Photography News Issue 59

Photography News | Issue 59 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Panasonic goes premium Panasonic has updated its Lumix LX100 premium compact, so now we have the LX100 II. At its heart is a 21.7-megapixel sensor which gives an effective 17-megapixel file in the Micro Four Thirds format with a max file size of 4736x3552pixels. The larger sensor means you can shoot different aspect ratios while maintaining big files so you have image ratio options of 4928x3288 (3:2), 5152x2904 (16x9) and 3552x3552 (1x1). In JPEG mode you can even shoot all four image sizes in one go with format bracketing – this is essentially the camera giving all four crops in-camera from one shot. The built-in lens is a 3.1x zoom, a Leica DCVario-Summiluxwith an 11 element in eight group construction giving the 35mm format equivalent of 24-75mm with an aperture range of f/1.7-2.8. The lens features a 3cm minimum focusing distance in macromode at thewide end–normal minimum focus is 50cm. Viewing can be done via the high resolution 2760k EVF or using the fixed 3in 1240k dot touch screen.

Spec

Price

£854

Sensor 17 megapixels, 4736x3552 pixels Sensor format CMOS Micro Four Thirds, 17.3x13mm ISO range 200-25,600 (expands down to ISO 100) Shutter range 60sec-1/4000sec, 1sec-1/16,000sec with electronic shutter. Time (approx 30mins) Drive modes Continuous, up to 11fps Metering system Multi-segment, centre, spot Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV Monitor Fixed 3in touch screen Viewfinder 100% coverage, 2760k dots Focusing Contrast detect. 49 points, multi area, selective single zone, centre Video 3840x2120 @30p/100Mbps, 3840x2120 @24p/100Mbps Full HD 1920x1080 Connectivity USB 2.0, HDMI micro, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Image ratios 4:3, 16:9, 1:1, 3:2 Image stabilization Yes, optical Storage media 1 SD slot Dimensions (wxhxd) 115x66x64mm Weight 392g Lens focal length 24-75mm (35mm equivalent) Maximum aperture F/1.7-2.8 Minimum focus 50cm (normal range), 3cm (macro mode) Contact panasonic.co.uk

Burst shooting at 11fps is possible in single-shot AF mode with 5.5fps in continuous AF while AF itself is done with a 49 zone system that has a selection of modes and includes Starlight AF for autofocusing on stars. For creative straight-out-of- camera JPEGs, you have the option of Panasonic’s picture-style setting and here a L.Monochrome D mode

The CMOS sensor works in conjunction with Panasonic’s Venus processor to give vibrant, realistic colours and high-quality images within the ISO 200 to 25,600 range – expansion to ISO 100 is available.

with grain effect has been added so you can adjust the setting to produce individual looking shots. Other notable features include Panasonic’s 4k photo features, Wi- Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, a

versatile exposure system including compensation up to +/-5EV and USB battery charging. The Panasonic Lumix LX100 II has a guide price of £854 and starts shipping on 1 October.

Hands on: Will Cheung I had a couple of hours on the streets of London’s East End in company with the LX100 II. In that time I shot I took 284 shots, a dozen clips of 4k video, used the monitor a great deal and did much menu scrolling. At the end the battery was still showing two bars, about 50%, which seems good to me. The option of USB charging is a great feature to have as a back-up – I think all cameras should have that option.

L. Monochrome D is a picture style filter mode that gives more options when it comes to in-camera JPEG monochrome capture. In this mode you can fine-tone contrast and tone as well as add grain. Setting the various parameter options is easy enough, is fun and there are many creative options. It is one of the most versatile JPEG modes I’ve used and that is impressive. There was nothing I didn’t like about the camera, although a tilt screen would have been nice. The £849 guide price sounds expensive for a compact, but the reality is that the LX100 II is a well specified camera with plenty of useful features that take it well beyond the realm of being a mere compact. It has massive potential and its rugged design mean it is very likely to give many years of faithful service, Overall, I was impressed with the Lumix LX100II.

For street shooting, being able to set exposure compensation quickly is important so here on the LX100 II I chose the rear lens ring to adjust compensation so it is available almost instantly with the left hand even as you shoot with the right. You also have +/- 5EV instead of +/-3EV with the actual compensation dial. Out of my test shots the camera showed itself to be very accurate with its exposure and focusing. If there were focusing errors there

were down to me. For example, I found I could move the AF point with my nose when I lifted the camera up to the eye. The LX100II has some nice trick features. I know you can crop to your heart’s content on

the computer but that LX100II has image format bracketing, although this is in JPEG only. So you can get 3:2, 16:9, 4:3 and 1:1 image formats in-camera. To be clear, it is just the camera giving different crops of the same shot.

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