Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1K Digital Camera

69

Fair

Avg User Rating
5 User Reviews | add yours »

Pros
Choice of aspect ratios
Many advanced features
Cons
Digital noise is a problem at high ISOs

User Reviews for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1K Digital Camera

Reviewed by: pschectman

Duration of ownership:

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 Evaluation: 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.
Reviewed by: dvdirv

Duration of ownership:

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 Evaluation: 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.
Reviewed by: syl.ping

Duration of ownership:

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 Evaluation: 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.
Reviewed by: bunkers

Duration of ownership:

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 Evaluation: 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.
Reviewed by: fatboy_rx

Duration of ownership:

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 Evaluation: 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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