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September 3, 2005
Panasonic Panorama Fo Shizzel
A friend of mine told me to review this camera for him because he didn't have time. Didn't have time? Ummm, I would die (figure of speech people) for a chance to review gadgets for a living. Nonetheless, I hopped at the opportunity. A few hours later, he arrived at my door with a nice black box. Barely saying a "hello" to him, I rushed to the kitchen to splice open the package. 1 minute and several cardboard pieces later, I reached my prize; the Panasonic Lumix LX1.
I spent a whole weekend with this camera and here are some first impressions. It feels incredibly solid and surprisingly not heavy considering how much metal makes up the shell. The camera is about the size of my Sony Cybershot T1 (formally the world champion as the thinnest 5 megapixel camera) except it's slightly thicker. I can live with the extra thickness because the Lumix has and does things my beloved T1 can't even touch.
The major difference is it's ability to go widescreen. Thats right; it can take photos at a 16:9 aspect ratio. In fact after some researching, it turns out to be a first in the digital camera world. Thats pretty big. But why would anyone want to take widescreen photos? Well for starters, widescreen lets you pack in more detail and information than your traditional 4:3 aspect ratio. It's wide photo framing ability makes taking those large group pictures a hell of a lot easier. Eventually, all consumer photography will move to the 16:9 format because that's where all electronics are going. Already we see the adoption of widescreen televisions and computer equipment. Future media players and even our cell phones are next in line for this transition. For those not yet willing to make that transition, don't fear because the Lumix can take photos at the current 4:3 aspect ratio and even the smaller but cute 3:2 aspect ratio. You see, it's all "versatility".
The second thing the Lumix has that trumps my trust Sony T1 is megapixel count. My T1 pushes 5 megapixels but this Panasonic beauty pushes 8.4 megapixels. You'd think that is overkill for a consumer digital camera but if you're going to be taking wide photos, the extra megapixels come in handy for crisp and clear images.
Other features include Panasonic's image stabilization technology called MEGA O.I.S. From my experience, it works and is totally invisible to the end user just like the image stabilization tech in most Sony Cybershots. This camera takes it a step further by adding real manual controls for those people who like to manipulate their focus, aperture and shuttle speeds; a first for a consumer digital camera. And for those like me that just wanna point and click, this camera has an amazing auto-focus feature that works instantaneously. No waiting 1 or 2 seconds while you watch your camera adjust itself on screen. The Lumix also boasts 14 preset scene modes to make it even easier to shoot under varying conditions. My favorite is the Starry Night mode, which makes taking photos out at night perfect. My Sony T1 has problems taking photos at night, usually giving me semi clear photos with lots of background noise and grain. The Lumix didn't have this problem at all making me further fall in love with it.
The last and final thing this camera has is it's giant 2.5" LCD screen. Previewing your photos is a joy because the screen is so crystal clear - it's almost liquid if that makes any sense. The screen is bright and super sharp, easily overtaking what I consider to be the sharpest 2.5" screen available now - the Casio Exilim.
You would think all this widescreen and bright LCD screen goodiness would suck the battery dry but the lithium battery gave me a full 2 hours of power. That's taking a photo and previewing it on screen. I took a total of 51 shots before I filled up my memory card and the camera still had some juice left to go.
In my opinion, the Lumix merges the best features of professional photography with a consumer camera all into one sleek package. I'm getting ready to trade in my Sony T1 for this beauty. It retails for $500.00 so start saving your pennies now. This camera will not disappoint.
more pictures after the jump
Posted by tranism at 10:26 PM | Permalink