Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Review

The Panasonic LX2 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a unique twist - it offers a true 16:9 wide-screen sensor and a 2.8 inch widescreen LCD to match. Panasonic originally conceived the LX series of wide-screen cameras to be used in tandem with their 16:9 televisions. More recently they have been promoting the printing side of things, with a joint announcement with Epson last month. The Panasonic LX2 is also a camera for the discerning photographer, with a 4x zoom lens starting at 28mm wide, support for the RAW file format and full manual, aperture-priority and shutter-priority exposure modes. Add an improved ISO range of 100-1600, a High Sensitivity mode, pop-up flash and optical image stabilisation, and you have the makings of a great pocket camera. But can the Panasonic LX2 deliver on those promises, and more importantly does it improve on the noisy images of the original DMC-LX1? Read our extensive review now to find out.

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Review

Published: Friday, October 13, 2006

Reader Comments

1. Interesting, I have the Leica version of this camera Leica D-LUX II. It was advertised as an 8MP camera, not 10. Does this version have a new sensor?
   
   Another discrepancy is that the Leica’s ISO ranges start at 80 not 100 as with the Panasonic version.
   
   A couple things I found I do not like about the camera, Images recorded at ISO80, (100) a very good but bump up the ISO and the digi noise becomes unbearable. The camera is capable of recording RAW and TIFF files but for some reason you get a jpg recorded too. Perhaps this is useful to someone but I find it to be a waste of memory space and there is no was to shut off the jpg recording.
   
   The flash is a bit wimpy but it will do in a pinch.
   
   The smallest aperture is f/8
   
   It does have a tripod mount. This can be useful if your into panoramics; the 16:9 aspect ratio can yield some interesting 2-shot panos.

   Pat ZIegler at 12:06pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

2. Hi Pat,
   
   Yes, the LX2 has a new 10mp sensor.
   
   It also automatically records a JPEG with a RAW, and there is still no way to turn it off (TIFF has been dropped altogether).
   
   Leica have already re-branded the LX2 as the D-Lux 3:
   http://www.photographyblog.com/index.php/weblog/comments/leica_d_lux_3/

   Mark Goldstein at 12:41pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

3. I see Leica has it's version as well, D-Lux III
   
   http://tinyurl.com/hyl9f

   pat ziegler at 02:29pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

4. It would be interesting to know if the noise problem at ISO's above 100 are better than with the D-LUX II.
   
   In my opinion the noise with the D-Lux II abovce ISO80 is unexceptible.

   Pat Ziegler at 02:31pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

5. Great review, Mark. A lot of readers were counting on it, so the fact
   that you provided an 'unbiased' analysis of both the plusses and the
   minuses of the LX2 was important. I think you summed it up best in
   your conclusion, namely, wait for the 'LX3'. Not that anyone will, but
   nonetheless, good advice.
   
   P.S. You might want to see a doctor about that purple-eye.

   GARY POGODA at 03:13pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

6. Mark! GREAT review! You called it exactly right! I'm impressed that you even went to the camera's thickness too!
   Outstanding! Gonna put you in for meritorious promotion!

   nick in japan at 10:02pm on Wednesday, October 11, 2006

7. Hopefully the bad reviews equals bad sales and they step up for the next version, or quickly recall this one and issue a repaired version.
   
   But then again, it almost feels as though Panasonic are saying, "Just shoot RAW, it's very good, and only use JPEG for the less important daily, throw-away web-ready stuff."
   Which is not a bad thing, because hopefully that would mean that a lot more people are introduced to processing RAW, they don't need Photoshop necessarily, as I hear that the free software does a decent job of processing, which in turn could mean that there'll be more people with a lot more prettier photos to show the world overall.
   
   (and hopefully get people like Nick in Japan out of the dark ages......)

   AA at 05:29am on Thursday, October 12, 2006

8. AA, I agree with you! Thanks for the kind words!

   nick in japan at 08:20am on Thursday, October 12, 2006

9. Can someone please reacommend a way of attaching an ND filter to this camera, and also what filters would be appropriate.
   
   Thanks

   MrFlibble at 03:51pm on Wednesday, October 18, 2006

10. #9.. There is no easy way to attach a filter without building a contraption that extends out far enough to clear the lens throw, and wide enough to eliminate vignetting. I did it, and it works, but you will need a few odd parts, e-mail me if you are up to it, I'll send you some pictures if you like, esentially it is an old Olympus lens shade that clamps on the stationary part of the lens assembly, with a 62mm filter screwed in the end, I adapted a Sony ring light too it also.
    Prior to making this contraption, I just held up the filter in front of the lens, worked great, even rotated the PL to get it to work, easy, looks a bit funky doing it, but, easy! keep your filters protected in a pocket, whip them out and hold it in your hand.. Good luck..
    Also, I use a PL filter alot, but, the coatings are superior on this camera lens, special effects may be your interest, but, for general work the LX has, IMHO, a great lens assembly, in all respects, no filters needed!( Remember that ALL filters degrade the image quality to different degrees!)

    nick in japan at 10:04pm on Wednesday, October 18, 2006

11. Nick, would you please provide the details of how to adapt a filter on the Lumix DMC LX2? Mostly I am interested in protecting the lens but would also be interested in trying out a few different filters. Thanks!

    Prashant Agarwal at 08:22pm on Tuesday, March 13, 2007

12. I made an adapter from an old Olympus lens hood that attached with a compression type screw arrangement, It had to be long enough to let the full extension of the lens, and wide enough to enable the 28mm view. I used it a couple times, but really dont recommend its use because of its obvious distracting look. I recommend holding a filter in front of the lens, with your hand. This sounds strange, I'm sure, to you, but it works well, even with a PL.
    The use of filters alot of the time can be a real challenge, I've seen filter holders that are supported by a brace that attaches to the tripod screw mount, but either way, the filter has to be big enough to cover the extention and angle of view of the lens, I think I ended up with a 67mm that covered the wide angle view.
    I would recommend holding a filter in front of the lens after you have composed the shot.

    nick in japan at 10:00am on Wednesday, March 14, 2007

13. Is there any way to sync with other flash units?

    Eliot Crowley at 10:34am on Tuesday, March 20, 2007

14. Optical Slaves

    pzig98 at 12:11am on Wednesday, March 21, 2007

15. Hi, I was considering the LX2 for when i go walking its 16 to 9 aspect ratio being ideal for landscapes, but disapointed that there is no means of attaching filters or lens hood a simple lens adapter tube could have solved this, another feature of this camera with its 3 format ratio,s that no one seems to have commended on is the fact that you are only getting a 28mm lens in its 16-9 format 3-2 being around 38mm and 4-3 around 50mm on eqievalent 35mm film the sensor is just being cropped as can be seen from the test photo,s showing the viriose aspect ratio,s bit of a disapointing review wont be buying one. jim.

    Jim Sawyer at 11:02pm on Monday, December 10, 2007