I needed a compact camera for our South Atlantic trip to complement my Fuji DSLR. At my request, Lumix kindly lent me a DMC-LX100 to try.
While on the upper edge of pocket size (it's some 115x66x55mm) I wanted to try this camera for a number of reasons. It provides an excellent quality fast Leica zoom lens (f1.7 to f.2.8 24-75mm focal length) for use with everything from a tango show in Buenos Aires to snowcapped glaciers in South Georgia, it fits into larger pockets and has a robust-looking metal body and a viewfinder. I find the last essential as a screen can be hard to see due to bright light or poor eyesight.
While on the upper edge of pocket size (it's some 115x66x55mm) I wanted to try this camera for a number of reasons. It provides an excellent quality fast Leica zoom lens (f1.7 to f.2.8 24-75mm focal length) for use with everything from a tango show in Buenos Aires to snowcapped glaciers in South Georgia, it fits into larger pockets and has a robust-looking metal body and a viewfinder. I find the last essential as a screen can be hard to see due to bright light or poor eyesight.
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| Lumix DMC LX100 camera and images taken with it (as they came out of the camera and unedited) |
Like many modern cameras it aims to cater for everyone from the advanced expert to the beginner. This means that you can become unstuck if you press a wrong button and don't have the manual to hand. I ended up surrounded by beautiful icebergs at one point with the camera apparently stuck in a mode that resulted in vintage-style images that I really didn't want. I tracked this down eventually to a mode that was activated by an accidental button press. Not ideal, and not something I can blame the camera for, other than to say that if you want a straightforward camera choose a simpler one. For me it was ideal, I just needed to have familiarised myself with it better.
The images (subject to my limitations as a photographer) are excellent. The Micro 4/3" sensor is a slightly larger size than many compacts, giving the potential for higher quality images for those of us who are experts. The camera dealt well with the large variations of light in Antarctica where ice reflected the bright sun, while rocks absorbed the glare - and in general it found a happy compromise without obvious under or over-exposure.
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| I make no claims for this shot of a Buenos Aires tango show, but it shows how the LX100 operates in low light conditions |
The LX100 looks stylish and the lens lives up to its Leica name. As a small, robust camera with a high quality lens, this is ideal for the traveller who doesn't want to burden themselves with a heavy DSLR. This would be my choice to supplement my larger Fuji DSLR and indeed I'd keep this if I could for my blogging photography needs. See Lumix LX100 website for more information.
The Lumix DMC-LX100 was lent to me by Panasonic Lumix at my request. I received no payment or indirect benefit from them. All views are mine.
