Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
From Panasonic
Amazon Sales Rank: #13776 in Camera & Photo Color: Black Brand: Panasonic Model: DMC-LX2K Released on: 2006-09-21 Dimensions: 2.20" h x 4.17" w x 1.02" l, .41 pounds Memory: 13MB Display size: 2.8
The new Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 is successor to the DMC-LX1, which has received high acclaim worldwide for its unique 16:9 wide CCD, plentiful functions, and smart design. The DMC-LX2 inherits the f2.8 28mm wide angle Leica DC lens, 4x optical zoom (equivalent to 28-112mm on a 35mm film camera), and Mega O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) system in addition to an enhanced CCD capable of taking images at 10.2-megapixel resolution, as well a larger, 2.8-inch 16:9 wide LCD. The DMC-LX2 is unique in that it incorporates three "wide" features: a 28mm wide-angle Leica DC lens, 16:9 wide CCD, and 16:9 wide LCD. Not only that, the LX2 is further distinguished from other cameras by its full manual controllability with a joystick allowing users to easily enjoy creative shooting. The DMC-LX2 also boasts a Venus Engine III high-performance image-processing LSI to dramatically reduce the noise that challenged the predecessor, realizing image recording at maximum ISO 1600 high sensitivity setting at full resolution. To fight against the major cause of blurred images, Panasonic invented the Mega O.I.S. system, taking advantage of its superior lens technology to compensate for handshake. In addition, to also compensate for the other major cause of blurred images--movement of the subject--the LX2 is also equipped with the world's first Intelligent ISO Control (hereafter I.I.C.) and high-sensitivity recording capabilities, up to a maximum ISO of 1600, within the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III. When set to the I.I.C., the Venus Engine III detects the subject's movement and adjusts the ISO setting and shutter speed to best suit the subject movement and the light condition automatically. Panasonic's excellent image stabilizing system allows users to take clear, crisp images in any situation, leaving everything to the camera. The Lumix LX series are distinct from other compact cameras in the way they feature extensive manual controls including manual focus and manual exposure which can be smoothly operated with a joystick. This joystick further provides operation shortcuts to the frequently used settings including white balance, ISO, image size, compression format, light metering, and AF mode by simply pressing and holding it. It also allows exposure compensation and selection of one out of nine focusing areas. The aspect ratio is easily selectable between 16:9 wide, 3:2, and conventional 4:3 with a switch located on top of the lens barrel to shoot in the framing aspect that best suits the subjects' composition or image's purpose of use. In addition, the DMC-LX2 is capable of recording wide 16:9 high definition (1280 x 720) motion image at 15 frames per second (fps). Other features that elevate the DMC-LX2 are the incorporation of 13MB of built-in memory and the battery life that has been extended to up to 300 pictures on one charging (CIPA standard), so you won't miss those great spur-of-the-moment shots. A print mode has been added to the mode dial so that you can print the images quickly and bundled software allows users to edit and develop RAW files. The unique 16:9 wide CCD and 28mm wide angle Leica DC lens provide a unique view of the world and which is refined by the Panasonic's excellent image stabilizing systems of Mega O.I.S., the high-sensitivity recording, and the I.I.C. The Lumix DMC-LX2 is like no other compact camera, enabling both high-end amateurs and entry-level users to explore the creativeness that surely enhances the joy of shooting. 10.2-Megapixel 16:9-Aspect CCD and f2.8 28mm Wide-Angle 4x Optical Zoom Leica DC Lens The DMC-LX2 features a 10.2-megapixel 16:9 aspect CCD and f2.8 4x optical zoom 28mm wide angle (equivalent to 28-112mm on a 35mm film camera) Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens. Incorporating three aspherical lenses provides high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The aspect ratio can be easily selected between 16:9 or 3:2 in addition to the conventional 4:3 with a switch on the lens barrel on a shot-by-shot-basis to best suit the composition of the image. Even after shooting, the 16:9 ratio can be converted to 3:2 or 4:3 with the camera according to your purpose of use. The Extended Optical Zoom, made possible by using the center part of 10.2-megapixel high resolution CCD, further extends the zoom ratio to 5.5x for 5-megapixel image recording in 16:9 aspect with minimal deterioration. Lumix's Image Stabilizing System Evolves Taking advantage of its superior lens technology, Panasonic invented the Mega O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) to fight against the major cause of blurred images. It compensates for handshake and is now featured on the entire Lumix range, and having been highly evaluated and appreciated by the users across the world. Every slight hand-shake movement is detected accurately with the sampling frequency at 4,000 times per second and will be compensated to render clear, sharp images. In addition, movement of the subject, the other major cause of blurred images, is suppressed by the advanced image processing LSI Venus Engine III with Intelligent ISO Control (hereafter I.I.C.) and maximum ISO of 1600. The world's first incorporation of this I.I.C. allows the automatic adjustment of the suitable ISO setting and shutter speed that best suits the situation by analyzing the speed of subject movement. If the subject is moving, the ISO setting would automatically rise to allow high shutter speed. On the other hand, if the subject is still and no movement is detected, you can take beautiful natural images with a low ISO setting. Accordingly the new Lumix automatically takes the best countermeasures against any causes of blurred images with Mega O.I.S. compensating for hand-shake and the I.I.C. compensating for movement of the subject. Image stabilizing system is further evolving with Lumix. Dramatically Reduced Noise with Venus Engine III The DMC-LX2 adopts the Venus Engine III to realize high sensitivity recording at maximum ISO 1600 at full resolution. The noise reduction system is greatly improved by removing noise at the processing stages in series. First, critical noise is roughly undraped and the chromatic noise and the luminance noise are separated to respectively go through the supplemental noise reduction process so that the remaining noise is appropriately minimized. Despite the significantly increased performance of the camera, the Venus Engine III consumes only 80% of the power utilized by the Venus Engine II and is able to achieve a longer battery life of 300 pictures (CIPA) on a single charge. With its multi-task image processing capability, the Venus Engine III also boasts outstanding response time with a shutter release time lag of as short as 0.009 seconds. minimum and the shutter interval of 0.6 seconds. The DMC-LX2 enables easy capture of those spur-of-the-moment shots. The DMC-LX2 also allows unlimited consecutive shooting up to the capacity of the SD/SDHC memory card. Joystick-Operated, Intuitive Full Manual Control The easy-to-use joystick operation and good design, which were part of the highly acclaimed trademarks of the predecessor, are inherited by the DMC-LX2. The joystick was incorporated to facilitate operational ease and thereby get the best technical advantage of the multitude of functions offered by the camera. With the joystick it is possible to set focus and exposure manually, and also quickly shortcut to frequently used variables by just pressing and holding the joystick even while monitoring a subject on the LCD. The predecessor LX1 contained white balance adjustment, ISO setting, image size setting and compression format in its shortcut menu, and the light metering and AF mode settings are now added for the new LX2. It also allows the exposure compensation and selection of one out of nine focusing areas. A switch on the side of the lens barrel lets you quickly change the focus mode between MF, AF or Macro AF. When you focus in the Manual Focus mode, not only the focus distance but also the DOF (depth of field) according to the zoom range and aperture is displayed. An MF assist function enlarges the center of the image to make focusing easier. The focusing area can be enlarged up to 4x and is movable, which also contributes to easy and comfortable manual focusing. Crystal-Clear, Large 16:9 2.8-Inch LCD To express the best of the extensive 16:9 wide image recording, a 2.8-inch wide and large 207 k high resolution LCD is newly equipped. The pixel mixed readout method performed at the CCD achieves high sensitivity to offer sufficient brightness for easy shooting even in low-lit situations. The Power LCD function boosts the brightness level by 40% to secure clear view even in sunny outdoors. The High Angle mode makes the display extremely easy to view from low angles, for example, when holding the camera up high to take pictures over a crowd and can be accessed easily and quickly by using the dedicated button. High-Definition 16:9 Wide Motion Image Recording The DMC-LX2 is capable of recording the 4:3 VGA (640 x 480) and 16:9 wide VGA (848 x 480) motion image recording at 30 fps. Shooting is one thing but viewing is another, and you will be suitably impressed by the 16:9 moving image when it is displayed on a wide screen TV. In addition, the LX2 can record motion images even in high definition (1280 x 720) format at 15 fps. The pixel mixed readout method assists the bright motion image recording even in low lit situation. Faster Autofocus The AF mode can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal speed and Spot. In the 1-point and 1-point high speed AF mode, the AF area is selectable from the nine focusing areas with the joystick to best fit the composition of the subjects. Also, the AF assist lamp helps quick, accurate focusing in situations where focusing is difficult due to the lack of light. The AF/AE lock button is also succeeded from the predecessor. A Variety of Scene Modes and Other Features to Enrich Your Photography An even larger variety of scene modes are contained--a total of 17 scene modes (not including Macro mode) to assist you in a wide range of photographic situations. The newly incorporated Beach mode is perfect for shooting in strong sunlight and the Aerial mode assists with shooting through the windows of an airplane. High Sensitivity mode is made possible by the pixel-mixed readout method by the CCD, is ideal for shooting moving subjects clearly without blurring at a maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 3200. For additional improvement, the Print mode is also added to the mode dial of the LX2 so that you can make prints by just connecting the camera to Pictbridge-compatible printers via the included USB cable. The DMC-LX2 includes 13MB of built-in memory to serve not just as a tool of shooting images but also as a digital album, to enjoy seeing and showing your favorite pictures. Finally, to edit and develop RAW files, Silkypix Developer Studio 2.0SE software application is included with the DMC-LX2. With that, you can freely adjust various setting such as exposure, white balance, and so on in post-image processing of the RAW files.
Superb design with great images, although some noise/detail compromise I was definitely NOT disappointed with the camera, after reading so much about it and passing on the LX1 a year ago due to the reports of excessive noise in the images. The camera design of the LX-2 is absolutely superb, with a quality metal body and extremely well thought out feature set. Panasonic has done their homework and solved so many of the design challenges facing point-and-shoot digital cameras. Some will miss a tilting screen or an optical viewfinder, but I don't miss them. Either feature would compromise the current design and the very likeable large 16:9 viewfinder. They've done everything they can to compensate, including an extra-bright mode for the screen and even a high-angle mode that lets you shoot over the heads of a crowd, which accounts for the majority of "tilted" shots I've taken with my previous camera, a Nikon with a screen that tilts. I've been waiting for a decent digicam with a true wide angle lens, real 16:9 wide-screen aspect ratio, and widescreen video. It may very well be that this camera is the design future of the industry---hard to believe people wouldn't like this camera over its competitors. Once you start shooting wide-screen, you realize what a natural and creative format it really is. That being said, there are image quality compromises with this camera... in order to solve the noticeable noise in the LX-1, Panasonic opted for strong noise reduction with their Venus III engine, and I can confirm the early reviews: they've reduced noise at a slight loss of very fine image detail and a bit of a watercolor effect at higher ISOs if you examine images at 100% magnification. But on the other hand many consumers are not really going to notice this, the images are really outstanding in the majority of situations, and there are so many megapizels to play with that for many it will simply never be an issue, the way the images are viewed full-size on a monitor or at print sizes up to about 8x10. Most of us aren't as critical as the pros who are doing the reviews. And there isn't a point and shoot out there that has perfect images in every respect, others have flaws like corner softness and purple fringing that the Panasonic doesn't have. Fortunately this camera will shoot in RAW format and allow you to recover nearly all of the original detail, albeit with some work, to really show the superb quality of the Leica lens. But this time around they've bundled halfway decent RAW image processing software, so you actually have the tools to do this without shelling out more money. To be honest, those looking for perfect image quality arguably are the type to be purchasing DSLRs and not high-end point-and-shoots. I think Panasonic may have hit the sweet spot in their target market with this camera. Beware---this camera will only work with 4 GB SD cards that are the newer SD-HC type. Unlike many of its peers, it will NOT work with standard SD 4 GB cards that are formatted FAT32. Panasonic may be deliberately protecting sales of the new 4 GB format. So either go with a standard 2 GB card or the SD-HC 4 GB cards. I learned the hard way. My Search for the "Perfect" Camera is OVER... At least for now it is :-) . During the course of the past 10-12 months I have owned 7, that's SEVEN, digital cameras: Canon S230; Kodak V530; 5 different models of Casio's: Z60, Z600, Z850, P700; and most recently presented my wife with a red S770 for Valentine's Day. I also had a pretty good chance to evaluate Canon SD450 (my brother-in-law owns one - it was actually a gift from my wife and I to him for his 21st birthday), Casio EX-S600 (a good friend of mine owns one), and Panasonic DMC-TZ1 (once again, a gift from my wife and I to my father-in-law for his last birthday). If you read any of my digital camera reviews (and I've written a few by now), then you know that I'm not particularly fond of Canon's lately - I think they are overrated and overpriced for what they have to offer. As I also mentioned before, I've tried several different Kodak models (and I used to work for the company too!), but all of them turned out to be a waste of my time, to say the least. I became a big fan of Casio's, although not all of my experiences with them were great. But being a huge gadget "freak" that I am, and constantly wanting new "toys", I have always craved for more. Over time, my tastes in digital cameras have changed from having a simple point and shoot type of camera to wishing for more power and manual control. So one by one, I returned/sold all of my cameras, and after extensive (and I really do mean extensive) research, I got myself an LX2. I must say though that I probably wouldn't have without getting to know my father-in-law's TZ1 first. I was actually quite impressed with it. Powerful zoom, sharp lens, decent picture quality. I also played with some other Panasonic models in various stores just to get a better feel for them, as well as spent a few hours on the phone, and exchanged numerous e-mails with a friend of mine who owns an FZ30, and who swears by it. Unfortunately, LX2 was not available anywhere locally, but I felt that I got a pretty good understanding of what Panasonic's cameras are all about, and after some more thought and consideration, I went ahead and bought it from Amazon (nice thing about buying from Amazon is that you can always return whatever it is you bought, including digital cameras, within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked). I did know about the "Noise" issue at high ISO's, but it wasn't a decisive factor for me, and I'm glad I didn't pay much attention to it and got the camera anyway. It turned out to be one of the best purchases I've made in a long while. Here is why: PROS: - Superb design. This camera is wonderfully crafted. And I absolutely love Black! It gives the camera a nice, clean, professional look. I don't think I'll be buying another silver camera soon after having this one; - Intuitive controls, and menus. I charged the battery, put it into the camera, and started using it and taking pictures right away, without even going through the manual once; - A load of features, including a large, bright, widescreen LCD; wide angle, super sharp Leica lens with a 4x zoom; Mega OIS - optical image stabilization control (optical means it's done mechanically, which is a TRUE way of doing stabilizing, comparing to other cameras where it's done by "tricking" the camera into using higher ISO's); and many more. In addition, it has a joystick for an easy access to different menus, has a number of manual controls, as well as provides ability to shoot in RAW format (more on that later); - It comes with SilkyPix Developer Studio software for working with camera RAW files. For someone who is not familiar with RAW - it's a "pure", camera specific picture format. It varies upon a manufacturer, meaning that Canon RAW is different from Nikon or Panasonic RAW, for example. And it's "pure" in a sense that it's of a much better quality than a standard JPEG (JPG), and doesn't suffer from loss of information, such as white balance, or brightness. There is a lot more to RAW than that, and I'm not going to go into details right now. What I want to say, however, is that having previously owned a camera which supported RAW format (Casio EX-P700), I must have tried about a dozen of different RAW editing software packages, including products from Adobe, Ulead, ArcSoft, PhotoFiltre, Picture Window Pro, ACDSee, LightZone, Image Broadway, and more. SilkyPix delivered by far the best results of all. The only one that I would probably put next to it is Bibble; - Noise - What Noise?! I really hate it when I hear people complaining about noise in this camera (after having it tried myself), or any other compact digital camera for that matter. Are you really that naïve that you think that you will get absolutely no noise in your images using a compact digital camera? Think again. You might have noticed that I've used the word "Compact" several times here. I've done it on purpose - it is inevitable for a compact digital camera to produce some noise. Some cameras are better than others, but no matter how hard you try, you will see some. This camera is no better or worse than any other one that I've had/tried. At higher ISO's (above 400), it's slightly more visible, but who in the right state of mind is using anything over ISO 200 on a compact digital camera, such as this one, anyway? I always have mine set to a 100. If I feel that it doesn't get the job done, I shoot in RAW; - Picture Quality is Very Good. Yes, it does take some time getting used to, but once you familiarize yourself with everything this camera is capable of, you can achieve spectacular results, especially if you don't mind doing some post processing. As much as I like everything this camera has to offer, there are, however, some things that kind of irritate me. Here is a short list of bad things about this camera, otherwise known as CONS: - First of all, this camera has actually been somewhat misrepresented. It's been advertised as a 10.2 megapixel camera, which is not entirely true. 10.2 MP resolution is available ONLY in 16:9 (wide) aspect ratio. Two more ratios are available - 3:2, and a more conventional 4:3, but those offer 8.5, and 7.5 MP resolutions respectively. So if you compare this camera to others that don't have a widescreen format, or if you prefer to shoot only in a regular 4:3 mode, then this camera should only be referred to as a 7 MP digital camera (because not all the pixels are actually effective). Obviously, Panasonic is aware of it, and marketed it having higher pixel count on purpose, to boost consumer's interest; - I expected to see a compact digital camera. What I got instead was actually a smaller compact camera than I expected. I was really surprised to see how small, yet convenient to hold and operate, the camera body was. What I didn't like, however, was the lens. Not the lens itself, it's actually quite superb, but the fact that it sticks out. I like cameras with lenses that retract all the way back to the camera body. I realize that it would probably loose some features, like the wide angle, and perhaps zoom, but I still wish it did that. It would be so much more... umm... compact?! The way it actually is makes it quite difficult to find the right case for it. Almost impossible, I should say. I've tried a few, but they are either too small or too big. I just can't find one that would fit right. I put an order for an SLX1B case for it, which is specifically designed to fit LX1, and LX2 models, but I hear they are not that good. We shall see; - I'm not a big fan of a pop-up Flash. I always keep forgetting to open it when I need to use it. And it also seems a bit flimsy. I'm treating it as carefully as I can, but I just can't stop thinking that it might break soon; - I hate the Lens Cap!!! There, I said it. It's probably just one of those small annoyances that keep frustrating you until you get used to it, but for now I'm not really happy with it. SUMMARY: Despite very few minor negatives, I think LX2 is probably one of the best, most innovative cameras on the market today, and I sure am glad to have one. It offers more than any other camera in the same price range, and can even compete with some DSLR's when it comes to picture quality. If you are someone like me, who wants to have more control and/or learn more about digital photography, or a DSLR user who just needs a solid backup to carry everywhere, then this camera is not be overlooked! Highly recommended! Sweet LITTLE Camera I bought this camera primarily for its ability to take raw images and for its sort-of-manual exposure settings. I'm into taking HDR images (google HDR) and they require several images over a wide exposure (6 - 8+ EV). This camera works fine in both areas, plus it takes w i d e 28mm photos in w i d e aspect ratio so it is what I was looking for. HDR images sum the noise from several photos so they are by nature noisy. I use NEAT IMAGE to clean them up. This is a very nice $500-ish camera. There are better point-and-shoot cameras at that price point but I could find none other that met my own needs. If I were rich I would buy the Leica version; it's supposed to have a different noise curve, but I feel like I got a lot of camera for the money. On the down side, only Photoshop seems to support the panasonic/leica "raw" format. I use PS CS2 so I didn't load the not-very-well-reviewed software in the box with the camera. The exposure adjustment requires a lot of button pushing, vice turning a wheel like on SLRs, but it works o.k. for me. If you buy this camera, order the Panasonic case designed for it (I think it's the same as for LX1), it's semi-hard and fits like a glove -- actually providing protection for it. Small, light camera - you'll carry it with you.
