Overview
The Panasonic DMC LX2 is an advanced digital camera. It has many of the features you would expect to find on a digital SLR, but in a compact body. The DMC LX2 is also set up to take wide angle shots. The camera has both a wide angle lens and also a special wide LCD screen. I would say the camera is most likely to appeal to someone who sees photography as a hobby and either does not want the bulk of a larger digital SLR or is looking for a second more compact camera. This is a ten megapixel* model with a four times zoom lens.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
4x
2.8 inches
105.7 x 55.8 x 26.3m
187g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
5cm
No
Yes
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD/MMC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Hmm… The DMC LX2 comes close to being a very good digital camera. On the whole picture quality is very good, but there are one or two points where it could improve.
The first point that strikes me when I am looking at the outdoor shots is how sharp they are and the strong colours the camera has produced. In the first shot the brickwork in the building is in sharp focus. Moving out to the edges the level of focusing is maintained to an impressive degree. A couple of not so good points though are the way the camera looses detail where the bright sunlight falls directly onto the boats. This has also caused a small amount of purple fringing where the sun strikes the edges of light coloured objects. This adds a thin purple line in places.
In the second photo where the lens is zoomed right out focusing is not quite as good. Here I can also see purple tinges added to the top of some of the ridges on the water. The sky is very strongly coloured. Even though it was a deep blue on the day the DMC LX2 has ramped up the depth of the colour.
With the lens zoomed in to its full capacity in the third shot the sharpness comes back into the picture. The water in the shot is very blue and a small amount of noise creeps into the sky.
Looking at the outdoor portrait colour levels go beyond strong into overpowering in my opinion. Skin tones take on an orange glow and the photo starts to have an unnatural feel to it.
Likewise the specific test for colour produces a strange result. The colours once again do not look natural.
Indoors it's a different story. In the lower light the DMC LX2 excels. Both of my test photos are bright and sharply focused. With the flash being used the colours are better controlled and these photos stand up well when compared with the majority of other digital cameras. The indoor portrait shows no sign of red eye. This may be down to the fact that the camera includes a flash unit that pops up taking the light source away from the lens. It is normally the proximity of the lens to the flash unit that causes red eye to occur.
The macro shot displays a higher level of detail than I am used to seeing. It is also a bright and clear photo. My only complaint is that a small amount of purple has been added in. This is only likely to occur when photographing jewelry or other very light objects.
Panasonic have made great advances in controlling noise when shooting at higher ISO levels. Both my tests at ISO 400 and ISO 1600 are far better than most other cameras manage.
Style
The DMC LX2 is a classy compact. In terms of look and feel it is a cut above the majority of other compact digital cameras. The lens protrudes from the body giving the impression of a higher quality camera. There is also a small grip on the front. The camera is available in black and silver.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.43 seconds
8.17 seconds
0.55 seconds
11.23 seconds
Ease of Use
You will need to acquaint yourself with a variety of buttons and the control dial. The menu system is very easy to read and easy to your your way around.
Points I Like
Bright and clear LCD screen - wide angle lens - well structured menus - lowlight shots - design
Where it Could Improve
Very small internal memory - sun glare problems
Verdict
The Panasonic DMC LX2 has many good points. These include my lowlight test shots, a high quality LCD screen and its style and design. It takes very good photos in most situations, but some people are likely to find the colours too strong from time to time. I would also have liked to see the camera handle sun glare better.
*The full ten megapixels are only available when shooting in wide screen mode. When taking photos to fit on 6 x 4" paper roughly eight megapixels are available. In standard 4:3 mode roughly seven megapixels area available.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Panasonic DMC LX2 Review Panasonic DMC LX2 Specification Panasonic DMC LX2 Sample Images Panasonic DMC LX2 Features
Review Date
May 2007
