Anyone Have Experience with Lumix LX3 or LX5 or LX7?

[Brian Moore]

Still considering what compact digi for SWMBO. Came across the LX3 on the web today. That led to looking at LX5 and LX7.

An optical viewfinder is available for them as is a wide angle attachment and some filters including ND.

RAW + JPEG, too.

Any thoughts on these cameras anyone?

Thanks

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

B when i was looking for a "high end " digital compact last year, I read many users prefer LX3 due to LX3's more natural output.
In the end i settled for Samsung EX1 (aka TL500) F1.8 sharp Schneider, 24mm, metal body, amoled swivel screen, 1/1.7" CCD, and a really useful liveview which changed in relation to any settings change.

EDIT : 24-72mm.

 

[Hamish Gill]

I used to have the lx3 ... The screen was useless in bright light and obviously any VF you might get is fixed to a single fov
image quality was passable/pretty good though

these shots from Kenya on my old blog were all taken with it
Hamish Gill's Photos and Cameras: Photo of the Locals in Kenya

 

[Brian Moore]

B when i was looking for a "high end " digital compact last year, I read many users prefer LX3 due to LX3's more natural output.
In the end i settled for Samsung EX1 (aka TL500) F1.8 sharp Schneider, 24mm, metal body, amoled swivel screen, 1/1.7" CCD, and a really useful liveview which changed in relation to any settings change.

EDIT : 24-72mm.

Thank you, Ahmad. I'll have a look at the EX1 also.

- - - Updated - - -

I used to have the lx3 ... The screen was useless in bright light and obviously any VF you might get is fixed to a single fov
image quality was passable/pretty good though

these shots from Kenya on my old blog were all taken with it
Hamish Gill's Photos and Cameras: Photo of the Locals in Kenya

Wonderful B&W Kenya shots on that blog of yours, Hamish. (What kind of wood do the use for their carving,...any idea?)

I like the B&W. If I get a chance to borrow whatever camera I get for SWMBO, its likely to be B&W I'm after. The LX3 got some very good reviews. Your brief assessment is lukewarm at best. Was it primarily the quality of the screen that influenced your opinion?

Thanks Hamish!

 

[Hamish Gill]

I'm not sure of the woods, there were a few from memory ... We bought a bowl, if photograph it but its filled with keys and change and crap ...

it was superb for a compact in it's time, almost unbeatable!
the screen was a factor, my distaste in compact cameras another...
From memory, noise above 400iso killed sharpness ... But dot forget, at the time, my other camera was a Nikon d3 which was stunningly good... And everything else was compared to that
It is also my opinion that until the rx100 I hadn't come accross a single pocketable compact camera that I truly felt I could carry everywhere and not need anything else ... The lx3 was the closest thing I had previously owned ... Honestly, the sony makes it look like a toy though (Pete just can't use his ... I think he just keeps putting his finger in front of the lens or somthing - shh though, don't tell him I said that)

 

[Pete Askew]

I resent that. It's the damned camera I tell you Mr Gill!

Sony RX100.

 

[Brian Moore]

Oh my,...look at all those boxes of chocolates Pete has wrapped and stacked up; must be XMAS gifts for us RPFrs. (Do you have my address Pete?)

- - - Updated - - -

I'm not sure of the woods, there were a few from memory ... We bought a bowl, if photograph it but its filled with keys and change and crap ...

it was superb for a compact in it's time, almost unbeatable!
the screen was a factor, my distaste in compact cameras another...
From memory, noise above 400iso killed sharpness ... But dot forget, at the time, my other camera was a Nikon d3 which was stunningly good... And everything else was compared to that
It is also my opinion that until the rx100 I hadn't come accross a single pocketable compact camera that I truly felt I could carry everywhere and not need anything else ... The lx3 was the closest thing I had previously owned ... Honestly, the sony makes it look like a toy though (Pete just can't use his ... I think he just keeps putting his finger in front of the lens or somthing - shh though, don't tell him I said that)

I doubt that Hamish; Pete's much too accomplished a photographer to allow a digit or a limb to obscure part of a fotie.

Leaning toward LX5,...but Canon G11/12 has always attracted me--on behalf of SWMBO you understand--due to its looks. It looks the business that camera.

 

[Hamish Gill]

Brilliant!

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

Canon G11/12 has always attracted me--on behalf of SWMBO you understand--due to its looks. It looks the business that camera.

Canon A650 IS i was also looking at, 1/1.7" sensor, 35-210mm & has ovf, no RAW.
I had the A610 fine camera and liveview was excellent as it changed accordingly with settings.

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

I'll have a look at the EX1

samsung ex1 Photos by sospubs | Photobucket
Just 6 photos giving an idea of EX1.

1st : max shutter 1/1500 & no built in ND was easy to blow highlights.
2nd : amoled screen gave rather accurate colour representation of how the actual photo looks.
3rd : f2.2 (does go to f1.8)
4th : 5cm macro (not 1cm as some others)
5th : swivel tilt screen photographing vertically up
6th : liveview (tricky light which with adjusting aperture, shutter & seeing the liveview change accordingly made the shot easy).

 

[Brian Moore]

Canon A650 IS i was also looking at, 1/1.7" sensor, 35-210mm & has ovf, no RAW.
I had the A610 fine camera and liveview was excellent as it changed accordingly with settings.

I'd need--well, SWMBO would need--RAW, Ahmad. But thanks for mentioning these two options.

 

[Brian Moore]

samsung ex1 Photos by sospubs | Photobucket
Just 6 photos giving an idea of EX1.

1st : max shutter 1/1500 & no built in ND was easy to blow highlights.
2nd : amoled screen gave rather accurate colour representation of how the actual photo looks.
3rd : f2.2 (does go to f1.8)
4th : 5cm macro (not 1cm as some others)
5th : swivel tilt screen photographing vertically up
6th : liveview (tricky light which with adjusting aperture, shutter & seeing the liveview change accordingly made the shot easy).

Really appreciate the time you've taken to advise me and show your results, Ahmad. I very much like the set you've selected--some great shots in there, especially the B&W ones--and the explanation of the results. Thank you, Ahmad.

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

Welcome G15 just released brought back fast lens in the G series (f1.8), the last previously being G6 f2 (i had an older G2 f2).
G1X has slightly bigger than 4/3 sensor (1.5" sensor), with the sensor being this large the lens is slower (f2.8-4.8) and closest focus is 20cm which can be brought closer with attachments.

 

[Brian Moore]

Welcome G15 just released brought back fast lens in the G series (f1.8), the last previously being G6 f2 (i had an older G2 f2).
G1X has slightly bigger than 4/3 sensor (1.5" sensor), with the sensor being this large the lens is slower (f2.8-4.8) and closest focus is 20cm which can be brought closer with attachments.

The Canon G series is a good looking camera. No doubt about that. Friend of mine has a G11. Very happy with it. Thanks, Ahmad.

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

I just had a look at the G15 again, Canon put the fast lens back in but took away the swivel lcd
Nikon P7700 just released, to me, has a more useful 28-200 (& fast f2-4). Same size sensor as G15, has swivel LCD but no OVF.
Knock off of the G series


EDIT : having just seen the prices of G15, P7700, to me G1X (£100 more) with its 1.5inch sensor is tempting (if ok with 20cm macro). Even though only upto 112mm, with approx 6x the size of 1/1.7" sensor cropping an image to replicate 200mm would still give more detail.

 

[Brian Moore]

Thanks Ahmad. The G15 costs a wee bit more than what I want to pay. Through work--we have a business connection with Panasonic--I can get a Lumix LX7 for $299. (New, not refurbished.) Don't know how long that deal will last but it's pretty compelling I think.

 

[Ahmad Bhai]

I had a look at the G15 & G1X on saturday, neither viewfinder has parallax lines, it is manageable at widest 28mm, but after that there is quite a difference between what the viewfinder sees and what is taken.

 

[Brian Moore]

I had a look at the G15 & G1X on saturday, neither viewfinder has parallax lines, it is manageable at widest 28mm, but after that there is quite a difference between what the viewfinder sees and what is taken.

Interesting. Thank you, Ahmad.