Digital Camera Review Panasonic LX5

It’s been nearly two years since Panasonic released the LX3, which was very popular among camera buffs and casual consumers. So you can just imagine the hype that has been given to LX3′s predecessor, the Panasonic LX5.

What attracts most people to the Panasonic LX5 is the retro design that makes it look really classy and smart. It also offers a lot of manual control and a choice of exposure settings which makes the Panasonic LX5 a camera for both pro-hobbyist and novice camera shooters.

Panasonic has really made an effort to improve its powerful line of LX-series digital cameras and as a result it has made it hard for competitors, which include the Canon Powershot S90, Samsung EX1 and Olympus EX1, to keep up.

Panasonic LX5 Spec:

Panasonic’s latest LX series point and shoot camera has a 1/1.63 image sensor at 10 megapixels. It also has a fast 3.8x optical zoom lens with a F2.0-3.3 maximum aperture range, POWER O.I.S. stabilization system. The Panasonic LX5’s ISO ranges from an impressive 80 to 12,800.
The powerful compact camera can capture images in JPEG and RAW format. The video capabilities of the LX5 is 720p HD. You can view images in a 3 inch LCD screen that incorporated an AR or anti-reflective coating. You can shoot 2.5 frames per second in its burst mode.

Who Should Buy It?

The Panasonic LX5 is really aimed at the photo enthusiasts who have a lot of experience with camera settings, evident from the array of manual options. However novice and people who just want to point and shoot their cameras can benefit from LX5’s very easy to navigate and operate iAuto function.

It was actually Panasonic who first introduced the ‘iAuto’ function to point and shoot cameras. What it does is it takes the standard Auto exposure mode to another level. The technology combines accurate exposure control with its scene selection so all you have to do is press the button and the camera mixes the right settings on its own. There are 22 scene modes in the Panasonic LX5 control which both novice users and hardcore photographers can use.

Handling and Built

The Panasonic LX5 corresponds to the quality built of Lumix cameras which means it is made with excellent quality. When you have the LX5 in your hands it seems to be a smaller version of the Panasonic DMC GF1 or GF2. It’s still a compact camera and it can fit a big sized pocket. The LX5 is designed with an enlarged handgrip so it feels like a small DSLR camera to handle. If you want your pocket camera to look like a rangefinder then you would appreciate the LX5′s design.

Image Quality

For a compact size camera the image sensor of the LX5 is fantastic. It is able to capture excellent images and have balanced exposure in most lighting conditions. The images come out sharp and have great contrast.

The Panasonic LX5 produces vibrant colors which are rich and can be printed in large prints. The user has the option of creating saturated photos with the Auto function as well as the more natural color when using the “Film” mode.

Leica Lens

The Panasonic LX5 has Leica DC-Vario-Summicron 3.8x optical zoom lens. This Leica lens is great for close-up shooting, portraits and distance subject. The lens produces sharper images with the zoom and aperture range with no edge softness.

You can get the LX5 for £349.99.