DP hands-on preview of NEW LX5!

Ahead of our full review, we take a hands-on preview of the Panasonic DMC-LX5 which features a redesigned Leica lens and improved CCD

It was only a matter of time, two years in fact, until Panasonic’s DMC-LX3 premium compact camera – the DMC-LX3 – was further enhanced. Introducing the new Panasonic DMC-LX5 with a fully re-designed lens, manufactured by Leica no less, as well as an improved CCD and image-processing engine.

DP was there at the grand unveiling of the DMC-LX5 in the photogenic city of Stockholm. A crash of drums and flashing light came to a crescendo as the CEO of Panasonic proudly presented the LX5 to a room of eager journalists, scrambling to get the premium view.

In our hands the DMC-LX5 was assuredly weighty to hold despite its portable design, which is attractive and business-like in appearance. A re-design means that it is now more comfortable to use, with a protruding leather handgrip and a jog dial within thumb’s reach.

A hot shoe has also been incorporated into this model, which gives users the choice of purchasing a Live View Finder (DMW-LVF1) attachment, or an External Optical Viewfinder (DMW-VF1) according to their shooting style.

The mode dial, movie record button, and dedicated aspect switch on the lens barrel means that operation is efficient. Incidentally, the aspect ratio now includes 1:1, in addition to 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9.

The Panasonic LX5 also caters for beginners by offering an Intelligent Auto mode, as well as the chance to get creative with the new My Colour mode. There are 12 options available, including Pin Hole, Monochrome, and Silhouette. We especially enjoyed the Film Grain, which generated an attractive black-and-white, noisy effect to our images (see the test shots for an example).

Panasonic proudly state that the LX3 went some way to calling a cease-fire on the pixel count war by adopting 1/1.63-inch CCD for 10.1-megapixel recording to produce professional quality images. Therefore, you won’t be surprised to learn the LX5 has the same 10.1-megapixel, but the redesign has meant the LX5 can achieve a further expansion of dynamic range.

The sensitivity is enhanced by 31% and the saturation by approximately 38%, Panasonic says: “It is made possible by the improvement of on-tip-lens design with larger light concentration and VCCD expansion while deepening the photo diode to manage richer signal more effectively.” Our test shots didn’t give any reason to dispute these claims as colour rendition was true-to-life and images were sharp.

The three-inch 460,000-dot high resolution Intelligent LCD has also received some treatment to colour reproduction. We put this to the test both in the dark and under the bright Stockholm sun and found that both shooting and playback were easily visible. Excitedly, the battery life has been enhanced to boot. Users can get a whopping 400 pictures out of a single charge.

The manual modes, enhanced operability, and appealing Leica-like design mean that the LX5 seems a promising addition to any advanced user’s arsenal. We look forward to reviewing the product in full.

And that’s not all…

Panasonic has also treated us to four more cameras. Here’s the low down on the latest models:

DMC-FZ100

Ultimate Hybrid Digital Compact Camera DMC-FZ100 with Full HD Movie Recording Offering Active, Creative Photo and Movie with Powerful 24x Optical Zoom and Hi-Speed Response

DMC-FZ45 (successor to the FZ38)

Powerful 24x Optical Zoom Hybrid Digital Compact Camera with HD Movie Recording DMC-FZ45 Offering Active, Creative Photo and Movie

DMC-700

The Ultimate Hybrid Stylish Digital Camera DMC-FX700

With F2.2 Super Bright 24mm Ultra Wide Angle LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON Lens* Featuring 1920×1080 Full HD Movie Recording in AVCHD

DMC-FT10

Panasonic Introduces Stylish Flat Rugged Design

LUMIX DMC-FT10 with 14.1-Megapixels, HD Movie Recording and iA (Intelligent Auto) Mode

See www.digicambuyer.co.uk for all the uploaded specs and product shots now!