More Camera Stuff

~ beetleypete

This is about a camera, and technical photography stuff. If you have no interest in that, please skip the post with my blessing.

A few years ago, Panasonic released a new compact camera, the Lumix LX100.

I was immediately attracted to it, as it had a Leica zoom lens with a range of 24mm-75mm (equivalent), and impressively fast maximum apertures of f/1.7 to f/2.8. In a portable body that will fit in a coat pocket, this seemed to me to be a one-camera/one-lens option that had a great deal going for it.

There was also that rather ‘Retro’ look of it, something like an old rangefinder camera. Add to this the inclusion of a Micro-Four-Thirds (MFT) sensor, which at 17mm X 13mm is almost twice the size of the 1-inch sensor in my Sony RX10, and my excitement was growing the more I read about it.

Unfortunately, quality comes at a price. And at the time of launch that price was £700. Too rich for my blood, and not something I could justify spending the money on, when I already had perfectly good digital cameras.

More recently, an upgraded model was released, the LX 100 Mark ll. That sent secondhand prices of the early model crashing, and I was able to buy a used one at a great price through Amazon Marketplace. It was delivered yesterday morning, and I charged it up immediately.

It was missing any user manual and the DVD software extras, but operation is simple enough for anyone used to using digital cameras. I still downloaded a (free) 90-page fully-comprehensive manual from the Panasonic website though.

If you read about my recent experiences with the Nikon Z5, you will know I am a fan of knobs, buttons, and dials, over the electronic menu systems becoming widely used in cameras like the Z5.

Just look at the top view of the LX100.

Exposure compensation dial. Aperture selection ring. Zoom ring. Focus selector on the side of the lens. Selector switch for 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, and 1:1 ratios. Shutter speed dial with an ‘A’ selector to use when shooting in Aperture Priority, and an additional zoom control lever on top around the shutter button if you don’t want to operate the zoom using the ring on the lens.

That’s my kind of camera!

Photos to follow soon.

45 thoughts on “More Camera Stuff”

    1. Cameras often get me excited. I just wish the results always lived up to that.
      I think of my camera collection as my grown-up toys. That’s why I like the ones with dials and buttons. More to play with! 🙂
      Cheers, Pete.

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    1. There is the newer version, the LX100 mark 2. But over here, that has also been discontinued. You might find a good used one though. Much easier to carry around than the bigger Sony, but the zoom length is only 75mm, so best to keep both. (I have)
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. It looks way more complicated than mine! I’ve taken some good pics with my Lumix and I do like it but I get very confused by all the settings. I think I just don’t understand the technical terminology and then I get overwhelmed. Still, I am sure you will have fun with yours as you obviously understand much more! look forward to the pics,,,Ollie?

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    1. Thanks, Carolyn. I do like to fiddle with the settings, I admit. It doesn’t always mean the photo is any better than one taken on a phone, but it makes me feel I am enjoying my hobby. I’m sure Ollie will feature, if he stands still long enough to stay in shot. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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        1. If you take it off A and use the shutter speed dial in conjunction with the aperture dial, it operates like manual exposure. A histogram is available in the menu too. T is ‘timed’ which they use for long exposures that we used to call ‘Bulb’. Manual exposure is well supported, and described in the online manual.

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    1. The electronic viewfinder is sticking out a bit, far left. I would never use a back screen for taking photos, or buy a camera that didn’t have one. 🙂
      It is very similar to the Fuji, but a bit smaller and lighter.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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