Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
->Lowest Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Easy to use, with 10 MP for enlarging your photos. There isn't a lot of zoom, but combined with cameras you may already have at home that have more zoom and less MP, you can have a camera for every need. This is perfect for travel because of its size, too. Good quality camera!
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The LX2 is the third digital camera I have owned. My last camera was an Olympus C-5000. It was (and still is) an OK camera but its widest angle was too narrow for good scenic shots. The LX2 has a very wide angle capability with easy switching to three different formats; 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The 16:9 format allows eye-popping panoramic shots. The 4X optical zoom is more than enough for distance shots, but with the camera's high resolution, it is easy to crop the target in Photoshop, giving equivalent results of a much greater zoom capability with little loss of practical resolution. The image stabilization is nice, I guess. So far I have not really needed IS, so I can't say if it is effective or not.
I recently took some indoor photos of groups of people in a lecture room. I had intended to use the flash but after I saw what I got from the first shot without flash, I did the whole run of shots without flash, and the photos are excellent. The large LCD monitor is a big help in framing shots and reviewing images afterwards. This is my first camera without a see-through viewfinder, but that had not been a problem.
So what is there not to like? Only two gripes so far. The camera body has only one attachment point for the provided carrying strap with a short cord. I liked the shoulder strap that was provided with my old C-5000 and the short LX2 strap proved to be somewhat inconvenient during four days of shooting in Washington, DC. I am hoping to find an after-market shoulder strap that can be fitted to the LX2.
The final gripe is that the LX2 automatic file naming system is strictly sequential. With the old Olympus C-5000, the day and month were encoded into the file name. That was truly convenient.
I consider myself to be an amateur photographer. The LX2 has tons of capabilities and controls that I will probably never use. For my purposes, the LX2 does everything I ever expect it to do. Bottom line; this is a superb camera and I can honestly give it a high recommendation.
->Lowest Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Great camera. Images that pop. Easy to use. Close-up flash is perfect.
->Prices Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am so glad that I bought this camera. In my search for a pocketable but high power camera, I went through most of top of line Cxxns before settled down with this one. I have not shot in low light or Raw yet so will have more to add later. But all of my good light shots have been amazing. The camera is fast (far cry from G7), produces gorgeous color, wonderful 16x9 mode. In small print, it perfomed just as excellent as my Nikon D200.
I don't know what else they packed into this camera and repackaged it as a "red-dot" camera, but I have been very happy with it. This camera offers a lot more than a casual user would need. This is the one that you can buy and don't feel the need for upgrade for a long time (for me, that may be less than 2 years :-))
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
After months of comparing digital cameras on the market, I decided to purchase Panasonic's Lumix LX2. From the moment I turned it on I was thrilled with this camera. It does just about everything a camera can do, and in head-to-head photo taking comparisons with a Canon, a Pentax and another Panasonic Lumix camera, the LX2 took far superior pictures to all of them. I'd highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a full-featured digital camera. Panasonic, if you're listening, put your 10x zoom lens and self-covering lens cap on the LX2 (like you have on the TZ3) and you'll have the perfect digital camera!
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Overall, this is an excellent camera. The quality is great for something in the "ultra-compact" category. However, the lens juts out about 1" from the camera body, which I was unaware of and makes the camera a lot less portable. I'm still not sure if the price justifies the feature set, but I'm fairly satisfied. Very happy that grid and histogram options are available. There are also a lot of preset "automatic" modes, which are very nice.
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I've taken 330 shots to date. I like the 16:9 format. It allows for creative compositions. A grid can be superimposed on the LCD screen to aid composition. The colors are true; the details are clear. The macro mode allows good views of flowers and surface textures. The camera is lightweight and easy to hold. There are no negatives. The camera is a joy to use.
->Sale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The reason to buy this camera is the true 16:9 widescreen format. I have not seen another digital camera offering this yet, as of 05/2007. (There are some letterboxed widescreens inside of a 4:3, wasting pixels.) 10.2 megapixels within the 16:9. That's super sharp. In another 5 years, everything will be widescreen, that's TV's, computer monitors, laptops. It also has every feature you can ever need as a point and shoot.
If you don't want or need the widescreen feature, there are hundreds of other cameras you can buy.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The camara is ok and have a lot of posibilities, its not a point and shoot.
Pros. you can do nearly everything that you can do with a canon or nikon lens camaras. the anti shake.
Cons. Lens cap, popup flash, pics nearer than 2 feets to object not clear in all sections
I have a sony DSC-P10 it does nearly the same but faster, no lens cap and has automatic flash, pics near 1 feet or less OK
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I have always been an SLR photographer and have held off on purchasing a digital camera up until now because I have not been convinced of the resolution capabilities of digital. I travel alot and sometimes due to space and sometimes due to the desire to be inconspicuous I have needed something smaller than my full size SLRs. After a lot of research, looking at every model I could find, I settled on this Panasonic Lumix LX2 because I don't have to give up the control over every aspect of the photo. This camera lets you be a control freak, or you can leave it in one of several automatic modes. It can store pictures in RAW mode, which is important to me (the Canon G7 lost out because it didnt have this) but the JPEG mode is great. I have blown up some prints from this camera and I am completely satisfied with the quality, and I was skeptical before, expecting to be underwhelmed.
I originally bought this as a backup to my SLRs but I already see this will be my primary camera unless I am a situation that calls for a special lens, flash power, or super high resolution (like 25 or 60 ASA)
My only suggestion to Panasonic would be to allow you to charge the battery while in the camera, like with a car charger, and make some sort of accomodation for external flash. The flash on this camera is the weak spot - it's really not that bad for the size but if it could sync with an external flash that would be good.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I bought this camera after DPreview told me that it (well, actually, its Leica sibling) fits all of my needs, namely: compact, RAW, and aperture priority, plus optical stabilization.
What I like: large screen, RAW, fairly decent flash
What I dislike: it actually takes RAW + JPEG which wastes space on my card. However, it gives me an interesting comparison. 90% of the time, I prefer the RAW version, albeit tweaked. The JPEG colors just don't look right to me. I'm also unimpressed with the image stabilization, and the warranty is just terrible. 90 days??? What's with that? Also, the manual focus without a viewfinder takes getting used to.
I won't argue that there's noise at higher ISOs, but it's not nearly as bad as I expected from other reviews. I haven't decided yet whether I'm keeping the camera; if you're not in a hurry, hold off and see if they release a new version in the summer. Of course, with their track record, they won't fix any of the problems, just squeeze a few more MP out of the chip.
->Purchase Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
While I am nowhere close to being a pro, I am not a stranger to photography or to digitals. Recently I wanted something better than what I had for an upcoming trip to Italy and I bought the Lumix DMC-LX2 on Amazon after reading reviews, etc.
It is no SLR, but it is far more than a "back-up" camera. It is small enough to be handy without being a burden. (A friend we were travelling with had a digital SLR with a 135mm zoom. She had it in her bag most of the time because it was so big and heavy.)
The lens quality is very good. The absence of a traditional view finder is very nice. The TV screen on the back works in all lighting conditions (its adjustable). You can have as little or a lot of the technical data on the screen as you want. It even has a couple of nice composition templates that I found useful at times.
I bought one of the after market batteries and couple of 2 gig cards and I had far more capacity than I needed for a 2 week trip, but the second card is necessary if you shoot at max pixels as I did the whole time. At max jpg a 2 gig card holds about 350 shots. One battery was all I needed so long as I watched the charger carefully at night. Sometimes the current converter one has to use in Italy would shut down mid-charge. So my advice is to have a second battery and switch them out.
This camera is very versatile. It will do a lot if one takes the time to study the manual. (The manual is not the best, however) The SLR's do beat out its zoom, but that is not much of a problem for casual shooting because one can crop the tar out of the 10.1mg shots and still have a great photo.
The flash works fine. And one can fill flash with it. I bought a small slave unit that works great but I never needed it.
I found a handy, cheap, case at REI. They have a padded cell phone case that hooks up to a belt or a back pack. This camera fits the REI case perfectly. It even has side mesh pockets for batteries and chips. I forget the price but I think it was less than 20 bucks.
->Deals Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This camera does what it says it does: it takes 16:9 pictures and video at 10.2MP for pictures and OK resolutions for video. It takes decent video, if you put it on a tripod. The built-in stabilization is worthless in video mode and you'll get a palsy type shaking no matter what you do. In other words, this will not replace your camcorder. In picture mode, it does a good job with most outdoors/indoors settings if you're not too picky about the lens distortions around the corners at the highest resolution. This is especially obvious if you take pictures where vertical objects appear near the left or right edges of the frame (like stop signs, light posts, building edge lines etc.)
All in all, a decent buy for home use. Not something to look into if you'll be frequently printing your pictures for posterity or for use in professional publications.
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This is a very flexible and capable camera. If you are looking for more than a point & shoot will offer, there are very few that would compare. For me the deciding factor was the high quality lieca lens with wide angle, if you havent compared this directly with a conventianal lens you will be amazed at what youve been missing. the 16:9 is an ok feature if you plan on HDTV veiwing but the screen size is compromised when you switch to 4:3. i would prefer a larger screen and lose the 16:9 feature. the lens cap is a little annoying as well but those issues aside, i am very satisfied.
->For Sale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I've had this camera for about a month. I currently own a Nikon D50 and an 2 year old Canon Powershot. I needed something small and handy to use as a walk around camera. I've been reading reviews for months on various digital cameras, poured through thousands of images posted on flickr, and I decided on this camera. I loved the look, the size, the price, and the leica lens.
The images are sharper and the colors are more vibrant than my Nikon D50 and my Canon Powershot. I love the manual settings available on this camera. I mostly use the P setting. Although adjusting shutter speed and aperture can be awkward using the joystick, the menu is very simple and offers a lot of control.
I also like the fact that people stop me on the street whenever I use my camera.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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!
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I had high hopes for this little camera when I bought it, but after scrutinizing the quality of its output, I have decided to return it. I spent days reading the professional and user reviews before ordering. Despite consistent complaints about high ISO noise, I proceeded to order it anyway because most of my shots are taken at a safe ISO 100 (so I thought). I should also say that I own a Canon Powershot S80 and a Nikon D80 dSLR, so the bar was already raised pretty high when I got the LX2.
I love almost everything about this camera. The small size is perfect, the controls are handy, and the ergonomics are great. I also found that the quality of the JPG images are very good at ISO 100. It seems to me that the onboard noise reduction algorithm does a great job.
Now for the problem. I bought the camera mainly for its RAW support. The nice Leica 28mm lens and the 10MP resolution were also important factors. I had planned to take RAW exclusively (as I do with the D80). In that light, the LX2 looked like a potential dream for amateurs like me who love control and quality combined with portability.
But in test shot after test shot, the noise in the RAW images was terrible. Even on nice sunny days, the sky was blotchy in the RAW photos. Even with post-processing using Neat Image (which does a superb job at reducing noise), I could never match the quality of the JPG photos. Neat Image was able to reduce the noise but the cost was a corresponding loss of detail and clarity. I could never get around this devastating compromise.
My bottom-line conclusion is that there is no advantage to taking RAW photos with this camera, since the result is generally less desirable than the JPG images processed on the LX2. This is an unusual conclusion perhaps, but it means that onboard noise processing does a good job on the JPG images. Unfortunately, the other conclusion is that the high noise left in the RAW images is hard to remove, leading to compromised images most serious amateurs find unacceptable.
If you intend to shoot in JPG only and at low ISO settings, the camera has many plusses and I'd recommend serious consideration because everything else about this camera is well done. But if you intend to shoot RAW, be sure to closely study the consequences of heavy post-processing on the images. In my case, the compromise was unacceptable because the loss of clarity is visited in large prints.
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Meets all expectations. Questions of noise are greatly overblown. Image stabilation reduces impact of noise in low light. Do people really expect to get a great image at very low light condition? Regardless of noise contrast will be too low to get a quality image except in very special circumstances. Up until last few years ISO 400 film had similar problems and ISO 800 was virtually useless except to get a image. When I got this camera I took numerous pictures at night inside and got very good quality pictures without flash. Far better than my old ditigal and better than my film camera. LCD size and image quality is really impressive. The best I have seen.
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The noise problem with this camera is horrendous. DO NOT BUY IT! If you take a close-up picture of an eye you will not be able to see the eyelashes clearly... NEVER. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY.
My 3-year old 5MPX Sony is much better than this Panasonic camera. I am sorry I bought it. I would return this product if I could and buy a good camera instead.
The Lumix DMC-LX2 camera cannot focus one bit, many pictures are out of focus and made worse by the noise problem. Even with the motion smother function turned on many pictures come out blurred. Noise is very noticeable with graininess appearing very readily. You can tweak the quality enhancing features for sharpness, noise reduction, contrast and saturation all you want but these are worthless to reduce the noice and sharpness problem.
The Amazon website says you can use standard SD memory which is untrue(perhaps this has been corrected now). The camera only accepts more expensive SDHC (high capacity) cards. These SDHC cards cannot be read by standard memory stick readers so I have to use the USB port which takes forever to download even a handful of pictures to my computer.
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I love this camera--most of the time. Great features, damned good lens, good quality pictures, superb wide-angle views, compact size, strong battery, etc. Yes, the lack of a viewfinder is sometimes a problem, but not that often. Most problematic for me is the lack of close focus. My defunct Nikon could capture the fur on a bee half an inch from the lens. The LX2 won't even give a sharp self-portrait at arm's length unless you're in very strong light--but beyond that range it's great. The menu layers require a little getting used to, and (unlike my last) battery needs to be poked in till it clicks. The Silkypix .RAW image software might be useful if you've no other, but is far less intuitive & useful than say, using PaintShow to refine your images in .JPG mode.
->Buy Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am not a digital camera expert. In fact, I have always sworn that I would never give up my old manual focus Nikon FM2 film camera. However, this little camera won me over with it's easy to use features and great image quality.
I don't care much about electronic gee-whiz stuff; I bought this camera because of the lens. It is nice and big and bright and clear. The camera itself is smaller than I expected, and the lens is perfect!
Also, I really appreciated the widescreen aspect ratio, and the fact that the zoom is all optical (no funny tricks with some "digital" zoom). It is not an SLR, but it is small enough that you will carry it to get that shot when you want it.
Others have complained about "noise", and maybe they see something I don't, but I think the pictures look fantastic! I'm an artist, so it was important to me to be able to have full control, and I feel like I do with this camera.
My ONLY complaint is that the camera has very little built-in memory. Out of the box you can only keep ONE high quality photograph! This is a pretty small problem, though. Just be sure to order a one gig or bigger card when you get the camera and you'll be fine.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The LX2 is very nearly a perfect camera. It looks like a serious camera, and it is. Yet it also has a lot of fun features that belie its conservative aesthetic, most notably its native 16:9 format.
The build quality is excellent; it is small but solid. The screen is sharp and bright. It is quite reflective, however, and there is no optical viewfinder, so in bright conditions it can be a little hard to see the screen's image but this is mostly alleviated by Panasonic's thoughtful incorporation of a "high-power" and "high-angle" contrast setting, for which there is a dedicated button (eliminating the need to drill down into menus).
Image quality is extremely good for a camera of this size, especially after you set the Noise-Reduction to "low." The metering is very reliable--so far it has tackled every challenge I've thrown at it. Colors are accurate, especially at the lower ISOs. White balance seems a little on the warm side to me, but the camera allows you to adjust this manually--which is quite easy to do thanks to the LX2's useful mini-joystick.
The wide-screen function is a lot of fun to use. So many new composition possibilities avail themselves with the native 16:9 format. The camera allows one to be quite creative---and to see framing in a new light.
My only complaint with this camera is that changing the ISO is not as easy as I would like (it requires three button clicks). Also, in macro mode, the flash casts a fairly large shadow--but this is not a problem in the lens' normal zoom range, which is what I use most of the time. These are very small complaints, however, and overall I am very pleased with this camera. It is a well-made product that looks high-quality and is.
Also worth noting: the manual is clear, well thought-out, and comprehensive though perhaps just a little too condensed.
If you're looking for something inbetween a Point-and-Shoot and a dSLR, this may be the camera for you. It definitely is for me. I like the LX2 a lot.
->Prices Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This camera really stands up! It's not only for the great picture quality, either for the amaizing "image stabilization program", the real deal is that is very easy to use. I'm not a professional photographer, but I have take really great pictures that I can't even imagine I can achieve. Anyway, it's a great buy!
->Cheap Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
With a wide range of features it compares well with my other digital cameras. I own a Samsung NV3, a Kodak DCS Pro, and a Canon G6. The best point and shoot results for me seem to come from the Panasonic LX2K. It focuses faster and more reliably than either of the other P&S cameras and the color reproduction is stellar. Controls are easy to use if a little tiny, but quite intuitive once you've spent some time with them. Bulkier than the NV3 because of the excellent opitcal package, which probably accounts for the high quality images. I was amazed at the detail I was able to acquire at full resolution.
Overall an excellent point and shoot which I would recommend for almost anyone. In fact, I sent one to my son to get him into the digital photography era.
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
If you enjoy photography and want a small portable camera to have with you that takes dynamite images - this camera is for you. Not only is it a 10 MP camera with image stabilization and a wide range of automatic and full manual control - it is the exact same camera manufactured for LEICA at about 1/2 the price.
Several reviews have indicated a problem with noise, to date, I have not found it to be a distracting problem, almost any non-pro camera will experience noise around the extremes, we should just try not to shoot in those conditions.
Power consumption is good, the provided battery lasted until my 2 512MB flash cards were full. The flash is small, but if we keep that in mind, should not be disapointed. Image stabilization works wonderfully.
I have used Nikon and Cannon smaller point and shoots, this one is far superior and easy to use.
Enjoy!
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I have been very impressed with this camera. I've been strictly a Nikon buyer in the past. I was a reluctant digital user and I'm thrilled since I made the switch. I was drawn to the Leica lens and the format and the options. Wow! Takes great pictures. I'm still learning how to use it.... I'm just a slow learner.
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I bought this camera mainly because of the 16:9 aspect wide angle lens - I'm in the architectural field and this really helps in tight spaces or small rooms which you would like to capture as much a possible. I also like the Leica lens, it should yield very good images. My only complaint would be the lack of a viewfinder since I've been using other cameras for 20 years and sometimes the depressing the shutter there is lag before the AF will come on and the picture is taken. Otherwise I'm quite satisfied with this camera. Battery life is good and the manual control is a plus!
->Buy Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Have used for 3 months and taken over 2000 shots and several movies. Has excellent features and love the wide screen. Takes excellent pictures in sunny, outdoor light. But move indoors or shoot on overcast days, the noise begins to creep into the shots. I haven't experimented with post processing yet, so that may work but its fussy, in my opinion. Overall, I give it 4 stars
->Prices Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am pleased with the camera. It's easy to take good pictures with the auto feature. The charger is small and can go anywhere without wires. The only thing I wish I would have got with it was the view finder. The LCD display is wonderful, but there are times when the view finder would have been helpful.
->Prices Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I couldn't be happier with this little camera, although I do use it as a carry everywhere back-up to my Canon 5D DSLR. The key for me was the RAW ability, which I use exclusively. The screen size and resolution are both excellent, the battery lasts a long, long time, and I've found the quality of the shots to be excellent (as you would expect from the Leica lens and 10.2 megapixels). I've read reviews about noise at higher ISO's, but I tend to stay at the low end and frankly haven't found noise to be a problem anywhere under 800. Of course, if it were true, noise reduction software can help just as noise reduction in camera is dialed up on some cameras. Anyway, it's not been a problem to me and I must say I love using this camera and am completely happy with the results.
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I now own this camera for about one month, and have tried to take all kinds of different photos, Macro, Flash and mostly 16 : 9 format. The camera is of superb disign and Quality, It is very easy to use, but it helps to adjust it properly for the kind of picture one wants to take.
The Macro pictures are of very high resolution and depth of field, it is easy to take exellent pictures of Butterflies, even when they are moving a lot.
I never had any problems with the noise even in low light. It seems that people just get on a bandwagon and shout without having a real experience of the facts themself.
It helps a lot to adjust the camera for the task, for example, adjust the whitebalance even on a sunny day, might make a lot of difference.
I am selling my DSLR camera, because this one is a lot easier to use, and it does not produce any camera shake, like that high speed mirror does in the SLR.
After taking almost 600 pictures, I like it and would buy this camera again. I wish it had a way to connect an external flash, but that is not a great problem, I am using one that has a sensor, and fires when the built in flash does. this works great, because it gives much better pictures than just using a built in flash by itself. It is also very handy, that the flash stayes locked up when taking pictures in Museums etc.
I have compared the pictures with other cameras of the same class, of the more popular brands, and I think I get better pictures than most.
It does a more than the Specs tell, for example, it will optically zoom to 1:6.2, even it is rated for 1:4, with the sacrifice of pixels, but you can photograph a bird at some distance, and it will be a sharp picture!
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I was a bit hesitant to buy this camera after reading reviews about how it has terrible digital noise. After spending many hours reading, researching, and analyzing online pictures of the LX2 with other comparable digital cameras of the same class, I decided to just get it anyway. My decision was based on several reason:
1. I didn't really want to spend more for the similar Leica d-lux 3(usually not in stock at any retail or online stores as of 12/2006), which, according to reviewers have less noise than the LX2 but has softer image quality.
2. I wanted a portable camera capable of taking pictures in RAW format, and at the same time gives me full manual control.
3. I like the design--classically elegant. Aesthetics are subjective, and I agree that there are sleeker, cooler looking camaeras out there but none has the ability to shoot in RAW.
4. I like the 16:9 aspect ratio--great for scenary/nature shots.
Here's my take on the camera after having played with it:
1. Taking pictures at ISO of 100 and 200 show some noise when zoomed in at 100%, but noise not apparent when viewed at smaller sizes. The noise at ISO 100 and 200 is actually no worse than any other cameras of the same class.
2. Great flash. Provides almost perfect lighting while colors stay saturated.
3. Amazingly, when images (RAW format) are viewed using their included sofware, the image quality was far inferior to when they were imported and viewed from Photoshop.
4. Excellent print quality.
-------
I wouldn't get this camera if you:
1. do a lot of LARGE image printing.
2. digitally zooming in and cropping images (LX2's details aren't that great)
3. don't mind carrying larger and clunkier cameras like dSLRs
4. don't need to shoot in RAW
5. feel 16:9 aspect ratio doesn't matter
->Buy Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Beautifully designed and a real joy to use, with all the right features--including an outstanding image stabilization system, full manual control, aperture priority, shutter priority, and a true wide angle (28mm equivalent) in 16:9 format.
Unlike most compact digital cameras, there's no need to search through menus to make adjustments -- frequently-used controls are readily accessible.
Autofocus is quick and accurate, LCD is bright and clear, with the option of either hiding or displaying all the relevant information (including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, and histogram).
Shutter lag is minimal, except when shooting in Raw mode. Raw files are huge, and it takes several seconds to write to the SD card. It's a pity that Panasonic didn't provide a memory buffer to reduce this rather frustrating delay.
Image quality is good at ISO 100, but noise is apparent at ISO 200 and above, and the in-camera noise reduction only makes things worse in my opinion, sacrificing too much detail in order to eliminate the noise. Definitely inferior to Canon's noise reduction. Fortunately, noise isn't too much of a problem in raw images at ISO 100.
->Purchase Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
wow! absolutely love it. my first impression was Hmmm, big mistake, i'll send it back, but then i started using it. great control. not only a camera for control freaks but its nice to have the option when you need to take control. nice solid feel. like a real camera. looks good too.
gave it to a friend to try at a party and was quite jealous of how professional he looked with it. then i remembered, o-yes, its mine. and all this talk about noise.. I almost didnt buy it because of that. maybe the reviewers are used to better results with their dSLR's but compared to the 4 other point and shoot cameras i've had over the last 5 years this one performs great, even at ISO 800. well, you werent expecting grainless pictures, where you? but at least you can still shoot! esp with highly effective image stabilizer. a usable shot at 1/10 sec on max zoom without flash of a band on stage..
Gripes?
-28 mm only at 16:9 but i am really beginning to like this format.
-when you want to focus manually and control shutterspeed or aperture, you have to use the same joystick. the only way to do both is to first set the exposure in AF and then turn to Manual focus.
-cant use the flash when shooting in macro and wide angle. the lens throws a shadow in the picture! however you can still use flash+macro in tele.
-where's the viewfinder?
->Buy Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I ordered the Panasonic DMC-LX2S in August, understanding it wouldn't be available until October. I was pleased with the reviews in photography magazines, and I was thrilled with the two DMC-LX1's I had already purchased. One of the most important selling points was the Leica lens that's nearly half the size of the camera body. It's really a great pocket camera.
Once I received my camera, I began a series of test shots to get familiar with it's characteristics. Immediately, I was dismayed to discover a spherical distortion just off center, easily visible whenever shooting a plain background, common here in Seattle in the winter. In other words, it sure wasn't sun flair, and was always exactly in the same spot. I called Panasonic hoping they would send me a new camera, which is what I would have done, but understood when they sent me a UPS label to forward it to their repair center near Chicago, since they have to see for themselves.
I packed up a bunch of images with the defect pointed out, and handed it to my friendly UPS driver the first week of November, and waited. Finally, I called Panasonic's repair service before Thanksgiving, seeing that the camera had been delivered by UPS the week before, only to find it hadn't been recorded as yet. The agent was extremely pleasant, and I was understanding with the holiday coming as it did. I called again the Monday after the Holiday, and a very helpful agent said she would walk it through, and to call Friday, but that the part would have to come from Kent, Washington - 5 miles from my home, but thousands of miles from Chicago. I called today, Friday, and my new camera still sits in Chicago waiting for parts that may get there by Monday, but the nice agent said if they couldn't get it out by the Holidays, they would send me a loaner. I do appreciate nice agents, but - - -
WHY DOESN'T PANASONIC JUST REPLACE THE CAMERA?
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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.
->Lowest Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
THIS CAM IS AMAZING!!!! All I can say is Leica Lens ... I had taken the specs to a local camera shop and tried to see what they had to compare ... all he showed me was Leica's at around 8 Megapixel (and they can't even do the high def video!)... so I was like - well guess I am getting this Panasonic then!
The video features are truly awesome ... this could just be one step better with 60 frames per second, but 30 frames per second ROCKS! Yes, this does high definition at 10 frames per second ... so if you are not taking a video of much at high speed then it is really quite nice ... the only downside is that there is not really a direct cable to patch it up to my HDTV to watch it ... so I am unsure if it is true high def - yet.
I have only had this cam a week or two ... I had to wait for my larger memory SD cards to come to my house so I was using the 13 MB internal for a short time and it was still sufficient - although you could only take like 3 pictures. :)
I would recommend a cam of this stature to anyone ... even my work peeps that are highly into electronic gadgets are impressed. I would have to say this is worth every penny. I will just have to spend some more time now and go through my 140-page manual to check out all the other cool tricks this cam has up the sleeve.
AAAAA++++++++ PANASONIC!!!! WHO-HOO ...
p.s. I am normally a Sony man ... but they only had a crap HD camcorder that would only take 4 MP digital stills ...
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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.
->Buy Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Reading the reviews of the LX1, I desperately hoped that this one would fix the noise issue. Well, when I got it, it was already past sunset, so it was a great time to test it. I took a few pictures of my computer screen inside a dark room. I took them auto mode using 10, 8, 5, and 2 MP to see how big the file sizes were using standard JPEG compression, and then at 10 MP again using maximum compression.
When I first saw the pictures, I almost wanted to cry. All of them had at least some noise. It was the first time I saw it in person, because before I had only read about it. Of course, as you increase the compression, and lower the megapixels, you get more noise. So, I think I'll stick with 10MP, and standard compression.
However, the next day, as I read the manual, I found that it comes with a noise correction feature. It does work, so that is cool, but the best thing is to set the ISO yourself, because the "intelligent" sensor sucks in low-light conditions--always choosing too high an ISO. The only problem with a low ISO is that you better have a steady hand, because otherwise you will have blurry images, even with the image-stabilization on.
Ok, after that dismal stuff, I got some good news, I absolutely love the widescreen-format of the pictures. I have a widescreen computer, and the pictures fit perfectly. The high-resolution is great too, with very little graininess at all.
I think I like this camera, I just got to find the perfect setting before I take it out and use it in "the field" of Costa Rica! :)
Oh, this camera has a 30fps movie-mode which I have yet to test. That's cool too, though I doubt I'll use it much. The LX1's 15 fps scared me, because who wants to see a movie where you can see the frames changing!
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Easy to use, with 10 MP for enlarging your photos. There isn't a lot of zoom, but combined with cameras you may already have at home that have more zoom and less MP, you can have a camera for every need. This is perfect for travel because of its size, too. Good quality camera!
->Shipping Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The LX2 is the third digital camera I have owned. My last camera was an Olympus C-5000. It was (and still is) an OK camera but its widest angle was too narrow for good scenic shots. The LX2 has a very wide angle capability with easy switching to three different formats; 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The 16:9 format allows eye-popping panoramic shots. The 4X optical zoom is more than enough for distance shots, but with the camera's high resolution, it is easy to crop the target in Photoshop, giving equivalent results of a much greater zoom capability with little loss of practical resolution. The image stabilization is nice, I guess. So far I have not really needed IS, so I can't say if it is effective or not.
I recently took some indoor photos of groups of people in a lecture room. I had intended to use the flash but after I saw what I got from the first shot without flash, I did the whole run of shots without flash, and the photos are excellent. The large LCD monitor is a big help in framing shots and reviewing images afterwards. This is my first camera without a see-through viewfinder, but that had not been a problem.
So what is there not to like? Only two gripes so far. The camera body has only one attachment point for the provided carrying strap with a short cord. I liked the shoulder strap that was provided with my old C-5000 and the short LX2 strap proved to be somewhat inconvenient during four days of shooting in Washington, DC. I am hoping to find an after-market shoulder strap that can be fitted to the LX2.
The final gripe is that the LX2 automatic file naming system is strictly sequential. With the old Olympus C-5000, the day and month were encoded into the file name. That was truly convenient.
I consider myself to be an amateur photographer. The LX2 has tons of capabilities and controls that I will probably never use. For my purposes, the LX2 does everything I ever expect it to do. Bottom line; this is a superb camera and I can honestly give it a high recommendation.
->Purchase Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Great camera. Images that pop. Easy to use. Close-up flash is perfect.
-> Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am so glad that I bought this camera. In my search for a pocketable but high power camera, I went through most of top of line Cxxns before settled down with this one. I have not shot in low light or Raw yet so will have more to add later. But all of my good light shots have been amazing. The camera is fast (far cry from G7), produces gorgeous color, wonderful 16x9 mode. In small print, it perfomed just as excellent as my Nikon D200.
I don't know what else they packed into this camera and repackaged it as a "red-dot" camera, but I have been very happy with it. This camera offers a lot more than a casual user would need. This is the one that you can buy and don't feel the need for upgrade for a long time (for me, that may be less than 2 years :-))
->Sale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
After months of comparing digital cameras on the market, I decided to purchase Panasonic's Lumix LX2. From the moment I turned it on I was thrilled with this camera. It does just about everything a camera can do, and in head-to-head photo taking comparisons with a Canon, a Pentax and another Panasonic Lumix camera, the LX2 took far superior pictures to all of them. I'd highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a full-featured digital camera. Panasonic, if you're listening, put your 10x zoom lens and self-covering lens cap on the LX2 (like you have on the TZ3) and you'll have the perfect digital camera!
-> Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Overall, this is an excellent camera. The quality is great for something in the "ultra-compact" category. However, the lens juts out about 1" from the camera body, which I was unaware of and makes the camera a lot less portable. I'm still not sure if the price justifies the feature set, but I'm fairly satisfied. Very happy that grid and histogram options are available. There are also a lot of preset "automatic" modes, which are very nice.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I've taken 330 shots to date. I like the 16:9 format. It allows for creative compositions. A grid can be superimposed on the LCD screen to aid composition. The colors are true; the details are clear. The macro mode allows good views of flowers and surface textures. The camera is lightweight and easy to hold. There are no negatives. The camera is a joy to use.
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The reason to buy this camera is the true 16:9 widescreen format. I have not seen another digital camera offering this yet, as of 05/2007. (There are some letterboxed widescreens inside of a 4:3, wasting pixels.) 10.2 megapixels within the 16:9. That's super sharp. In another 5 years, everything will be widescreen, that's TV's, computer monitors, laptops. It also has every feature you can ever need as a point and shoot.
If you don't want or need the widescreen feature, there are hundreds of other cameras you can buy.
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The camara is ok and have a lot of posibilities, its not a point and shoot.
Pros. you can do nearly everything that you can do with a canon or nikon lens camaras. the anti shake.
Cons. Lens cap, popup flash, pics nearer than 2 feets to object not clear in all sections
I have a sony DSC-P10 it does nearly the same but faster, no lens cap and has automatic flash, pics near 1 feet or less OK
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I have always been an SLR photographer and have held off on purchasing a digital camera up until now because I have not been convinced of the resolution capabilities of digital. I travel alot and sometimes due to space and sometimes due to the desire to be inconspicuous I have needed something smaller than my full size SLRs. After a lot of research, looking at every model I could find, I settled on this Panasonic Lumix LX2 because I don't have to give up the control over every aspect of the photo. This camera lets you be a control freak, or you can leave it in one of several automatic modes. It can store pictures in RAW mode, which is important to me (the Canon G7 lost out because it didnt have this) but the JPEG mode is great. I have blown up some prints from this camera and I am completely satisfied with the quality, and I was skeptical before, expecting to be underwhelmed.
I originally bought this as a backup to my SLRs but I already see this will be my primary camera unless I am a situation that calls for a special lens, flash power, or super high resolution (like 25 or 60 ASA)
My only suggestion to Panasonic would be to allow you to charge the battery while in the camera, like with a car charger, and make some sort of accomodation for external flash. The flash on this camera is the weak spot - it's really not that bad for the size but if it could sync with an external flash that would be good.
->Compare Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I bought this camera after DPreview told me that it (well, actually, its Leica sibling) fits all of my needs, namely: compact, RAW, and aperture priority, plus optical stabilization.
What I like: large screen, RAW, fairly decent flash
What I dislike: it actually takes RAW + JPEG which wastes space on my card. However, it gives me an interesting comparison. 90% of the time, I prefer the RAW version, albeit tweaked. The JPEG colors just don't look right to me. I'm also unimpressed with the image stabilization, and the warranty is just terrible. 90 days??? What's with that? Also, the manual focus without a viewfinder takes getting used to.
I won't argue that there's noise at higher ISOs, but it's not nearly as bad as I expected from other reviews. I haven't decided yet whether I'm keeping the camera; if you're not in a hurry, hold off and see if they release a new version in the summer. Of course, with their track record, they won't fix any of the problems, just squeeze a few more MP out of the chip.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
While I am nowhere close to being a pro, I am not a stranger to photography or to digitals. Recently I wanted something better than what I had for an upcoming trip to Italy and I bought the Lumix DMC-LX2 on Amazon after reading reviews, etc.
It is no SLR, but it is far more than a "back-up" camera. It is small enough to be handy without being a burden. (A friend we were travelling with had a digital SLR with a 135mm zoom. She had it in her bag most of the time because it was so big and heavy.)
The lens quality is very good. The absence of a traditional view finder is very nice. The TV screen on the back works in all lighting conditions (its adjustable). You can have as little or a lot of the technical data on the screen as you want. It even has a couple of nice composition templates that I found useful at times.
I bought one of the after market batteries and couple of 2 gig cards and I had far more capacity than I needed for a 2 week trip, but the second card is necessary if you shoot at max pixels as I did the whole time. At max jpg a 2 gig card holds about 350 shots. One battery was all I needed so long as I watched the charger carefully at night. Sometimes the current converter one has to use in Italy would shut down mid-charge. So my advice is to have a second battery and switch them out.
This camera is very versatile. It will do a lot if one takes the time to study the manual. (The manual is not the best, however) The SLR's do beat out its zoom, but that is not much of a problem for casual shooting because one can crop the tar out of the 10.1mg shots and still have a great photo.
The flash works fine. And one can fill flash with it. I bought a small slave unit that works great but I never needed it.
I found a handy, cheap, case at REI. They have a padded cell phone case that hooks up to a belt or a back pack. This camera fits the REI case perfectly. It even has side mesh pockets for batteries and chips. I forget the price but I think it was less than 20 bucks.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This camera does what it says it does: it takes 16:9 pictures and video at 10.2MP for pictures and OK resolutions for video. It takes decent video, if you put it on a tripod. The built-in stabilization is worthless in video mode and you'll get a palsy type shaking no matter what you do. In other words, this will not replace your camcorder. In picture mode, it does a good job with most outdoors/indoors settings if you're not too picky about the lens distortions around the corners at the highest resolution. This is especially obvious if you take pictures where vertical objects appear near the left or right edges of the frame (like stop signs, light posts, building edge lines etc.)
All in all, a decent buy for home use. Not something to look into if you'll be frequently printing your pictures for posterity or for use in professional publications.
->Cheap Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This is a very flexible and capable camera. If you are looking for more than a point & shoot will offer, there are very few that would compare. For me the deciding factor was the high quality lieca lens with wide angle, if you havent compared this directly with a conventianal lens you will be amazed at what youve been missing. the 16:9 is an ok feature if you plan on HDTV veiwing but the screen size is compromised when you switch to 4:3. i would prefer a larger screen and lose the 16:9 feature. the lens cap is a little annoying as well but those issues aside, i am very satisfied.
->Purchase Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I've had this camera for about a month. I currently own a Nikon D50 and an 2 year old Canon Powershot. I needed something small and handy to use as a walk around camera. I've been reading reviews for months on various digital cameras, poured through thousands of images posted on flickr, and I decided on this camera. I loved the look, the size, the price, and the leica lens.
The images are sharper and the colors are more vibrant than my Nikon D50 and my Canon Powershot. I love the manual settings available on this camera. I mostly use the P setting. Although adjusting shutter speed and aperture can be awkward using the joystick, the menu is very simple and offers a lot of control.
I also like the fact that people stop me on the street whenever I use my camera.
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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!
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I had high hopes for this little camera when I bought it, but after scrutinizing the quality of its output, I have decided to return it. I spent days reading the professional and user reviews before ordering. Despite consistent complaints about high ISO noise, I proceeded to order it anyway because most of my shots are taken at a safe ISO 100 (so I thought). I should also say that I own a Canon Powershot S80 and a Nikon D80 dSLR, so the bar was already raised pretty high when I got the LX2.
I love almost everything about this camera. The small size is perfect, the controls are handy, and the ergonomics are great. I also found that the quality of the JPG images are very good at ISO 100. It seems to me that the onboard noise reduction algorithm does a great job.
Now for the problem. I bought the camera mainly for its RAW support. The nice Leica 28mm lens and the 10MP resolution were also important factors. I had planned to take RAW exclusively (as I do with the D80). In that light, the LX2 looked like a potential dream for amateurs like me who love control and quality combined with portability.
But in test shot after test shot, the noise in the RAW images was terrible. Even on nice sunny days, the sky was blotchy in the RAW photos. Even with post-processing using Neat Image (which does a superb job at reducing noise), I could never match the quality of the JPG photos. Neat Image was able to reduce the noise but the cost was a corresponding loss of detail and clarity. I could never get around this devastating compromise.
My bottom-line conclusion is that there is no advantage to taking RAW photos with this camera, since the result is generally less desirable than the JPG images processed on the LX2. This is an unusual conclusion perhaps, but it means that onboard noise processing does a good job on the JPG images. Unfortunately, the other conclusion is that the high noise left in the RAW images is hard to remove, leading to compromised images most serious amateurs find unacceptable.
If you intend to shoot in JPG only and at low ISO settings, the camera has many plusses and I'd recommend serious consideration because everything else about this camera is well done. But if you intend to shoot RAW, be sure to closely study the consequences of heavy post-processing on the images. In my case, the compromise was unacceptable because the loss of clarity is visited in large prints.
->Sale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Meets all expectations. Questions of noise are greatly overblown. Image stabilation reduces impact of noise in low light. Do people really expect to get a great image at very low light condition? Regardless of noise contrast will be too low to get a quality image except in very special circumstances. Up until last few years ISO 400 film had similar problems and ISO 800 was virtually useless except to get a image. When I got this camera I took numerous pictures at night inside and got very good quality pictures without flash. Far better than my old ditigal and better than my film camera. LCD size and image quality is really impressive. The best I have seen.
->Affordable Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The noise problem with this camera is horrendous. DO NOT BUY IT! If you take a close-up picture of an eye you will not be able to see the eyelashes clearly... NEVER. NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY.
My 3-year old 5MPX Sony is much better than this Panasonic camera. I am sorry I bought it. I would return this product if I could and buy a good camera instead.
The Lumix DMC-LX2 camera cannot focus one bit, many pictures are out of focus and made worse by the noise problem. Even with the motion smother function turned on many pictures come out blurred. Noise is very noticeable with graininess appearing very readily. You can tweak the quality enhancing features for sharpness, noise reduction, contrast and saturation all you want but these are worthless to reduce the noice and sharpness problem.
The Amazon website says you can use standard SD memory which is untrue(perhaps this has been corrected now). The camera only accepts more expensive SDHC (high capacity) cards. These SDHC cards cannot be read by standard memory stick readers so I have to use the USB port which takes forever to download even a handful of pictures to my computer.
->Purchase Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I love this camera--most of the time. Great features, damned good lens, good quality pictures, superb wide-angle views, compact size, strong battery, etc. Yes, the lack of a viewfinder is sometimes a problem, but not that often. Most problematic for me is the lack of close focus. My defunct Nikon could capture the fur on a bee half an inch from the lens. The LX2 won't even give a sharp self-portrait at arm's length unless you're in very strong light--but beyond that range it's great. The menu layers require a little getting used to, and (unlike my last) battery needs to be poked in till it clicks. The Silkypix .RAW image software might be useful if you've no other, but is far less intuitive & useful than say, using PaintShow to refine your images in .JPG mode.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am not a digital camera expert. In fact, I have always sworn that I would never give up my old manual focus Nikon FM2 film camera. However, this little camera won me over with it's easy to use features and great image quality.
I don't care much about electronic gee-whiz stuff; I bought this camera because of the lens. It is nice and big and bright and clear. The camera itself is smaller than I expected, and the lens is perfect!
Also, I really appreciated the widescreen aspect ratio, and the fact that the zoom is all optical (no funny tricks with some "digital" zoom). It is not an SLR, but it is small enough that you will carry it to get that shot when you want it.
Others have complained about "noise", and maybe they see something I don't, but I think the pictures look fantastic! I'm an artist, so it was important to me to be able to have full control, and I feel like I do with this camera.
My ONLY complaint is that the camera has very little built-in memory. Out of the box you can only keep ONE high quality photograph! This is a pretty small problem, though. Just be sure to order a one gig or bigger card when you get the camera and you'll be fine.
->Sale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The LX2 is very nearly a perfect camera. It looks like a serious camera, and it is. Yet it also has a lot of fun features that belie its conservative aesthetic, most notably its native 16:9 format.
The build quality is excellent; it is small but solid. The screen is sharp and bright. It is quite reflective, however, and there is no optical viewfinder, so in bright conditions it can be a little hard to see the screen's image but this is mostly alleviated by Panasonic's thoughtful incorporation of a "high-power" and "high-angle" contrast setting, for which there is a dedicated button (eliminating the need to drill down into menus).
Image quality is extremely good for a camera of this size, especially after you set the Noise-Reduction to "low." The metering is very reliable--so far it has tackled every challenge I've thrown at it. Colors are accurate, especially at the lower ISOs. White balance seems a little on the warm side to me, but the camera allows you to adjust this manually--which is quite easy to do thanks to the LX2's useful mini-joystick.
The wide-screen function is a lot of fun to use. So many new composition possibilities avail themselves with the native 16:9 format. The camera allows one to be quite creative---and to see framing in a new light.
My only complaint with this camera is that changing the ISO is not as easy as I would like (it requires three button clicks). Also, in macro mode, the flash casts a fairly large shadow--but this is not a problem in the lens' normal zoom range, which is what I use most of the time. These are very small complaints, however, and overall I am very pleased with this camera. It is a well-made product that looks high-quality and is.
Also worth noting: the manual is clear, well thought-out, and comprehensive though perhaps just a little too condensed.
If you're looking for something inbetween a Point-and-Shoot and a dSLR, this may be the camera for you. It definitely is for me. I like the LX2 a lot.
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
This camera really stands up! It's not only for the great picture quality, either for the amaizing "image stabilization program", the real deal is that is very easy to use. I'm not a professional photographer, but I have take really great pictures that I can't even imagine I can achieve. Anyway, it's a great buy!
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
With a wide range of features it compares well with my other digital cameras. I own a Samsung NV3, a Kodak DCS Pro, and a Canon G6. The best point and shoot results for me seem to come from the Panasonic LX2K. It focuses faster and more reliably than either of the other P&S cameras and the color reproduction is stellar. Controls are easy to use if a little tiny, but quite intuitive once you've spent some time with them. Bulkier than the NV3 because of the excellent opitcal package, which probably accounts for the high quality images. I was amazed at the detail I was able to acquire at full resolution.
Overall an excellent point and shoot which I would recommend for almost anyone. In fact, I sent one to my son to get him into the digital photography era.
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
If you enjoy photography and want a small portable camera to have with you that takes dynamite images - this camera is for you. Not only is it a 10 MP camera with image stabilization and a wide range of automatic and full manual control - it is the exact same camera manufactured for LEICA at about 1/2 the price.
Several reviews have indicated a problem with noise, to date, I have not found it to be a distracting problem, almost any non-pro camera will experience noise around the extremes, we should just try not to shoot in those conditions.
Power consumption is good, the provided battery lasted until my 2 512MB flash cards were full. The flash is small, but if we keep that in mind, should not be disapointed. Image stabilization works wonderfully.
I have used Nikon and Cannon smaller point and shoots, this one is far superior and easy to use.
Enjoy!
->Cheap Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I have been very impressed with this camera. I've been strictly a Nikon buyer in the past. I was a reluctant digital user and I'm thrilled since I made the switch. I was drawn to the Leica lens and the format and the options. Wow! Takes great pictures. I'm still learning how to use it.... I'm just a slow learner.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I bought this camera mainly because of the 16:9 aspect wide angle lens - I'm in the architectural field and this really helps in tight spaces or small rooms which you would like to capture as much a possible. I also like the Leica lens, it should yield very good images. My only complaint would be the lack of a viewfinder since I've been using other cameras for 20 years and sometimes the depressing the shutter there is lag before the AF will come on and the picture is taken. Otherwise I'm quite satisfied with this camera. Battery life is good and the manual control is a plus!
->Lowest Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Have used for 3 months and taken over 2000 shots and several movies. Has excellent features and love the wide screen. Takes excellent pictures in sunny, outdoor light. But move indoors or shoot on overcast days, the noise begins to creep into the shots. I haven't experimented with post processing yet, so that may work but its fussy, in my opinion. Overall, I give it 4 stars
->Wholesale Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I am pleased with the camera. It's easy to take good pictures with the auto feature. The charger is small and can go anywhere without wires. The only thing I wish I would have got with it was the view finder. The LCD display is wonderful, but there are times when the view finder would have been helpful.
->Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
I couldn't be happier with this little camera, although I do use it as a carry everywhere back-up to my Canon 5D DSLR. The key for me was the RAW ability, which I use exclusively. The screen size and resolution are both excellent, the battery lasts a long, long time, and I've found the quality of the shots to be excellent (as you would expect from the Leica lens and 10.2 megapixels). I've read reviews about noise at higher ISO's, but I tend to stay at the low end and frankly haven't found noise to be a problem anywhere under 800. Of course, if it were true, noise reduction software can help just as noise reduction in camera is dialed up on some cameras. Anyway, it's not been a problem to me and I must say I love using this camera and am completely happy with the results.
->Buy Online Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
If you take all of your pictures in auto mode, than this is not a camera for you! I agreed there are some noise problem, but you can overcome this problem easily with different manual setting or shooting in raw. You might have to do some editing in photoshop or using the software that came with this camera to reduce the noise on the picture. I'm glad that I made the purchase without holding back about the noise problem, and I LOVE this camera.
->Buy Now Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Great camera for $100 cheaper than the Leica version. I have been taking accepted stock photos with it. The 10MP can't be beat, gives great clear pictures and has enough manual settings for most people. The software SILKYPIX it comes with is a lot better than I expected for developing RAW images. Definitely a great value camera!!
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Got this camera in late September just as it was released. Initially thought I may have made the wrong choice after reading some complaints about excessive noise but I have not found noise to be much of a problem...PROVIDED that the ISO is kept at 100. Because the camera is so small it is easy to hold steady at slow shutter speeds and I also keep the image stabilization set on #2 (activates only as the shutter button is pressed) to ensure a sharp image. So really there has not been much of a reason for me to use the camera at higher ISOs, but I am thinking it actually might be fun to do this to get some "grain" intentionally, particularly on the black & white setting.
PLUSES: The 16:9 format is extremely fun to use and makes for some very creative picture taking. You can also quickly move to 3:2 or 4:3 formats with a quick flip of a switch on the lens barrel.
The controls are well designed and placed and are simple to use if you have owned previous digital cameras. Manual settings are easily controled via a small joystick. Build quality (mostly metal body) also seems excellent.
I have seen several complaints about the picture quality of this camera, but to me the quality seems comparable to my last digital, a Canon Powershot S-80. I suspect many of the complaints arise from users who do not keep the ISO set to 100.
Macro setting works extremely well. This is quickly controlled by a swtich on the side of the lens barrel.
Took some candid shots at a party and the flash performed quite well. In shutter priority mode, I set the shutter speed to 125, forced the flash on and boosted it a bit. Play around with it a bit and you will find settings that work for you. Skin tones were rich and not washed out.
Various focus options are very helpful. I shoot alot of landscapes so I don't always want the primary focus on the center of the photo. I usually leave the camera set on the nine-point focus setting, which picks up multiple points in the frame and takes an average. By pressing the shutter button halfway, you can preview which of the nine fields the camera will use to gauge the focus and switch to another setting if necessary.
This is the only digital camera I have ever seen that offers fine tuning of the white balance. It is like having a set of filters built right in to the camera! Super!
Images can be cropped right in the camera! This is the first camera I have seen that offers this option.
MINUSES: As at least one other reviewer has mentioned, you are only getting the full 28mm view when you use the 16:9 format.
There is no viewfinder and the LCD screen can be EXTREMELY hard to see in bright sunlight. The camera offers a "Power LCD" setting which lightens the screen and helps in certain conditions, but often I find myself trying to compose a shot while looking at a reflection of myself on the screen.
That's about it. I haven't really put this puppy through all it's paces or used all it's features yet, but I've used it enough to be able to say that I am very pleased with my purchase. The camera is on the expensive side and its advanced features will probably be best appreciated by advanced amateurs or even pros who want something small they can always have with them.
->Discount Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
The Panasonic LX2 is is a cunning little camera, jewel-like, and well designed ( I have the black version) and Ive shot about 1000 pictures with it and so far gotten some excellent photographs. I like almost everything about it, the resolution - the Leica lens is a winner - the w.a. lens especially in conjunction with the wide-screen format makes for some really nice pictures. The menus are easy to use and quick. Now for the issue of noise.yes, it's noisy at speeds much over 100. But there's good noise and there's bad noise and this camera has good noise. It reminds me of Tri-X grain and on some shots I've deliberately shot at over 100 to get that 'look'. Which to my mind just adds to the versatility of the camera. I also have a Sony RSC R1 and now that has become my 'view' camera which I take out when on shooting sessions. The LX2 is my '35mm' camera which I carry with me daily and get shots I wouldn't get with the larger Sony.
Those are the pluses - the negatives: it's so small I'll probably lose it like I do with my cell phone frequently. it's also somewhat slippery; I wish it had a leather finish for a better grip.(I guess I will get a case.) With a standard SD card and using RAW ( another plus) it's not fast. But neither am I so that's not a problem. I wish I could set the flash intensity on RAW and RAW also doesn't support bracketing. ( My Sony does both on RAW). The battery could use a bit of beefing up but I've been spoiled by the Sony battery which never seems to lose a charge. I don't find the stabilization to be all that great probably because the camera is so small. I used to have a Minolta A2 and that stabilization worked a lot better. But it was a bigger heavier camera. The Sony doesn't have that feature and doesn't seem to need it - again a heavier camera.
Wishes for the LX3
Tilt & swivel viewing screen
Less noise at higher ISOs
More menu options for RAW settings
Color mode options ( Adobe RGB)
better battery
I haven't tried out the burst shooting or the video capabilities.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
1. If you have tons of cataloged pictures in the 3:2 aspect and don't want to start collecting 16:9's
2. And you are looking for a small P&S with full control AND WIDE LENS
read this camera's test in the November popular photography and you will realize that this camera is only 28mm in the 16:9 aspect
If you collect 3:2's you will be buying something like 33mm in the wide end
->Deal Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
THIS CAM IS AMAZING!!!! All I can say is Leica Lens ... I had taken the specs to a local camera shop and tried to see what they had to compare ... all he showed me was Leica's at around 8 Megapixel (and they can't even do the high def video!)... so I was like - well guess I am getting this Panasonic then!
The video features are truly awesome ... this could just be one step better with 60 frames per second, but 30 frames per second ROCKS! Yes, this does high definition at 10 frames per second ... so if you are not taking a video of much at high speed then it is really quite nice ... the only downside is that there is not really a direct cable to patch it up to my HDTV to watch it ... so I am unsure if it is true high def - yet.
I have only had this cam a week or two ... I had to wait for my larger memory SD cards to come to my house so I was using the 13 MB internal for a short time and it was still sufficient - although you could only take like 3 pictures. :)
I would recommend a cam of this stature to anyone ... even my work peeps that are highly into electronic gadgets are impressed. I would have to say this is worth every penny. I will just have to spend some more time now and go through my 140-page manual to check out all the other cool tricks this cam has up the sleeve.
AAAAA++++++++ PANASONIC!!!! WHO-HOO ...
p.s. I am normally a Sony man ... but they only had a crap HD camcorder that would only take 4 MP digital stills ...
->Best Price Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
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.
->Comparison Panasonic DMC-LX2K 10.2MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Reading the reviews of the LX1, I desperately hoped that this one would fix the noise issue. Well, when I got it, it was already past sunset, so it was a great time to test it. I took a few pictures of my computer screen inside a dark room. I took them auto mode using 10, 8, 5, and 2 MP to see how big the file sizes were using standard JPEG compression, and then at 10 MP again using maximum compression.
When I first saw the pictures, I almost wanted to cry. All of them had at least some noise. It was the first time I saw it in person, because before I had only read about it. Of course, as you increase the compression, and lower the megapixels, you get more noise. So, I think I'll stick with 10MP, and standard compression.
However, the next day, as I read the manual, I found that it comes with a noise correction feature. It does work, so that is cool, but the best thing is to set the ISO yourself, because the "intelligent" sensor sucks in low-light conditions--always choosing too high an ISO. The only problem with a low ISO is that you better have a steady hand, because otherwise you will have blurry images, even with the image-stabilization on.
Ok, after that dismal stuff, I got some good news, I absolutely love the widescreen-format of the pictures. I have a widescreen computer, and the pictures fit perfectly. The high-resolution is great too, with very little graininess at all.
I think I like this camera, I just got to find the perfect setting before I take it out and use it in "the field" of Costa Rica! :)
Oh, this camera has a 30fps movie-mode which I have yet to test. That's cool too, though I doubt I'll use it much. The LX1's 15 fps scared me, because who wants to see a movie where you can see the frames changing!