Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX5 has the looks, the features, and the image quality to lure enthusiasts

Panasonic LX5

10.1MP enthusiast compact

$399

www.panasonic.net

Announced last July, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 had a particularly tricky task in succeeding what was arguably the most popular enthusiast’s compact at the time, the much heralded and frequently in short supply, Lumix DMC-LX3. It was the LX3 after all, that seemed to define the currently hot market of enthusiast’s compact, offering a fast bright lens, a larger than normal sensor, hot shoe, and manual controls, all wrapped up in a seriously handsome exterior. Note the cameras that have since succeeded it, the Canon S90 and S95, the Samsung TL500/EX1, and now more recently the Olympus XZ-1. All sport similar sensors, fast lenses, and manual controls. While all of this may be flattering to the Panasonic LX3, it puts Panasonic in a tough spot in coming up with successors, as they have to surpass a great camera, while contending with a very heated field of competitors .

Fortunately we can report that in the Panasonic LX5, enthusiasts have a worthy successor to a great camera. Let’s start with the changes. First, Panasonic redesigned the 10.1-megapixel CCD sensor, boosting the sensitivity and saturation in order to improve dynamic range. Next, Panasonic gave the LX5 a more versatile lens, now 24-90mm rather than 24-60mm. Shutter speed has been improved to a faster 1/4000sec compared to 1/2000sec, allowing the fast f/2 lens to be used in brighter conditions, and a few key handling changes have been made as well, the grip has been retooled, and the LX3′s tiny joystick is gone, replaced by an easier to use clickable command dial. Of course several smaller changes have been made too. There’s now the AVCHD Lite format for video recording, battery life has been improved, a direct movie record button has been added, Panasonic’s new Venus Engine FHD image processor speeds up processing while trying to lower noise, and finally a 1:1 aspect setting has been added for fans of the square picture format.

At the current street price of $399, the LX5 is now starting to look like quite the bargain. Consider the Canon PowerShot S95 costs roughly the same and Olympus’ XZ-1 costs nearly $100 more while offering very similar specifications. All three cameras are fine cameras and we suspect enthusiast will be happy with any of them, but of these three, none look more attractive than the LX5 and none are better suited from a handling perspective to meet enthusiasts’ needs.

Specifications
Camera	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Street Price	$399
Sensor	10.1MP 1/1.63″ Type CCD
AF System	Imager Contrast Detection AF system | 11-area multiple AF
ISO Range	Auto, 80-1600 (High Sensitivity Mode: Auto, 1600-12800)
Continuous Shooting	Up to 2.5 fps at 10MP for up to 3 frames | Up to 10 fps at 3MP
LCD	3″ 460k
Lens	3.8x optical zoom | 24-90mm (35mm equiv.) | F2.0-3.3 | LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON | 10 elements in 9 groups (3 Aspherical Lenses / 5 Aspherical surfaces)
Shooting Modes	Intelligent AUTO, P(Program) mode, A(Aperture Priority) mode, S(Shutter Priority) mode, M(Manual) mode, Creative Movie mode, My Color mode, Scene mode, Custom 1,2
Scene Modes	Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama Assist, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, High Sensitivity, Food, Party, Candle Light, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, Hi-Speed Burst, Flash Burst, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Beach, Snow, Aerial photo
Video	AVCHD Lite 1280 x 720 pixels @ SH: 17 Mbps/ H: 13 Mbps/ L: 9Mbps | Motion JPEG: 1280 x 720 pixels @ 30fps | 4:3: 640 x 480 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels @ 30 fps  | 16:9: 848 x 480 pixels @ 30 fps
Output	USB 2.0, DC Input, HDMI, Viera Link
Storage	SD, SDHC, SDXC
Dimensions	4.32 x 2.58 x 1.69″ / 109.73 x 65.53 x 42.93mm
Weight	0.51 lb / 233g (Camera only)

Technical Analysis

Image quality from the LX5 is as you’d expect, definitively better than the average compact camera. This is in large part thanks to the larger sensor size used in the Panasonic LX5. Most compacts use a small 1/2.3″ sensor, but the LX5 uses a 1/1.63″ sensor making it easily larger. If for argument’s sake we equate megapixels with buckets that hold light, and stipulate that the more light any bucket holds the better the image quality is, then one can see where Panasonic is going with this idea. Fewer megapixels on a bigger sensor means bigger buckets that hold more light. This is an extreme over-simplification, but hopefully it helps give a sense of why megapixels aren’t necessarily everything. Naturally, Panasonic isn’t the only one implementing this strategy, as we’ve mentioned Canon, Samsung, Nikon and now Olympus all offer cameras with essentially the same size sensor. In all honesty, there isn’t a huge difference between these four, the differences lay largely in overall image feel, and judging those differences can be quite subjective. The LX5 does offer great image quality. Metering is typically spot on, and dynamic range is fairly impressive, though the latter not enough so for our money to warrant an upgrade from the LX3. Looking at the LX5′s ISO performance, it does offer a very usable ISO range through ISO 800, and ISO 1600 looks almost DSLR-like in it’s fine peppery grain. The LX5 tops out its full size ISO range at 3200. The files there have lost plenty of detail and some saturation, but may prove usable in a much smaller size. The two extended and lower resolution options of ISO 6400 and ISO 12,800 are honestly not pretty, and for dire emergencies only.

Now to the subjective. The Panasonic LX5 has a less punchy look, at its defaults, than the other contenders. This is especially apparent in less sunny conditions where the LX5′s white balance shifts to the cool side of things, a tendency we want to correct by “warming things up” in post processing. It’s difficult to really complain about it though, since the LX5 makes it pretty easy to custom adjust white balance temperature on the fly and see the results live on the screen. If you want to warm things up, it is easy to do so. JPEG output is snappier for sure, offering punchier, sharper, and less noisy images, though this last quality is largely due to in-camera noise reduction. Again you can punch all of this up in-camera, but at their default settings, we personally found the S95 and XZ-1 images more appealing. Out of all the cameras in this group, Panasonic has the most “naturalistic” look, and there’s no reason to fault it for that, when many photographers will prefer that result.

One thing the LX5 has going for it is its various aspect settings. The LX5 crops each aspect directly from the sensor (not from a digital 4:3 file), which is why the LX5′s sensor is a bit large than the competition. Want to select an aspect? No need to dig in the menu, instead turn the switch that is surrounding the lens barrel with settings for 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9 aspect ratios. Additional creative options are available using the LX5′s “Film Mode” options which can be tweaked, and the LX5 offers its version of digital in-camera filters, dubbed “My Color Mode”, where options like “pin hole”, “film grain”, “retro”, and “pure” are available. It goes without saying that these filters’ manipulation of your captures can result in less dynamic range, and more noise, to create their intended effects. In another subjective opinion, these filters aren’t as appealing as options found in the S95 and XZ-1.

Focusing is, as we’ve come to expect from Panasonic, very responsive. Regardless of which mode is used, the Panasonic always seems to focus quickly and reliably. Regardless of the lighting situation and amount of contrast, the LX5 always managed to find focus. We truly wish we could say this about every compact camera. Tracking focus is fairly reliable at following moving subjects, but the LX5′s slow framerate and screen blackouts make it difficult to actually use. Thankfully it is much more effective while recording movies, where it works about as well as one could hope. Again, we wish it was this way with every camera. Set to macro, the LX5 can get literally right on top of your subject and easily focus, set to manual the LX5 is more cumbersome, as minus a focal ring, you only have the command dial to make changes in a small zoomed-in box on the LCD. Do yourself a favor and stick with the autofocus. Finally we have Face Detect AF, and like other Panasonics of late, it’s tweaked with Face Recognition. Register a face, and from then out, the LX5 will recognize that face on screen 9 times out of 10. For us this feature like the LX5′s copious scene modes, is a bit out of a place on an enthusiast’s camera, but it does work, and works very well.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 in the Field

The LX5 continues in the tradition of the LX3, offering photographers a very well made camera, while also being an aesthetically visually appealing one. In fact the LX5 is a bit better looking in our opinion and while the build is largely the same, the new grip does add some handling improvements. Note we said grip, because the LX5 is the odd camera with an actual grip, complete with a tactile rubber grip material covering it. On the camera’s rear there’s enough of a contour for the thumb to rest so combined with the front grip, the LX5 always feels both secure and comfortable in the hands. In addition to the grip, enthusiasts will like the physical controls on the LX5. There’s a useful command dial with a clicking function (superior to the old LX3 joystick) and dedicated button for recording video, a dedicated ISO button, and a programmable FN button where if desired, one could set up a WB option amongst many other possibilities.

Still, not everything can be controlled by physical controls, and for that we have the LX5′s interface. Hit the “Q.Menu” button, and you’re able to make basic changes to the LX5, while the “Menu/Set” button allows access to additional camera settings via the LX5′s menu. Both are quite archaic and dated looking, and in general the LX5 and frankly all Panasonic Lumix compacts, could use a much needed visual refresh. It’s not just visual though, the menu system is convoluted and in need of a cleaning up, while the Q.Menu screen seems like it too could easily be more organized. For us, the interface of the LX5 is its biggest sore-spot, but in many ways that’s a compliment as so much is very right about the LX5.

If you’re an enthusiast, using the LX5 is quite satisfying. We like being able to make quick exposure changes via the clickable command dial, you’ve got quick access to ISO and AF/AE lock, and though messy, the Q.Menu screen does allow for quick changes. Let’s not forget the LX5 also offers a hot shoe (we used our Elinchrom Skyport system to take studio shots) and even provides a port for using Panasonic’s DMW-LVF1 Live View finder. Want an excellent EVF for your compact? The LX5 can provide it. For photographers not keen on using programmable shooting modes, the LX5 offers Intelligent Auto which reliably handles taking great pictures, and it offers a large of amount of scenario specific scene modes, though many seem sorely out of place on a camera like the LX5. Finally, there’s the very effective POWER O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) that works great for both stills and video. In short, there’s more than enough here for advanced photographers, and for the less advanced, a way to use the LX5 to great effect, but with minimum fuss.

Camera performance outside of the focusing is mostly average, but still generally better than the competitors. Start-up is near instant, and camera operation speeds are pretty good, outside a small delay when jumping to playback mode. It’s the continuous shooting that seems slow at 2.5fps for three RAW files or 4 Fine JPEGs. Further, the three RAW burst sets you up for a 4-5 second write time, not a factor when shooting JPEG. If you need to shoot action sequences, you’ll need to use one of the LX5′s  Hi-Speed burst options. Speed Priority will net you 100 captures at about 6.5 fps, while image priority bumps things up to 10fps. Impressive? Not really, since the LX5 is greatly reducing image resolution to 3 megapixels and lower. This sub-par image quality virtually insures you’ll rarely use either option. To conclude, the LX5′s performance is about average, relatively speaking, but for some reason you keep expecting this camera to crank a bit faster than it actually does.

Image Samples

We’ve attached a few image samples to provide you with an idea of what the Panasonic LX5 is capable of. For further examples check out our full-size RAW ISO samples, JPEG ISO samples, and the original full-size image samples.

What About Video?

Video functionality has been well implemented on the LX5. It features a dedicated record button which can be used from any programmable shooting mode, the optical zoom can be used while recording, continuous focus actually works, and there’s full manual control over exposure prior to recording your video. HD movies are recorded at 1280×720, but you get a choice in formats. In the more compression and TV friendly AVCHD Lite format, users can choose from three compression settings: SH (17 Mbps), H (13 Mbps), and L (9Mbps). These movies are recorded at 60p (50p for PAL). In the more edit friendly Motion JPEG option, videos are recorded at 30fps. Image quality from either format looks about the same to our eyes, but you can get nearly twice as much video recorded in the same space using the AVCHD Lite format if you have the means of using the files. Video quality is very good, offering a nice crisp look when played back on an HDTV via the LX5′s HDMI connection. As we said, you can use the optical zoom while recording and it’s quiet enough and smooth enough to use without distraction, especially when paired with continuous focus, which does one of the best jobs we’ve seen in a digital camera of keeping subjects in focus without going all “wonky”. What’s the catch? Well, there’s no stereo sound, so you’ve got mono only with no connection for a stereo mic. Still, outside that one omission, the Panasonic has done a fine job with video on the LX5.

Final Opinion

Panasonic LX5

likes:

Very good image quality with lots of detail

Well made and good looking exterior

Very fast and very reliable AF

dislikes:

Annoying lens cap design

Dated interface

Cool WB tendency at default settings.

Without a doubt, like its predecessor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is one of the best compact cameras an enthusiast can buy. We have to say “one of the best” because there are several models now offering similar sensor/fast lens combinations, and all offer very similar image quality, at least on a technical basis. That still leaves criteria like handling, focal length, camera size, JPEG engines, video implementation, and any number of intangibles that photographers will have to filter through in deciding the right camera for them.

What we can say is the LX5 is a very visually inspiring camera that takes great pictures. The exterior is handsome, classic, and functional all rolled into one. The large sensor and excellent 24-90mm LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON take nicely detailed images that produce very usable results right up to ISO 800 and likely ISO 1600 for most photographers, with a minimum of distortion and chromatic aberration, and with some ability to achieve shallow depth of field in your photos, always tricky with compact cameras.

Some photographers are going to find the default output of cameras like the Canon Powershot S95 and Olympus XZ-1 more appealing, especially JPEG shooters. The LX5 produces what we’d call natural looking images with a tendency towards coolness, but this can be addressed somewhat in-camera if desired. This isn’t a negative for the LX5, as it does produce great images, and we suspect that many photographers would actually prefer it to more contrast-happy cameras.

Finding real negatives with the LX5 hasn’t been too easy. The interface is without a doubt, very dated looking and oddly not suited visually to the LX5. Outside that and an annoying lens cap that has to be carried around, the only other issue we can raise is with the LX5′s performance. It seems to us that an advanced camera like the LX5 should perform faster when shooting continuously and should have a greater burst depth. But when you compare it to similar cameras, the LX5 is actually on the better side of average, so even that’s stretching things. The truth is that the LX5 is just a great camera that meets most of the requirements needed by an advanced photographer, while still providing easy access for beginners aiming high. Fast reliable focusing, superior image quality, and above average low light performance would be enough for many. The LX5 however continues with a well implemented video feature, a hot shoe for external flashes and even an electronic viewfinder, excellent handling characteristics, and all of this is packaged in a great looking camera body that actually can fit in your pocket. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 easily earns a “Highly Recommended” from us…out of all the current cameras in this category it is the most well rounded and arguably the best executed. So while we may not be able to say that the LX5 is the best advanced camera available based on your specific needs, we have no trouble confirming that it is easily the safest bet for most advanced photographers.

CGG Editor’s Rating:
value:
9
design:
9
features:
8
performance:
7
image quality:
8

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