Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

Resource reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 and writes - 'With all the new digital SLR cameras on the market, there are some reviewers out there who have dubbed 2006, "the year of the DSLR." Because of the ongoing collaboration between Panasonic and Leica, however, I might be more inclined to call it, "the year of the rangefinder." The Panasonic LX2 carries on the same classic Leica styling as the previous model, looking virtually identical to the LX1. Like the LX1, it comes in silver or black and while the test unit I tried out was silver, for my tastes, the black stays much truer to the classic rangefinder style.

Aside from the superficial styling of the camera, the Panasonic DMC-LX2 is certainly no rangefinder. Since the huge LCD takes up most of the rear of the camera, there's no room for an optical viewfinder, a scenario that is becoming almost standard on digital cameras these days. Despite its slightly boxy profile, the LX2 is a compact digital camera with enough contours and a not-too-obtrusive snub-like lens (28mm-112mm in 35mm equivalent) to fit comfortably in a bag or coat pocket. Dimensions of the camera are 4.2 x 2.2 x 1.0 inches (106 x 56 x 26 mm) and weight is just 7.6 ounces (217g), so while it has as many features as some prosumer models, it's far more portable.

Though the appeal of the Lumix DMC-LX2's design might be generational -- it certainly looks like what a camera should look like to anyone who can still remember the glory days of film -- it also has enough flash to appeal to younger photographers. Whether the network of manual options on the LX2 will interest anyone beyond the advanced amateur set remains to be seen. I hope it does, because once you start exploring the LX2's broad functionality is when fun begins.'

Basic Features

• 10-megapixel (effective) 16:9 CCD captures images as high as 4,224 x 2,376 pixels
• 2.8-inch color TFT widescreen (16:9) LCD with 210,000 pixels of resolution
• 4x zoom lens (equivalent to a 28-112mm lens on a 35mm camera)
• Maximum 4x digital zoom, plus "Extended Optical Zoom" to 6.2x depending on aspect ratio
• Automatic, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual main exposure modes
• Shutter speeds from 1/2,000 to 60 seconds, with available Noise Reduction for longer exposures
• Maximum aperture from f/2.8 to f/4.9, depending on lens zoom position
• Built-in flash with six modes and an intensity adjustment
• SD/MMC memory card slot for storage (16MB of built-in memory)
• Power supplied by one proprietary, rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Panasonic Lumix software package includes Lumix viewers, Arcsoft suite, and SILKYPIX Developer Studio 2.0 SE

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