Panasonic LUMIX DMC LX5 Review | 108 Data compared

The Pocket-lint review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 highlights it as a highly sophisticated, premium compact camera that successfully bridges the gap between basic point-and-shoots and entry-level DSLRs. It earns praise for its rock-solid metal construction, comfortable leather-effect padded handgrip, and pocketable dimensions (109.7 x 65.5 x 43mm) weighing just 271g. Photographers will appreciate the fast Leica f/2.0 lens with a versatile 3.8x optical zoom (24-90mm equivalent) that delivers exceptional sharpness and clarity. The camera also features intuitive physical controls, such as a lens-mounted aspect ratio switch (supporting 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, and 1:1) and a dedicated video recording button for its 720p HD movie clips. Furthermore, its upgraded 10.1-megapixel CCD sensor and Venus Engine FHD processor offer highly manageable image noise up to ISO 1600, a bright 3-inch 460k-dot LCD screen, and RAW format support. However, the reviewer points out several notable drawbacks, chief among them being the overly expensive launch price of £449.99, which compromises its value proposition compared to similarly priced rivals. Additionally, the useful Live View electronic viewfinder is not included and must be purchased as an...

This casual review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 outlines the owner's shift from a bulky professional DSLR (Canon 1D MKII) to a high-end compact camera for travel photography. The reviewer praises several major pros, including its highly versatile, fast f/2.0–3.3 Leica lens with a 24–90mm equivalent zoom range. Its compact form factor allows for effortless single-handed operation. The physical interface is enhanced by a customizable Fn button, an efficient Quick Menu, and manual flash controls providing up to two stops of compensation. Furthermore, it delivers snappy auto-focus responsiveness, decent high ISO noise reduction, a sharp 3-inch LCD, and a dedicated movie button. However, the review highlights several notable cons and design limitations. A major annoyance is the separate, dangling lens cap rather than an integrated automatic cover. Advanced auto-focus modes—such as face recognition (which fails on profiles) and tracking focus—are criticized as gimmicky and unreliable. The camera's auto white balance also shows a tendency to render skin tones with an unnatural yellow cast under tungsten lighting. Lastly, while its high ISO performance is acceptable for a small-sensor compact camera, it...

The Trusted Reviews assessment of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 highlights its excellent build quality, fast performance, and increased zoom versatility, making it a capable compact for enthusiasts. While the camera offers superb image quality at low ISO settings (80-100), it struggles with noise at higher sensitivities. Trusted Reviews Key cons noted in the review include the lack of significant image quality improvements over its predecessor, the LX3, and a sharp decline in image quality at ISO 800 and above. Furthermore, the camera's high price point makes its performance compromises difficult to justify, according to the review. Trusted Reviews

Conversely, the review notes the motorized zoom is slow and that, while image quality at high ISOs is improved over the LX3, the advancement is incremental rather than revolutionary. Additional criticisms focus on the camera's tendency to clip highlights and a sometimes overly aggressive JPEG engine that results in soft details.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is an advanced, enthusiast compact camera that delivers notable upgrades over its predecessor, the LX3, through a redesigned 10-megapixel CCD sensor, an expanded 24-90mm f/2.0-3.3 zoom lens, and upgraded 720p/30fps video capabilities using a real video codec. Designed with a solid, comfortable-to-grip body, it features intuitive physical controls like an aspect ratio toggle on the lens, a hot shoe compatible with an optional electronic viewfinder, and a dedicated movie recording button. Performance is a major strength; the camera offers a quick 1.6-second start-up time, zippy autofocusing speed under its "Sonic Speed AF" system, class-leading continuous shooting at 2.6fps, and excellent overall battery life. Key Pros & Cons Pros: Image Quality: Excellent RAW file performance with sharp macro capabilities and great dynamic range recovery. Lens: Bright, fast f/2 maximum aperture lens with minimal fringing. Operation: Full manual shooting controls and custom preset options. Cons: JPEG Processing: Weak in-camera compression creates artifacts like yellow splotches at low ISO levels and over-sharpened, "crunchy" images. Low-Light Noise: CNET testing showed slight noise degradation at low ISO targets below ISO 400...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is a high-end, feature-packed compact point-and-shoot camera designed for prosumers and serious amateurs who require extensive manual control in a portable form factor. Its standout strength is its exceptional low-light performance, where it spectacularly preserves color accuracy and limits noise spikes in dim conditions. Additional pros include an incredibly versatile video movie mode that grants users full manual controls—such as aperture, shutter speed, and white balance tweaks—along with a top-notch Leica lens that exhibits very little image distortion across its zoom range. The camera also offers immense flexibility in aspect ratios (1:1, 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9) and customized color settings. Despite its rich feature set, the LX5 falls short in several critical performance benchmarks when compared to rivals in its price class. Notable cons include disappointing image sharpness, which fails to match competing models, and a very weak optical image stabilization system. Furthermore, noise levels are relatively high during bright light testing. Video recording is also hampered by a resolution limit of 720/30p rather than full 1080i, poor audio capture from an awkwardly placed monaural microphone,...

The ePHOTOzine review designates the Panasonic Lumix LX5 as an Editor's Choice, praising its excellent build quality, fast Leica DC Vario-Summicron f/2.0-3.3 lens, and natural color reproduction from the 10.1-megapixel CCD sensor. Pros include versatile 24-90mm equivalent, rapid handling, and extensive creative controls. However, cons noted are sluggish continuous shooting, a 720p video limitation, and a high price point. YouTube ·

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is an advanced compact digital camera featuring a 10-megapixel CCD sensor paired with a bright, ultra-wide-angle 24-90mm equivalent F/2-3.3 lens. It stands out as an excellent option for creative photography, bridging the gap between point-and-shoot models and DSLRs by packed manual controls, RAW support, and a generous physical control scheme into a highly pocketable format. Key advantages include its excellent optical quality with minimal lens distortion, a robust and well-built body with a comfortable rubberised grip, and a highly customizable, sharp 3-inch LCD screen. Furthermore, the bright F/2 lens allows users to shoot at lower ISO settings in dim lighting, while its solid battery life yields roughly 400 shots per charge. However, the camera suffers from several distinct performance and usability limitations. Its most problematic traits reside in JPEG processing, where colours fail to look entirely realistic, and the Automatic White Balance regularly leaves strong colour casts under artificial light. Performance-wise, it is somewhat slow, taking nearly 3 seconds to boot up and exhibit a sluggish 3-second zoom speed, alongside a frustrating 2-second lag just to...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is an enthusiast-targeted premium compact camera that enhances its predecessor, the LX3, with a broader 3.8x optical zoom lens while maintaining a bright f/2.0 maximum aperture and a wide 24mm equivalent coverage. Equipped with a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, a faster Venus FHD processor, and upgraded Power OIS stabilisation, the camera delivers crisp image quality with improved battery life and noticeably faster autofocus speeds. It provides extensive manual photographic controls via an ergonomic rear thumbwheel and a dedicated physical switch to change aspect ratios without losing the angle of view. Additionally, the LX5 introduces a dedicated accessory port below the hotshoe to support an optional electronic viewfinder, alongside standard upgrades like a built-in mini HDMI port and 720p HD video recording in the efficient AVCHD Lite format. Despite these solid upgrades, the camera has notable drawbacks, particularly its lack of 1080p full HD video recording and the restriction to mono audio in an era where rivals offered stereo sound. The use of a CCD sensor causes visible vertical streaks when filming high-contrast, bright reflections outdoors. Handling can...

The Amateur Photographer review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 highlights it as a premium compact camera with robust build quality, manual controls, and a multi-aspect sensor that delivers improved dynamic range and noise performance. Key pros include its high-utility design for enthusiasts, excellent automatic white balance in bright conditions, and a faster lens, making it a capable alternative to larger cameras. Limitations noted in the review include increased noise at higher ISO sensitivities, reflecting the constraints of its compact sensor size, alongside a tendency for auto-white balance to produce a greenish/blue cast in shaded environments. While lacking a built-in optical viewfinder, the review suggests utilizing the optional external electronic viewfinder (EVF) to address this limitation. Amateur Photographer

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is a high-end compact camera that builds on its predecessor, the LX3, by introducing a longer 24-90mm (35mm equivalent) F2-3.3 zoom lens and a redesigned 1/1.63" sensor. It brings highly functional hardware refinements, such as a restyled hand-grip, a dedicated video recording button, an aspect ratio switch that now features a 1:1 setting, a dedicated ISO button, and a clickable control wheel replacing the older joystick for seamless setting adjustments on the fly. The updated sensor provides clearer overall images with noticeably improved noise performance that remains usable up to ISO1600, while preserving impressive dynamic range and highly vivid colours. However, the review highlights distinct trade-offs, particularly a loss in vertical and horizontal resolution caused by Panasonic's strategy to tone down aggressive sharpening to keep image noise low. While the camera provides an expansive range of manual ISO levels up to 12800, settings from ISO4000 and above are deemed unusable due to a muddy output and an automatic resolution drop to 3MP. From a handling perspective, the external aspect ratio and focus controls on the lens...