Lumix LX5: A compact above the rest

FEW compact cameras come as highly recommended as the Panasonic Lumix LX series and the LX5 continues the good name.

It has been a while since the Lumix LX3 was released so it's nice to see the latest addition to the series, the DMC-LX5, finally being available here in Petaling Jaya.

Naturally, the LX5 comes with a several new features that make this camera one of the most standout compact cameras photographers have been looking forward to.

It has a reworked image processing engine and a longer range 3.8x optical zoom compared to 2.5x on the LX3.

Design

In terms of looks, the LX5 looks identical to its predecessor, which means it looks very slick and stylish.

There are a few marked improvements in the LX5 one of which is a larger and thicker rubber grip on the side that provides a much firmer grip.

The LX5 now has a larger 16:9 aspect ratio 3in LCD screen. The screen is really bright even when viewed under bright sunny conditions.

The build quality is unmistakably solid thanks to its metal exterior. The buttons are also well laid out.

Convenient

The LX5's hot shoe on top allows you to attach an external flash or an electronic view finder.

The control scheme on the back follows the classic Lumix design with a four way direction button for navigation that doubles as shortcut buttons for various camera functions like self-timer, focus mode and ISO.

Just like the LX3, the LX5 has an additional hotshoe on top that lets you use optional accessories such as an external flash or an electronic viewfinder.

Features

The LX5's overall user interface is nice and easy to use. There's a handy quick menu button near the bottom of the camera that gives you quick access to various settings all at a glance.

The LX5 has also taken a few pages off the GF1's design manual with a turn-and-push jog dial for making quick adjustments; and a dedicated movie record button to start recording videos almost immediately.

Another major enhancement to the LX5 is its improved lens that covers a range from a wide 24mm angle and can zoom to 90mm at the telephoto end. Overall, it's a versatile range that's useful for taking almost any kind of photo be it in portrait or landscape mode.

Performance

The LX5 has a fast startup time of under a second so you can snap to action almost immediately. Autofocus functions are also pretty speedy, allowing you lock on to subjects almost as fast as you would on the GF1.

However, the focusing does slow down a fraction of a second when you're shooting in the dark.

There's even a burst speed mode for snapping multiple pictures when you need to capture fast movement. It can be handy at times when you need to catch somebody moving, but it isn't a particularly fast snapper, so you still may miss the moment.

I have to say that the camera's picture quality is quite impressive for a compact camera. Details are all very crisp especially when shooting in macro mode. The camera's macro focusing capability is really noteworthy as you can really get close, less than 3cm in most cases, to small objects.

Since the camera has wide f/2 aperture it does soft de-focused backgrounds beautifully, nicely complementing portraits and yes, macro shots too.

As far as ISO noise performance goes, the camera performs just like any other compact camera would - with noise-free pictures up to ISO 400. Traces of noise start appearing at ISO 800 though it is still acceptable at this level.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-LX5 proves to be a worthy addition to the LX series. It is definitely worth taking a look at if you are in the market for a pocketable compact shooter takes good quality pictures and splendid HD videos.

That said, there is very little not to like about the camera and it certainly can count as one you would want to have with you at all times.

The Star/ANN