Hands on preview: Panasonic's Lumix DMC-LX5

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Posted on 21 Jul 2010 at 12:42

We were lucky enough to get our hands on a pre-release LX5 - the successor to the popular LX3 - at Panasonic's launch event in Stockholm. It's an out-and-out enthusiast compact, with full manual control and an emphasis on image quality, not gimmicks.

To this end, Panasonic hasn't increased the count of the sensor, keeping it at 10.1 megapixels. This is important as each photocell can receive more light than an equivalent size sensor with more pixels, and this improves the quality of photos in dim light.

Panasonic has redesigned the 1/1.63in sensor, though, to improve sensitivity and saturation - this improves dynamic range. A new Leica lens has a focal range of 24-90mm (3.8x) with a bright f/2.0-3.3 maximum aperture. Again, this means more light reaches the sensor, which means better photos.

Visually, it's hard to tell the LX5 apart from the LX3, but there's now a control wheel on the rear rather than the LX3's joystick. Plus, there's a dedicated button for recording movies - this goes hand in hand with the new AVCHD Lite capability for shooting 720p clips. Usefully, there's control over shutter speed and aperture, and you can also zoom during filming.

Another addition is a slider on the lens to switch between different aspect ratios, including 1:1. As you don't lose any pixels thanks to clever use of the sensor, it's a very useful control. Images can be composed on the 3in, 460,000 dot display, but you can also attach the optional DMW-LVF1 electronic viewfinder. Finally, the grip has been thickened to make it easier to hold the camera, and menus have also had an overhaul.

From our initial test shots, the LX5's quality is highly impressive. Details are sharp right to the edges, and dynamic range certainly appeared to be very good. Shots taken in low light were also good, and noise was kept to an absolute minimum. Even shots taken at ISO1600 were very usable.

We eagerly await a final production sample of the LX5 so that we can run it through our slew of photographic tests to see if it is truly a successor to the excellent LX3. From everything we've seen so far, there's every reason to believe that it is.

Author: Jim Martin