Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

CNET Asia
06/09/2010

Ever since it was launched two years ago, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 has won the hearts of many photographers. With its comparatively large 1/1.63-inch CCD sensor and ultra-wide 24mm F2.0 lens, this compact dominated the advanced point-and-shoot market. Competitors such as Canon and Samsung have dished out rival models such as the PowerShot S90 and EX1, respectively, but have somewhat been unable to topple the Lumix from its throne.

Most digital cameras these days are usually replaced within a year. But Panasonic took two years to deliver the LX3′s successor, the LX5.

The reaction from most shutterbugs upon seeing the LX5′s specifications was not unexpected. Most users anticipated that Panasonic would employ an even larger sensor or an F1.8 lens to counter the EX1′s optics. But the new Lumix sported similar basic shooting specifications as the LX3, and nothing seemed to have changed much. That said, we tried out the LX5 for a couple of weeks and we dare say it has shown an improvement in performance, features and image quality that should pacify critics.

Design

The LX5′s main body design doesn’t deviate much from the LX3. It still has a retro look, which is further emphasized if you attach the electronic viewfinder (EVF) on it. The handgrip has been beefed up to provide a more secure hold on the shooter, and some additional controls have been added to facilitate operations. However, the Lumix still employs a clip-on lens cap to protect the optics, which was a hassle to remove each time we powered on the camera. It would have been better if Panasonic had implemented a self-retaining lens cap such as the Ricoh LC1.

The only major change to the facade is the meatier handgrip which has a rubberized surface to provide a better grip.

Again, there’re not many modifications made to the top of the LX5 compared with its predecessor. However, there’s now a dedicated movie-recording button and an additional slot on the lens barrel for 1:1 (square format) shooting. This makes it more convenient to switch between different aspect ratios.

The most significant change on the back of the LX5 is the clickable jog dial, which replaces the four-way joystick used on the LX3. We find this implementation much easier to operate, and the dial has ample resistance for more precise control such as when using it to adjust exposure settings.

You’d also notice that the LX5 has an accessory port below the hotshoe. This is the same port used in the company’s Micro Four Thirds camera, the Lumix DMC-GF1. Hence, you will be able to swap peripherals between cameras, such as the GF1-designed DMW -LVF1 viewfinder to the LX5.

The battery/memory card slot is located at the bottom of the shooter, while on the side is a flap that hides the mini-HDMI and USB port.

It was a joy to use the LX5, especially with the EVF. Being able to bring the camera to our eye to shoot pictures made us feel somewhat more discreet, and this is great if you like street photography like this reviewer here. The use of a jog dial over the joystick may seem like a small change to the design, but it made operating the snapper much easier. Overall, we were very happy with the design of the LX5, save for the lens cap.

Features

There are several new features on the LX5 that sets it apart from the competition. The Lumix now has a variable focus selection option, meaning you can dictate how big (or small) you want the autofocus (AF) area to be. There is a total of four selectable boxes ranging from covering about 50 percent of the screen to just a small area. As with the LX3, you can shift the box around within the frame to focus on off-center subjects. However, we noticed the camera would revert to the default medium-sized box each time we powered down the camera. This happened even when we assigned the setting to a custom slot (C1 or C2 on the mode dial). We checked with Panasonic and was told that such an implementation was to help users employ the recommended AF area setting. While this may not be a deal-breaker for most shutterbugs, we found it annoying that we had to adjust the size of the AF box each time we wanted to shoot.

One feature we liked was the step zoom. When this option is activated, you can incrementally zoom the lens to select your favorite focal length. There is also a zoom-resume function, which sets the lens into the last-used focal length when you turn on the camera.

The LX5′s main rivals are the Samsung EX1 and Canon PowerShot S95 (which succeeds the S90). Here’s a quick breakdown of their specifications.

Model/Specifications	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5	Canon PowerShot S95	Samsung EX1
Sensor resolution	1/1.63-inch/10-megapixel CCD sensor	1/1.7-inch/10-megapixel CCD sensor	1/1.7-inch/10-megapixel CCD sensor
Lens specifications	3.8x optical zoom (24-90mm), F2.0 max	3.8x optical zoom (28-105mm), F2.0 max	3x optical zoom (24-72mm), F1.8 max
LCD size	3 inches	3 inches	3 inches
Max video resolution	1,280 x 720 pixels	1,280 x 720 pixels	640 x 480 pixels
Image stabilizer	Optical	Optical	Optical
Memory media	SD/SDHC/SDXC	SD/SDHC/SDXC	SD/SDHC
Dimension/weight	109.7 x 65.5 x 42.9mm/231g	99.8 x 58.4 x 29.5mm/170g	114.3 x 63.2 x 29.2mm/356g
Related link		More info	Review

From the table, you can see that the LX5′s LCD resolution remains at 460k dots, and this pales in comparison with the EX1′s 920k-dot, 3-inch swivel display.

While the LX5′s sensor size is still 1/1.63-inch (same as the LX3), Panasonic claims the chip has an improved light sensitivity of 31 percent. This is pretty significant, and we will see how it performs against the old CCD sensor used in the LX3 later in this review.

Other improvements the LX5 touts is a better lenses and the new Venus FHD image processor. Again, we’ll see how these implementations translate to performance and image quality below.

Performance

Like most recent Lumix point-and-shoots, the LX5 has improved performance in terms of startup time and focusing. While the LX3 took 2.2 seconds to boot up, its successor required just 1.5 seconds. In terms of autofocus speed, the LX5 was definitely faster than the LX3. Time-to-first shot for the LX5 clocked 2.3 seconds, a tad quicker than the LX3.

Panasonic’s improved optical image stabilizer (IS), Power O.I.S., shone in the LX5. When we shot in low-light environments, we were able to use a lower ISO sensitivity setting partially because of the wide F2.0 lens. The IS also let us shoot handheld at slow shutter speeds such as 1/10 second.

Image Quality

Panasonic claims the LX5 has a 31 percent increase in light sensitivity, and this was evident in our test shots of the same scene with the LX3. We noticed the LX5′s pictures looked brighter and were able to show more details in the shadow regions compared with the LX3′s shots. As for noise control, the new Lumix did a better job and we could tell it delivered a sharper image. Note that these two photos were taken in RAW format and processed using the SilkyPix RAW conversion software provided with the LX5.

In our previous hands-on with the LX5 in Hokkaido, we already mentioned that the shooter has a wider dynamic range compared with its predecessor. You can take a look at the sample shots here.

On its own, the LX5 delivered quality pictures for a point-and-shoot, primarily aided by the larger image sensor. Images taken at ISO 400 and below were relatively free of noise unless you scrutinized them on the PC, and they should be suitable for prints of up to 8R size without showing digital artifacts. Noise only crept into the photos at ISO 800 and above, and this becomes more obvious when we bumped up the ISO setting to 1,600 and 3,200.

The LX5 has an ISO range of 80 to 12,800. However, you can snap full-resolution (10-megapixels) pictures up to ISO 3,200 only. The camera will reduce the image resolution to 3 megapixels once you select ISO 6,400 and beyond.

Next, we compared ISO 800 samples from the LX5 and the EX1. As you can see, the Lumix photo looks sharper but a bit more grainy, while the EX1′s picture appears softer but has less noise. So, it’s really up to the individual preference on which suits him better.

Conclusion

There’s no doubt the LX5 is a worthy successor to the LX3. Its improved performance and image quality make it one of the best compacts you can find on the market now. However, the retail price of S$799 is a tad steep considering you can buy an entry-level dSLR or Micro Four Thirds camera for just a bit more. That said, Panasonic told us the LX5 caters to photographers who want a compact camera that can deliver good pictures. If you want a shooter that offers professional operation but don’t want to deal with the hassle of changing lenses, the LX5 is highly recommended.

Specs

General
Dimensions	109.7 x 65.5 x 42.9 mm
Weight	231 g
Inside The Camera
Optical sensor	CCD
Sensor Resolution (max)	11.3 megapixels
Resolution	10.1 megapixels
Photodetectors (max)	11.3 million
Photodetectors (effective)	10.1 million
Focal length	24mm to 90mm (35mm equivalent)
Digital zoom	4x
Light sensitivity (auto)	100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800 ISO
Light sensitivity	Auto ISO 100/200/400/500/1600/3200/6400/12800
Focusing	Normal, Macro, Quick AF, Continuous AF, Manual focus, One shot AF, AF area select, AF tracking
Normal focus range (min)	50 cm
Macro focus range (min)	1 cm
Shutter speed	60 to 1/4000 seconds
Creative controls	Yes
Other useful features	Full manual mode, Intelligent iA, accessory port
Outside The Camera
LCD size (new)	3 inch
Viewfinder type	None
Type of flash	Built-in
Tripod mount	Yes
Video out	Yes
Storage type(s)	Secure Digital, Secure Digital HC, SDXC
Hotshoe	Yes
Image Capture
Max. image resolution (new)	3648 x 2736
Digital video capture	Yes
Max video resolution (new)	1280 x 720 @ 24 fps
Audio capture	Yes
Face recognition	Yes