Panasonic Panasonic DMC-LX7 Announced

I still have my great little LX-3 and didn't find enough things different to move on to the LX-5. A question for me: is the LX-7 that much better than the LX-3? More research is in order...
 
I still have my great little LX-3 and didn't find enough things different to move on to the LX-5. A question for me: is the LX-7 that much better than the LX-3? More research is in order...

Hard to say - I never had an LX3 but loved the LX5. I knew some folks with both thought the LX5 lost a touch of sharpness compared to the LX3, probably because the zoom range was extended at the long end. I was always more than OK with the sharpness of the LX5, but it sounds like it lost a little bit relative to the LX3. Otherwise, I think the primary improvements were handling.

I expect the LX7 will offer even better handling than the LX5. I know when I was using the LX5, I'd be constantly clicking the click-wheel to move between aperture, exposure compensation, and manual focus distance, and sometimes got confused with which function it was on, which could lead to all sorts of stupid adjustments I didn't mean to make. That was the one thing I found really irritating about that camera - otherwise the handling was wonderful with all of the controls in just the right places. The LX7 looks like a HUGE improvement for me, with both the aperture ring and the separate little control for manual focus/ND filter on the back. That means I'll mostly only have to use the click wheel for exposure compensation and occasional ISO changes. But I won't have to CLICK it at all and try to remember where I am in its cycle of functions. To me, this is an incredible/amazing/overwhelming improvement - to others probably not so much.

The question will then become will the new sensor lens combination in any way improve the IQ or at least hold steady with the LX5. I think its the same basic sensor switch Canon did when it went from the S95 to S100 and I think that sensor got rather better reviews (although that camera seems to have ongoing problems with its lens). It seems to handle higher ISO better than the previous generation - not sure about DR or noise at base ISO. So if the LX7 at least holds even with the LX5 (or hopefully even improves on it marginally), paired with the faster lens, I'll probably end up getting it. Despite the RX100's larger sensor that camera leaves me cold for a few reasons, that are again probably specific to me rather than any sort of flaw with the camera. I'm also guessing the LCD on the LX7 will be an improvement in bright light over the LX3/5 and, to the extent it still leaves something to be desired, Panasonic's new EVF is worlds better than the one the LX5 used and probably worth the $160 for those occasions.

To ME, its likely worth the upgrade from the LX5 if the IQ even holds up, let alone if it gets better. Whether that's reason enough for YOU from the LX3, you'll have to let us know.... ;)

-Ray
 
Thanks, Ray. I must admit I was a little disappointed (but not surprised) to learn that the LX-7 won't accept the LVF-1 - which I bought to complement my GF-1 lo these many years ago. I suppose when I get around to selling my GF-1, the finder will be a throw-in to the deal. Oh, well...

Not really in the market right now; taking a six-month sabbatical from camera purchases. Decided I may try to use what I have in the interim... :)
 
Thanks, Ray. I must admit I was a little disappointed (but not surprised) to learn that the LX-7 won't accept the LVF-1 - which I bought to complement my GF-1 lo these many years ago. I suppose when I get around to selling my GF-1, the finder will be a throw-in to the deal. Oh, well...

Not really in the market right now; taking a six-month sabbatical from camera purchases. Decided I may try to use what I have in the interim... :)

I had an LVF-1 that I also used with the GF1 and LX5 - I liked both of those cameras and parted with them reluctantly, but that EVF was one of the easiest pieces of gear to jettison ever! I'd owned an Olympus VF2 before I tried the Pany and man, those two evf's are playing in completely different leagues. I was real happy not have any need for the LVF1 anymore...

And the LVF2 is supposed to be up to the standards of the VF2 and the OMD's evf but is only $160, so I wouldn't mind getting one of those if its needed. But those 920,000 dot LCDs are usually really good even in bright light, so it might not need an evf at all.

-Ray
 
I am not fan of tiny body and huge sensor with compromose on handling, controls and lens.

Real IQ will be seen after some tests but on paper I like its feature set and Thanks God, LX7 is not 1".

Bright lens with more DOF on wide end and shallow DOF at tele end is BETTER than the otherwise, in applications, where we normally take landscapes on Wide End and portraits at tele. I took excellent photos with XZ-1 wide open in low light and still got plenty of sharpness for foreground and background, Can't imagine such with my m43 bodies/ primes.

I really hope Pany/Oly not increase sensor size, not increase pixels on the sensor bodies but increase the IQ at higher ISO and faster, sharper lenses in future successors. We already got plenty of options in 4/3 and APSC small bodies now a days, so look else-where big sensor lovers, pleeease!!
 
I'm a current LX5 owner, former LX3 owner and I am waiting to see what happens in the next few months. I want to see samples of LX7 and full reviews. On paper they appear to have made a step forward in some areas but on others a step back. I think they are very much treading water at the moment and I think I could very well jump ship this time to the RX100 if I decide to upgrade my LX5 (only two years old since newly released).
 
I've never owned an LX series, but I've been keeping a close eye on the LX7 since it was announced. I've bookmarked some links, which will hopefully help in the decision-making for those considering this camera.

Noise comparison with other compacts - In French, but the images speak for themselves
Sample images - Check out their samples from other cameras; many are from the same location to provide a rough comparison
A review from a user - The first images are from the LX5, but keep scrolling for LX7 samples
 
We should be getting the first shipment by the end of this month so only a couple weeks to go. As soon as it appears on Panasonic's Retailers website I will order mine and post pics as soon as possible.
 
Here's a review: PhotographyBLOG

For having nine sections, I don't feel that I came away with that much information. However, they do provide RAW samples. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a RAW file is worth a thousand more!
Sample Images Section

As I remember Amin saying on these forums, in-camera corrections for lens distortion is a fact of life now. Surely a compact camera zoom lens that opens up to an f/1.4 aperture on the wide end will have severe distortion. My S95 with a slower f/2.0 certainly does. I downloaded a RAW file that was shot at 4.7mm and opened it using Raw Photo Processor. I can confirm the distortion (no surprise there), but it's not as severe as I thought. I won't post the output file to respect the website's right to the image, but there are free RAW processors to check out the RAW files they posted. I doubt these software will have full support for the LX7 yet, but for my purpose of checking distortion, they'll do the job.

We should be getting the first shipment by the end of this month so only a couple weeks to go. As soon as it appears on Panasonic's Retailers website I will order mine and post pics as soon as possible.

Can't wait! It's nice to have someone with somewhat early access to these cameras.
 
Interesting point Kian, if much lens correction is introduced in software then how much filters through in to in-camera jpg production and how much is left out int raw files. The standard argument is that raw is "raw-data" but normally the raw file is accompanied by a metadata set of instructions that allows a raw file convertor to make an image that resembles the in-camera jpg when first loaded. Then of course you can play with the raw file data.

Therefore perhaps we can start to see real differences between in-camera jpg and exported raw? Taken to a logical conclusion and with a high enough level of in-camera correction maybe jpg might become better accepted?
 
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