Micro 4/3 Will the real LX100 please stand up?

My take . . .

I am admittedly, prejudiced, having bought the LX100, compared it with other cameras, kept it and have already used it professionally.

The LX100 reminds me of my old Honda Civic 4wd station wagon -- it wasn't the best at anything but it was pretty darn good at everything. The result was a charming, enjoyable package.

I find the LX100 the same: it isn't the absolute best at anything, but it does just about everything very well. I want a camera that I can take with me everywhere, and will behave itself when I shoot at the margins of the day.

The pictures, I believe, speak for themselves:

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Further, I want nimble, fast, and multiple focal lengths without having to change lenses and exposing the sensor to the elements. The Panasonic engineers, I think, do a pretty credible job of optimizing their fixed lens cameras through the combination of sensor, lens, and software tweaks. In addition, in my view, the LX100 hits a sweet spot on the price/performance curve -- a whole lot of goodies with change back from your kilobuck.

Of course, perhaps more sophisticated eyes will look at LX100 images and decide that I just don't recognize lousy IQ when I see it . . .

As I said in one of my early posts on this camera, so far, so good.

Cheers, Jock
 
I've had an lx100 for a few weeks now after getting rid of my micro 4/3 gear and changing to a fuji xe2. I wanted a grab and go camera and I'm really enjoying using it but feel that in higher ISO it could be better. Here's a few of my favourite pictures so far some straight out of camera and some edited with snapseed.

[IMG
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Camera Roll-72 by -Andy D photography-][/IMG]

[URL
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Holcombe Hill Bury Greater Manchester by -Andy D photography-][/URL]

[IMGView attachment 104836Camera Roll-65 by -Andy D photography-][/IMG]

[IMGView attachment 104837Camera Roll-59 by -Andy D photography-][/IMG]

[IMGView attachment 104838Camera Roll-60 by -Andy D photography-][/IMG]
 
I've had an lx100 for a few weeks now after getting rid of my micro 4/3 gear and changing to a fuji xe2. I wanted a grab and go camera and I'm really enjoying using it but feel that in higher ISO it could be better. Here's a few of my favourite pictures so far some straight out of camera and some edited with snapseed.



[URL
15500087533_5c43bb378e_b.jpg
Holcombe Hill Bury Greater Manchester by -Andy D photography-][/URL]

Andy,

I like all the shots, but the Holcombe Hill image makes want me want to reach for the granny gear!

Cheers, Jock
 
I am doing and the firs was without the filter and the last was with. Might have to try shielding the lens with my hand or seeing if there is a hood for it. Pictures were taken while walking the dog who was pulling like mad!!!
 
The lens *can* flare, as a matter of fact. It's something to be aware of. But it's nowhere near as bad as some online make it out to be. Frontal light is okay, light from the border or, worse, from one of the corners is problematic. But it can be avoided by conscious framing. It's actually visible in the viewfinder when it happens, so it can be worked around (or with, if you're into that sort of thing).

M.
 
So, I rented an LX100 over the holidays. Didn't have quite as much time to shoot with it as expected, but enough to draw some conclusions. I suppose I still don't understand the folks who are on both ends of the scale about this camera. It is simply not as sharp as a prime on an m4/3s body, but also far from soft. It is pretty darn capable in low light. AF is speedy and accurate. Ergonomics are very good, especially given the size.

If I had to grade the LX100 I'd slap a solid B+ on it, maybe even an A- if I was more adept at taking advantage if it's video capabilities. I can't say it disappointed me from any image standpoint in any way. In the end I found that to be the biggest problem with the camera. I'll try to explain.

The things that annoyed me about the LX100 when it was introduced (no touch to focus; no integrated flash; no flip screen; non-programmable iA and Filter buttons) become all the more egregious to me after seeing just how good this camera is. I wanted the LX100 to replace my m4/3s kit. I wanted the simplicity and convenience. I was and am willing to trade the extra IQ of shooting with primes for that convenience. But I find I am not willing to trade IQ + so many features that I enjoy using (and are right there on my not cutting edge GX7).

So for now I will remain on the sidelines, happily using my GX7. I can wait for the gen2 LX100, or maybe for what Canon does with the G1X line, or what other companies might offer up. The door has clearly been swung open on this class of camera. Adding what I consider to be a current feature set will make me a buyer, and within reason the price doesn't hugely matter. I'd be even happier to see the body size upped to G1X levels if that allows a bit longer or faster lens.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head, Dean. I'm happy to wait on the sidelines now that I have my Fuji X100T. I might consider picking up an LX100 whenever it's closed out - perhaps 18 to 24 months from now. But at it's current price most of those issues you write about bother me too mich.
 
I think you hit the nail on the head, Dean. I'm happy to wait on the sidelines now that I have my Fuji X100T. I might consider picking up an LX100 whenever it's closed out - perhaps 18 to 24 months from now. But at it's current price most of those issues you write about bother me too much.

Okay... in all fairness I had to post this right here - linked to my post above. Because I have egg on my face today having pulled a 180 in 24 hours. I honestly had no plans to buy any other camera right now, much less the LX100. But it was quiet at work this morning on this, the Friday between New Year's Day and the weekend. So I logged in to Panasonic's U.S. online store, where our company has an EPP relationship, just to see if there are any post-holiday deals. I really had no plans to buy anything. But, lo and behold, the LX100 was available for $674. I ordered it on the spot. Typically for the site, the camera is currently backordered. But that's fine. Even if it takes three months to get it, it's a fair deal at that price. And that price is just low enough (a discount of more than $200) that I can forgive a few things that bother me about the camera - like no integrated flash.

If anyone has an interest in the LX100 and thinks their employer may have an EPP relationship with the Panny U.S. online store, check it out. I have no idea if this price will hold if one has a membership in their Club Panasonic, which anyone can sign up for on the site. And if one simply logs onto the site, the price is the standard $899. Suffice it to say, my Fuji X-A1 and XF1 are going on the market. Let the teasing begin. :blush:
 
Oh you'll get no teasing from me, Steve. It wasn't but a couple of days after I told my wife that I had no interest whatsoever in an RX100M3, that I bid on (and won) one on eBay. In my defense, the seller had let her dog chew on the camera, so I figured I could get it cheap (and I did!). But fortunately for me, my wife just rolls her eyes when I spout things like that.
 
Okay... in all fairness I had to post this right here - linked to my post above. Because I have egg on my face today having pulled a 180 in 24 hours. I honestly had no plans to buy any other camera right now, much less the LX100. But it was quiet at work this morning on this, the Friday between New Year's Day and the weekend. So I logged in to Panasonic's U.S. online store, where our company has an EPP relationship, just to see if there are any post-holiday deals. I really had no plans to buy anything. But, lo and behold, the LX100 was available for $674. I ordered it on the spot. Typically for the site, the camera is currently backordered. But that's fine. Even if it takes three months to get it, it's a fair deal at that price. And that price is just low enough (a discount of more than $200) that I can forgive a few things that bother me about the camera - like no integrated flash.

If anyone has an interest in the LX100 and thinks their employer may have an EPP relationship with the Panny U.S. online store, check it out. I have no idea if this price will hold if one has a membership in their Club Panasonic, which anyone can sign up for on the site. And if one simply logs onto the site, the price is the standard $899. Suffice it to say, my Fuji X-A1 and XF1 are going on the market. Let the teasing begin. :blush:

Oh crap! I bought the Leica because it was only 1/3 more. Very jealous!
 
So I've been really impressed with a LOT of the LX100 images I've been seeing, and despite absolutely zero dissatisfaction with my other gear (including the G7X), I thought I might rent an LX100 for a week or so and just play around with it. I'd pretty much reconciled myself to its primitive auto-ISO setup (no shutter speed control in A mode and no exposure comp in M mode - what DOES it do?), but figured I could work around that if I liked the rest of the camera enough. So I put in a rental order and then figured I'd download the manual to learn some stuff before it was to show up on Thursday or Friday.

And then I discovered to my near horror that Panasonic has done away with the excellent little manual focus distance and DOF scale they've had in every other LX model to date. Really?!?!? The combination of this feature and the step zoom and the memory settings made the LX5 & 7 the best little street cameras this side of the GRD3. And they took it OUT of the LX100? Why? Do they figure that the larger sensor has too little DOF to work for zone focus? Tell jt to Ricoh or Nikon or Fuji or Sony with their APS and full frame cameras with distance scales...

My goodness, even the RX100 III has added a distance scale to its bag of tricks, the G7X and G1X II have em and let you lock down the focus distance in their custom memory settings. Now the LX100 is precisely as useless to me as a street camera as the original RX100 was - back when the LX7 was kicking it's butt in all but sensor performance. So useless auto ISO, useless zone focus controls. Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!!

It turns out I REALLY don't want the LX100. Even kind of virulently now. What a drag - so good in so many ways but no progress in one of my key areas and actually going backward in another. I keep wanting to like this camera - they got so much right - but now I kind of hate it for what it could/should have been.

Rental cancelled. Damn, I was looking forward to playing with it too... OTOH, one less thing to have to think about...

And I really have been loving the images from this camera and I know I'll continue to, but they're not gonna be coming from me...

-Ray
 
Well Ray, the silver lining is that you can completely scratch it off your list and not even think twice about it. Better to be black and white on these things. Which it is not for me.

After deciding the LX100 was not (yet) for me I really revisited my desire to ditch my interchangeable lenses and have an all-in-one solution. So I have purchased the LX100 and the G7X (my second go around with this one). I will do a little head-to-head shooting and choose one to keep. As the G7X has some of the features I miss on the LX100 I think it will be an interesting comparo.

I'm imagining a kit of the LX100 or G7X, the Sigma DP3M, and maybe an "advanced" superzoom at some point (next gen FZ1000 or RX10 sort of thing). Maybe an E-PM2 + 45/1.8, but no other lenses. We'll see how that all works out...
 
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