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Facts About The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 MP Digital Camera (that comes with 3.8x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0-Inch LCD and in a very sexy black, or more minimalistic white) is the perfect camera for casual photography enthusiasts like me who enjoy the thrill of composing high quality photos but don’t want the bulky baggage of a DSLR.

The Good

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is known as a “bridge camera” as it bridges the gap between professional, high quality DSLRs and simple foolproof point-and-shoot cameras. Not only is it more affordable than your run-of-the-mill DSLR, but it also comes with all the customisable options regarding aperture, shutter speed, ISO etc.

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What I liked most about the Panasonic Lumix LX5 was the vast array of creative options at my disposal. I am an avid participant in the recent “lomo” craze, which for those not in the know is a throwback to the days of film cameras where slide films could produce unpredictable and exciting results. However, film cameras are bulky and expensive to maintain. The Lumix LX5 solved all my headaches because it comes with many creative effects such as “black and white” and “saturated” which can be further customised in terms of contrast and saturation. For those seeking even greater freedom of self-expression, the Lumix LX5 offers a “My Color Mode” where customisation is almost completely unencumbered.

Another thing I loved was the wide-angle lens. Leica is famous for manufacturing high-end cameras costing thousands of dollars and I was very fortunate to get a premium Leica lens with my distinctly more affordable LX5. Image quality is sharp, with no distortions, and the 24mm (35mm equivalent) lens allowed me to capture sweeping vistas and stunning sunsets with lifelike accuracy on my travels. The holiday shots I produced never failed to make my friends and family gasp in awe. This is bolstered by the improved zoom range of 24mm to 90mm. When I photographed a bald eagle in Alaska, I could make out its individual feathers in the photo even though the eagle was quite some distance away.

The LX5 also shoots great pictures in low-light conditions (check out some of these excellent Lumix LX5 sample shots). If you’ve ever been skiing, or participated in other winter sports, you’ll know how difficult it is to get a good shot of a snowy landscape when there isn’t much sunlight. The snow appears grey, coarse and dull. By raising the ISO to 1200, I was able to get consistently reproducible high-quality results even in gloomy weather, without compromising image quality. This makes the LX5 a truly all-weather camera, especially if you invest in a solid waterproof case.

The Bad (only a quibble)

The only quibble I have to mention in this Lumix LX5 review is a minor one. I believe I concur with many other Lumix LX5 reviews when I say that I don’t like the removable lens cap. If you see a hawk flying over or a sports car racing past, the time delay in fishing out the lens cap can cause you to miss the shot entirely. Also, it’s easy to lose. However, in light of all the awesome features at such a low price, I’m clearly nitpicking.

The Panasonic Lumix LX5 is an awesome picture making machine. And while the Panasonic folks have not been able budge Canon and Nikon off the mountaintop in the digital SLR market, they sure have a huge slice of the market in compact cameras.
Lumix Lx5
The LX5 could be their very best camera in that market.

Just what is it that makes this digital compact so special?

To answer that, you must look at more than one element of the camera.

Beginning with the lens, there is a wide aperture f/2.0 Leica lens in front of the 10.1-megapixel CCD image sensor. That sounds somewhat techy, but photographers know the value of Leica. That company has a respected name in the industry.

Speaking of “only” 10.1 megapixels, Panasonic has been a leader with regard to adding quality rather than quantity to the pixels in their sensors. We are finally getting the message that the number of pixels is not as important as the quality of those pixels. And experts have been proclaiming the excellence of this Panasonic sensor since the LX3 made its mark with pro photo shooters.

Also adding to the quality package is the ability to take those low-light shots without  all the noise that is a common mark of compact digitals.

Compacts have been moving toward jpeg processing in the form of shooting modes that can be easily programmed with a button or dial, and, yes, the Panasonic LX5 has those, but for the pros, there is the ability to process RAW images so that post processing is so much more powerful.Video has been taken up another notch, too, with a handy button that changes to video mode without having to interrupt the work flow of the photographer.