Lumix DMC-LX2

 

Camera Description

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 Digital Camera incorporates a wide angle Leica DC lens with 4x optical zoom (equivalent to
28mm - 112mm on a 35mm film camera) and the MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) system in addition to an enhanced CCD capable of 10.2-megapixels and larger 2.8" 16:9 wide LCD. The DMC-LX2 is further distinguished from other cameras by its full manual controllability with a joystick allowing users to easily access the manual features for more creative shooting. It also boasts the Venus Engine III high performance image processing LSI to dramatically reduce image noise - even using the high sensitivity setting of ISO 1600 at full resolution.

The DMC-LX2 features a 10.2-megapixel 16:9 aspect CCD and the aspect ratio can be easily selected between 16:9 or 3:2 in addition to the conventional 4:3 on a shot-by-shot-basis with a switch on the lens barrel to best suit the composition of the image. Even after shooting, the 16:9 ratio can be converted to 3:2 or 4:3 within the camera. With 10.2 Megapixels of resolution, you'll be able to print extremely detailed images at print sizes up to 20x30."

The DMC-LX2 features a f/2.8 4x optical zoom 28mm wide angle Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with an equivalent focal length of 28mm to 112mm on a 35 mm film camera. Incorporating three aspherical elements, this lens provides high optical performance while preserving the compactness of the unit. The Extra Optical Zoom, made possible by using the center part of 10.2-megapixel high resolution CCD, further extends the zoom ratio to 5.5x for 5-megapixel image recording in 16:9 aspect with minimal deterioration of image quality.

The MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) system compensates for handshake - the major cause of blurred images. Every slight hand-shake movement is detected accurately with the sampling frequency at 4,000 times per second and is compensated to render clear, sharp images. In addition, movement of the subject, the other major cause of blurred images, is suppressed by Intelligent ISO Control (I.I.C.) and available ISO1600 high sensitivity recording capabilities. The incorporation of I.I.C. allows the automatic adjustment of the ISO setting and shutter speed that best suits the situation by analyzing the speed of subject movement. If the subject is moving, the ISO setting would automatically rise to allow a higher shutter speed. On the other hand, if the subject is still and no movement is detected, you can take beautiful natural images with a low ISO setting.

The DMC-LX2 camera utilizes the Venus Engine III Image Processing LSI to realize high sensitivity recording. The noise reduction system is greatly improved by removing noise at the processing stages in series. First, critical noise is roughly undraped and the chromatic noise and the luminance noise are separated to respectively go through the supplemental noise reduction process so that the remaining noise is appropriately minimized. Furthermore With its multi-task image processing capability, the Venus Engine III also boasts outstanding response time with a shutter release time lag of as short as 0.009 seconds and a shutter interval of 0.6 seconds. Together with the fast startup time of approx. 1.3 seconds, the quick response of DMC-LX2 enables easy capture of those spur-of-the-moment shots. Another benefit of the energy-efficient Venus Engine III is long battery life - sufficient to shoot approximately 300 pictures (CIPA Standard) on a single charge.

The AF mode can be selected according to the shooting situation: 9-point, 3-point high speed, 1-point high speed, 1-point normal speed and Spot. In the 1-point and 1-point high speed AF mode, the AF area is selectable from the nine focusing areas with the joystick to best fit the composition of the subjects. Also, the AF assist lamp helps quick, accurate focusing in situations where focusing is difficult due to the lack of light. The AF/AE lock button is also succeeded from the predecessor. A switch on the side of the lens barrel lets you quickly change the focus mode between MF, AF or Macro AF. When you focus in the Manual Focus mode, not only the focus distance but also the DOF (depth of field) according to the zoom range and aperture is displayed. An MF assist function enlarges the center of the image to make focusing easier. The focusing area can be enlarged up to 4x and is movable, which also contributes to easy and comfortable manual focusing.

The DMC-LX2 is capable of recording 4:3 VGA (640 x 480) and 16:9 wide VGA (848 x 480) motion images at 30 fps. Shooting is one thing but viewing is another, and you will be suitably impressed by the 16:9 moving image when it is displayed on a wide screen TV. In addition, the LX2 can record motion images in high definition (1280 x 720) format at 15 fps. Furthermore, the pixel mixed readout method assists the bright motion image recording even in low lit situation.

With seventeen Scene Modes, the DMC-LX2 can assist the user in a wide range of photographic situations. For Example, the "Beach" mode is perfect for shooting in strong sunlight and the "Aerial" mode assists with shooting through the windows of an airplane. Furthermore, the "High Sensitivity" mode, made possible by the pixel-mixed readout method by the CCD, is ideal for shooting moving subjects clearly without blurring by providing sensitivity as high as ISO3200. On the other hand, in the "Simple" mode, almost all adjustments are automatically set by the camera processor, even including the backlight compensation, allowing even entry-level users to take beautiful images easily.

The DMC-LX2 includes 13MB of built-in memory to serve not just as a tool of shooting images but also as a digital album, to enjoy seeing and showing your favorite pictures. The camera memory can be expanded using MultiMediaCards, Secure Digital Cards or SDHC Memory Cards that are available in capacities of 4gb and more.

Specifics

Image Sensor
1/1.65" (16:9) 10.4 Megapixel CCD with Primary Color Filter
Effective Resolution
10.0 Megapixel (16:9)
Color Depth
24-Bit RGB
Color Modes
Cool, Warm, Black & White, Sepia
Image File Formats
RAW
JPEG (Fine, Standard)
Exif, DCF & DPOF Compliant

Lens Type
Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens (9 Elements in 8 Groups with 3 Aspherical Elements)
Optical Zoom
4x (up to 6.2x Extra Optical Zoom)
Lens Focal Length
6.3mm-25.2mm (28mm-112mm equivalent) 16:9 aspect mode
Digital Zoom
4x
Minimum Focus Distance
2.0" (5cm)
Maximum Aperture
f/2.8-4.9
Optical Image Stabilization
Yes (Mega O.I.S. with Intelligent ISO Control)
Accessory Lens/Filter Mount
No
Auto ISO
Selectable ISO (100, 200, 400, 800, 1600)
High Sensitivity Mode (ISO3200)
Shutter Type
Not Specified
Shutter Speed
60 - 1/2000 second
Aperture Range
f/2.8-4.9 - f/8.0
Built-in Flash
Yes (Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Slow-sync, Forced Off, Forced On)
Effective Flash Range
1.8' (0.6m) - 14.1' (4.2m) wide
External Flash Connection
No
External Flash Control
Not Applicable

Performance
Start-Up Time
1.3 seconds
Shutter Lag
0.009 seconds
Time Between Shots
0.6 seconds
Burst Capability
1 or 2 fps up to 5 images (standard) or 3 images (fine)
0.6 fps continuous shooting up to memory capacity
Self Timer
10 seconds or 2 seconds
Battery Type
CGA-S005A Lithium-ion Battery (3.7V, 1150mAh)
Power Adapter
DMW-AC5 AC Adaptor (110-240V) (Optional)

Input/Output
Computer Interface
USB 2.0 (Full Speed)
Direct Print Capable
Yes (PictBridge)
Remote Control
No
Video Output
Yes (NTSC & PAL)
Web-Cam Capable
No
System & Software Requirements
Windows 98/98SE, 2000, ME, XP
Macintosh OS X (10.1 or later)

Viewfinder
No
LCD Display
2.8" (16:9) Polycrystalline TFT Color LCD Display (207,000 pixels) with Power LCD & High Angle LCD Modes

Physical
Dimensions (HxWxD)
2.2 x 4.16 x 1.4" (56 x 106 x 35mm)
Weight
6.6 oz. (190g) excluding battery

Camera comes With;

CGA-S005A Lithium-ion Battery
•
Battery Charger (110-240v AC)
•
Battery Case
•
Lens Cap
•
USB Cable
•
A/V Cable
•
Wrist Strap
•
Software CD-ROM (ArcSoft PhotoImpression, ArcSoft Panorama Maker, USB Driver, Lumix Simple Viewer, Photo Fun Studio, SILKYPIX Developer Studio SE 2.0)
•
Operating Instructions
•
1-Year Parts; 90-Days Labor U.S.A. Limited Warranty

Images