The Panasonic Lumix LX7 is a premium compact camera aimed at enthusiasts. With a larger sensor than most point-and-shoots and sensible 10.1 Megapixel resolution, a bright 3.8x zoom lens and 3in screen, it offers manual exposure control and full HD 1080p50/60 video.
The highlight of this new advanced compact is its 3.8x, F1.4 to F2.3 Leica-branded zoom optics. Fitted with a new 10.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor, the LX7 features an improved Venus Engine image processor which allows users to capture images up to 11fps in burst mode. Other improvements include more dedicated controls such as an aperture ring, higher resolution screen and the ability to record 1080/60p full-HD videos in the AVCHD Progressive format. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 retails at S$799 in Singapore stores.
The LX7's 3.8x optical zoom (24mm to 90mm, 35mm equivalent) doesn't reach the furthest among competing models, but its new F1.4-F2.3 zoom optics--a maximum F1.4 aperture at the wide-end and F2.3 at the telephoto end--is the fastest for its category which should prove useful when trying to get more detail and sharper images in low-light conditions.
There's also an ND/Focus lever located near the top panel which either toggles an inbuilt ND filter or lets you focus the camera manually. The inbuilt Neutral Density (ND) filter is handy and allows you to capture images in the day at wide apertures without overexposing them.
On the bottom of the LX7 the tripod bush is offset on the left side well away from the door to the combined battery/card compartment, which means you can change the card and battery with the camera mounted on a smaller tripod, or with a quick-release plate attached. The LX7 has 70MB of built-in memory, enough for about a dozen 10 Megapixel photos, and takes SD, SDXC and SDHC cards.
The Lumix LX7 takes the same 3.6V 1250mAh battery as its predecessor. Battery life is quoted at 330 shots which is a bit of a drop from the 400 shots the LX5 managed from the same power source. I'd assume the higher resolution screen is responsible for much of that and while it's a little disappointing to see battery life shortening, 330 shots is still pretty respectable and in fact exactly what you'll get with the Sony Cyber-shot RX100. Remaining battery life is indicated by a three segment icon.
The LX7's built-in flash is manually popped up using a small lever located just behind it on the top panel. I'd be critical of this on a point-and-shoot compact, but on an enthusiast model like the LX7 it makes perfect sense. User's will know when they want to use the flash and won't want it popping up and firing unexpectedly in auto modes. When you're finished with it you just push it back down into the camera body. This is the same system used on the PowerShot G1 X, but the Sony RX100 has a more conventional pop-up flash.
The flash has a quoted maximum range of 8.5 metres at the wide angle focal length with Auto ISO and has red-eye reduction and slow synchro modes. Alongside the popup flash is a fully-functional flash hotshoe onto which you can mount the optional DMW-FL220E, DMW-FL360E or DMW-FL500E flashguns for considerably longer reach than the built-in model. Obviously the bigger the flash, the more ungainly it will feel on the relatively compact body of the LX7, but the ability to accommodate external flashguns is a key advantage it has over smaller models like the Cyber-shot RX100 and PowerShot S110.
Typically, some cameras tend to zoom out too rapidly that it adds a jarring effect within the video. With the LX7, we noticed that its zooming function--accessed by the zoom lever--is more gradual, leading to smoother-looking zooming in videos. Audio recording was good, too.
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| Panasonic Lumix LX7 |
The highlight of this new advanced compact is its 3.8x, F1.4 to F2.3 Leica-branded zoom optics. Fitted with a new 10.1-megapixel High Sensitivity MOS sensor, the LX7 features an improved Venus Engine image processor which allows users to capture images up to 11fps in burst mode. Other improvements include more dedicated controls such as an aperture ring, higher resolution screen and the ability to record 1080/60p full-HD videos in the AVCHD Progressive format. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 retails at S$799 in Singapore stores.
Design and features
Handling the LX7 feels no different from the LX5 which we reviewed. It features the same robust quality as its predecessor. Housed in a slightly bigger chassis, the LX7 features a thinner, rubberized handgrip compared with the LX5 which could be a problem for those with bigger hands. We would have preferred if Panasonic kept with the old design, a larger and deeper handgrip would have been more useful, making it easier to hold, especially since the rest of the camera is quite smooth and prone to slippage.
The LX7's 3.8x optical zoom (24mm to 90mm, 35mm equivalent) doesn't reach the furthest among competing models, but its new F1.4-F2.3 zoom optics--a maximum F1.4 aperture at the wide-end and F2.3 at the telephoto end--is the fastest for its category which should prove useful when trying to get more detail and sharper images in low-light conditions.
There's also an ND/Focus lever located near the top panel which either toggles an inbuilt ND filter or lets you focus the camera manually. The inbuilt Neutral Density (ND) filter is handy and allows you to capture images in the day at wide apertures without overexposing them.
On the bottom of the LX7 the tripod bush is offset on the left side well away from the door to the combined battery/card compartment, which means you can change the card and battery with the camera mounted on a smaller tripod, or with a quick-release plate attached. The LX7 has 70MB of built-in memory, enough for about a dozen 10 Megapixel photos, and takes SD, SDXC and SDHC cards.
The Lumix LX7 takes the same 3.6V 1250mAh battery as its predecessor. Battery life is quoted at 330 shots which is a bit of a drop from the 400 shots the LX5 managed from the same power source. I'd assume the higher resolution screen is responsible for much of that and while it's a little disappointing to see battery life shortening, 330 shots is still pretty respectable and in fact exactly what you'll get with the Sony Cyber-shot RX100. Remaining battery life is indicated by a three segment icon.
The LX7's built-in flash is manually popped up using a small lever located just behind it on the top panel. I'd be critical of this on a point-and-shoot compact, but on an enthusiast model like the LX7 it makes perfect sense. User's will know when they want to use the flash and won't want it popping up and firing unexpectedly in auto modes. When you're finished with it you just push it back down into the camera body. This is the same system used on the PowerShot G1 X, but the Sony RX100 has a more conventional pop-up flash.
The flash has a quoted maximum range of 8.5 metres at the wide angle focal length with Auto ISO and has red-eye reduction and slow synchro modes. Alongside the popup flash is a fully-functional flash hotshoe onto which you can mount the optional DMW-FL220E, DMW-FL360E or DMW-FL500E flashguns for considerably longer reach than the built-in model. Obviously the bigger the flash, the more ungainly it will feel on the relatively compact body of the LX7, but the ability to accommodate external flashguns is a key advantage it has over smaller models like the Cyber-shot RX100 and PowerShot S110.
Video quality
The shooter's video performance was very good. It gave us smooth videos with vibrant and sharp details being recorded. What we've found to be a mainstay in Panasonic snappers is the autofocus capabilities during video capture which usually does well in keeping up with moving objects, as well as tracking them. We found the AF tracking feature to be very responsive and the transition between focusing on objects, from near to infinity, was quite smooth.Typically, some cameras tend to zoom out too rapidly that it adds a jarring effect within the video. With the LX7, we noticed that its zooming function--accessed by the zoom lever--is more gradual, leading to smoother-looking zooming in videos. Audio recording was good, too.
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