Manage updates with the Download AppPanasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (Black)
Manufacturer: Panasonic Part number: DMC-LX5
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Product series
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- Despite its shortcomings, notably its weak JPEG processing, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 delivers an excellent all-around shooting experience--fastest in its class, full featured, and capable of shooting some very nice photos.
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CNET editors' review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (Black) price range: $369.00
- Reviewed by: Lori Grunin
- Reviewed on: 10/11/2010
- Released on: 08/01/2010
The good: Excellent raw photo quality; sharp, bright lens; compact but comfortable design; broad manual shooting feature set.
The bad: JPEG processing should be better.
The bottom line: Despite its shortcomings, notably its weak JPEG processing, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 delivers an excellent all-around shooting experience--fastest in its class, full featured, and capable of shooting some very nice photos.
User reviews
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Depends What You're Looking For
by DarenSherwood on April 9, 2011
Pros: High quality images, high ISO capability, having control over all aspects, Exposure control is excellent, focusing is accurate, camera is easy to use
Cons: Doesn't shoot unlimited bursts like the LX-3, Low light performance is not as good as I hoped, Lens cap is annoying
Summary: I said "Depends on What You're Looking For" because everyone has their own expectations and needs. In my case, all my DSLRs have been Nikon, and all my small ...
Summary: I said "Depends on What You're Looking For" because everyone has their own expectations and needs. In my case, all my DSLRs have been Nikon, and all my small pocket cameras have been Canon. I was in the market for a new pocket camera since my others didn't have optical image stabilization. So I bought another small Canon, and for some reason, just not as pleased anymore (I ended up giving to my wife and she loves it). I must admit I'm picky on quality of the image, high ISO capability, and having some control over camera setting.
Edit Broken Link
A friend of mine had been looking at DSLRs, but bought the LX5 and asked what I thought about it. The more I reviewed and analyzed it, the more I liked it. So I bought one. It's close to a pocket size camera, but a little larger. Though the specs say 4.3 inch x 2.6 inch x 1 inch, that is true, but just for the body itself. The lens with lens cap adds another inch sticking out. So the body is OK, but a little bigger than I previously would purchase for casual carry around shooting. But, it's still not that large overall, and fits in jacket pockets, larger pants pockets just fine.
So after using this camera, I changed my outlook. Why? Because this camera met my expectations of high quality images, high ISO capability, and having control over all aspects (but I found automatic mode produces outstanding images also, so it's a win-win on this camera). This camera is the first compact I ever owned that produces superb images which I don't find myself complaining about. The images actually look like the original scene. Exposure control is excellent, focusing is accurate, images look great, and the camera is easy to use. For being picky, I really haven't found a complaint yet. Lumix did a good job on this one.
Even though this camera has a hot shoe on top for an external flash, I don't buy compacts for that reason, normally wouldn't care if one was there anyway. I would use my DSLR for that purpose. However, that's me, so I took my Nikon SB800 flash (which is 3 times the size of the camera) and stuck it on the LX5. I put the camera in Aperture priority mode, set the f/stop and set the flash accordingly. No problem. Everything worked very well. Though you can't expect to get a computerized camera to flash operation that a dedicated Panasonic flash would give you, it does mean you can use whatever flash you want on the camera and get good photos. (I posted one under customer images using the Nikon flash).
So it does depend on what you're looking for in a camera that suits your needs, in my case, this camera does excellent and very pleased with it.
*** P.S. If you will buy this Camera I suggest you have compare price before you decide at: www.amazon.com/gp/*************?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%****%2Foffer-listing%2FB003WJR69E%3Fie%3DUTF8%26ref_%3Ddp_olp_new_map%26condition%3Dnew&tag=***************&********=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957
Updated on Oct 2, 2011
If you will buy the LX5 I suggest for best deal at: www.ama zon.com/exec/******/****/B003WJR69E/cnet-offer-20
Updated on Nov 20, 2011Edit URL
Suggest check for best deal at: www.amazon .com/dp/B003WJR69E/?tag=cnet-offer-2020 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Beautiful pictures, but nor really portable, darn it!
by wawafoto on April 3, 2011
Pros: Superb Quality. As a rep at B&H said: "The Canon S95 will take photos you'd see in a magazine. The LX5 will take picture's you'd see in a book." CLOSE macro focusing (1cm, and yes it is useful). Excellent flash coverage and exposure in Macro mode. 2
Cons: Not really a portable point-and-shoot like the Canon S95 (which i eventually chose after testing both). That DARN LENS CAP!!! "Unimportant", say the purists -- but it has a nasty habit of getting in the way, especially when shooting video. Also gives er
Summary: Best choice for purists who want a "real" camera in compact size. But it is a mid-size, not a true compact.
Summary: Best choice for purists who want a "real" camera in compact size. But it is a mid-size, not a true compact.
3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Superb picture quality. Fast sharp lens. WB Great.
by fleal3366 on September 20, 2010
Pros: Very sharp pictures thanks to the excellent Lens. White Balace is very good too. 2.0 lens great in low light. Picture Quality is very high here. Small Camera, not as smal as the excellent Canon S90 but still feels small in your hands.
Cons: Nothing major so far. Lens cap it's no issue to me. Just attached it to the camera and end of that. Videos very good but the software displayed them upside down. If shoot too close to people' faces with the flash, you'll get exagerated light colors.
Summary: I have the Canon S90 and love it. Heard a lot about the LX3 and decided to try my first Panasonic camera with the LX5. Fantastic decision! To me it'...
Summary: I have the Canon S90 and love it. Heard a lot about the LX3 and decided to try my first Panasonic camera with the LX5. Fantastic decision! To me it's all about the pictue quality and this camera has it. Colors are nice thanks to the great WB. Very sharp pictures and skin colors are accurate and nice. Went to a Greek festival at night and was impressed with the picture quality. The 2.0 lens is top notch and sharp. Out of the box pictures are very good and if you shoot Raw you can make them better, especially the ones that need some adjustment.
Over all, my satisfaction with this camrera after 150+ pictures is very high. I gave it a very deserving excellent rating and the reviews of the pros will confirm what a GEM this camera is. Want great picutre quality, easy to use in a small package? The LX-5 meets and exceeds these requirements. I3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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As good as compact digicams get.
by mdifanis on May 29, 2011
Pros: Extraordinary RAW image quality for the compact size; amazing and ultra-fast Leica lens; unexpectedly good HD video performance.
Cons: Old school manual detachable lens cap; while compact, not small enough to fit into the pocket of your skinny jeans! I forget about this, since I shoot in RAW mode, but JPEGs have a slightly over-processed look.
Summary: I purchased this the first week it was available in fall 2010. I bought sight unseen, based on specs and early hands-on reviews.
I own thousands of dollars of professional ...Summary: I purchased this the first week it was available in fall 2010. I bought sight unseen, based on specs and early hands-on reviews.
I own thousands of dollars of professional digital SLR gear, and I purchased this to use when carrying bulky pro gear is not feasible. Overall, this camera has exceeded my expectations and has proven more useful than I had anticipated, actually offering some meaningful advantages over my pro gear.
This camera deserves kudos for combining full auto, point-and-shoot simplicity when in the hands of a user who just wants to shoot and not be a technician, while also being capable of a high degree of manual control and custom settings that rival options on SLRs. The latter characteristics make it capable of capturing difficult images that a serious photographer would expect to achieve only with an SLR. For example, I can not only specify forced flash on (such as for fill lighting situations where the camera would not activate the flash on its own) and also (albeit by diving into the 5th screen of menus) manually dial down the flash output to achieve natural looking images that are illuminated primary by ambient light, while throwing just enough fill flash to light up the eyes and keep the image from being overwhelmed by back light.
The combination of a very fast lens and excellent image stabilization enables me to capture images I simply cannot capture while hand-holding a bulky SLR. For example, when I have worked as the official (volunteer) photographer for WWII veteran trips, I have captured some amazing shots under available light of veterans aboard the crowded coach section of an airliner. I have just recently seen some of these candids enlarged to more than three feet wide, and these images--typically shot at f/2 and ISO 400 or 800--looked beautiful. I could not have squeezed an SLR with fast lens into such tight quarters, nor could I have avoided hand shake induced blur. The LX5 in this sort of tight shooting situation performs amazingly well where an SLR simply isn't workable.
Video performance has been another bright spot. I purchased Sony's first consumer HDV high-def camcorder in 2005 (at a cost of $2,000!), but I haven't touched the HDV camcorder in months. The LX5, with its combination of faster lens and larger image sensor, captures much better low light video at 720p HD resolution. Given that video is a secondary use of this photographic tool, it does remarkably well, offering smooth, silent zoom operation and good (and also silent) continuous auto-focus operation. The choice of multiple HD capture formats is also handy. Motion JPEG is great for short clips that will upload straight to YouTube, while AVCHD Lite works beautifully if one needs to, for example, put the camera on a tripod and record a lengthy lecture or play. (The two capture formats compress differently and have different strengths and weaknesses, so do a little reading if you plan to do much with video.) I now use this camera (paired with an almost comically larger professional video tripod that I already owned) to capture and share training sessions at my office. Audio capture is very good, but only in mono. My next step for better audio is to purchase a $100-$150 digital audio recorder to capture multi-channel high fidelity audio from closer to the subject that can then be synced with the video footage by dropping the audio track into video editing software.
For a camera with a fairly large and high-res LCD, battery life is excellent for a compact model. The most demanding use is video shooting, where the LCD and focusing systems are on continuously, but it will shoot for at least two hours on battery power with ease.
The lens is this camera's superstar. While the zoom range may pale in comparison to ratios offered by much less expensive cameras, the ability to go wide and have such a fast aperture is, for most uses, far more useful than a crazy big zoom ratio that lets in far less light and cannot go as wide. (Most buyers don't realize that ultra telephoto zoom ranges on compact cameras let in so little light that they are virtually worthless in anything other than good daylight.) It makes it awesome for capturing landscapes as a convenient travel camera as well as for capturing building interiors under available light.
The only operational drawback that I have experienced is the detachable lens cap, which I am somewhat shocked not to have lost yet. I assume it would have been impossible to engineer an automatic lens cap over this lens without imposing some other intolerable tradeoff, but it does mean care must be used not to lose the cap or to fingerprint the lens, which will still be exposed to the elements after you turn the camera off.
In conclusion, I have received countless compliments from others (often accompanied by wanting to take note of the model number) when they see the caliber of the images that can be captured with the LX5.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Outstanding Compact Camera
by reeltime on October 11, 2010
Pros: Full manual control. Leica on the cheap. RAW Capture. Compact design, yet solid. Ability to high-speed sync flash. 24mm wide angle. Aspect ratio a real plus. Key controls easy to find and adjust.
Cons: Pretty noisy at higher ISOs. Pricey. Deep menus difficult to navigate. Manual focus not good. USB not standard connector.
Summary: When my old compact camera, a Canon, took one too many trips to the ground-- it was time to replace.
I struggled with the choice between the Canon and Panasonic. ...Summary: When my old compact camera, a Canon, took one too many trips to the ground-- it was time to replace.
I struggled with the choice between the Canon and Panasonic. But having heard raves about the LX-3, I thought the LX-5 might make a good replacement. I haven't been disappointed.
At ISO 400 and below, the pictures off of the camera are nothing short of stunning. This camera likes a lot of light. Wide open at f/2, the bokeh, for a compact is decent. At higher ISOs, though-- grain is palpable. I was hoping for a little nicer performance in low light-- this won't make me dump my Nikon D700 any time soon.
Nice 24mm lens. One of the widest in a compact, and that's a good thing.
The on-camera strobe is okay, but using an external flash-- you can sync flash at any frame rate because there's no shutter. This is a huge advantage for bright sunlight.
Controls? Terrific on the surface. The thumb wheel controls aperture and shutter speed and ev. But to get to anything else, it's menu diving time, neither easy nor intuitive.
I thought aspect change was a bit of a gimmick-- not so. i've wound up using it more than I thought, and having the adjustment on the lens is a bonus.
Manual focus however-- oh boy... bad controls. Getting into that mode isn't hard-- another lens switch. But finding focus is not worth the effort.
All metal body. It's a solid camera. It's still pocket-able.. but it will fill that pocket.
Battery life isn't great-- and it's an all-new battery. Finding a spare isn't easy yet.
I gotta mark points off though on the camera sync cable. Why not just go USB 2.0 like the rest of the world so I don't have to pack a separate cable? Drives me nuts!
At $500 dollars, it isn't cheap, but the camera has game, and is worth the money.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent images in all lighting conditions.
by middlebass on March 7, 2011
Pros: Perfect camera to have in your pocket and use instead of your large DSLR. I only shoot RAW, and decided to switch from a clunky megazoom compact to one that had less zoom but worked better in low light and had better image quality overall.
Cons: really none. Ideally I would like a more powerful zoom, but since that means a bulkier camera whose lens isn't as good under normal conditions, I made the trade-off and am very happy.
Summary: The controls are exceptionally easy to use and image quality is outstanding. Last but not least, you can get a leather case that has a belt loop, which is ideal ...
Summary: The controls are exceptionally easy to use and image quality is outstanding. Last but not least, you can get a leather case that has a belt loop, which is ideal for me.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great camera
by jimsuhy on October 13, 2010
Pros: Super sharp lens, quick focus, high quality photos and very good accessories. Battery life is outstanding
Cons: haven't found anything
Summary: Best point and shoot I've ever had. Very professional results and options
Summary: Best point and shoot I've ever had. Very professional results and options
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Yesterday's camera?
by tinfire on October 13, 2010
Pros: Dynamic Range has improved over the LX3 and the increased focal length is useful.
RAW files rather goodCons: The jpegs can be awful. I'm glad the review picked up on that.
Sometimes a shot looks great and then the next comes out smeary and lacking detail. Not what I expected. Some questions over lens performance.Summary: Disappointed.
No apparent progress in jpeg processing since the LX3, Use as a RAW and video only camera.Summary: Disappointed.
No apparent progress in jpeg processing since the LX3, Use as a RAW and video only camera.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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The next best thing after the lx3 model
by nj272 on April 25, 2012
Pros: It features a longer lasting battery then the lx3
Cons: It could have improved on its movie mode which is still shot in 720p
Summary: The <a href="default.asp">Panasonic DMC Lumix LX5</a> is a high quality slr. Its truly a superb camera that come packed filled with all ...
Summary: The <a href="default.asp">Panasonic DMC Lumix LX5</a> is a high quality slr. Its truly a superb camera that come packed filled with all kinds of features.
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Great Compact Camera
by DJB91 on June 7, 2011
Pros: Leica Glass, Solidly Built, Nice Menus, Great Pictures.
Cons: JPEG Processing is crap. Lens cap can be annoying, takes some getting used too.
Summary: This is a fantastic point and shoot but could be improved tremendously. I recommend it over the S90 and S95 if you don't mind a bulge in your pocket.
Summary: This is a fantastic point and shoot but could be improved tremendously. I recommend it over the S90 and S95 if you don't mind a bulge in your pocket.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Panasonic
- Part number: DMC-LX5
- Description: The DMC-LX5 packages an f/2.0 LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON lens with wide angle and 3.8x optical zoom. This low-distortion, high-resolution lens lets you capture truly dynamic wide angle images while rendering the tiniest nuances clearly, from corner to corner. The fully open f/2.0-3.3 aperture and iris diaphragm also work together to produce stunning scenes with gentle soft focusing. The DMC-LX5 features a large 1/1.63-inch, 10.1-megapixel ultra-sensitive CCD. It achieves high resolution, noiseless pictures even in high sensitivity recording and richly reproduced gradation in highly contrasted situations with the exquisitely wide dynamic range. In addition, the CCD in DMC-LX5 can reproduce images shot with the lens set from 24mm to 90mm in any of three aspect ratios; 4:3, 3:2 or 16:9, so you can always capture dynamic, richly expressive shots with a wide perspective. The DMC-LX5 can record HD movie in AVCHD Lite with high sound quality of Dolby Digital Creator. Just press the motion picture button, and shooting begins. In the creative movie mode, the shutter speed and aperture can be adjusted. The iA mode can also be activated in motion picture recording.
General
- Packaged Quantity 1
- Product Type Digital camera - Compact
- Enclosure Color Black
- Resolution 10.1 megapixels
- Optical Sensor Type CCD
- Total Pixels 11,300,000 pixels
- Effective Sensor Resolution 10,100,000 pixels
- Optical Sensor Size 1/1.63"
- Optical Zoom 3.8 x
- Digital Zoom 4 x
- Image Processor Venus Engine FHD
- Image Stabilizer Optical (POWER O.I.S.)
- Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
- Auto Focus Points (Zones) Qty 23
- Digital Video Format QuickTime,
AVCHD Lite,
MJPEG - Image Recording Format JPEG,
RAW,
RAW + JPEG - Max Video Resolution 1280 x 720
- AV Interfaces HDMI,
Composite video/audio Exposure & White Balance
- Light Sensitivity ISO 3200,
ISO 1600,
ISO auto (1600-12800),
ISO 800,
ISO 100,
ISO 200,
ISO 80,
ISO 6400,
ISO 12800,
ISO 400,
ISO auto - Exposure Metering Multi-segment,
Center-weighted,
Spot - Exposure Modes Program,
Automatic,
Shutter-priority,
Manual,
Aperture-priority - Shooting Programs Candle,
Snow,
Beach,
Flash-burst,
Sports mode,
Sunset,
Night portrait,
Party/indoor,
Self-portrait,
baby2,
High sensitivity,
baby1,
Panorama assist,
Night scene,
Soft skin,
Starry sky,
Aerial photo,
Fireworks,
Food,
Scenery,
Hi-speed burst,
Pet,
Portrait mode - White Balance Automatic,
Presets,
Custom - White Balance Presets Daylight,
Shade,
Cloudy,
Flash,
Halogen - Max Shutter Speed 1/4000 sec
- Min Shutter Speed 60 sec
- Exposure Compensation ±3 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
- Auto Exposure Bracketing 3 steps in 1/3 EV step
Lens System
- Type Leica 3.8 x x Zoom lens - 5.1 mm - 19.2 mm - F/2.0-3.3
- Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 24 - 90 mm
- Focus Adjustment Manual,
Automatic - Min Focus Range 19.7 in
- Macro Focus Range 0.4 in
- Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
- Lens Construction 9 groups / 10 elements
- Features Aspherical lens
Camera Flash
- Camera Flash Pop-up flash
- Flash Modes Rear curtain sync,
Fill-in mode,
Slow synchro,
Auto mode,
Flash OFF mode,
Red-eye reduction - Features AF illuminator
- Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 24 ft
Additional Features
- Continuous Shooting Speed 6 frames per second (3MPix),
2.5 frames per second,
10 frames per second (3MPix) - Self Timer Delay 2 sec,
10 sec - Flash Terminal Hot shoe
- Additional Features In-camera red-eye removal,
Intelligent Resolution Technology,
Backlight compensation,
Resizing an image,
Cropping an image,
Saturation control,
Face Recognition,
DPOF support,
Face detection,
RGB primary color filter,
Built-in speaker,
Digital noise reduction,
Histogram display,
Intelligent Scene Selector,
Highlight point display,
Camera orientation detection,
PictBridge support,
Built-in help guide,
Sharpness control,
Contrast control,
USB 2.0 compatibility,
Direct print Viewfinder
- Viewfinder Type None
Display
- Type 3 in LCD display
- Display Features Built-in
Microphone
- Microphone Operation Mode Mono
- Microphone Features Wind noise reduction
Connections
- Connector Type 1 x Hi-Speed USB,
1 x Composite video/audio output,
1 x HDMI output Software
- Software Panasonic PHOTOfunSTUDIO 5.0 HD Edition,
Adobe Reader,
Apple QuickTime,
Drivers & Utilities,
SILKYPIX Developer Studio System Requirements for PC Connection
- Peripheral Devices USB port,
CD-ROM drive Miscellaneous
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Included Accessories Battery charger,
Lens cap strap,
USB cable,
Lens cap,
Shoulder strap,
Shoe cap,
Audio / video cable Battery
- Supported Battery Panasonic DMW-BCJ13
- Supported Battery 1 x Li-ion rechargeable battery - 1250 mAh ( Included )
Memory / Storage
- RAM Installed 40 MB
- Memory Card Slot SD card
- Supported Memory Cards SDHC Memory Card,
SD Memory Card,
SDXC Memory Card - Image Storage RAW 3648 x 2736,
JPEG 3648 x 2736,
JPEG 3072 x 2304,
JPEG 2560 x 1920,
JPEG 2048 x 1536,
JPEG 1600 x 1200,
JPEG 640 x 480,
JPEG 3776 x 2520,
JPEG 3168 x 2112,
JPEG 2656 x 1768,
JPEG 2112 x 1408,
JPEG 2048 x 1360,
JPEG 640 x 424,
JPEG 3968 x 2232,
JPEG 3328 x 1872,
JPEG 2784 x 1568,
JPEG 2208 x 1248,
JPEG 1920 x 1080,
JPEG 640 x 360,
JPEG 2736 x 2736,
JPEG 2304 x 2304,
JPEG 1920 x 1920,
JPEG 1536 x 1536,
JPEG 480 x 480 - Video Capture QuickTime - 640 x 480,
QuickTime - 320 x 240,
QuickTime - 848 x 480,
QuickTime - 1280 x 720,
AVCHD Lite - 1280 x 720 Dimensions & Weight
- Width 4.3 in
- Depth 1.7 in
- Height 2.6 in
- Weight 9.6 oz
Environmental Parameters
- Min Operating Temperature 32 °F
- Max Operating Temperature 104 °F
Product series
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (White)
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: 10.1 megapixels,
3.8 x,
1/1.63",
CCD,
Optical (POWER O.I.S.) -
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 (Black)
Manufacturer: Panasonic
Specs: 10.1 megapixels,
3.8 x,
1/1.63",
CCD,
Optical (POWER O.I.S.)
Accessories
Manufacturer info
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Panasonic products on Shopper.com
-
- Manufacturer:Panasonic
- Address:
One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094 - Phone: 800/662-3537
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