Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Optical zoom and 3.0-inch LCD - Black

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Optical zoom and 3.0-inch LCD - Black

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• Accessories - Battery Charger, Battery Pack, USB Cable, Shoulder Strap, CD-ROM, Hot Shoe Cover, Lens cap, Lens cap string Features
• 10.1MP MOS Sensor & Venus Engine with Wide Dynamic Range
• 1080/60p Full HD Video Recording (AVCHD)
• Super Bright F1.4-2.3 LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMILUX Lens
• Nano Surface Coating

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 7.5x Intelligent zoom and 3.0-inch LCD - Black. What's in the box: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 Digital Camera (Black), Battery Charger, Battery Pack, USB Cable, Shoulder Strap, CD-ROM, Hot Shoe Cover, Lens cap, Lens Cap String, One Year Limited Warranty

Buy Now : Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Optical zoom and 3.0-inch LCD - Black

Brand : Panasonic
Category : Electronics,Camera & Photo,Digital Cameras,Point & Shoot Digital Cameras
Rating : 4.5
Review Count : 479
Auto Focus Technology : Face / AF Tracking / 23-area / 1-area (flexible/scalable)
Photo Sensor Size : 1/1.7-inch
Effective Still Resolution : 10.1 MP
Video Capture Resolution : 1080p
Video Standard : AVCHD
Model Name : DMC-LX7K
Model Number : DMC-LX7K
Best Sellers Rank : #311,955 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #2,067 in Digital Point & Shoot Cameras
Color : Black
Expanded ISO Maximum : 12800
Lens Type : Telephoto, Wide Angle
Optical Zoom : 3.8 x
Compatible Mountings : Micro Four Thirds
Screen Size : 3 Inches
Batteries Required? : Yes
Number of Batteries : 1 Lithium Ion batteries required.
Are Batteries Included : No
Rechargeable Battery Included : No
Battery Cell Composition : Lithium Ion
Battery Weight : 1 Grams
Target Gender : Unisex
Connectivity Technology : USB
Continuous Shooting Speed : 11
Skill Level : Amateur
Form Factor : Compact
Hardware Interface : USB
White balance settings : Auto, Daylight, White fluorescent light, Cloudy, Flash use
JPEG quality level : Basic, Fine, Normal
Assembly Required : No
Item Dimensions LxWxH : 4.35 x 1.8 x 2.64 inches
Item Weight : 269 Grams
Maximum Aperture : 1.4 f
Minimum Aperture : 2.3
Zoom Type : Optical Zoom
Focus Type : Auto Focus
Maximum Focal Length : 90 Millimeters
Minimum Focal Length : 24 Millimeters
Expanded ISO Minimum : 100
Metering Description : Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
Flash Memory Installed Size : 70
Memory Storage Capacity : 70 MB
Water Resistance Level : Not Water Resistant
Max Shutter Speed : 250 seconds
Min Shutter Speed : 60 seconds
Digital Zoom : 4 x
Battery Life : 330 Photos
Manufacturer Warranty Description Parts : Parts

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7K 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 3.8x Optical zoom and 3.0-inch LCD - Black

• I would like to give my opinion about the Lumix LX7 camera (referred wrongly by many as a point and shoot camera). I am an experienced amateur photographer, have owned many different cameras like Leicas, Hasselblad and Nikons from the film age. Presently I own a Pentax K30 with a wide assortment of lenses which I think is a fantastic camera, so I guess I know what I am talking about.When you talk about digital cameras, there is a school of thought that puts a lot of emphasis on the pixel count, noise at the pixel level and comparisons based on many technical aspects with very little consideration about the actual results and their intended use. Let me clarify. I shoot my pictures for my pleasure and like to view and show them in a screen, with the occasional print of the ones a Ilke best of up to 20 inches in the largest dimension. And I guess that I am among a very large group of photographers in this respect. So, the intended use is of primary importance in my analysis.My daughter is a professional photographer, so she uses full frame Nikons and Canons and her pictures have a different intended use, large prints among them. So, her analysis would be different from mine.So, what do I look in a camera, given my needs? Let me make a list of requirements.1. High quality2. Good ergonomics3. Wide angle4. Low weight for casual photography and travel5. Fast lens6. Good zoom range7. Sharp results8. RAW capability9. Use of optic filters, like an UV, Neutral or CPL10. Good battery life11. Reasonable price12. Moderate to low noise at high ISO settings13. Eye level viewfinder14. Fast focusing15. Good screen for composing and viewing16. Good movie capabilitiesObviously, most of these requirements are met by a DSRL, like my Pentax K30, except perhaps and arguably by the movie capability which in this case is just adequate and the requirement of low weight. Any DSRL, including the Pentax are heavy and more so after a day of carrying it, along with an assortment of lenses. But I needed a camera that, while satisfying all my requirements was both reasonable in size and weight and that not a pain in the neck (literally) to carry around and allowed me to be fairly inconspicuous while shooting.After reviewing the available options, and I considered all the obvious ones, like the Sony RX100, the Canon S models and the high end Nikon compacts, it was obvious to me that the best alternative by far was the Panasonic LX7 for several reasons, in spite of being a model introduced 2 years ago.Let me start with the end result and then I will cover the details and the reasons I opted for this camera. It is a fantastic camera of high quality build that gives excellent results and it’s a joy to use.Now let me get into specifics. I will tackle my list of requirement individually, but my review will necessarily be limited to what I consider the relevant points.1. High qualityThe construction of this camera is flawless with a metal body. You can fell the quality as you hold it in your hands. Almost every review I have read about this camera has a negative opinion of the battery/SD card open latch, calling it flimsy and detracting from the general high quality construction. In my opinion this is a moot point as my experience with several point & shoot Panasonic cameras I have owned is that it works perfectly, and I believe that the reason Panasonic continues to use it is that it works and it is durable. This camera is built to last and at the same time is a thing of beauty that you are proud to own.2. Good ergonomicsThe camera feels just right in your hands, has an excellent grip to your right side that gives a good one handed hold on it. All the controls are in the right places, at least in my opinion, are easy to operate and secure in holding their position. You will not move a control inadvertently, that’s for sure. One of the criticisms that are offered is that the lens cap has to be removed each time you turn on the camera. I personally, coming from the film era cameras find this totally natural and it doesn’t bother me at all. Anyhow, I have purchased an accessory lens cap, three leafed that opens automatically when you turn on the camera and that works beautifully. I alternate between these two lens covers, depending where I carry the camera. This one is an inexpensive gadget that can be bought at Amazon or eBay and it’s very easy to install or remove.One word of caution: remember always to attach the small cord provided to secure the original lens cap to the camera body so to not loose it inadvertently.I particularly liked the aperture control ring and the aspect ratio selection switch, both operating directly through the lens mount. Very convenient.3. Wide angleThe lens has fantastic wide angle capabilities. The equivalent 35mm maximum is 24mm, but a would like to give a word of caution. These measures are used always in reference to an aspect ratio that is all right if you just crop the picture to give the aspect ratio you want. No so in the case of the LX7. The sensor has more pixels than the ones you get in the actual picture, and so, if you use the 3:2 ratio you get the 24mm coverage. But if you go to the 16:9 ratio, the LX7 takes away a portion of the upper and lower parts of the picture but adds to the left and right sides, so that what you get in this case is a coverage of almost 21mm. The same happens, in the opposite direction with the other aspect ratios available, 4:3 and 1:1. To my knowledge this is not provided by any other camera I know of.4. Low weight for casual photography and travelThis camera is not tiny by any means, but neither it is unreasonable large and its weight is adequate to carry it all day long with no undue strain. I normally carry it in a case that is attached to my belt (I use the leather model that provides sturdy protection and it’s nice to look at) and always have it with me. Occasionally I can carry the camera on the pocket of my jacket. In this case I use the alternate lens cover that I mentioned earlier.5. Fast lensIn this respect, the LX7 shines. It has the most luminous lens in the compact camera market, as far as I know. It has a maximum aperture of 1.4 at maximum aperture and 2.3 at its longest telephoto setting. All other cameras considered may have a good maximum aperture (though none comes near the 1.4) but the telephoto end is way over the 2.3 that the LX7 achieves. Just look at the specs of the LX7 competitors and you get the idea.6. Good zoom rangeThe zoom range of the LX7 covers most of my shooting needs. I tend to use the wide angle settings more often than the telephoto, and there are some occasions where I need more than an 90mm equivalent range. For these cases (not very numerous for me) I am considering buying a long telephoto compact camera to carry around as a supplement, instead of my DSRL with a telephoto lens. The Panasonic range has some very good possibilities, with very sharp Leica lenses that will fit my bill. Consider this as having a very long zoom lens for your DSRL, and compare the size and weight. You get my point. If you consider cost and weight this is a no brainer.I believe this will be the way to go for me. You can carry the LX7 for most of your shooting and use the other compact camera for long range shooting at an acceptable level of quality when you need it.7. Sharp resultsThe lens and sensor combination of the LX7 gives amazing results, even when shooting at full aperture. In all honesty, I can’t tell the difference between pictures taken with the LX7 and the Pentax. Probably I would see a difference in large prints but I don’t have the need for these. I believe this Leica Summilux zoom lens is among the sharpest lenses I have ever used.8. RAW capabilityThe LX7 can shoot in both RAW and JPEG formats or both simultaneously. I shoot all my pictures in RAW and am able to extract full detail. Incidentally, the LX7 produces RAW files with a color depth of 16 bits, while my Pentax gives me RAW files with a color depth of 12 bits only. I cannot the tell the difference in my monitor or in the prints I have made. Probably this has importance for large professional work and in this particular respect the LX7 may have an advantage. I can extract good details from the light and dark areas, especially from the lights.9. Use of optic filters, like an UV, Neutral or CPLA good capability that the LX7 has is that you can use threaded 37mm filters. The only thing you need is an unexpensive adapter ring that is very easy to install. This is a very distinctive advantage that the LX7 has that I have not seen pointed out in most of the reviews I have read. The other big advantage it has is the incorporated neutral density filter that is built in the camera and can be used by the push of a dedicated button. Again, to my knowledge no other camera in this category has this capability.10. Reasonable priceThe LX7 also has a nice price advantage over most of its rivals, especially the Sony RX100 line. You can get it now in Amazon for around 340 dollares, although the price fluctuates and is a good idea to check it regularly. I bought mine in Amazon, used, like new, including a spare battery and case for around 220 dollars. It was in perfect condition and you can’t beat that price.11. Moderate to low noise at high ISO settingsI have found that noise is not a problem up to 800 ISO. The settings of 1600 and 3200 produced and amount of noise that could be managed nicely in post processing and for computer use and small prints ISO 6400 is adequate. In BW pictures, noise can be used to your advantage, giving that special grain look that you achieved using Kodak Tri X film.12. Eye level viewfinderAnother of the critics I have found in the review is that the LX7 does not have an eye level viewfinder. In some cases it is not mentioned the existence of an electronic viewfinder, the LVF2, that is attached to the flash accessory shoe. I adds bulk to the camera (you can still pocket it in your jacket) and you can not use the case with it. But although is an expensive item, it is of very good quality, giving a very clear and detailed image that can be used in any circumstance, especially bright outdoors. It has the added advantage that it can be tilted up to 90 degrees, giving the possibility of waist level shooting. For me is a must have accessory.13. Fast focusingI have found that the focusing speed of the LX7 is nothing short of fantastic, even in low light, making this camera an excellent low light one in combination to its very fast lens. In this respect, it cannot be beaten, given the very sharp results you can get using its maximum aperture.14. Good screen for composing and viewingThe screen is very good, with resolution over 900 K pixels, with good contrast and magnification when using it for viewing your pictures. The only thing I would have liked is a capability for tilting it. But I can live without it and the possibility of tilting the electronic viewfinder is a good substitute for it.I don’t have a need for filming in most instances, but in those moments I used the LX7 for filming I was surprised by the very high quality of the clips I obtained. But my thing is photography, so I cannot fully evaluate the capabilities of this camera in this respect to this.I always thought that the camera is a tool for taking photographs, the more important component of a good photo being the photographer. But the better the tool you have the more you can take advantage of it to achieve better results. In this respects, the LX7 is a formidable tool, that gives the photographer most of the capabilities he or she might ever need. I am far from exhausting the possibilities that this gem of a camera provides and suspect that there are many that I will probably never use. I would give this camera a punctuation of 9.9 out of a possible 10 and highly recommend it. You will not be disappointed.
• The LX7 was an upgrade from my Leica D-Lux 4 (Lumix LX3). The LX7 is identical in function to the Leica D-Lux 6 in glass, sensor and overall function, has a nice built-in grip - the Leica does not, and there are only slight differences in menu user interface. The Leica will appeal to those who want to pay double or more for the name and little red dot, but there is no technical justification. Same camera. So the rest of this review is about the Lumix LX-7.Lumix got this so exactly right, on a camera that has seen gentle evolutionary changes previously.First of all, don\'t be bamboozled by pixel count. Although it is billed as 10MP, those are fat sensitive pixels on a large sensor area (1:1.7). They also evolved from a CCD to a richer, more sensitive CMOS sensor, as many manufacturers have done over the years. The picture quality is superb, even in very low light, and up to about ISO 1600. Shot at ISO 80-200, the resulting JPEGs are grainless up to 8x10 magnification, and will make a fine 16x20 uncropped. It seems folks are selling cameras with huge MP specs and teeny sensors these days; just so much marketing vaporware. This one makes no such nonsensical lie.I can this a Leica-Sonic, because, make no mistake, Leica did profoundly influence the lens design. It\'s not that disingenuous to call it a Vario-Summilux; Summilux is Leica branding for their f1.4 lenses costing many thousands of dollars when made in Germany for the M-Series cameras, and this is a true f1.4 lens at 24mm equivalent. At the 90mm equivalent end of the range, it\'s still f2.3. Couple that with excellent anti-shake, and you have a discrete digicam for wideangle, normal and macro use which can shoot hand-held in near zero light at a half-second. It is not for telephoto-lovers, the 20x zoom cameras have more reach but nowhere near this image quality. But at the 24mm end, very little barrel distortion, sharp out to the corners, and you can focus in macro mode objects which nearly touch the lens!Some unique features which no one else offers:(1) The f1.4 lens. Are you kidding me? They are not. Go find it anywhere else, except on your fixed focal length prime lens for the DSLR. It not only allows extreme low light shooting, but even lets you create shallow depth-of field for close portraits, which no other digicams can. And if you want to do this in bright light, where the 1/4000 sec fastest shutter and ISO 80 would otherwise not allow you to use the f1.4 max aperture, it even has a built-in neutral density filter with a dedicated button, so you can still shoot wide open. Extraordinary lens. Okay, so maybe Ernst Leitz would turn over in the casket if he ever saw the Summilux name applied to a Japanese-manufactured lens on a pocket camera, but it\'s a fantastic lens.(2) The variable aspect ratio switch - you can shoot 3:2 like traditional 35mm, 4:3 like an iPad, 16:9 if you know you are going to view on a widescreen monitor or TV, and - new for this version - even 1:1. All those crops come out of an oversized 12MP circular image sensor, so you can crop before you shoot, not after, and maintain far more image detail. At the flip of a switch just above the lens.(3) The manual controls are extensive and well placed. You can certainly shoot in iA (intelligent auto) and be hard-pressed to screw up anything, or control everything. But for manual shooters, at least use P, so that you can override white balance, focus or aperture when needed. And the manual focus mode and metering mode controls are excellent. Any time you use A or M, or override the P setting with a well-placed multi-control dial, you see the resulting aperture/shutter speed pairings instantly.(4) It has an aperture ring!! - While most digicams have only an f4-f8 aperture range, making manual control of aperture and shutter almost useless, this f1.4 lens has a manual aperture ring from f1.4 to f8 right on the lens barrel, so you can shoot in A mode like it was a traditional SLR. Even most modern DSLR lenses don\'t have one anymore. That is a priceless feature for aperture priority shooters.(5) Exposure compensation. Any serious pro camera has a bias dial, the +/- exposure control that lets you bias the auto exposure up or down in 1-stop or partial stop increments. Go find it on an iPhone, nope. Go find it on most prosumer digicams; it is often buried in menus. But on the Lumix LX7, the multi-control ring lets you change it instantly, while the display shows you the plus/minus bias and and resulting aperture/shutter speed pairings, either on screen or in the viewfinder.No camera\'s meter is smart enough to correctly expose every shot without exposure bias. I use this feature with nearly every picture I take, on every camera I use. I even use it on my Pantech Discover cell phone (sorry, Apple). But on the Lumix, it is utterly convenient and professional, an indispensable tool.(6) The mode dial was stiffened up over earlier versions; it will no longer move by itself in the pocket or case. And when you change it, a spinning dial on the display easily shows you the set mode (iA, A, P, M, etc) in BIG letters, so you know the mode set without removing eyes from the screen or finder.(7) Did I say \"finder\"? I am a 56-year old eyeglass wearer who grew up on pro Nikons with great optical viewfinders. While I loved my previous Leica-Sonic (the f2 lensed LX3 / D-Lux 4) for image quality and portability, I could not use it at arms length without the eyeglasses on and off like a yo-yo. So candid and action shots were nearly impossible, just like most arm\'s length digicams. So I never replaced my Nikon\'s normal lens or considered the Leica D-Lux 4 a true alternative. And after shooting, in bright light you couldn\'t see or edit what you shot, unless you hid inside someplace dark (same problem with DSLRs).Enter the new Leica-Sonic (Lumix LX7) with the LVF2 viewfinder. The finder, made by Olympus but marketed for Leica (EVF) and Lumix (LVF), slides into the shoe, and transforms this little digicam into a near DSLR, in some ways better. It\'s bright, contrasty, shows you the accurate framing, focus and exposure and all settings - everything you can see on the 3\" rear LCD. Or not. Flip back and forth between finder and screen with a button. Switch on and off the extra finder info with a button. Then review your just-shot picture in the finder as well. Not even my Nikons let me do this, so when you simply must verify exposure, focus or anything else outdoors, the EVF is transformative for photography. Yes, it does create some bulk, but as a tool, it is the single biggest advance in small cameras since we did away with film. Buying this accessory is essential, even if you have to carry it in a separate pocket.(8) Framing. My Nikons and previous Leica-Sonic had an electronic grid you could overlay on the screen when you needed to line up composition, like the lines on a large-format camera\'s ground glass. It was too busy and distracting on a small screen. So this time around, Lumix replaced it with a live \'gyro\', a horizon line and vertical line which move to help you keep the camera level while shooting, without getting in the way. As with all the other display features, it is easily turned off and on with a button.(9) Frame Rate. I thought I had died and gone upstairs when I learned how to trick my Nikon D300 into shooting nine frames per second (fps) instead of the advertised six. It has allowed me to capture instants in time otherwise impossible. Anyone not trying out this feature is missing out on capturing something really spectacular; I\'ve taught several students to capture sports action like pros by using high frame rate. Well, this Lumix LX7 shoots ELEVEN fps. Sorry Nikon, but the little mirror-less camera has you beat here. And with a class 10 SD card installed, it will keep up, even at full resolution. Wow.Nitpick 1: I\'ve read many reviews panning this camera because it does not have a retractable lens cover. Rather, it has a traditional cap which you manually remove and replace, just like on a real camera, and it attaches with a small string tether to the strap lug so you don\'t lose it while shooting. My response is \"Bee-Eff-Dee\". I have to uncap my Nikons to shoot them, and since their lenses interchange, the cap goes in my case or pocket while shooting. With the Lumix, at least you always know where the cap is. Let\'s face it; this is not a toy, it is a serious photographer\'s small camera (I will not call it a point-and-shoot, out of respect). So if you want a retractable lens cover, go get a toy camera. Else, deal with it.Nitpick2: Panasonic markets this as having a 7.5x Intelligent Zoom. Please do not insult MY intelligence. This is a 3.8x OPTICAL zoom lens, a 24-90mm equivalent in 35mm film parlance. The fact that you can crop in from that by \'zooming\' past the optical limits has little practical value. By now, most digicam buyers get that, so Panasonic is attempting to rebrand digital zoom as something more than digital in-camera crop. But it is not a 7.5x lens, and the product title should not feature than number. It cheapens an otherwise excellent product aimed at the prosumer market, not the K-Market.Nitpick3: Ken Rockwell, who has authored many fine camera reviews, has routinely panned this Leica / Lumix camera series. In his words, \"it\'s not a real Leica\". Well, no kidding, Ken. It also does not cost ten thousands bucks, body alone, plus lenses at several thousand per. But for most ordinary humans wanting professional image quality and features without a mortgage, it is all the Leica we will ever need. And for me, I can ski with it at 50mph in my pocket, ride my bike with it in my saddle bag, and always have it handy. I don\'t know anyone who would treat a Leica M9 this way. Most of them sit locked behind glass display cabinets. Mine makes photos.Bottom line: I still keep my Nikon\'s 50mm f1.4 lens for fine portraiture and product photography, and to keep at least one mid-range lens for the D300. But I recently sold my Nikon\'s ten-year-old massive 28-70mm f2.8 pro lens, for $900, once I bought the Lumix). Why? Because the LX7 obsoleted the Nikkor. The LX7 cost me far less in total with viewfinder, spare battery, cards, EVF, leather half-case and leather wrist strap than I sold the well-used Nikkor lens for. And because it is far more versatile and pocketable, it takes more and better pictures.All I use the Nikon D300 now for is for ultrawide (the 16mm fisheye and 12-24mm lenses) and telephoto (the 70-210mm f2.8) shooting. For everything else, the LX7 with the EVF is now this professional photographer\'s primary camera.Just don\'t call it a point-and-shoot. You will insult it.Bob Reed / Alpine Images

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