tgo magazine live letters archive

Richie
I saw your enquiry about the LX1 on another thread. I have a Panasonic digital (not the model your enquiring about - mine's from the LZ series) and, if you've not already taken the plunge, here are a few impressions.

1). The general construction so far seems very robust.
2). Image quality results are generally good (which I put down to the quality of the Leica Vario Lens - I am a shoite photographer), although I rarely print above A4 size. It's used by both my son and myself, largely for outdoor shots (he's a keen railway photographer). Can't really comment on its indoor performance.
3). It has a 6x optical zoom and the anti-shake is definitely a benefit at the higher magnification.
4). The lack of a viewfinder bugged me for a few days, but I soon got used to it. It is now only an occasional irritant in very bright light.
5). The response from the buttons can be a bit sluggish and the re-energise time drops away quickly as the batteries near their final run down (not unique to this model apparently).

Things have obviously moved on since I bought it but, as of today, I'm still pretty happy.

WB

Thanks Baggy, I think I'm gonna go for the LX1 when the funds allow. I've got a trip coming up in Early feb, but I think I'm gonna hook up a gear sled, if I can get round to making one, so I'm not so worried about the weight.
You have any problems with the noise on it. It seems to be that there's no problem below 100 ISO.

I have an LX1 and am impressed with it. (The lack of a viewfinder did take some time to get used to). A lot of the comments about noise seem to be from the anorak wearers rather than photographers..... The main plus point of the camera is the ability to record RAW. The disadvantages for an outdoor camera is the battery - rechargeable only. A more interesting option may be the Ricoh GR Digital. Fixed lens (wide angle), also does RAW, but takes AAA batteries. As with the LX1, a lot of complaints about noise from some quarters, but very much liked by photographers.