Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 Black Digital Camera

Comments about Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 Black Digital Camera:

the 1.4 Leica lens was the reason for getting this camera. I previously had a Lumix LX3 so this accounts for the upgrade. Reguarding the vidio function I would rather have a ttl view finder with a diopter as I am not interested in movies!

Comments about Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 Black Digital Camera:

Someone wise said that the "best" camera in the world is the one which is in your hand right now.
I have a great DSLR which I love and use a lot, but there are many places where it just isn't appropriate or practical. I use my Lumix LX7 as my carry anywhere camera, specifically for shooting urban scenes, often at night, when I'm out and about. I need something light, reliable, versatile and unobtrusive. I tend to use either the full manual control or the aperture priority setting (the aperture is easily changed with a dial that reminds me of the simplicity of my lovely old Olympus Trip!) The Intelligent Auto setting works very well too, and turns it into a true point and shoot for most situations. The camera reacts very quickly to challenging conditions, which I love - you always get a shot, and most of the time you get very good ones. Key features for me, like vibration reduction and autofocus "just work", and I find as long as you limit the maximum ISO you can get good, not too noisy shots, even in very low light.
The other big advantage for me is that it shoots RAW, which opens up big possibilities for a camera as light and easy to use as this.
The only downsides for me (I had to think long & hard about this, as overall I love this camera) are the shorter than I'd hoped for battery life, and the fact that it's a little too easy to move some of the more fiddly controls (like the autofocus / macro autofocus / manual focus switch).
I've heard people say that there aren't enough pixels, but frankly, with optics as good as this, and a camera that works things out really quickly, I have never found that to be too much of a problem. Quite the reverse in fact (see the night shot below, taken from a car with the engine running, through the windscreen with very limited light). It's got a good zoom, an easy-to-change aspect ratio (from square to 16:9) and even a competent macro setting.
So to sum up, for me this is a really great little camera. In fact, maybe it is my "best" camera, because it really is always to hand and ready to capture almost anything really well.

Comments about Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 Black Digital Camera:

Full auto is great for fast stree candid work.