Panasonic is considerably young in the field of photography but no one can deny the fact that their pace is going really fast, and they actually post a threat to long-running manufacturers eg. Nikon, Canon and Sony.

Who could ever forget the inclusion of Mega OIS in compact cameras, the feat the stunned many photo-buffs.
Then there's the 16:9 LX1 camera.
Their Venus Engine image processor.
and coming soon - Panasonic DMC-L1.

I have to admit that although all the cameras I owned previously were good (Sony Cybershot, Canon Powershot, Olympus miu, Canon 350), the Lumix series got my attention wild. After having hands-on experiences with so many Panasonic cameras, I must say that I'm extremely impressed by the effort put in by its developers.

On the other hand, noise is an issue for all Panasonic digicams but with the upcoming Venus Engine III (it's already used for TZ1), noise is no more an issue.




Let's share our experiences with Lumix cameras, the pros and cons...

yea.. 2.5" is quite nice... what colour did you get?
Also, have you try taking picture with the high sensitivity mode?

VE3 still high? No leh... if compared to VE2 it's much lower already.
But as other forums mentioned, you want less noise you'll sacrifice on details, like what other compact cameras are doing.

I'd rather have a little noise and edit them later without losing out on the details le...

Wah? Panasonic TZ1 is the FIRST compact cam that can zoom while recording video WITH sound.... I'm not sure about this but I think no other compact cams can do so... neither can FX8 le....

Well that's the price of an average DSLR right? Remember it comes with Mega OIS lens

Around RM 2.4k with basic accessories...
@clemong: Haha.. well good that u know the facts now... tha'ts why I've been fascinated by Lumix cameras since it was out...

And now sony is coming out with their anti shake thingy I am still trying to figure out what so special about theirs.. hehe

my current FX7 is juz sufficient for non-pro shots.
Need better cam. Need better cam.

Currently waiting for LX2 haahha IF there's one

@spitz: it depends on you. the manual mode is a definite plus for a compact digicam but you must always realise the noise issue presented in lumix series, especially the ones using image processors lower than Venus Engine III.

On the other hand, many people would rather take in the noise b'coz the details in the photos taken by LX1 is extremely clear. Rumour says that LX2 may utilise VEIII thus reduces noise issue but loses out on details.

So it's really up to you lol.

LX2 out adi or not? man... 16:9 28" screen... VEIII... drools...

wow I juz visited lumix's global site for DMC-L1: Lumix first Mega OIS DSLR camera....... can't wait for it to be out! I'm starting to save now...

bought lumix LX2 yesterday right before Monash Ball...

ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT~!

Price: RM1750 at FotoData, Taipan. Price includes 1GB SD card.

The picture I took using PARTY option under Scene Mode produced pictures that will shun my Sony Cybershot DSC-P9 and Canon Powershot A95 back beneath the ground!

Satisfaction rating: 8.8/10

(the protruding part at the front is a bit large...)

@pangping -> go for Fx01

welcome welcome... Any other LX2 user here?

I'm using LX2... u can always go to dpreview.com for the sample photos. I've been using it for quite a while... no complaints. No white noise at all even at ISO400 but if u do 100% crop there is slight noise... but then I don't really care coz I won't use the full size anywyas. Always resize to a smaller size.

16:9 aspect ratio ROCKS!!!

Hi, as per requested here are some photos taken without using flash, in 3 different scenarios. Mind you these are not the better ones, nor the worst, just a few that may best represent the camera's ability to perform in low light condition as long as the settings and the person handling the camera is ok.

Edit: just to add... all these were taken using Scenario Mode, meaning Point-to-shoot. No manual adjustment were made whatsoever.

[attachmentid=147837]
Indoor - Daylight

[attachmentid=147838]
Indoor - Pitch black with stage light only

[attachmentid=147840]
Outdoor - Night

If you want full crop of this photos please let me know.
Hope these help!

This post has been edited by dannytzh: Oct 26 2006, 10:42 PM

Nope. no night landscape shot. Haven't try this cam to the max.... especially the manual functions. Having exams now.

Well, as you may have read from OH SO MANY review sites, anything above ISO100 will produce some kind of distortion-noise (like watercolour, not white noise) especially since I'm using PTS mode. The camera tends to choose a higher ISO even for normal shots. No white noise though, that's one thing I can tell u.

Well, if noise is a huge issue to you, don't buy this cam. You'll end up to be another groaner or u'll be regretting buying the camera because of the noise. But if you are going for the manual functions it offers as a compact and the 16:9 aspect ratio (man until today i still can't believe how nice the photos turn out, in terms of composition.) like me, this is a highly-recommended machine.

In the end, it's up to you. I have no complaints.

To do LX2 some justice, I've added some photos of the same scenarios where flash was utilised. You be the judge.

[attachmentid=147868]
Indoor - Pitchblack except Stage lights. WITH flash.

[attachmentid=147869]
Outdoor - WITH flash.

Have fun choosing!

no problemz hope these help you to decide to go for lx2 or not.

alright, this is going to be quite complicated.

I've made some googling, the operating temperature is 0-60C.
Anything below 0C I don't dare to say but yes, when u go from low temp to high temp environment don't switch it on for at least a week... also, leave the camera at a dry area when u're in cold temp.

This is to avoid water to form inside the camera when u go from cold to hot environment due to condensation. If u turn it on.. then ZAP... short circuit might happen.

Why not give Panasonic a call and ask them whether this cam can work under -20C or not?

Edit: I just checked the Scene Mode of LX2, there's a mode called SNOW... so Maybe this camera can work in low temperature environment... better confirm with Panasonic though.

This post has been edited by dannytzh: Oct 27 2006, 01:59 PM

Petition signed!

No problem, chenluun. Always trying to help wherever I can.