- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 17 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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8 out of 10 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"Very good, very pricey"
Pros: True Wide-angle at 28mm, Optical image stabilisation, Excellent macro, 16:9 CCD and LCD, RAW support, LEICA lenses.
Cons: Noise above ISO 200, no optical viewfinder.
Summary: Since I was fed up with small Cannons and likes with restricted ?wide-angle? 35mm+ (equivalent), I decided to buy something that will allow me to capture larger views. In reality it?s not always possible to create enough distance between the cam and the object because of other buildings, narrow streets, cars or simply room walls. A wide lens and a wide CCD is a dream come true for all panoramic photographers. You can?t go wrong with that as everything in TV and computers is becoming 16:9 wide. Still, changing the aspect ratio couldn?t be easier than with LX2. The camera is packed with features and you can control manually almost everything. Which brings me to the target audience. This camera is best suited for a pro or semi-pro that needs a small backup cam ?with a big heart?. This camera is cool, small and beautiful, but don?t be fooled: it?s a performer too. Landscapes, macro photography, close ups, paper-copy (magazines)?almost anything works perfectly already in AUTO mode. I think that the LEICA lens really makes a difference. The flash will never fire accidentaly as you can turn it manually on or off by using the OPEN button. Even the AF assist lamp may be turned off. Discretion is guaranteed! Optical image stabilization works well, as hand-held shots I?ve taken with LX2 are often comparable with shots taken by other cams that were mounted on tripods. LX2 is far from best if you like taking a lot of night shots since noise becomes annoying above 200 ISO.
I?ve heard a lot of complaints about noise issues on old LX1. Naturally, Panasonic has incorporated the new noise reduction algorithm, but switching over to RAW will allow you to use unprocessed pictures and apply software-based noise-reduction of your choice, which is as always the best choice. I?ve bought the fastest 2 GB memory card and shooting RAW works like a breeze, unless you?re doing sport photography. Still, I wonder where this mega-pixel race is going to take us? Hopefully, Panasonic will realize the need for bigger sensor in this premium compact camera. That may take a few years since they will probably need to upgrade the lens to match the sensor size.
I wanted a solid, discrete and high quality camera that performs way above the competition. I bought my LX2 and have never ever looked back since then.
However, this camera is rather overpriced in Sweden at around 850 US$. If price is an issue, then take a look at the brand new Lumix FX1 or Ricoh Caplio R5.
Where to buy
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2K (black):
$699.95
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Amazon.com Marketplace
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