Monday, October 02, 2006
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2
The Lumix DMC-LX2 is the successor to the Panasonic wide screen 16:9 format digital camera. Announced in July it is now widely available and the reviews are starting to come in from around the web.
What made the LX1 unique are still around in the DMC-LX2 with some extras in the revision.
The f2.8mm, 4x zoom, 28mm x 112mm equivalent lens is the same but there is now a larger 2.8” 207,000 pixel LCD. Of course Panasonics’ own MEGA O.I.S. antishake system is included. In fact all Lumix cameras now have the MEGA O.I.S. system incorporated. The LUMIX LX2 is also equipped with the world’s first* Intelligent ISO Control (hereafter I.I.C.) within the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III.
Panasonic calls this camera triple “wide” because it features three wide functions, 28mm wide angle Leica lens, 16:9 wide CCD and 16:9 LCD.
Panasonic has long called their image processing engine the Venus Engine and with the LUMIX LX2 Panasonic uses the Venus Engine III for noise reduction. Noise was the dealbreaker on ISO speeds higher than 200 on the previous LUMIX LX1 and unfortunately it appears the same problem persists with the DMC-LX2.
The LX2 includes 13mb of internal memory but since it generates a maximum 10.2 megapixel image purchasing a card with the camera is a must especially when the LUMIXLX2 supports RAW format images.
Panasonic LUMIX-LX2 Specs |
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| Format: | Compact Camera | Manual Focus: | N |
| Megapixels: | 10mp | Focal Length: | 28-112mm |
| Optical Zoom: | 4x | Image Stabilization: | Y |
| LCD: | 2.8" | Connectivity: | USB |
| Digital Camera Memory: | SD/MMC, SDHC | Movie Mode: | Y |
| Aperture: | f2.8-f8 | Battery Type: | AA |
| RAW: | Y | Hot Shoe: | N |
| Shutter Speed: | 1/2000-1/4sec | Dust Removal: | N |
| Exposure: | ISO100-3200 | ||
| LUMIX-LX2 Dimensions (WxHxD) | 4.16 x 2.20 x 1.04 in (105.7 x 55.8 x 26.3 mm) | ||
| LUMIX-LX2 Weight (inc. batt.) | 8oz (227g) | ||
| LUMIX-LX2 Intro. price (US): | $499.99 | ||
REVIEWS
DC Resource has a review of the LUMIX LX2
Sadly it appears the high noise problem of the LX1 persists in the LUMIX LX2.
“At ISO 200 details start to really get fuzzy, looking more like a watercolor painting than a photograph. Things only get worse at ISO 400. At ISO 800 and 1600, you start to get more of a “static” noise in addition to the loss of detail—plus, there’s a noticeable color shift. Needless to say, I would never take the LX2 above ISO 200 when shooting in low light, unless you’re absolutely desperate.”
“There are a couple things to notice in this test. First, you see a drop in detail and an increase in noise once you pass through ISO 400. If you look at the full size images, you’ll also see the “fuzzy edges” that I was talking about in the night shot discussion. Finally, there’s a noticeable drop in color saturation when you hit ISO 400, which is apparently also the result of noise reduction. The ISO 800 and 1600 photos do clean up fairly well with NeatImage, though you’ll be limited to small print sizes.
Overall, the DMC-LX2’s image quality is a mixed bag. On the positive side, the camera took had accurate exposure, and really pleasant color saturation. Purple fringing levels were very low, due in part to the Venus Engine III—it removes it digitally. Noise levels are above average.
The LX2’s image quality weak spot is in terms of the amount of detail that is lost due to noise reduction. Even at ISO 100, fine details like grass (examples one, two) and hair look like they’ve had a trip through a watercolor filter in Photoshop. Things get worse at ISO 200, and at ISO 800 you’ve got a Monet painting (examples one, two).
What about some workarounds? I spent a lot of time messing with the noise reduction setting, and to be honest, even at the “low” setting, I didn’t find it to help much. What does help quite a bit is to shoot in RAW mode. The shot below was taken at ISO 200, and here are two areas in which I saw a noticeable difference in the amount of detail loss:”
The take-home messages here: 1) Keep the ISO as low as possible and 2) If you’re making large prints, shoot in RAW mode. Yes, post-processing is a pain in the butt, but I find detail loss a lot more annoying.
“The LUMIX LX2 Panasonic has added several new features, some good, some not-so-good. They include:
- 10.2 Megapixel widescreen CCD (versus 8.4 on the LX1)
- Widescreen 2.8” LCD display (versus 2.5”, 4:3 LCD on the LX1)
- Uses new Venus III image processor (the LX1 used Venus II)
- ISO can go up to 1600 (3200 in high sensitivity mode) compared to 400 on the LX1
- Higher resolution movie mode (1280 x 720 vs 848 x 480)
- Improved battery life (300 vs 240 shots)
- Adds 13MB of built-in memory (in lieu of a bundled memory card)
- Support for SDHC memory cards
Some features that haven’t changed include the wide-angle 28 - 112 mm lens, optical image stabilizer, full manual controls, and support for the RAW image format.
From the press release.
Manual Focus
The LUMIX LX series are distinct from other compact cameras in the way they feature extensive manual controls including manual focus and manual exposure which can be smoothly operated with a joystick. This joystick further provides operation shortcuts to the frequently used settings including white balance, ISO, image size, compression format, light metering and AF mode by simply pressing and holding it. It also allows exposure compensation and selection of one out of nine focusing areas.
The aspect ratio is easily selectable between 16:9 wide, 3:2 and conventional 4:3 with a switch located on top of the lens barrel to shoot in the framing aspect that best suits the subjects’ composition or image’s purpose of use. In addition, the DMC-LX2 is capable of recording wide 16:9 high definition (1280 x 720) motion image at 15 fps.
The other features that elevate the DMC-LX2 is the incorporation of 13 MB of built-in memory while the battery life is extended up to 300 pictures* on one charging, not to let you miss those great spur-of-the-moment shots. A print mode has been added to the mode dial so that you can print the images quickly and bundled software allows users to edit and develop RAW files.
LUMIX LX2 New Joystick Manual Control
The easy-to-use joystick operation and good design, which were part of the highly acclaimed trademarks of the predecessor, are inherited by the DMC-LX2. The joystick was incorporated to facilitate operational ease and thereby get the best technical advantage of the multitude of functions offered by the camera. With the joystick it is possible to set focus and exposure manually, and also quickly shortcut to frequently used variables by just pressing and holding the joystick even while monitoring a subject on the LCD. The predecessor LX1 contained white balance adjustment, ISO setting, image size setting and compression format in its shortcut menu, and the light metering and AF mode settings are now added for the new LX2. It also allows the exposure compensation and selection of one out of nine focusing areas.
A switch on the side of the lens barrel lets you quickly change the focus mode between MF, AF or Macro AF. When you focus in the Manual Focus mode, not only the focus distance but also the DOF (depth of field) according to the zoom range and aperture is displayed. An MF assist function enlarges the center of the image to make focusing easier. The focusing area can be enlarged up to 4x and is movable, which also contributes to easy and comfortable manual focusing.
LUMIX LX2’s Faster Auto Focus
The AF mode can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal speed and Spot. In the 1-point and 1-point high speed AF mode, the AF area is selectable from the nine focusing areas with the joystick to best fit the composition of the subjects. Also, the AF assist lamp helps quick, accurate focusing in situations where focusing is difficult due to the lack of light. The AF/AE lock button is also succeeded from the predecessor.
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