Manual Control Options
With a nice range of scene, automatic, and priority modes, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 caps its selection with a fully manual mode. Photographers can adjust the shutter speed and aperture with the joystick as well as manually adjusting focus. The white balance can be set manually and saved in two different custom modes and even fine tuned with a sliding red to blue scale. Other selectable options such as metering and ISO can be found within the recording menu. The manual mode is very user friendly and designed with the budding photographer in mind. There is a live histogram available on the screen and even an exposure compensation scale that shows up when adjusting the shutter speed and aperture. These little features go a long way in helping users who have just graduated from the automatic modes to the manual mode.
Focus
Auto Focus (6.0)
The Panasonic LX1 has a focus mode switch on the side of the lens that moves from the manual focus mode to an auto focus macro mode and a regular auto focus mode. The macro mode can focus as close as 2 inches and the normal auto focus mode can focus from 1.64 feet to infinity. This model also has a continuous auto focus mode that can be turned on and off. It makes an audible noise when it is constantly readjusting and is a bit finicky in the movie mode. The auto focus in the still image modes is quite slow. It takes almost a half second for the camera to focus and take the picture. For example, when my subject moved his arm closer to the camera, the image went out of focus for a brief moment before returning to its clear state. This is true for all of the focus modes: 9 area, 3 area, 1 area, and spot focus. The Lumix LX1 has an auto focus assist lamp that shoots out an orange beam in low light, but this doesn’t speed the process up at all. The LX1 takes longer to focus in low light and in low contrast situations, but still focuses all the same. Overall, the auto focus works – but it takes its sweet time about it.
Manual Focus (2.5)
Selected on the side of the zoom lens, the manual focus is controlled by the joystick above the multi-selector. When users push the joystick around, the center of the image is enlarged (but only if the manual focus assist mode is activated in the setup menu). There are two MF Assist modes: one enlarges the center into the entire frame and the other enlarges the center into a smaller frame within the live view. Manual focus adjustment is much easier with the nice view provided by the second option.
Metering (7.5)
The Panasonic LX1 uses the multiple metering mode as its default because it measures lighting from the entire image. The center-weighted metering mode measures from a larger area in the center and the spot metering mode measures from a tiny point in the center. These three options are standard for compact models above the $300 range.
Exposure (7.5)
The LX1 helps users considerably by displaying a real-time histogram and flashing an exposure scale when users are adjusting the shutter speed and aperture. The exposure can be manually controlled on the LX1, somewhat manipulated with the priority modes, or completely automated with the scene and auto modes. The typical exposure compensation scale of +/- 2 EV in 1/3 increments is available when the top button of the multi-selector is pressed once. Auto bracketing is also available when that same button is pressed twice. That mode takes three pictures simultaneously with one image 1/3 step darker and one image 1/3 step brighter.
White Balance (8.5)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 has a fair selection of white balance modes including Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Halogen, Custom 1, and Custom 2. What this model lacks in presets it more than makes up for with its manual white balance modes. This Lumix has two custom modes that can be adjusted with the White Set option at the bottom of the white balance menu. If photographers shoot often in the same lighting, they can save the parameters within these two custom settings and reset it whenever needed. Setting the white balance is easy with the small frame in the center of the LCD; users need only to find something white and frame it within that box. If the whites still don’t look quite right, photographers can push the top button of the multi-selector a few times (pushing once gets the exposure compensation; twice gets the auto bracketing) to access the white balance fine tuning option. Users can adjust the white balance 10 steps toward red or 10 steps toward blue. Overall, I was pleased with the white balance options. Sure, the LX1 doesn’t have three preset fluorescent modes, but the custom settings and fine tuning adjustments will better serve photographers anyway.
ISO (6.5)
The sensitivity of the LX1 can be changed from auto to 80, 100, 200 or 400. This range is typical of compact models. However, I expected higher sensitivities from the LX1 because of its high price and manual functionality.
Shutter Speed (8.5)
The LX1 has an electronic and mechanical shutter that can snap open and shut as fast as 1/2000th of a second or linger open as long as 60 seconds. While all of the modes on the camera can utilize the faster end of the shutter speed range, only the manual mode can slow down to 60 seconds. The automatic mode’s slowest shutter speed is 1/4 of a second. The Program AE mode slows to a full second and the priority modes slow to 8 seconds. The full range of the shutter speeds is sufficient and should allow users to capture pretty much anything they want, assuming they don’t use the auto mode for astrophotography.
Aperture (7.5)
The Panasonic Lumix LX1 has a beautiful Leica lens that offers a nice wide f/2.8 aperture at its 6.3 mm setting. At its 25.2 mm telephoto focal length, the lens has a considerably smaller f/4.9 aperture that is typical of many compact digital cameras. Throughout the entire focal range, the smallest aperture available is f/8. When the aperture is adjusted with the joystick, users can view an exposure scale to see the consequences of their selection on the lighting.
