SPECIFICATION
Metrics | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 110.5 x 67.1 x 45.6 mm / (4.35 x 2.64 x 1.80 inch) |
| Weight | Approx. 269g without Battery and SD Memory Card (0.60 lb) / Approx. 298g with Battery and SD Memory Card (0.66 lb) |
Optics | |
|---|---|
| Camera Effective Pixels | 10.1 Megapixels |
| Sensor Size / Total Pixels / Filter | 1/1.7-type High Sensitivity MOS Sensor / 12.7 Total Megapixels / Primary Color Filter |
| Aperture | F1.4 - 2.3 / Multistage Iris Diaphragm (F1.4 - 8.0 (W), F2.3 - 8.0 (T)) / ND filter (3steps) |
| Optical Zoom | 3.8x |
| Focal Length | f=4.7 - 17.7mm (24 - 90mm in 35mm equiv.) |
| Extra Optical Zoom (EZ) | 4.5x (4:3 / 7M), 5.4x (4:3 / 5M), 6.7x (under 3M) |
| Intelligent Zoom | 7.5x |
| Lens | LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMILUX / 11 elements in 10 groups / (5 Aspherical Lenses / 9 Aspherical surfaces / 2 ED Lenses(1 Aspherical ED lens) / 1 Nano surface Coating Lens) |
| 2-Speed Zoom | - |
| Optical Image Stabilizer | Power O.I.S. (On/Off) |
| Digital Zoom | Max. 4x |
| Focusing Area | Normal: Wide 50 cm - infinity / AF Macro / MF / Intelligent AUTO / motion picture: Wide 1 cm - infinity /Tele 30cm - infinity |
| AF Assist Lamp | Yes (On/Off) |
| Focus | Normal / AF Macro / MF / Quick AF On/Off (On in Intelligent Auto), Continuous AF (only for motion picture) / AF/AF Macro/MF Switchable, AF/AE Lock Button, Focus Lever, Manual Focus, One Shot AF, AF Area Select, AF Tracking |
| AF Metering | Face / AF Tracking / 23-area / 1-area (flexible/scalable) |
| Shutter Speed | approx. 250 - 1/4000 sec （ISO80-ISO1600） / 30 - 1/4000 sec (ISO2000 - ISO3200) / 8 - 1/4000 sec (ISO4000 - ISO12800) |
| Viewfinder | Optional : DMW-LVF2 |
Recording | |
|---|---|
| File Format | Still Image: JPEG(DCF/Exif2.3) / RAW / MPO / Motion picture: AVCHD, MP4 |
| Mode Dial / Mode Button | Intelligent Auto, P, A, S, M, C1, C2, Creative Video, Creative Control, SCN |
| Creative Control mode | Expressive, Retro, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Dynamic Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Star Filter, One Point Color, Radial Defocus, Smooth Defocus |
| Still Image Scene Mode | Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Panorama shot, Sports, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Handheld Night Shot, HDR, Food, Baby1, Baby2, Pet, Sunset, Glass Through, 3D Photo, |
| Continuous Shooting Mode | Full- Resolution Image: 11 frames/sec Max.12 images / with AF Tracking: 5 frames/sec, 2 frames/sec / High- speed Burst: approx. 60 frames/sec (recorded in 2.5M) / approx. 40 frames/sec (recorded in 5M) |
| Motion Picture Recording (*2) | [HD Video] 1920 x 1080 pixels, 50p (PSH: 28Mbps / AVCHD) (Sensor Output is 50fps) / 1920 x 1080 pixels, 50i (FSH: 17Mbps / AVCHD) (Sensor Output is 50fps) / 1280 x 720 pixels, 50p(SH: 17Mbps / AVCHD) (Sensor Output is 50fps) / 1920 x 1080 pixels, 25 fps (FHD: 20Mbps / MP4) (Sensor Output is 25fps) / 1280 x 720 pixels, 25 fps (HD: 10Mbps / MP4) (Sensor Output is 25fps) / [STD Video] 640 x 480 pixels, 25 fps (VGA: 4Mbps / MP4) (Sensor Output is 25fps) / [High Speed Video] 1280 x 720 pixels, 25fps (MP4) (Sensor Output is 100fps) |
| AVCHD (Continuous recordable time [motion pictures]) | approx. 90 min (PSH), 100 min (FSH) |
| MP4 (Continuous recordable time [motion pictures]) | approx. 110 min (FHD) |
| AVCHD (Actual recordable time [motion pictures]) | approx. 50 min (PSH), 55 min (FSH) |
| MP4 (Actual recordable time [motion pictures]) | approx. 60 min (FHD) |
| Exposure | Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual |
| Exposure Compensation | 1/3 EV step, +/-3 EV |
| Auto (AE) Bracketing | 1/3 -3EV step, Max.+/-3 EV, 3 frames |
| Light Metering | Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot |
| Aspect Bracketing | Yes |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto / i.ISO / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 / 12800* (*by Pixel Mixed Readout) (changeable to 1/3 EV step) |
| Still Picture Recording | [1:1] 2736x2736 (7.5M) / 2304x2304 (5.5M EZ)/ 1920x1920 (3.5M EZ) / 1536x1536 (2.5M EZ) / 480x480 (0.2M EZ) / [4:3] 3648x2736 (10M) / 3072x2304 (7M EZ) / 2560x1920 (5M EZ) / 2048x1536 (3M EZ) / 1600 x 1200 (2M EZ) / 640x480 (0.3M EZ) / [3:2] 3776 x 2520 (9.5M) / 3168 x 2112 (6.5M EZ) / 2656 x 1768 (4.5M EZ)/ 2112 x 1408 (3M EZ) / 2048x1360 (2.5M EZ) / 640x424 (0.3M EZ) / [16:9] 3968 x 2232 (9M) / 3228 x 1872 (6M EZ) / 2784 x 1588 (4.5M EZ)/ 2208 x 1248 (2.5M EZ) / 1920x1080 (2M EZ) / 640x360 (0.2M EZ) / 1920 x 1080 (3D) |
| Zoom in Motion Picture | Yes |
| Image Quality | RAW / RAW+Fine / RAW+Standard / Fine / Standard (3D Mode : MPO+Fine / MPO Standard) |
| White Balance | Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade / Flash / Incandescent / White Set1 / White Set2 / Color Tempareture (2-axis adjustable) |
| Photo Style / Film Mode | Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait, Custom |
| Color Mode / Color Effect / My color | Color Mode (only in iA Mode) : Standard, Happy, Black and White, Sepia |
| Picture Adjustment | Contrast, Sharpness, Color Saturation, Noise Reduction |
| Digital Red Eye Correction (Red-Eye Removal) | Yes |
| GPS | - |
| Wi-FI | - |
| Self Timer | 2sec / 10sec / 10sec 3pcs |
Playback | |
|---|---|
| Retouch | Auto Retouch / Creative Retouch |
| Playback Mode | Normal Playback, Slideshow, Filtering Playback（Picture Only, Video Only, 3D, Category, Favorites), Calendar Search |
| Thumbnails / Zoomed Playback | 12,30-thumbnails / Yes |
| Calendar Display / Dual-Image Playback | Yes (Menu / Zoom Button) / No |
| Set Favorites / Rotate Image | Yes / No |
| Show Histogram | Yes |
| Show Highlights | Yes |
| DPOF Print Setting / Set Protection | Yes / Yes |
| Resize / Cropping / Aspect Conv. / Leveling | Yes / Yes / No / Yes |
| Copy / Title Edit / Text Stamp | Yes / Yes / Yes |
| Cut Animation | Yes |
| Video Divide | Yes |
| PictBridge Support | Single / Multi / All / Favorites / DPOF |
Setup | |
|---|---|
| OSD language | Japanese, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish |
Others | |
|---|---|
| Battery life (approx.) | 330 pictures (CIPA Standard)*1 |
| LCD Monitor | 7.5cm(3.0") TFT Screen LCD Display (920K dots), AR Coating / Field of View : approx. 100% Wide Viewing Angle / Power LCD mode, AUTO Power LCD mode |
| Built-in-Flash | Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off, Flash Synchro;1st/2nd Slow Sync / 0.8 - 8.5m (Wide/ISO Auto), 0.3 - 5.2m (Tele/ISO Auto) |
| Recording Media | Built-in Memory, SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, SDXC Memory Card |
| Built-in-Memory | Approx. 70MB |
| Microphone / Speaker | Stereo / Mono |
| Interface | miniHDMI, AV Output (PAL/NTSC), USB Multi |
| Power | Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, Minimum: 1250mAh) (Included) / AC Adaptor (Input: 110-240V AC) (Optional) |
| Included Software | PHOTOfunSTUDIO 8.3 PE, SilkyPix Developer Studio, Adobe Reader |
INTRODUCTION
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 is a premium compact digital camera with a fast lens, full range of manual shooting modes and RAW file support. The new LX7 aims to build on the success of its LX5 predecessor with a new 3.8x, 24-90mm f/1.4-2.3 zoom lens, large 1/1.7-inch 10 megapixel MOS sensor, an ISO range of 80-12,800 and 1920x1080 50p Full HD movie recording with a Creative Movie Mode for adjusting both the shutter speed and aperture. The LX7’s aperture ring and rear dial provide full control over the aperture range, while an internal neutral density filter allows slow shutter speeds to be used in combination with fast aperture settings.
As expected at this price-point, both Raw and JPEG files can be committed to SD/SDHC/SDXC or Eye-Fi cards, and conveniently both can be shot in tandem, with write speeds impressive at just two to three seconds. It further boasts an improved 3.8x wide optical zoom, offering a focal range equivalent to 24-90mm in 35mm terms, optically stabilized to help prevent image blur from camera shake and with a Nano Surface Coating to help prevent lens flare. Best of all is the faster f/1.4 maximum aperture, which makes it easier to achieve DSLR-like shallow depth of field and out-of-focus backgrounds, whilst also proving invaluable when hand-holding the camera in low-light.
For the first time on the LX-series, an intuitive aperture ring additionally surrounds the lens, much like the one seen on the Fujifilm X100 camera. This allows you to quickly change the aperture, with 16 1/3rd exposure steps available running from f/1.4 through to f/8. If you zoom to a focal length that slows down the aperture range, these physical markings obviously don't change - so at 90mm, for example, choosing f/1.4 actually sets the aperture to the fastest available value of f/2.5. Furthermore, changing the ring from f/1.4 to f/2.2 has absolutely no effect on the camera's settings, as those apertures aren't available at 90mm. Other than this unavoidable quirk, the new aperture ring is a great addition that further adds to the photographer-friendly feel of the LX7.
There's a choice of auto and intelligent auto ISO settings, with a range that extends from ISO 80 up to ISO 6400 at full resolution. Choose the further ISO ISO 12800 equivalent option and JPEG-only resolution drops to a compensatory three megapixels - an on-screen prompt warning you of the fact that settings have changed should this be selected. In any event, this is a nod to the sort of spec to be found on a semi-pro DSLR, so to be welcomed at a compact level.
The creative movie mode is where technologies converge and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 becomes an intriguing prospect for would-be videographers, providing access as it does to the same creative exposure P,A,S,M modes selectable when shooting stills. You also get access to all the Photo Style and Creative Control modes when shooting video. ISO settings, white balance and AF tracking are also all accessible when shooting movies.
The normal bugbear of exterior location shoots is also dealt with thanks to a wind cut option among the four screen's worth of menu settings in motion picture mode. Happily, the full extent of the smooth and steady optical zoom can be accessed when shooting video, its mechanical operation quiet and minimally intrusive. New to the LX7 is high-speed video recording at 120fps (NTSC) / 100fps (PAL) in 720p MP4 format, providing a creative slow-motion effect.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 has an internal Neutral Density filter, now easily accessible via the new ND/Focus button on the back of the camera. The ND filter proves almost essential given the LX7's maximum f/1.4 aperture. In bright sunlight conditions when shooting wide-open to get the minimum depth of field, the fastest shutter speed of 1/4000th second can easily be exceeded - simply press the ND button to slow down the shutter speed by 3 stops and avoid exposure problems. Alternatively this button, in tandem with the command dial, can be used to adjust the expansiveness of the AF area, or alter its default position of dead centre of the frame to off-centre instead, with a subsequent press of the navigation pad cross keys.
IMAGE QUALITY
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 dealt extremely well with chromatic aberrations, with limited purple fringing effects appearing only in high contrast situations. The pop-up flash worked well indoors, with no red-eye and adequate exposure. The night photograph was excellent, with the maximum shutter speed of 60 seconds allowing you to capture plenty of light.
Anti-shake is a feature that sets this camera apart from its competitors and one that works very well when hand-holding the camera in low-light conditions or when using the telephoto end of the zoom range. Macro performance is amazing, allowing you to focus as close as 1 cm away from the subject (although it's difficult to get the lighting correct at such a close distance). The images were a little soft straight out of the camera at the default sharpening setting.
And then we come to the LX7's low light performance. Up to ISO 1600 images are clean and relatively noise free. Indeed we'd suggest that performance at ISO 1600 is the equivalent of ISO 800 on lesser compacts, including Lumix models lower down the manufacturer's own range. Stray above this and, perhaps inevitably, we start to run into problems, noise noticeably intruding at ISO 3200 and 6400
Noise
There are 9 ISO settings available on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7.
Focal Range
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7's 3.8x zoom lens offers a fairly versatile focal range
File Quality
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 has 2 different JPEG image quality settings available, with Fine being the highest quality option
Chromatic Aberrations
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 handled chromatic aberrations excellently . There's very slight purple fringing between areas of high contrast, but it's only noticeable on really close inspection.
Macro
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 offers a macro setting that allows you to focus on a subject that is 1cm away from the camera when the lens is set to 24mm wide-angle.
Flash
The flash settings on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 are Auto, Auto/Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Slow Sync./Red-eye Reduction, Forced Off, and Flash Synchro.
Night
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7's maximum shutter speed is 60 seconds in the Manual shooting mode and the Starry Sky Mode scene mode, which is great if you're seriously interested in night photography.
Image Stabilisation
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 has an antishake mechanism which allows you to take sharp photos at slower shutter speeds than other digital cameras.
Intelligent Resolution
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7's Intelligent Resolution feature e makes a standard image look like a higher resolution one by processing the contour areas, texture areas and smooth areas individually, with three different strengths available.
Intelligent D-Range
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7's Intelligent D-range setting adjusts the exposure setting to record more detail in the highlights and shadows, with three strengths available - low, standard and high.
Aspect Ratios
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 offers four different aspect ratios.
Multiple Exposure
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7's Multiple Exposure mode combines two or three different pictures to create one composite image.
Photo Styles
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 has 6 preset Photo Styles, with Standard as the default setting. The contrast, sharpness, saturation and noise reduction can be individually set for each picture style, and there is also a Custom style.
Creative Controls
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 has an extensive range of Creative Controls,with 16 different options to offer
Expressive
Retro
High Key
Low Key
Sepia
Dynamic Monochrome
Impressive Art
High Dynamic
Cross Process
Toy Effect
Miniature Effect
Soft Focus
Star Filter
One Point Color
Smooth Defocus
Radial Defocus
SAMPLE IMAGES
  .jpg) FINAL VERDICT
The aperture ring and ND filter button are welcome additions to an already proven design that particularly appeals to more experienced photographers, while the fast f/1.4 lens helps to creates dreamy out-of-focus backgrounds and the 11fps burst mode captures all the action.
Priced at around £449.99 / $499.95, the LX7 is another recent high-end model that further blurs the line between compact and larger-sensor cameras.
Were it not for the arrival of the Sony RX100, the LX7 would have been my choice as a pocketable and user-friendly and compact camera that delivers excellent image quality considering the small size of its sensor, but Sony's offering produces even better images from an even smaller camera, admittedly at an even higher price
So .the LX7 is still a great pocket camera,
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