Please note that in addition to this collaborative review, we have also produced a 6-page hands-on preview of the LX7, which contains plenty of additional information. .
($499) is the long-awaited replacement to the very popular . The LX5 (and its predecessors) was well known for its low light ability, and Panasonic has improved on that in two ways. First, there's the LX7's lens: with a maximum aperture range of F1.4 - F2.3, it lets in way more light than what you'd find on a compact camera. The fast aperture range also allows for better background blurring than what you'll find on nearly every fixed-lens camera on the market. In addition, the LX7's sensor and image processor have both been improved, allowing for less noise at high sensitivities.
Other new features on the LX7 include a manual aperture ring, higher resolution LCD display,
neutral density filter, 11 fps continuous shooting, HDR capability, and the ability to record movies at 1080/60p (with stereo sound).
For the full breakdown of what separates the 2010's LX5 and the new LX7, take a look at
this chart:
Lumix DMC-LX5
Lumix DMC-LX7
Street price
Sensor resolution (size / type)
10.1 MP (1/1.63& CCD)
10.1 MP (1/1.7& MOS)
Lens max aperture range
F2.0 - F3.3
F1.4 - F2.3
Lens focal range (zoom power)
24 - 90 mm (3.8X)
Aperture ring
Sonic Speed AF
Light Speed AF
LCD size/resolution
3-inch / 460k dots
3-inch / 920k dots
Burst rate (full resolution)
2.5 frames/sec
11 frames/sec
ISO range (full resolution)
80 - 3200 *
Shutter speed range
250 - 1/4000 sec ***
Flash working range (Auto ISO)
0.8 - 7.2 m (W)
0.3 - 4.4 m (T)
0.8 - 8.5 m (W)
0.3 - 5.2 m (T)
Electronic level
Time-lapse mode
In-camera panorama stitching
resolution
1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
Movie codecs used
AVCHD Lite, M-JPEG
AVCHD, MPEG-4
Sound recording
High speed movies
Built-in memory
Battery used
Battery life (CIPA)
Dimensions
4.3 x 2.6 x 1.7 in.
4.4 x 2.6 x 1.8 in.
Weight (body only, empty)
* Can go to ISO 6400 and 12800 using pixel binning
** Can go to ISO 12800 using pixel binning
*** 250 sec shutter speed requires firmware 2.0 on DMC-LX5
As you can see, the LX7 is an improvement over the LX5 in almost every area. The only real step down is in terms of battery life, which has dropped by nearly 20% (why, I do not know).
Will the DMC-LX7 follow in its predecessor's footsteps and be a top choice for low light photography? Find out now in our review!
What's in the Box?
Despite being somewhat of a 'premium' compact camera, the DSC-LX7's bundle is pretty standard. Here's what you'll find inside the box:
The 10.1 effective Megapixel Lumix DMC-LX7 digital camera
DMW-BCJ13 lithium-ion battery
Battery charger
Lens cap w/retaining strap
Shoulder strap
CD-ROM featuring PhotoFunStudio 8.3 PE
Edition, SilkyPix Developer Studio 3.1 SE, and LoiLoScope trial
34 page basic
manual (printed) + full manual (on CD-ROM)
Panasonic has built 70MB of memory into the DMC-LX7 - up from 40MB on the LX5. That'll hold five RAW or sixteen JPEGs at the highest quality setting - enough for emergencies, but not daily use. Therefore, you'll want to buy a memory card right away. The LX7, like all Panasonic cameras, supports SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards, and I'd recommend a 4GB card if you're mostly taking stills, and an 8GB or 16GB card if you'll be taking a lot of HD movies. Purchasing a high speed (Class 6 or faster) card is strongly recommended for best camera performance.
The DMC-LX7 uses the same DMW-BCJ13 lithium-ion battery as the DMC-LX5 that came before it. This battery holds 4.5 Wh of energy, which is decent but not exceptional. For whatever reason (the LCD, maybe?), the battery life on the LX7 has dropped by almost 20% compared to the LX5. Here's how it holds up against the premium compact competition:
Battery life
(CIPA standard)
Battery used
Canon PowerShot S100
Fujifilm X10
Nikon Coolpix P310
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7
Samsung EX2F
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100
Battery life numbers are provided by the manufacturer
Despite not having the same battery strength as its predecessor, the DMC-LX7 is still tied for the best battery life in its class.
If you want to pick up a spare battery, a Panasonic-branded one will set you back around $32.
Like most premium compacts, the LX7 has a large selection of accessories available. They include:
Description
Electronic viewfinder
This articulating EVF can tilt upward 90 degrees and has 1.44 million dots. The 0.7X (equivalent) magnification is nice and large. Mounts via the hot shoe and connects to the accessory port.
Optical viewfinder
This OVF is designed for use at full wide-angle, and also has markings for shooting at 50 mm.
Neutral density filter
While I don't know why you'd need this, as the camera has an ND filter built-in, this filter reduces the amount of light coming through the lens by three stops. Allows for slower shutter speeds and wider apertures. Requires filter adapter
Polarizing filter
DMW-LPLA37
Reduces glare and makes the sky look bluer.
Requires filter adapter
MC protector
DMW-LMCH37
Protects your fancy Leica lens from being scratched.
Requires filter adapter
Filter adapter kit
Allows you to use any 37 mm filter, including the three above.
External flash
The first flash is pretty basic. The next two have high speed x-sync, bounce functionality, and a wider angle-of-view.
Normally this cable is included, but not on the LX7. Lets you connect to standard television.
AC adapter
You need both of these accessories to power the LX7 without draining its battery. The DC coupler
seems to be impossible to find.
Traditional leather body cases, available in black and white. Very difficult to actually buy.
Prices accurate at time of publication
The one surprising omission here is any kind of remote shutter release. I think a lot of enthusiasts would appreciate being able to release the shutter using a wired or wireless remote.
Panasonic includes PhotoFunStudio 8.3 PE Edition software with the Lumix DMC-LX7. This Windows-only software handles basic tasks fairly well, though the whole 'wizard' system gets tiring quickly. On the main screen you'll see the usual thumbnail view, and you can view photos by folders, date, or
by things as specific as
scene mode. The software can learn to recognize faces (much like the camera itself), which offers you another way to browse through your pictures. Available editing features give you the ability to
crop, rotate, or change the aspect ratio of your photos, as well as adjusting color, brightness, saturation, and more. You can apply special effects to photos, overlay text, or remove redeye. PhotoFunStudio can also be used to create panoramic images that you've taken on the camera.
Something PhotoFunStudio cannot do is edit RAW images. For that, Panasonic provides SilkyPix Developer Studio 3.1 SE, for both Mac and Windows. SilkyPix isn't going to win any awards for its user interface or poorly translated menus, but it's still a very capable editing tool. If you'd like to use Photoshop instead, you'll need to wait for Adobe to add support for the LX7 to their
PhotoFunStudio can, however,
work with the movies produced by the LX7. You can edit your video and then burn the results to a Blu-ray (or DVD) disc. You can also save the edited movie in MPEG-2 format. If you want to use something else to edit your videos, most modern Windows video editing suites can work with the AVCHD files produced by the LX7. However, some of them may not support the AVCHD Progressive format, so check with your software manufacturer first. Mac users can edit the 1080/60p video without issue using the latest versions of Final Cut Pro X or iMovie '11.
The LX7's documentation is split up into two parts - something I'm never a fan of. Inside the box is a thin 'basic manual' to get you up and running. If you want more details, you'll need to load up the full manual, which is PDF format on an included CD-ROM. While detailed, the manuals aren't what I'd call user friendly. Instructions for using the bundled software is installed onto your Mac or PC.
A version of this review was first published at , but is presented here with some changes, notably the inclusion of a full set of product images, our usual studio comparisons and an expanded samples gallery, plus the addition of a standard dpreview score.
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Gear in this story445I own it47I want it121I had itDiscuss in the
Most popular (2)Editors' picks (0)DPR staff (0)Oldest first I have recently bought an LX7 with the add on viewfinder to use alongside my LX3. Very pleased so far. I note in the pros that it has &three types of bracketing&. Can you tell me what they are. It does say no WB bracketing and HDR is a scene mode. Thanks.Like0 Dissapointing image quality | Video realistic as a positive surprise.Pros: - excellent 1080p video - large aperture 1.4-2.3 Carl Zeiss lens - advantage indoors/low light - external flash hot-shoe - for me very important taking pictures at the party - compact size - quite intelligent camera...HDR Cons: - extremely low image quality when viewed 100%....though OK for web/email/social media - aprox. 7mmx5mm small sensor, hence not surprised why low image quality and 1.4-2.3 aperture on the lens - in video recording when turning the aperture ring or exposure dial the click are quite nosily recorded -menu/set button would expect to get deeper inside of the menu instead menu/set takes you out of the menu....keep happening to me all the time. - uncomfortable holding with right hand (I have a bit bulky hand)Like0 Pixel peeping at 100% isn't where this camera is made for. I'm a full-time pro photographer and almost always have an older LX3+wide angle converter attached on it with me. Gets me near 18mm at 16:9 and still have f2.0 I shoot raw and got several frontpages with this combo. It is not perfect, but playing around with the settings and shooting jpg+raw, these camera's still have their place.Like1 Miso Peru,The first three words you wrote are rubbished by the review samples, and the fact that this is your only post on DPReview in three months, makes your screed pretty worthless.The word &troll& springs to mind.Like2 It is quite true that, when pixel peeping, images from the LX7 are not squeaky clean say above ISO 200. Other than that it is a pleasure to use and images are often better than what they would have been with a camera with a bigger sensor, but with a slower lens and slower operation.Like3 Miso Peru,your review must have aimed at a different camera.The LX7 does not have a Carl Zeiss lens, but a Leica lens instead.Carl Zeiss lenses typically come with Sony cameras.Like2 Have this and other real slr's and this is fantastic camera bar none! 10 megapixel is fine to me. I can crop and always resize smaller anyway. Exceptional detail from that magic summicron leica lens. Really a great camera is all about the lens not the pixel count. No regrets at all....Like2 This was a great line of cameras for light travel for serious people.I have a feeling they will to the same with GX series. If so, I jump panasonic ship.I don't have time for goofy cameras. Olympus has shown some convictions so far.Panasonic should go back to make just microwave oven and kitchen appliances.Like0 The LX7 offers a lot of camera for its money! I liked it from the very beginning. However, my comment emphasizes its robustness. I was careless enough to let it drop from about 7 m unto a stone floor. It survived! It fell on the left upper edge (where the flash pops out).There is a dent, and the cover warps out by less than a mm. The flash needs fingernail assistance to pop out. Apart from that, there is not the slightest flaw in the optical quality of the photographs. I am amazed!Like7 My LX5 survived several bad incidents. I am sure my LX7 will do what it can to keep on ticking.Like0 I've also got to give Panasonic some props. My LX7 also survived a nearly 2m fall onto a hardwood floor during a clumsy attempt to lift it from its shelf in a cabinet. I was horrified when it happened, certain that the camera was destroyed. But it powered right up and, aside from a slightly dented corner, hasn't skipped a beat. I've shot over 4000 images on it since the fall nearly a year ago with no problems. Credit the design, materials, and manufacturing.As an aside, our Panasonic TS-5 rugged/waterproof camera also took a 1+m drop onto asphalt this past week when being passed between my wife and I. It also survived with just a couple scratches.Like1 Just upgraded to this from an LX3 and I'm loving it. Snappier all round, better
noise control, faster burst rate and the combination of step zoom plus lens resume (resets the lens to the focal length it was at when the camera powered down) means I'm shooting much more in the middle of the range instead of slamming from full wide to full tele all the time. (Plus, high-speed video at 720p!!!)I did quite a bit of research before this upgrade, and while I was tempted by the rangefinder-style layout of the Fuji X20 (but too big for my taste and limited video) and the flip-out touch-screen of the Olympus
XZ-2 (but there are stories of focussing issues and it lacks that high-speed video option) in the end, this
was the one for me.Like2 The door on my LX3 is long snapped off v annoyingLike1 Dear Jeff Keller,I really enjoy reading your reviews. BUT why do you keep harping on the allegedly 'flimsy' door of the battery/card compartment? I've been with the LX series since the LX3 and this door is totally adequate. Ok,when it's open it wobbles a bit,but it's normally closed and then it's perfectly ok.Just treat it as you would treat the rest of the camera.Of course,if you let your 5-year-old 'use' it,it will soon become flimsy...Like3 I have to agree on this point. I've never had any issues with the door on my Panasonic cameras. I guess it could be down to the fact I'm pretty regimented in how I change batteries/cards (I open the door, pop out the battery/card and close it again - makes sense to me not to leave a door open no matter how solidly built it is) but really as long as you don't travel round with it open I can't see how it could be a problemLike2 The photo software that ships with the Lumix LX7 will not work with Windows 8.
Does anyone know when Panasonic will fix this?Like0 Unfortunately, Panasonic cannot fix the nightmare that is Windows 8.Like6 Windows 7 works good, why do people rush so early to new OS? It's common sense that it takes a minimum of 6 months for any OS to be polished. Well in the case of Microsoft it takes forever since they only make a new OS because they aren't able to fix their current one. But always wait at least half a year to jump the bandwagon man!Like3 The only way to tolerate Windows 8 is to use the free app Classic Shell.
Makes windows 8 work like windows 7 but better.Like1
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