Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 user reviews

Graham 7 January 2012

Good: Excellent low light f2 Leica lens. Compact. pocketable size for travelling.

Bad: Apart from the relatively brief written manual. no complaints so far in the 6 weeks I've owned the camera.

Comment: I reviewed CSC models with interchangeable lenses for travel use. When I analysed previous travel photos over 75% were taken with 70mm or less lens settings. In the camera store the fact that the LX-5 had a f2 zoomable lens with manual control options and its compact size made up my mind. The results have been very pleasing, especially in low light conditions. Full impact wide angle landscapes have also impressed. Also wide angle speculative shots from the hip without attracting attention in markets etc. Even managed the controls with thermal gloves in -14C really freezing windy conditions in China. Try changing a DSLR lens or touching a metal bodied camera without gloves in those temperatures! Needed the excellent stabilisation mode to help counter body shake from the cold and freezing wind! Very impressive compromise camera for travel use. Battery life easily lasted a full day with over 100 shots, even in freezing conditions... !

Tim Rogers 20 November 2011

Good: Image quality, build quality and portability.

Bad: No built in eye level finder.

Comment: There is a patronising sniffiness among nerdy photographic circles about the image quality produced by compact cameras. "Yes, all very well...but SERIOUS photographers would ALWAYS go for a dslr,"
Oh yeah?
I will pass over the fact that one of the world's top professional photographers ( a friend of mine - not dropping names) has only used an iphone to capture his images for the last 12 months to wide critical acclaim...and simply say that don't believe what the photo nerds tell you.
The most important part of any photograph is the image. Get the composition right...capture that elusive moment...understand how to make the most of light and you will embody the spirit of Cartier Bresson. Obsess with gadgetry and forget what photography is REALLY all about and you might as well buy an anorak and start collecting train numbers.

In the real world, where international travel involves luggage restrictions, security checks and long sweaty queues....the thought of hefting dslr kits and various lenses is becoming less and less appealing...cameras like the Panasonic LX5 are a godsend.

Beautifully engineered, with superb image quality...and yes, I do men superb...this is an ideal travel companion.

I have had mine a year and I am pleased to report the pin sharp Leica lens, long battery life and excellent vari functions (including glorious video) have captured some of the best pictures I have taken in years.

Don't misunderstand me. I have no beef with Dslr's. I also own a Nikon D90 - and fond of it I am too. Excellent. But the truth is I am far more inclined to reach for the LX5 because for most needs - it is a far more versatile camera. It is almost always with me - and that's when the best images often present themselves - when you least expect them.

The Leica lens is a gem.

The price of a new LX5 is way below where it was when CNET reviewed it...a fact they really ought to recognise now.

Buy this camera and you will enjoy it. It feels as if it was built to last andI am looking forward to enjoying it for years to come.

Scott Haman 8 November 2010

Comment: Does it use the same adapter as the LX3, i.e. same aftermarket lenses, external flash, etc.?

bdgohil 9 September 2010

Comment: Which is better canon G11 or Panasonic DMC-LX5 with respect to Image quality.

Peter Bronis 30 August 2010

Good: flash adjustment not present?

Comment: lx3 features the adjustment of flash power. actually it is easily accessible one. i really doubt that lx5 would miss it!

how long have you been playing with the camera? one afternoon?

BNBN 27 August 2010

Good: slightly better image quality than LX3, better zoom than LX3, better in size than Canon s95 for guys, better video than LX3

Bad: screen keep the same as LX3, f stop keep the same as LX3, flash cannot adjust as easy as LX3

Comment: It is a good camera.
I got LX3 and now sold it for LX5. It is one of the best compact camera in the market.

good stuff
- f stop 2.0
- 24mm to 90mm Leica lens
-1cm macro
- good dynamic range

danno714 4 August 2010

Good: Good update to the LX3

Comment: Whoever did the editor review needs to be fired immediately if not sooner.

Mandarin Man 3 August 2010

Good: See review above

Bad: See review above

Comment: CNET, a rubbish review. The author has either not held an LX5 and has based his review on a press release, or he used a pre-production model and failed to disclose this fact.

A number of factual errors (Flash compensation is right there, in the menu), contradictions and a flat-out wrong statement about build quality mean a serious loss of faith in CNET reviews.

CNET, you should immediately withdraw this dross, and repost it when the reviewer has actually used the camera he is talking about.

Mandarin Man 3 August 2010

Good: Superbright f2.0 lens, increased zoom range over LX3, Aspect ratio slider, that 'Leica' look and feel

Bad: Only one adjustment wheel, manual mode still a little fiddly

Comment: I had a play with a production-ready LX5 here in Shanghai, and also had the opportunity to print some test shots.

Assuming you're attracted by the sharp-edged industrial styling, to hold a (production) LX5 is to want one. Panasonic doesn't 'do' curves, at least not with the LX models - the LX5 is an impeccably machined and robust block of metal and heavy plastic which feels worth every bit of it's substantial pricetag.

From a handling perspective, the LX5 is very similar to the LX3, in fact so much so that externally there isn't much to differentiate them. The major controls were easy to reach, and even in the space of 10 minutes I could 'feel' my way around the camera whilst using the (excellent) external electronic viewfinder.

Being a Canon user, I didn't realise how much I would miss a front control-dial until I tried the LX5 - I guess you could say it's a testament to the LX5's DSLR-like feel that you actually miss the front control-wheel, but miss it I did and it made using the Manual mode just that little bit more frustrating and time-consuming than it should be. Panasonic have however, done an excellent job on the menu, with a logical structure and most commonly used functions shown early (plus the ability to customise the menu - a nice touch).

I found the zoom range more or less sufficient for my needs. With my Canon 5D I estimated making more than 90% of my shots at 80mm or less, and in fact most at full wideangle. Your mileage may vary of course depending on what kind of photography you do, and the LX5's maximum zoom of 90mm (35mm equivalent) may be a dealbreaker.

What I will say, however, is that as far as the lens goes, it is a cracker. 24-90mm okay, but to do that at f2.0-3.3 is in my mind spectacular. That fast wide aperture, combined with Panasonic's newest anti-shake systems (3, in fact) meant that my low-light test shots looked far better than I had any right to expect. Of course Panasonic were slightly cheeky in that photos were only printable up to A4 size (210x297mm), even so I found on the prints that noise was simply not evident up to ISO400, a very light film-grain effect at ISO800 and 1600, and really didn't cause a problem at 3200 either. This had more to do with the 'type' of noise - it's a really rather nice film effect, which I didn't find at all intrusive.

arja 3 August 2010

Comment: In competition with the G10??

More like the G11!

Standard of review unimpressive.