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.
Image Quality Panasonic DMC LX2 test shots
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.
Shutter Lag
I was able to take a single photo in 0.43 seconds and five in 8.17 seconds. With flash turned on the times increased to 0.55 seconds for a single photo and 11.23 seconds for five photos. The time take to take a single photo without flash is a bit above average. All other times are good and it is also encouraging to see that turning the flash on does not add a great deal of time to the shot taking process.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
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.
Dimensions: 105.7 x 55.8 x 26.3mm
Weight: 187g
Batteries: Lithium ion. Battery and charger supplied. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 300 shots between charges.
Memory cards: 13mb built in memory (enough for around two photos). Also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
Click here to save money on SD cards.
Ease of use rating: Good - 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 you're 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.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Panasonic DMC LX2 Summary |
| Description: | 10 megapixels and a 4x zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 9 |
| Colour: | 7 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 9 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 81 |
| Verdict: | The Panasonic DMC LX2 is an advanced digital camera with ten megapixels and a wide angle lens. It has many features you would expect to find on a digital SLR. On the whole the camera performed well in my tests. In fact it was outstanding in lowlight. |
| Review Date: | May 2007 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
|
