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Photograph: Rick Rizner
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1K Digital Camera
- Spec Navigator
- Digital Format
- Display
- Exposure
- Image Processor
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Lens
- Shutter
- Storage
- LCD Screen
- Exposure Controls
- Dimensions
- Power
- Flash
- Lens Features
- Connectivity
- Other Features
Image Processor
| Number of image sensor pixels | 8.4 megapixels |
| Image sensor | CCD |
| Maximum horizontal image resolution | 3840 |
| Maximum vertical image resolution | 2160 |
| Image sensor quantity | 1 |
| Image format |
|
| White balance | 0 |
Included Hardware
| Included Hardware |
|
Lens
| Accessory Lens | 0 |
| Lens Model | Leica DV Vario Elmarit 1:2.8-4.9/6.3-25.2 ASPH |
| Telephoto Aperture Maximum | 4.9 mm |
| Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum | 2.8 mm |
Exposure Controls
| Maximum shutter speed | 2000 |
| Minimum shutter speed | 8 |
| Bulb setting | 0 |
| ISO equivalencies |
|
| Exposure settings | 0 |
| Exposure compensation range | 0 |
| Number of scene modes | 12 |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test Cameras »
Pros
Choice of aspect ratios
Many advanced features
Cons
Digital noise is a problem at high ISOs
Bottom Line
Offers a choice of aspect ratios and many advanced features, but image noise is a problem at highest ISO settings.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1
Lumix DMC-LX1K Digital Camera Review, by Richard Baguley November 22, 2005
At $600 the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 is rather pricey for a point-and-shoot camera, but it's as compact as many in this class and offers some interesting features normally not found in this group.
To begin with, standard film and digital cameras capture images with a width-to-height ratio of 4:3. The Lumix DMC-LX1 offers two additional aspect ratios: 3:2 (DVD letterbox ratio) and 16:9 (the same as a wide-screen TV or HDTV set). You move among the three settings using a switch on the top of the lens, which makes it easy to try them out when you're composing a shot. Most cameras cut off part of the image (and thus lose some of the resolution) to create the wider screen of a 16:9 aspect ratio image. The DMC-LX1 doesn't: 16:9 images use the full image sensor, while photos at other aspect ratios are cropped, so you get 7 megapixels in 3:2, and 6 megapixels in 4:3.
The DMC-LX1 is well built, with a solid feel and an aluminum case that should stand up well to the thumps and knocks of everyday use. The lens protrudes nearly three quarters of an inch from the body when turned off. We also found the camera slightly awkward to hold: the small hand grip means that it can slip, and though it is adequate for one-handed shooting, you'll need two hands to access the controls--one to hold the camera steady and the other to work through the menus.
The controls are also a little oddly designed: Both a joystick and directional buttons are on the rear. The joystick can be used to access what Panasonic calls the quick menu, which allows you to change the image quality, resolution, ISO settings, and white balance mode with just a few movements of the joystick, while the menu and directional buttons are for infrequently used features, such as formatting the SD card. But you can't use the joystick to move in the main menu; you have to use the directional buttons instead. This seems like an overly complex arrangement. It would have been simpler and less confusing to choose one method instead of using both and making them incompatible. The zoom control surrounds the shutter button. The zoom provides more of a wide-angle view than some. In 16:9 mode the angle is equivalent to a 28mm lens, wider than the 38mm equivalents that we usually see on cameras of this size.
On top of the camera is the mode dial, which allows you to switch among video, full manual, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, program, and full auto modes (the camera has 14 scene modes in all). There are also two spots on the dial for fixing scene modes: By assigning, say, the fireworks mode to one dial spot and the night portrait mode to the other, you can switch between them quickly without having to fiddle with the on-screen menu.
In our tests in the PC World Test Center, we found that the DMC-LX1 takes impressively sharp photos. Fine details were very well reproduced, especially at the highest resolutions. Some of our judges even found them a bit too sharp--fine lines (such as type on a page) had a tendency to jump out of the image. Fortunately, the camera has three sharpness settings, and using the low setting reduces the sharpness to a slightly less dramatic level. (We test cameras at their default settings; on this camera the middle setting for sharpness is the default). Colors were accurate, but lacked some vibrancy. Shots taken with the pop-up flash were well exposed, with good coverage and strong color.
However, there is one big problem: image noise. Although the noise is relatively mild at the low ISO settings, it gets significantly worse when you raise the sensitivity to the maximum of 400, especially in areas of flat color. This limits the DMC-LX1's appeal if you like to shoot at night.
Although the noise is noticeable, the camera still shoots nice-looking photos in most settings, and the 16:9 aspect ratio opens up many possibilities for photographers who want to do more with their photos than just take the shot and move on. The DMC-LX1 is best described as an advanced camera in point-and-shoot clothing.
Upshot: The DMC-LX1 provides lots of advanced features, along with plenty of point-and-shoot capabilities. The aspect-mode options will also appeal to photographers who want to escape the ordinary, but the noise at higher ISO settings makes the camera unsuitable for low-light shooters.
Richard Baguley
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PCWorld Lab Results
- Rating Breakdown
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76
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81
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75
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar Cameras
76
79
78
77
Performance
| Battery Life (minutes) | 136 |
| Battery Life Score | Good |
| Image Quality Score | Good |
| Image Quality, Color | 58.6 |
| Image Quality, Distortion | 56.1 |
| Image Quality, Exposure | 58.2 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Flash | 76.7 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Normal | 50.3 |
| Image Quality, Overall | 61 |
| Image Quality, Sharpness | 37.4 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 |
| Number of Shots | 250 |
User Reviews
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
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Reviewed by: pschectman
Strengths: Size, Lens Quality, Body Construction, Options for Control includign Apeture, Shutter Speed, or Automatic. Excellent pre-programmed format for Night Shots and Beach lighting.
Weaknesses: I don't like the lens cap. No additional complaints. People drool over this camera, so it might get moisture damage.
Overall: This was my first digital camera purchase. This model was recommened to me by a professional photographer who keeps this model in his bag. I just returned from a two week trip to Asia, where I shot over 1500 images. The quality of the images are amazing shooting at 200 in Auto P mode. I am a novice digital photo shooter so I did not push the camera using extra features such at Apeture or Shutter priority settings. I simply put it in P mode and shot away. I also used the close up Aspect setting and the images were perfect. I was shooting at speed of 200 and have no noise. For night time shooting the Night Scene selection worked well using a wall to steady the camera. I did not have a tripod, as this would have provided a more stable platform to shoot the evening skyline of Hong Kong. Still was able to get some amazing photos at night.
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Reviewed by: dvdirv
Strengths: Lots of features to control photographs including aspect ratio. Leica lens is just superb!
Weaknesses: Pricey compared to competition. Viewfinder is small at 2.5". Proprietary USB cable.
Overall: If you are looking for a camera with lots of features, but don't want the bulk of an SLR, try the Panasonic DMC-LX1. This camera has a lot going for it including stabilization control, aspect ratio control and a super-sharp Leica lens which enables you to get to 1.9" for close-up shots. If you want manual control over your photos, the LX1 is for you. This camera lets you shoot JPEG as well as RAW. The image stabilization feature is another asset of this camera. On the down side, the LX1 has a small 2.5" viewfinder which has been corrected in newer Panasonic models. The USB cable is smaller than a mini-USB, so if you need an extra, you need to contact Panasonic. I would prefer to visit my consumer electronics retailer, but good luck trying to find this cable there. The other negative is its price. I paid nearly $500 for this camera which is now down over $100. But you can buy the update for the LX1 for just slightly more. This is an ideal camera for a professional photographer as a back-up camera. With all the fancy options on this camera, it will work in a pinch when that fancy SLR is unavailable. For the enthusiast, this is your camera.
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Reviewed by: syl.ping
Strengths: High megapixel, excellent wide-screen video, clear stills, good lens, good zoom.
Weaknesses: Poor performance in low lighting, auto-focus assist lamp too bright, slow focus, doesn't zoom while recording in video mode, overpriced.
Overall: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 is a slightly above average camera for its class. It has the capability of producing high quality stills and video but only under specific conditions. In bright lighting conditions, you can see the optimal performance of the Lumix DMC-LX1's high-resolution sensor and 4x zoom. Photos and videos are clear and brilliant. The wide-screen mode is excellent for viewing slideshows or video on widescreen monitors and HDTVs. The camera doesn't perform well in capturing fast moving objects. Because the camera has a slow auto-focus, many times one will miss the action before the camera can focus. If one tries to snap pictures rapidly, the subject comes our blurry, even when using the preset "sports" mode. In normal indoor lighting conditions, it is difficult to adjust camera settings to bring out the brightness of still images without the flash. When the proper settings have been made, images come out blurry unless a tripod is used. In moderate to low light conditions videos are dark or grainy. Overall it is not a bad choice for people who want to use the camera in excellent lighting conditions. However, for its price, it leaves much to be desired for people who want to use the camera in normal indoor lighting conditions.
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Reviewed by: bunkers
Strengths: Small body, sophisticated Leicu Lens, 16:9 aspect ratio, Vivid 2.5" LCD, 8.4 mps, easy to use autofocus, autoexposure and manual formats. Most of all are its clear, bright colorful pictures.
Weaknesses: No view finder, but the LCD provides high resolution images so thats not a real issue.
Overall: This camera goes anywhere and takes great quality pictures without the size, bulk or weight of a larger SLR, which to me is like lugging around a small piece of luggage. The DMC-LX1 is an attractive camera that makes my average photos look professional. The 16:9 format is unique to the Lumix and allows significantly more information into the picture than virtually any other camera because of its wide, almost panoramic like pictures. The difference between this camera and normal 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ration cameras is quite obvious, since the camera provides all three aspect rations and allows you to compare this for yourself. The camera also has an anti-shake feature that comes in very handy at the higher 7 and 8 megapixel resolutions. The 4x zoom is better than any of the 3x standard on other pocket digitals and it extends automatically to a 5.5x zoom in lower resolutions. Great for beginner, intermediate or expert. Went to Circuit City to find a case and the sales people drooled all over the Lumix. You get what you pay for and this camera is well worth its price tag.
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Reviewed by: fatboy_rx
Strengths: 1. Beautiful outlook2. well built body3. Compact in size4. With full manual function5. 16:9 Wide angle Lecia lens with good qualiy imagine6. Mega O.I.S. works great7. Low light images is the best I've ever seen
Weaknesses: 1. Noise > ISO 400 2. the focus point can't be choosed in manual.3. No mount for filters 4. pricey
Overall: If you are looking for a compact camera products good quality photos then you can't go wrong with this camera. I've been impressed with its outstanding screen quality, picture quality and Optical Image Stabilization. The wide-angle added to the 16:9 aspect ratio are fantastic. People are concerning the noise issue of this camera. I think it's not an issue for me. It's very easy to clean up noise by using noise ninja or neat image. Also, if you are using ISO 80 or 100 to take picture - noise is not an issue. In short, this is an incredibly good camera. I would highly recommended to anyone. It supports RAW for those that really want to take charge of their image processing. If you enjoys photo processing and plans your pictures around a camera's strengths then the LX1 is a great choice for you.
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