Panasonic Lumix LX7 Digital Camera Review

Lens & Sensor

Most of the Lumix LX7's most compelling features are related to its lens. This Leica-built glass has only a modest 3.8x optical zoom magnification, but boast an amazing F1.4 aperture that allows gorgeous backgrounds and strong low light performance. The barrel itself is also home to a slew of physical manual controls. There's a dedicated aperture ring, as well as two sliding switches: one for aspect ratio, and one for focus mode. We dig the aperture and focus controls, however the aspect ratio slider is unnecessarily prominent for a setting so rarely changed.

The LX7's sensor is only a 1/1.7-inch type, and that's a key disadvantage compared to the Sony RX100's 1-inch chip. We often downplay the importance of megapixel resolution, however this sensor's small 10 megapixel output is another big step down from the LX7's closest competition.

Display(s)

A high resolution 3.0-inch fixed LCD is used for framing and image review, and while this panel's brightness and viewing angle are better than cheap ultracompacts, quality lags behind other high-end pocket-sized cameras like the RX100 or Fujifilm X10. Horizontal viewing angle is particularly mediocre.

Connectivity

Most data transfer is performed via two terminals on the right side of the body, underneath a hinged plastic cover. Here you'll find an HDMI port as well as a microUSB port for PC connectivity.

On the top of the body, the LX7 also features a hot shoe for attaching accessories such as external flash. Below this is a secondary port that's used in conjunction with an optional optical viewfinder.