- 7.5x Intelligent zoom, less ghost with Nano Surface Coating Lens
- 10MP new high sensitivity MOS sensor
- F1.4-2.3 Leica DC vario SUMMILUX 24mm Wide Angle
- 60p Full HD Video Recording with Stereo Microphone in AVCHD Progressive /MP4,
- 9fps High Speed Continuous Shooting
Despite keeping these few cameras around (really just the 3: the FX50, the TX9 and now the LX7), I'm just your Joe Average photographer, shooting mainly the kids, family/friend gatherings, special events, and some home construction-type projects, and other hobby interests.
And what I've ever really wanted out of the LX series is a compact, low light-capable camera with a respectable set of manual controls. Exactly what the SONY RX100 is with its huge sensor, and of the two, it is unquestionably the better performer for indoor shooting situations of fast moving kids, compared to the LX3 and LX5.
If that were my only criteria, I'd have never ordered the LX7, and might be typing up my thoughts on the RX100 instead. But maybe my four years of familiarity with the LX3/5 got the better of me. Maybe I'm just a sheep with a Panasonic logo branded on my flank. But there were a couple of sore points with the Sony that just plain made me unsatisfied. Rather than trash the RX100 (not my intention), here's my list:
There's no escaping the benefit of the wide 24mm lens on the LX series. Not to mention the handy aspect ratio mode switching right on the bezel. And I use the 1:1 aspect ratio more than I care to admit.
The Panasonic's hot shoe is a hot commodity when I need it. I have a Metz 36-AF4O (since replaced by the Metz 36 AF-5, I believe) which is about as big as the camera itself, but provides more than adequate light with bounce capabilities.
Two of my gripes with the LX3 and LX5 were the difficulty of adjusting manual settings via push-button & thumb dial inputs. The LX7's aperture ring and dedicated manual focus lever have addressed this, with varying degrees of satisfaction.
I get to keep my LX5 spare battery, which isn't such a huge deal, but just know that its shelf life is spectacular. Although my predicted number of shots between charges has decreased, per the manual. Nothing drastic; still great battery life.
Most importantly, the Panasonic LX7 has a certain ease and quickness about it -probably due in part to my use of its predecessors -and combined with the newly added manual controls, it feels to me the design is finally at a point where I can set up various shooting solutions with a minimum of fuss and button pressing, nearly (but not quite) like my SLR days many years ago. The "user experience" of the Sony, by comparison, felt a little too menu driven and sticky.
Where did Panasonic fall short with this new model?
For one, the image quality really hasn't changed. My thoughts are that the LX3 was excellent, but the LX5 tended to focus a little soft -although nothing that stood out horribly amiss; maybe within the normal manufacturing variations? I don't want to speculate on sensor sizes or type playing a role, but I can attest Sony's RX100 shoots a "cleaner" or "crisper" portrait-style photo -although that difference disappears once the image is downsized for printing/sharing.
There's still no remote. Or cable release. Or Bulb mode. Can't tell you how much I enjoy those features on other cameras. For the LX5, I have a cable release adapter that slides into the hot shoe and extends an arm over the shutter release for a cable release to activate, but the hot shoe has been realigned on the LX7 so it no longer works.
I continue to have trouble reading the silver-on-silver symbols etched onto the 4-way keys.
If you're one to complain about the lens cap (I'm not, but I know a lot of LX users HATE the thing)... well, it's still here, and it's smaller than before, making it a little more difficult to clip on/clip off.
I once committed to never buying a camera without a tiltable display, but that's just not an option. All things considered, the LX7 display is not as bright at the RX100, but is very visible in all but direct daylight, and viewable from off angles without the colors inverting.
What did Panasonic get right with the LX7 update?
The redesigned lens is noteworthy. It's a definite improvement over the LX5 for indoor shooting, and that extends through the entire zoom range (still only 90mm, which was an improvement over the LX3). I find that I take the vast majority of my photos on the wide end of this lens, but in low light settings, I've been forced to if I'm trying to avoid using the flash. With the lens redesign, I've got a little more flexibility in my zoom before resorting to higher ISOs.
IC? Firmware? Who knows! The camera is snappier than its predecessor, in all aspects: start up, menu navigation, auto focus delay, and shot to shot. It gets shots off near instantaneously. And the kicker is a burst mode!
I can't say I was disappointed by the 720p video of the LX5, but full HD video is a treat -especially with memory prices as cheap as they are compared to two years ago.
Finally, a dedicated white balance button on the 4-way controller! (Panasonic eliminated the "Focus" key featured on the LX5, and also added burst mode selection to the shutter self timer key.)
I'm very excited about the inclusion of a time lapse feature. This was overdue.
The clickable, dedicated aperture ring, especially, and the manual focus lever, sort of (light applause -needs something more "ring like")
The mode wheel is substantially firmer, preventing inadvertent turns while in the pocket.
Some random thoughts on the Sony RX100: It feels a little "rough" at startup (i.e. not-so-smooth lens extension, kind of rough feel & sound), and starts up about a second slower than the Panasonic, but not having to remove a lens cap negates that. Zoom time from full wide to full tele is about one second snappier on the Sony. I felt that the Sony's auto white balance "got it right" more often than the LX, but the custom white balance is at minimum one level deep into the menu (if set to the Fn key). Shutdown immediately after snapping a pic is an agonizingly slow 5-6 seconds for full lens retraction; 3-4 seconds if the camera is already at idle. And not so much a dig at Sony as a kudos to Panasonic, but with the 28mm constraint on the wide end, switching from 4:3 to 16:9 simply crops the top and bottom of the frame, whereas on all the LX cameras with their unique sensor usage, I actually gain extra pixels on the sensor to help compose the shot I want.
Panasonic's history of product support HAS to be a consideration. They released mid-cycle firmware updates for both the LX3 and the LX5, and with the unexpected LX3 update in particular, added new features -not just bug fixes. (Wish I could say the same about the FX50, but that's a story for another day...)
I wouldn't be so bold as to recommend the LX7 over the RX100, but only want to give a little insight via some of the features I hold in high regard. They both definitely have their strong suits. If you're at all familiar with the previous LX cameras, you have a solid basis for understanding the LX7 improvements, as well as its shortcomings. That certainly didn't stop me from happily purchasing the RX100 before giving the LX7 a chance to hit the streets, but by doing so I immediately proved to myself that there is still no "perfect camera," and with the compromises that I had to accept, my preferences fell mainly back to the LX line.
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My primary requirement for a camera is that it be compact, but still take great pictures under the conditions I run into often. I hike and climb a lot and do not want the bulk of a DSLR hanging in front of me, and the camera must be accessible so I don't delay the group while digging my camera out of the pack. So I gravitate toward the compact camera that gives me as much of the DLSR feature set as possible.I chose the LX7 primarily because it has a very fast lens. For me that means handheld shots under a thick forest canopy are not blurred because of slow shutter speeds. My previous camera was the DMC-LX5, the predecessor to this model and it was great. I'm replacing it because I made the mistake of taking movies in a sandstorm during a hike down Buckskin gulch in Utah. Ever since that the camera has been complaining when sand grains stick in the lens mechanism and get inside the camera on the sensor. So don't do that!
When the LX7 arrived I downloaded the PDF manual (much easier to read than the small one in the box) and went through the new features to familiarize myself with how to use them. I kept being delighted with the improvements over the LX5 that make this the best camera I've ever owned for hiking/climbing shots. In brief, they are:
1) Fast lens good for hand held shots in dim lighting situations (forests, twilight, ...). You don't hold up your companions setting up a tripod shot.
2) Wide angle no need for a panorama when the wide angle lens can get it all
3) Compact light and small enough to hand around your neck all day without being uncomfortable
4) Raw Most of the time I take jpeg simply to document the hike. But when dramatic lighting or scenes call for it I can kick in the Raw for a killer result.
5) Bracketing many outdoor shots with snow or sun/shadow scenes have huge contrast. Exposure bracketed shots combined in post solve this.
6) New! Auto HDR LX7 will do the bracketing and merging in camera. Haven't tested enough to see if it beats (4) for quality though.
7) New! Auto Pano I take a lot of panorama shots from viewpoints, and it's time consuming to stitch them in post. The LX7 will do them in camera.
8) New! 3D I know, 3D is overrated, but for that shot hanging over the cliff nothing else works as well. LX7 has a 3D photo mode.
9) New! Time Lapse I don't do time lapse much because I couldn't, but I hope to capture progressive alpenglow from camp, and a time lapse of 3 shots 1-minute apart also works as a long self-timer. I've nearly fallen scrambling on steep summit rocks to get in the picture withing 10 seconds.
10) White body I bushwhack a lot and twice my camera has "sneaked" out of my case when I forgot to close the zipper. White cameras are easier to find!
Read Best Reviews of Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7W 10.1 MP Digital Camera (White) Here
Updated 2/22/13 to revise comments on image qualityTook this camera out on a trail yesterday with me. Overall, I think it's a solid performer and better than its predecessor for the most part.
The camera feels a little cheaper than than the LX5. It's not flimsy, but it seems like the body is composed of plastic vs. metal on the LX5. It doesn't feel as solid as the S100, but it doesn't feel flimsy though. The button layout on the back of the camera is almost exactly the same as the LX5. Including the silver buttons whose labeling is hard to see. But that is just a minor annoyance overall.
The screen is a definite improvement over its predecessors, sharp and crisp and much more usable in direct sunlight, and it also seems larger. Composing a shot with this camera is a much more pleasant experience overall than the LX5.
The aperture ring on the front of the camera has a nice feel to it when adjusting the aperture. However, I would have rather seen Panasonic put in a customizable ring like on the Canon S100 rather than just for adjusting the aperture. But there was nothing of the sort on its predecessor so it still is nice to have the aperture ring there.
The firmware on the camera is a lot faster than its predecessor. The write times have improved (I am using a Class 10 SanDisk card) but you still want to get a decent memory card for this camera so you won't get slowed down by the write times. The camera has a fairly decent menu system in order to access different features. The Panorama mode works very well and dare I say, even better than Sony's implementation. However, unlike Sony who puts it on the mode dial on a lot of its cameras, you have to go into the scene mode first and then select the option from there.
Image quality is really top-shelf for a compact camera. This has a lot to do with the sharpness and color performance of the lens. Depending on how you view things, there is a chance you might actually like the photos from the LX7 better than the RX100 due to its excellent color performance. Colors are vibrant and saturated but not to the point where they look cartoonish and overdone. Color accuracy is also excellent. It is not the high ISO king but processing RAW will help you get usable files as high as ISO1600. The JPEG files are an improvement over the LX5 and the RAW files are simply stunning and compare quite nicely (at low ISOs) to APS-C cameras. Very pleased with the images from this camera.
Another strong suit for this camera is autofocus performance. It is the fastest enthusiast compact I have ever shot with in that regard no matter what the lighting conditions are. However, like its predecessors, the lens zooms VERY slowly. It's a shame that Panasonic did not do anything to speed that up in this model.
I have not messed with the movie mode but from what I see it does a pretty good job. Honestly, I don't do much movie recording so I don't really have much to say on the performance.
I think the LX7 is a great little camera. Image quality is excellent, especially considering the sensor size. The AF performance is also very quick. There are some operational annoyances, but overall, this camera is a good choice and has been very reasonably priced as of late.
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I feel bad for this camera because it got overshadowed by the Sony RX100, which everyone thinks is so amazing because it has a sensor that's midway in size between a compact camera and an APS-C DSLR.Leaving aside the RX100, the LX7 is the best compact camera I have ever owned with respect to image quality and useability and features.
Some of the wonderful attributes of this camera are:
1. It focuses as fast as an entry-level DSLR.
2. Built-in level.
3. "Step-zoom" allows you to select focal-length-equivalents of 24, 28, 35, 50, 70 and 90mm.
4. Manual focus gives you an electronic depth of field chart which changes as you change the aperture. This makes it great for either zone focusing or for finding the hyperfocal distance. There's also an "MF Resume" option which will return the lens to where you last manually focused.
5. Lens is really sharp, only minimal corner softness at F4, and very useable wide open, more so than the Sony RX100.
6. I also see nearly zero purple fringing with this camera--I'm not sure if its the amazing lens or Panasonic post-processing tricks, but it's nevertheless impressive.
7. Lens is so fast that this camera is actually a BETTER low-light camera than any entry-level DSLR if you are only going to be using that DSLR with the kit lens. The lens is also faster than the RX100, so you need to take that into account when you compare the two cameras. The lens is fast enough to give you a little bit of blurred background, something I've never seen before on a compact camera.
8. Widest angle is 24mm (equivalent), which is a premium feature that you don't get on basic DSLR kit lenses and you don't get on the Sony RX100.
9. For a sensor if its size it's probably best-of-class, with better DR and less noise than sensors from a few years ago.
The negatives of this camera are:
1. Not as small as a Sony RX100. It is not a pants pocket camera, but fits fine in a coat pocket. The LX7 is slightly more pocketable than an Olympus E-PM1 with the Panasonic 14mm pancake lens.
2. The LCD is nice, but not as nice as the one on the Sony RX100.
3. Has a lens cap you need to remove before using the camera. The camera comes with a little cord you can use to attach the lens cap to the camera so you don't lose it, but I tried it and hated having a lens cap dangling around. So far I've only lost one lens cap in the last ten years, so I'll keep my fingers crossed.
4. Even at base ISO, the sensor is a good distance behind top-quality larger sensors, like the one in the Nikon 3200, so if your photographic goal is to make really huge prints, I recommend a Nikon 3200 with a sharp lens like the Nikon 16-85mm DX VR lens. But you would probably not notice this sensor's shortcomings in anything smaller than a 13 x 19" print.
Bottom line:
If you are going to buy an entry-level DSLR or micro-four-thirds or NEX camera, and are only going to use that camera with the kit lens, then you are probably better off buying an LX7 instead. This camera even has a flash shoe and can be used with a real flash, so there's nothing you can't do with this camera just as well or better that you can do with a DSLR+kit lens.
The good things are:
Great resolution for such a small sensor. The noise behavior is good up to about 400iso and manageable if you have to use 800 (better by about a stop, than the LX5 IMO). The speed of operation is great, locking focus quickly and shot to shot times are much better than nearly any other P&S out there. The screen is lovely, and you can reasonably see it in bright sun (at least enough to compose a shot). It has a distinctly better fit in my hand than the LX3/5, feeling more like you can keep hold of it. The aperture ring on the lens is great, nicely clicking into position and felling like the detents are of a quality that high end DSLR's would use/employ.
The bad thing is:
The lens. Yes, it is a Leica branded lens, and yes it is a faster aperture. However, that F1.4 2.3 are deceptive since to get the legendary sharpness from either end of this lens, you have to stop down at least one full stop. Not as sharp wide open as the LX5 I am afraid. Next, the thing seems to rear focus on all Macro shots where distance to subject is sub 6". I tried about 20 or 30 shots to have this work as this one feature is what Panny have done so well in the LX series so far. Every shot in that range, rear focuses. If you imagine a shot of a ring, where you are 2" from the ring to lens, then focus on the stone in the front area of the ring, it would consistently hit about half way through that circle of the ring before getting sharp.
I loved the camera and really wanted to keep it. Alas, I cannot do so when I know that is one thing that would limit my shooting with it, and the softer images wide open would end up frustrating me. I have returned it.
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