Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2

Front (8.0)
The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4x optical zoom lens on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 extends from the front plane of the camera. The lens is positioned slightly right of center when facing the camera and the housing does not retract when the camera is turned off. The simple and functional design represents a clean and crisp utilitarianism that is reflected throughout this camera. The barrel of the lens does extend and retract from the housing, but the lack of an automatic lens cover does mean that users will need to keep tabs on the included plastic lens cover. Panasonic even adds striations along the left side of the barrel to simulate the grips used for manual focus and zoom adjustment when shooting with 35mm cameras. The grips have no function today since all the controls on the camera are activated with buttons and will not require extensive adjustment or control through this interface. Speaking of these exterior controls, the user will notice that aspect ratio adjustments are made via a sliding switch located on the top of the lens barrel. This switch snaps smartly between settings, is easy to find, and allows for quick changes in aspect ratio.

When facing the camera, the focusing control is located on the right side of the lens barrel. This control, like the aspect ratio adjustment control, uses a sliding switch to move between auto focus, macro, and manual focus. The control for focus is a bit more awkward to manipulate and during adjustments there was a tendency to rotate or shift the camera to better maneuver the switch. The self-timer indicator and AF assist lamp are positioned above and to the left of the lens in a location that won’t be covered accidentally by wandering fingers. 

Back (8.25)
The LCD monitor is an impressive 2.8 inches when measured diagonally and has approximately 210,000 pixels. This is an improvement over the 2.5-inch screen found on the LX1 that wasn’t optimized for 16:9 viewing. The LCD screen is raised 1/8 of an inch from the body of the camera and has a glossy black frame. While impressive in size, the LCD screen also showed any and all fingerprints and smudges. It necessitated constant cleaning. All controls on the back of the camera are to the right of the LCD and will be maneuvered primarily, if not entirely, with the thumb of the right hand. The auto focus and auto exposure lock control is located next to the upper right corner of the LCD. Beneath this control is the petite, floating joystick, which controls manual focus. Beneath the joystick control is a small status light which sits slightly above and to the left of the four-way navigation control with secondary and sometimes tertiary purposes.

The controls for this interface are neatly separated and provide enough room to move quickly and accurately between cardinal directions. This interface is great for shooting when time is of the essence. The up arrow on the four-way controller enables access to on-screen control of auto bracket, flash exposure, and exposure depending on if the LX2 is in a priority or manual shooting mode. When shooting in auto mode, the up arrow controls the backlight compensation. The right arrow on this four-way interface also controls the flash settings when the camera is in shooting mode. The problem with this setup is that the flash must be manually opened prior to being able to alter these controls. If the flash is closed, the flash settings remain inaccessible from this control. The down arrow instantly provides access to the previously captured image in a temporary review mode that only allows access to playback zoom, delete and exit functions. A fuller review mode replete with menus can be found by turning the mode dial located on the top of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2. The self-timer settings of 2 seconds and 10 seconds are controlled by pressing the right arrow of the four-way controller. At the center of the four-way control is the set/menu button that enables the user to enter the camera’s menu structure when in both playback and shooting modes and make selections.

Beneath the four-way control is the display button that can be used to alter the amount of information shown on the LCD screen of the camera. This information includes a useful live histogram and manual control settings. The great part about having such a large LCD is that even with all display options on the screen, it doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the graphic overlays. To the right of the display button is the control for burst mode when in shooting mode and the delete button when in playback mode.

Left Side (8.0)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 has no features on the rounded left side of the camera body. Two small screws can be noted near the top of the camera.

Right Side (8.0)
A cover for an optional DC-IN and included USB connection is located centrally on the right side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2. The cover snaps open from a tab positioned on the edge between the right side and the back of the camera. The hinge does seem to be well built and should hold up over time. A clasp or locking mechanism would be nice on this cover since it occasionally flipped open during shooting. An eyelet for the wrist strap is located directly above this port cover and stands out from the body of the camera by about 1/4 of an inch.

Top (7.0)
The manually opened pop-up flash is located on the left side of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2’s top face. The flash can get in the way of the left hand, and the need to manually open this feature is a hassle at times. Behind the flash is a switch that opens the mechanism. Once done shooting, users must press the flash back into the body of the camera. To the right of the flash and positioned centrally above the barrel of the LX2 is both the speaker and the monaural microphone used to capture and playback audio when shooting video footage. The microphone is positioned so that it would be nearly impossible to accidentally cover it with a finger. The raised and large mode dial is located directly beside the microphone and is easy to engage when needing to move between shooting and playback modes quickly and efficiently. Vertical striations are located on the side of this twisting control in order to provide a better grip for concise control. The shutter button is positioned to the right of the mode dial and is surrounded by a zoom control ring that can be adjusted using the pointer finger of the right hand during shooting. The shutter button is generous in size and reacted well to both full and partial engagement. The zoom adjustment ring wasn’t the most nuanced or subtle when making adjustments to zoom length, but the size of the control did allow for easy maneuvering. The optical image stabilization button is located directly beside the shutter button and will allow users to toggle between two image stabilization modes. Directly behind the image stabilization button is the on/off switch for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2.

Bottom (6.0)
Located on the bottom of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2, off towards the left side of the camera body is a metal tripod mount. On the right side of the camera body is a port cover that slides towards the right to reveal the lithium ion battery and SD/SDHC memory card slot. This cover is positioned in a location that will allow access even when mounted to a tripod, although it may just be easier in the long run to remove and realign if a battery or memory card replacement is required mid-shoot.

Testing / Performance Page 3 of 13 Components Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Digital Camera Review Navigation