it can shoot great 4K, and even when downscaled to 1080p it looks better than the Sony.
5. Responsiveness - LX100 has a higher burst rate and faster focusing.
6. Size: RX100-3 as it is a bit smaller and can fit in some pants pockets at least.
7. Controls: This one is probably rather subjective. I prefer manual controls of the LX100 (it does by the way have a very nice auto mode as well), but the RX100-3 has other strengths. In the end, FOR ME, the LX100 is better.
8. Still Features: Probably a tie overall
9: Video Features: RX100-3, since it has nd filters, tiltable screen
25 of 27 people found the following review helpful
on November 7, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
This is what I have been searching for. I thought I had found a good all around compact digital camera in the Canon G1X MKII. I tested the two side by side and this LX100 blows it away. IQ is a better on the LX, but the real upgrade is the focusing speed. The LX100 is so much faster. In the past six months I have tried cameras from Sony, Olympus, Fuji, Leica, Canon and Ricoh and none comes close to this Panasonic as an all around day to day camera. I have been an hobbyist photographer since the early 1970's and this camera makes me smile. Others do also, particularly the Leica X2 and the Ricoh GR, but the single focal length is just too limiting. The Panasonic LX100 is a keeper!
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
on November 23, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
This camera has everything I have wanted in an advanced point and shoot. My last dslr was a canon 40D and I feel the LX100 is well beating it. The low light capability is awesome and I have been so impressed with the video shot in low light. I love having the viewfinder available...it has good adjustment for your individual eyes and I need that. Having that is a relief for me over using the LCD screen. I think the size of the camera is perfect. I don't care for cameras that are too minature. They slip out of my hands! The boca is beautiful and makes for excellent portraits. Photos tweak very nicely in photoshop for post processing. It takes a little study to get use to toggling different features and I'm still learning but this is now my go-to camera. As you learn you become aware that there are many variations quickly available for any shot. Love the aspect ratio switch right on barrel. Looking forward to getting the auto lens cover for it....that will make it even more awesome! I got to use it in Sedona this last week. What impressed me, in waning light especially, was the amount of detail and contrast captured. I'll post some pics straight out of the camera. I did find one with lens flare....ehhh, not much of an issue for me.
27 of 30 people found the following review helpful
on November 9, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
I'm not going to go into all the technical data and pretend like I am writing a pro in-depth review. I am just going to give you a quickie. ..how good is this camera.
If you put it into iAuto (Intelligent Auto) you just have to point and shoot for superb photos well over 90% of the time. I have taken several hundred pictures in iAuto mode and not a poorly exposed or badly focused yet.
Put it in manual mode and you can control this camera to a gnat's eyelash.
And everything in between.
Zoom in on the attached photo to see the detail available with this lens & sensor combination.
I have been a photo enthusiast for over 40 years and have been fortunate enough to be able to use pro level cameras for most of that time. The only thing I miss in this camera is a right angle viewfinder and a larger zoom range (to the equivalent of a 135mm full frame lens).
If you consider yourself a "prosumer," then this camera needs to be in your bag.
If you put it into iAuto (Intelligent Auto) you just have to point and shoot for superb photos well over 90% of the time. I have taken several hundred pictures in iAuto mode and not a poorly exposed or badly focused yet.
Put it in manual mode and you can control this camera to a gnat's eyelash.
And everything in between.
Zoom in on the attached photo to see the detail available with this lens & sensor combination.
I have been a photo enthusiast for over 40 years and have been fortunate enough to be able to use pro level cameras for most of that time. The only thing I miss in this camera is a right angle viewfinder and a larger zoom range (to the equivalent of a 135mm full frame lens).
If you consider yourself a "prosumer," then this camera needs to be in your bag.
34 of 39 people found the following review helpful
on November 14, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
I got my 2nd LX100 today due to a defective level gauge which is about 10 degree off. The new one works great. thanks to Amazon's excellent service.
I am a professional photographer, my gears including Nikon D800 with various lenses, Fujifilm XT-1 with various lenses, Oly and Pana m4/3 bodies and lenses, Sony A7 with every matching lens out there.
The LX100 is an impressive photographic tool. All the controls are in the right place. It only took me several minutes to get familiarize with the operating of this camera.
Lens:
The lens is designed by Leica and Panny, sharp even when wide open, the only draw back is the lens flare. I love shooting against the sun and the purple flare will destroy the photo if not being careful. on the angle when shooting. I am not sure if having a lens hood will help, but more than likely I believe the flare can be minimized by better coating. The large aperture does create beautiful bokeh when shooting at 34mm (75mm equiv.) at F2.8. The auto focus with Macro gets your lens closer to the subject. The other draw back beside the flare is the length of the lens, which is a bit longer than I would like it to be.
Controls:
I love retro. Fuji camera is the one I use most often when shooting landscape and wedding. Having aperture ring on the lens and exposure ring on the camera body plus the shutter speed on top of the camera really make this camera intuitive to use. You can set u your rear control dial to have direct access to the focus point but in doing so, you loose direct control of ISO, WB, focus selection and continuous shooting function. There are a lot of customized functions which you can program into the camera, but as for now, I leave them to default. Once I am more familiarized with this camera, I might program them to do other tricks.
The IA button right behind the shutter can be programmed to be pressed longer to avoid accidental activation of the function. The menu is easy to access and easy to use. The ring on the lens can be programmed as well, as for now, I am using it as default to control the zoom. I wish it can be a bit faster than how it is now. The zoom level, at first, I thought it was an overkill, but it turn out to be very useful when you operate the camera with one hand. Overall the functions and accessibility of this camera are just first class.
Speed:
This camera is snappy, focusing is fast and buffer on the camera is large enough to enable some fast continuous shoots. The only draw back is the start up speed. It took longer then expected to get the camera ready for the first shoot. The lens takes time to extend and takes time to retrieve back when you turn off the camera.
Sensor:
Compare to Panny GM1 which I have for a while, they should have about the same dynamic range. I am not very fond of Panny's color. You really can see noise when shooting at lowest ISO. It does have that "small sensor" look that comes with all m4/3 camera. I use Adobe Lightroom for editing, but due to the RAW support for this camera is not out yet, I really can't compare it with my current m4/3 camera. Hopefully it should be at least as good as the sensor in GM1. I really wish the resolution is higher than 12MP, 16MP shall be more useful, as the lens really deserve a higher resolution sensor.
EVF:
Comparing with Fuji XT-1 and Sony A7, the EVF is one class below them. It is useful but still have that "tunnel vision" feel. It is okay to use but just not great. I wish it is bigger.
Video:
Since I do not shoot much video, I can't have much comments about it, I am sure you can find a lot of review on the internet. So far the initial impression is good.
Overall, I really like this camera and it sure is a keeper for casual shooting which you get a lot better image than other small sensor cameras. Originally I had placed an order for Fuji X30 to replace the X20 which I use as my carry on camera, but canceled my order and opt for LX100. Yes it cost $300 more but the impressive lens, larger sensor and snappy speed and great control layout makes this camera a winner.... only if it has the Fuji Color and X-Trans Sensor for low noise performance.
I included some quick sample photos below, all shoot in JPEG. as for the lens flare, I believe someone else had already provide the worst case scenario for the flare.
As for now, 4 star is all this camera gets, once Lightroom starts to support this camera, I might upgrade this to 5 stars.
I am a professional photographer, my gears including Nikon D800 with various lenses, Fujifilm XT-1 with various lenses, Oly and Pana m4/3 bodies and lenses, Sony A7 with every matching lens out there.
The LX100 is an impressive photographic tool. All the controls are in the right place. It only took me several minutes to get familiarize with the operating of this camera.
Lens:
The lens is designed by Leica and Panny, sharp even when wide open, the only draw back is the lens flare. I love shooting against the sun and the purple flare will destroy the photo if not being careful. on the angle when shooting. I am not sure if having a lens hood will help, but more than likely I believe the flare can be minimized by better coating. The large aperture does create beautiful bokeh when shooting at 34mm (75mm equiv.) at F2.8. The auto focus with Macro gets your lens closer to the subject. The other draw back beside the flare is the length of the lens, which is a bit longer than I would like it to be.
Controls:
I love retro. Fuji camera is the one I use most often when shooting landscape and wedding. Having aperture ring on the lens and exposure ring on the camera body plus the shutter speed on top of the camera really make this camera intuitive to use. You can set u your rear control dial to have direct access to the focus point but in doing so, you loose direct control of ISO, WB, focus selection and continuous shooting function. There are a lot of customized functions which you can program into the camera, but as for now, I leave them to default. Once I am more familiarized with this camera, I might program them to do other tricks.
The IA button right behind the shutter can be programmed to be pressed longer to avoid accidental activation of the function. The menu is easy to access and easy to use. The ring on the lens can be programmed as well, as for now, I am using it as default to control the zoom. I wish it can be a bit faster than how it is now. The zoom level, at first, I thought it was an overkill, but it turn out to be very useful when you operate the camera with one hand. Overall the functions and accessibility of this camera are just first class.
Speed:
This camera is snappy, focusing is fast and buffer on the camera is large enough to enable some fast continuous shoots. The only draw back is the start up speed. It took longer then expected to get the camera ready for the first shoot. The lens takes time to extend and takes time to retrieve back when you turn off the camera.
Sensor:
Compare to Panny GM1 which I have for a while, they should have about the same dynamic range. I am not very fond of Panny's color. You really can see noise when shooting at lowest ISO. It does have that "small sensor" look that comes with all m4/3 camera. I use Adobe Lightroom for editing, but due to the RAW support for this camera is not out yet, I really can't compare it with my current m4/3 camera. Hopefully it should be at least as good as the sensor in GM1. I really wish the resolution is higher than 12MP, 16MP shall be more useful, as the lens really deserve a higher resolution sensor.
EVF:
Comparing with Fuji XT-1 and Sony A7, the EVF is one class below them. It is useful but still have that "tunnel vision" feel. It is okay to use but just not great. I wish it is bigger.
Video:
Since I do not shoot much video, I can't have much comments about it, I am sure you can find a lot of review on the internet. So far the initial impression is good.
Overall, I really like this camera and it sure is a keeper for casual shooting which you get a lot better image than other small sensor cameras. Originally I had placed an order for Fuji X30 to replace the X20 which I use as my carry on camera, but canceled my order and opt for LX100. Yes it cost $300 more but the impressive lens, larger sensor and snappy speed and great control layout makes this camera a winner.... only if it has the Fuji Color and X-Trans Sensor for low noise performance.
I included some quick sample photos below, all shoot in JPEG. as for the lens flare, I believe someone else had already provide the worst case scenario for the flare.
As for now, 4 star is all this camera gets, once Lightroom starts to support this camera, I might upgrade this to 5 stars.
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
on November 5, 2014
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
If you're looking for the full auto P&S; experience, this may not be the best camera for you - but I find that the almost everything I need is available without diving into the menus and those few things I wanted immediate access to, are assignable to a function key or the quick menu. It's a little large to be "pocketable" but certainly extremely portable. Autofocus is fast, face detection works, subject tracking works with the usual contrast based focusing caveats. The 4K video/photo feature is a gamechanger.
My only real complaint is the inability to mount a hood other than via the lens threading (which will probably result in vignetting). I normally wouldn't care about that except that the lens on this camera flares easily and very unattractively - hence the four stars.
My only real complaint is the inability to mount a hood other than via the lens threading (which will probably result in vignetting). I normally wouldn't care about that except that the lens on this camera flares easily and very unattractively - hence the four stars.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
on January 11, 2015
Color Name: BlackVerified Purchase
I have read many of the reviews of the Panasonic Lumix LX100, many of them not rating this camera very high. I’ve been a avid, semi professional photographer for most of my life. I have owned most every high end make and model from Hasselblads, Leicas, Nikons, Canon, etc., and went to digital cameras when they first came on the scene. My current DSLR is a Nikon D800, which is incredible.
I decided a couple of years ago to “lighten-up” and take advantage of the small body - higher end cameras, Canon’s G Series especially. I liked that I could have a camera with more functions than a point and shoot, good optics and the current features of the time, easily carried, and with me instead of home in a bag.
I purchased the LX100 looking to improve on the features of the Canon G’s. This camera meets and exceeds my expectations. The Leica lens, top notch! The body, small, tough and easily carried and held. And the images are incredible. Color, speed, ISO, macro, image stabilization, all superb. Even the flash which gets bad reviews because it’s not attached is good, especially for its size!! It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for, and this is like a little Leica… it’s just about perfect. Not enough zoom, walk a little closer, not enough flash, get a bigger one. In my mind this is about as good as it gets! More pixels and the file becomes too large. Low light, crank up the ISO, which hangs in there for some really high numbers before the image starts to degrade.
I don’t think you will be disappointed with the LX100, and neither have the top digital camera reviewers!
I decided a couple of years ago to “lighten-up” and take advantage of the small body - higher end cameras, Canon’s G Series especially. I liked that I could have a camera with more functions than a point and shoot, good optics and the current features of the time, easily carried, and with me instead of home in a bag.
I purchased the LX100 looking to improve on the features of the Canon G’s. This camera meets and exceeds my expectations. The Leica lens, top notch! The body, small, tough and easily carried and held. And the images are incredible. Color, speed, ISO, macro, image stabilization, all superb. Even the flash which gets bad reviews because it’s not attached is good, especially for its size!! It’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for, and this is like a little Leica… it’s just about perfect. Not enough zoom, walk a little closer, not enough flash, get a bigger one. In my mind this is about as good as it gets! More pixels and the file becomes too large. Low light, crank up the ISO, which hangs in there for some really high numbers before the image starts to degrade.
I don’t think you will be disappointed with the LX100, and neither have the top digital camera reviewers!
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