Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Review·파나소닉 루믹스 DMC-LX2 리뷰 중고시세 가격

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Review, October 2006 Simon Joinson

The Lumix LX1, announced July 2005, was a camera that proved just how commited Panasonic is to shaking up the digital camera market with innovative, often quirky products rather than taking the easy (though unimaginitive) 'me too' route followed by so many other manufacturers. Designed with the photo enthusiast in mind it offered the world's first 16:9 widescreen CCD sensor, a useful 28-112mm 4x wide angle zoom lens (with optical stabilization, naturally) and full photographic control. And now, a year later we have the LX2, which adds a 16:9 widescreen LCD to match the sensor, ups the pixel count to 10.2 megapixels and upgrades the processor to the latest Venus Engine III. There are also minor enhancements to the control interface and a new (low resolution) ISO 3200 mode.

Note: Some sections of this review are taken from the LX1 review (where the cameras are functionally identical) and you may find a few comments lifted straight from the FZ50 review too!

Headline features

• 10.4 Megapixel 16:9 aspect CCD
• 28mm wide 4x optical LEICA DC lens
• MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer)
• Venus Engine III
• Joystick-operated manual control
• Large 2.8” 16:9 aspect ratio LCD monitor (207k pixels)
• Raw and JPEG recording modes
• Up to ISO 3200 sensitivity
• Up to 1280x720 (15fps) pixel movie capture
• Manual exposure and focus options
• 1/2000th to 60 sec shutter speeds
• Available in black or silver

LX2 vs LX1: main differences

Like the FZ30/FZ50 upgrade the changes made to the LX1 for the upgrade are mainly 'under the hood' - a new sensor and processor being top of the list.

• Higher pixel count sensor (10.4 vs 8.4 MP)
• TIFF file format dropped (RAW remains)
• Venus Engine III (vs Venus Engine II)
• Full resolution ISO settings up to 3200 (vs 400)
• 16:9 aspect ratio 2.8-inch screen (was 2.5-inch 4:3)
• SDHC support (for capacities over 2.0GB)
• Internal memory (13MB)
• New 16:9 (1280 x 720 pixel / 15fps) movie mode
• Slower continuous shooting (from 3 to 2 fps)
• 'SilkyPix Developer Studio' for RAW conversion included
• Intelligent ISO feature
• Improved battery life
• Minor control and interface changes

16:9 CCD: what it means

	The image on the left shows the result of shooting the same scene at the same zoom setting using the LX2's three aspect ratio options. Unlike most 'widescreen' modes the LX2's unique sensor means you actually get a wider field of view at 16:9, with 4:3 and 3:2 being cropped at the sides.

Virtually all compact cameras use sensors with a 4:3 aspect ratio (giving a picture shape similar to a standard television). The LX2 has a sensor that is roughly the same height as a standard 7 megapixel CCD, but is considerably wider, giving the option of 16:9 shooting (16:9 is the shape of a widescreen television), and increasing the total number of pixels to just over 10 million.

Because we don't always want a 'panoramic' shot the LX2 has an ASPECT switch on the top of the lens barrel that lets you swap between three different picture shapes; 16:9 (widescreen), 3:2 (same as most print papers) and 4:3 (same as most compact cameras and computer screens).

16:9 uses the entire CCD, whereas the 3:2 mode lops roughly half a million pixels off each side and 4:3 crops out roughly a million pixels from each side. As well as reducing the number of pixels in the final image, changing the aspect ratio also increases the equivalent focal length, so the 28-112mm lens in 16:9 mode becomes a 34-136mm lens when you switch to 4:3 mode.

DMC-LX2 specifications

If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read the Digital Photography Glossary before diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / Recommendation / Ratings are based on the opinion of the reviewer, you should read the ENTIRE review before coming to your own conclusions. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying glass icon in the bottom right corner of the image, clicking on the image will display a larger (typically VGA) image in a new window. To navigate the review simply use the next / previous page buttons, to jump to a particular section either pick the section from the drop down or select it from the navigation bar at the top. DPReview calibrate their monitors using Color Vision OptiCal at the (fairly well accepted) PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out the difference between all of the (computer generated) grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally A,B and C.

Design Externally the LX2 is very, very similar to the LX1; the only significant changes are to the rear where the new 2.8-inch 16:9 wide screen has pushed the controls over to the right. It still has the superb classic styling that made the original so popular (the black LX2 is even prettier, as Panasonic has got rid of the silver lens barrel and gone 'all black'. As befits a camera with such a wide range of photographic options on offer, the LX2 has a fairly conventional - conservative even - design that has echoes of the rangefinder cameras of the 1950's and, dare I say it, has a touch of Leica about it. Despite its diminutive dimensions the LX2 puts a class-leading level of control at your fingertips, offering direct access to virtually every aspect of picture-taking, from white balance to ISO to shutter speeds, apertures and file size / quality. It's worth mentioning that the build and finish are fantastic, and the LX2 is a real pleasure to hold and to use. The only minor complaint is that the new control layout (with the buttons moved aside for the bigger screen) is a little more prone to accidental thumb presses, but you soon get used to it. In your hand As mentioned above, the LX2 is a beautifully constructed camera with a real 'quality' feel and just enough weight (around 220g / 7.8 oz) to feel sturdy and stable in the hand. It's fairly well-balanced too, and the control layout lends itself well to single-handed operation - though perhaps not as well as the LX1 (and the weight of the lens means it still feels more secure supported with both hands). I would perhaps have preferred a slightly more substantial front grip, but this is a minor quibble. Body elements The combined battery and SD storage compartment is found in the base of the camera on the right side under a fairly solid hinged cover (one of the only bits of plastic on the body). The battery held in place by a secondary spring clip. The battery is a 3.7 V 1150 mAh Lithium-Ion unit and is charged by the dedicated charger. The quoted battery life (up to 300 pics, CIPA standard) is a little better than the LX1 (thanks to the more efficient design of the Venus III processor). On the right side of the camera (from the rear) is a flip-open cover which has a chrome plastic 'cap' on it so that when closed it blends neatly into the rest of the camera styling. Behind it is the combined AV/USB connector and DC-IN connector. Note that the LX2 is still only USB 2.0 'Full Speed' (for which read old 1.1 speed). This would be unforgivable half a decade after the arrival of USB 2.0 if the use of inexpensive card readers wasn't so widespread. Aside from the new sensor, the biggest change over the LX1 is the new screen, which now has a 16:9 aspect ratio to match the CCD. The new screen has the same number of pixels (207,000) as the LX1. It's bright, very sharp and clear and has a high refresh rate. As usual the only problems are when shooting in direct bright light. The new shape certainly makes sense given the LX2's sensor; we just wish Panasonic had redesigned the interface rather than just stretching it. The LX2's 4x optical zoom lens covers a very useful 28-112mm (equiv.) range when used in 16:9 mode, though if you use the more conventional 4:3 or 3:2 modes you lose the wideangle: in standard 4:3 mode the focal length equivalent is 34-136mm. At the wide end of the zoom it's a nice bright F2.8, dropping to a less impressive F4.9 at the long end. Of course, like most Lumix models, the lens sports that all-important Leica badge. In keeping with its traditional styling the LX2 has a separate clip-on lens cap, which attaches to the single strap lug by a thin cord. Unlike the push-on type of cap used on cameras like the Canon S3, the LX2's cap stays firmly in place. A slider switch on the top of the fixed part of the lens barrel allows quick and easy switching between the three aspect ratios. Unlike a menu-based system, this switch means you're much more likely to experiment with the different framing options. A matching slider on the left of the lens barrel switches between standard autofocus, macro mode and manual focus. It's almost like using a real camera! If you've used any recent Panasonic camera you'll feel well at home with the rear controls. As usual there's a four-way controller for navigating menus, whilst each 'arrow' key also gives direct access to commonly-used shooting options (in record mode). Above the four way controller are the joystick (first seen on the LX1) - used for fast access to common shooting options (focus / metering modes, white balance, ISO and file size/quality), and the AF/AE lock. This can be customized to lock autofocus, exposure or both. The top plate also has its fair share of controls. The shutter release sits inside the zoom rocker, both of which have a nice positive action. To the right are the image stabilization button and main power switch, whilst to the right is the main mode dial. One small change is that there is now only one SCN position on the mode dial (the other having given way to the new print mode (for easy direct printing) - just what we needed. The small pop-up flash is operated by a slider switch on the top plate. It's a little underpowered - though it does reach a little further than the LX1 thanks to the highe Auto ISO range, reaching a maximum of around 4.9m at the wide end of the zoom.

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1. Introduction2. Body & Design3. Operation4. Operation5. Timings & Sizes6. Compared to...7. Compared to...8. Compared to...9. Compared to...10. Compared to...11. Compared to...12. Photographic tests13. Photographic tests14. Photographic tests15. Software & Raw Conversion16. Movie mode & MEGA OIS17. Conclusion18. Samples----------------> Buy this product< Back to reviews / previews

Operation and controls There are many compact cameras that claim to be real photographic tools, but few that offer anything like the level - or speed - of control that serious photographers demand and SLR users take for granted. It's no good having manual exposure if you have to use menus and multiple key presses to change basic settings. This is where the LX2 - like the LX1 before it - succeeds in its aim to be a true 'manual' compact camera; the comprehensive feature set is matched by a well thought out control system that puts virtually all the most commonly accessed functions at your fingertips. Of course if you have particularly large hands you may find the diminutive controls a little hard to get used to, but I had no problems at all, and found the ability to quickly experiment with exposures, ISO, white balance and so on positively encouraged more creative photography. Rear of camera From the rear the LX2 bears a close resemblance to the 'FX' series of cameras, and has a similar control layout to the latest 'FZ' super zoom models. The large 2.8-inch screen dominates the rear plate, meaning the controls are even more crowded over on the right hand side than they were on the LX1. That said, it's a tribute to Panasonic's designers that such a small camera maintains such a usable level of control. Top of camera Although it's not the smallest in its class, the LX2 is a very slim camera - albeit one with a protruding fixed lens barrel. As you can see there's not much of a grip on the front, but combined with the textured thumb grip on the rear, it's enough to keep it safe and stable in the hand. Display and menus The LX2's menu system is almost identical to the LX1, and in an unusually lax move by Panasonic the user interface has not been re-formatted to fit the new wider screen, merely stretched - a small point, but still a surprising decision from a company that rarely cuts corners in such an obvious manner. That said, it works perfectly well and is very easy to use (the joystick controller means you don't even have to visit the well-designed menu system very often). The most basic preview screen in record mode is completely free of any overlays or icons. You can also, by pressing the Display button, get a simple grid to aid framing (as shown here). The LX2 has an extra additional diagonal grid, and you can choose to include shooting info and/or histogram in the grid view using the setup menu. Of course you can turn on the information if you want by pressing the DISPLAY button. In Auto mode pressing the 'up' key increases exposure to compensate for backlighting. Another press of the display button gives you a live histogram - something still far from standard on this type of camera. Half-press the shutter release and the camera will calculate exposure (AE) and focus (AF) indicating the AF area used and the aperture/shutter speed chosen. You'll also get a warning if camera shake is a danger. In Program mode you can alter the chosen values using Program shift. The LX2's screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, so if you change to 3:2 or 4:3 you get black borders left and right. The on-screen information stays in place. Manual focus is surprisingly usable, thanks to the (optional) magnified focus aid and fairly fine control via the joystick.

ISO Sensitivity / Noise levels

ISO equivalence on a digital camera is the ability to increase the sensitivity of the sensor. This works by turning up the "volume" (gain) on the sensor's signal amplifiers (remember the sensor is an analogue device). By amplifying the signal you also amplify the noise which becomes more visible at higher ISO's. Many modern cameras also employ noise reduction and / or sharpness reduction at higher sensitivities.

To measure noise levels we take a sequence of images of a GretagMacBeth ColorChecker chart (controlled artificial daylight lighting). The exposure is matched to the ISO (ie. ISO 200, 1/200 sec for consistency of exposure between cameras). The image sequence is run through our own proprietary noise measurement tool (version 1.5 in this review). Click here for more information. (Note that noise values indicated on the graphs here can not be compared to those in other reviews.)

Panasonic DMC-LX2 vs Nikon Coolpi P3 vs Ricoh GR-D (ISO 50-400)

n/a	Nikon Coolpix P3 ISO 50	Ricoh GR-D ISO 64
Panasonic DMC-LX2 ISO 100	Nikon Coolpix P3 ISO 100	Ricoh GR-D ISO 100
Panasonic DMC-LX2 ISO 200	Nikon Coolpix P3 ISO 200	Ricoh GR-D ISO 200
Panasonic DMC-LX2 ISO 400	Nikon Coolpix P3 ISO 400	Ricoh GR-D ISO 400

Panasonic LX2 High ISO settings (ISO 800 and 1600)

	Panasonic DMC-LX2 ISO 800	Panasonic DMC-LX2 ISO 1600
Crops

With tiny, high pixel count chips noise is always going to be an issue, and to a large degree this is more a test of the effectiveness (both measurable and visible) of a camera's noise reduction system. Designers have to balance the desire to produce smooth, clean results with the need to retain as much detail as possible (if you blur away the noise, you blur away image detail too).

Everything we said about the FZ50 applies here; yes the Venus III processor produces measurably lower noise, it does so at the expense of fine detail; particularly chroma information, which is smeared away at anything over ISO 100 if you use the default noise reduction setting (as here).

Luminance noise graph

Cameras compared:
Panasonic DMC-LX2, Canon PowerShot S80, Ricoh GR-D
Note: ISO 50-1600 only (the LX2's ISO 3200 mode uses pixel-binning and is not full resolution).

Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of luminosity is on the vertical axis. To see this graph 'zoomed' to show only ISO 50-400 click here.

As usual what we're really looking at here isn't 'noise' as much as noise reduction, and - as we've seen from visual assessment of the files - the LX2 has very low noise compared to its competitors - especially at higher ISO settings.

RGB noise graph

Indicated ISO sensitivity is on the horizontal axis of this graph, standard deviation of each of the red, green and blue channels is on the vertical axis. To see this graph 'zoomed' to show only ISO 50-400 click here.

As the graph shows, chroma noise starts low and nose-dives at ISO 400 when the Venus III smearing really kicks in.

1. Introduction2. Body & Design3. Operation4. Operation5. Timings & Sizes6. Compared to...7. Compared to...8. Compared to...9. Compared to...10. Compared to...11. Compared to...12. Photographic tests13. Photographic tests14. Photographic tests15. Software & Raw Conversion16. Movie mode & MEGA OIS17. Conclusion18. Samples----------------> Buy this product< Back to reviews / previews

Samples Galleries There are 30 images in the samples gallery. Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter / magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). I make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review), I do so in good faith, please don't abuse it. Please treat our bandwidth with respect, anyone found downloading large numbers of images in a short time or using 'offline downloading' applications will be banned from the site. Unless otherwise noted images taken with no particular settings at full resolution using all three aspect ratio options. A reduced size image (within 1024 x 1024 bounds) is provided to be more easily viewed in your browser. As always the original untouched image is available by clicking on this reduced image. Note: Samples images taken with Noise Reduction set to Standard (default) unless indicated otherwise. Panasonic DMC-LX2 Samples Gallery (30 images) - Posted 09 October 2006