The Panasonic LX100, which has drawn widespread interest since its announcement, is now in stock at B&H Photo.
And so is the Leica X-E Typ 102.
Mike
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Featured Comments from:
Juha Haataja: "I have had the LX100 since last Friday. Previously I was using the LX3 and the LX5, taking altogether over 389,000 photographs with these. I hope the LX100 is as durable. At least the usability is much improved. I wrote up some initial observations of using the LX100."
Rob L: "Stop. Showing. Me. Things. To. Buy. :-) This critter looks like such a great general purpose everyday camera it hurts...the X100s has been my go-to small camera of choice, but a not-slow zoom with decent AF? The LX series have been brilliant cameras, let down by teensy sensors—this guy is exciting in a way that the newest G series from Canon just aren't. Just the thing to rent to 'test' while at Disney for a week...."
A non-starter for me unless you can attach an external mic. To bad because I really like it.
Posted by: Eric Rose | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 01:40 AM
Amazing how much that top deck looks like the Fuji X100-series; I can't guess what their design inspiration was...
Regardless, this is the camera that the Fuji X 30 could, and should, have been.
Posted by: Stephen Scharf | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 08:25 AM
This camera, and my growing mess of competing systems, has me rethinking my camera situation. I have a full compliment of Nikon FF gear used primarily for work. I have a full compliment of Nikon V1/V2 gear as I have been intrigued. AND I have a full compliment of M43 gear - OMD-EM1 and various lenses including the Leica 25mm, 12-40mm and the 75mm 1.8. I had a period of fascination with the EM1 system but have been more apt to grab my D3s or D800 even for casual family shooting.
I'm feeling the urge to sell the EM1 system and just get the LX100 for when I really want a small camera with good quality. If someone is moving in the opposite direction and wants to make my decision easier, let me know!
John Gillooly
[email protected]
Posted by: John Gillooly | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 09:12 AM
@Juha Haataja: That is quite an interesting productivity. If one is shooting one picture every 5 minutes 8 hours a day to shoot 396,000 pictures one would need 4125 days (over 11 years) to rake up such number.
Posted by: ZZPhoto | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 02:57 PM
At Photo Plus Expo in NYC last week, I aimed straight for the Panasonic area, to get my hands on the LX100. I loved the camera. But, I thought maybe it would be the next step in the evolution from LX5 to LX7 to LX-whatever. Now I've handled it, worked the controls, tried the usual things that I like to do with a camera, now I don't think so. The LX100 is bigger and heavier than the LX series has been, not nearly so "pocketable," except maybe with cargo pants. It seems every bit as capable as the GX7. In my estimation, it's a GX7 for someone who doesn't want to fool with interchangeable lenses. I'd call it a great carry-everywhere type of camera. If I didn't already own the GX7, I would have the LX100 on my Christmas list. But owning it would be like having two GX7's.
Posted by: Mike R | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 03:53 PM
A) Wish this camera was a little... larger.
B) Wish there were two of them- one with a 20-40 mm equivalent zoom. The other with longer focal lengths for those who need them.
C) Wish it came without that insidiously unsightly proboscis.
Posted by: Stan B. | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 04:43 PM
S--- hot! I need one of these to go with my GX7 and LX3.
Posted by: John Boeckeler | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 08:14 PM
I was reading the Advanced Features Manual to see if my favorite features are present.
http://panasonic.ca/viewing/ALL/DMC-LX100P/OI/sqw0021/sqw0021.pdf
They now allow Auto-ISO in Manual (unlike previous Panasonic compacts like my G5). This should work well with the X100 style "retro" UI when you can switch on the fly from P to A or S to M by turning two dials.
The Auto ISO setting is on the ISO button and not hidden in the menus as it is on the X100.
Unfortunately they don't allow exposure compensation in manual which is a shame as M + Auto-ISO is really TAv mode and should have exposure compensation. That's copying the Fuji X100 just a bit too closely and something Fuji recently relented on in an X100s/XT1 firmware update.
The AF/AE button can be configured to AF ON (i.e turn on AF-C when button is pressed, like a DSLR) not just AF lock so you can back button focus properly. I presume it locks on release (not on button down). The manual is unclear on this point.
The AF button also works to set focus in manual focus mode. Just like the X100. Very handy.
You can use "normal" zoom or step zoom on both the zoom ring or the zoom button. You can also set "zoom resume" on or off so the camera will remember the previous zoom setting when it powers up. Very handy for the "box full of primes" style of shooting: when you choose a focal length and act like the camera has a prime lens on it. Even in normal zoom mode it tells you the equivalent focal length on the display.
One last thing: Panasonic are aping both the X100 and the RX100 in the name. The RX100 and LX100 are homophones in Japanese. Recall Bill Murray in the "lip my tights" scene in Lost in Translation. I see a comedy sketch in an Akihabara camera store coming on ...
Posted by: Kevin Purcell | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 08:33 PM
I was hoping the LX100 would be my go-to all-rounder camera but I'm not so sure. It's funny how it's always the little things. But the separate flash unit is a non-starter for me. I have had to deal with these on my Olympus micro four-thirds cameras. They're just too fiddly and easily lost.
Plus, a separate accessory goes against my definition of a go-to camera. I should be able to just reach for the camera and have everything I need. The flash should be integrated. Considering how much larger the LX100 is than the LX7, there's no excuse for this in my humble opinion - especially at the price.
Perhaps I'll grow out of this feeling but there you have it.
Posted by: Steve Biro | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 10:17 PM
@ZZPhoto @Juha Haataja - All three different models of Panasonic cameras that I have owned had quirky numbering schemes. Photo 1 000 999 is followed by photo 1 010 000, which skips a decimal point.
Posted by: Bruce McL | Wednesday, 05 November 2014 at 10:24 PM
No fully articulating screen? Sorry.
Zoom range is too short.
I'm spoiled by my FZ1000 (25-400mm) as my everyday all-around camera.
- Richard
Posted by: Richard | Thursday, 06 November 2014 at 12:14 AM
About productivity: I take long walks in forests and swamps, and in one hour I may take 100 photographs. Usually such a walk lasts 2 hours, sometimes 3-4 hours. Of the photographs taken I delete 90-95% during the first pass in Aperture. I shoot jpegs and don't do much post-processing.
Posted by: Juha Haataja | Thursday, 06 November 2014 at 11:12 AM
Handled one today nice but too big, too expensive.
Also, if you are going to present a 'compact' as large as that it had better have built in flash.
Posted by: Barry Reid | Thursday, 06 November 2014 at 11:21 AM
No touch screen, no tiltable screen, no mic jack. Why leave out the few remaining features that would make this a home run?
Chris
Posted by: Chris Beloin | Thursday, 06 November 2014 at 09:25 PM
@Bruce McL: The Panasonic file numbering is indeed quirky. And the numbering can be reset, which is important to know if you are buying a used camera.
However, there is a service mode where you can get the "real" numbers. I wrote a posting about this in 2010 when I had the LX3:
http://lightscrape.blogspot.fi/2010/10/morning-and-afternoon-and-how-panasonic.html
At that point I had taken 133,452 photographs, and switched on the camera 24,535 times.
Posted by: Juha Haataja | Friday, 07 November 2014 at 04:50 AM
Naturally, I finally bought a GX7 last week. Then I began to notice this little fellow. Hmmmm...wonder how much I could get for the Fuji x100 (beta non-S) version. I know the only thing keeping me from greatness is my camera(s) after all.
Posted by: D. Hufford. | Saturday, 08 November 2014 at 12:23 AM
Reckon I ought to have read the comments first. No articulating screen? No tiltable EVF? No sale. No thanks.
Posted by: D. Hufford. | Saturday, 08 November 2014 at 12:27 AM
"The RX100 and LX100 are homophones in Japanese"
Well, I just have to be picky, Kevin. R and L sound the same in Japanese if part of a word. The actual sound is between an r and l. (Race and lace would be indistinguishable in Japanese pronunciation.) However, the letter R and the letter L individually can easily be pronounced/distinguished in Japanese. So "R"X100 and "L"X-100 are not homophones.
Posted by: D. Hufford. | Saturday, 08 November 2014 at 12:35 AM
I think it the camera to use these days....no hassle no tassle but the camera to me is useless.....why on earth to these engineers limit the HDR rage to 3 EV up and 3 EV down.......I need at least a 9 EV range so a Canon with Magic Lantern installed will be my next thing.
http://www.magiclantern.fm/
Greets, Ed.
Posted by: Ed | Monday, 10 November 2014 at 02:09 AM