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Posts Tagged ‘Panasonic’

Throwback Thursday: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, Multi-Aspect Master

23 Mar

Back in 2008 there weren’t a whole lot of enthusiast compacts. The two models which got the most attention were the Canon PowerShot G10 and Nikon Coolpix P6000. At that time, the ‘Megapixel race’ was really getting going, with the G10 and P6000 having 14.7MP and 13.5MP sensors, respectively (the LX2 was still at 10MP). All three of the aforementioned cameras had lenses with lovely focal ranges, but slow maximum apertures (F2.8-4.5 for the Canon, F2.7-5.9 for the Nikon).

Enter the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. Panasonic didn’t go crazy with Megapixels like other companies, instead using a 10 Megapixel, 1/1.63″ CCD with a unique ‘multi-aspect’ feature. An even bigger story was its ‘Leica’ DC Vario-Summicron lens that had an equivalent focal length of 24-60mm (yep, kind of short) and a max aperture range of F2-2.8. Despite that fast lens and because of that limited range, the LX3 remained extremely compact.

The LX3 is remarkably compact considering its lens. Its metal body gave it a quality feel.

Indeed, one of the fun things about the LX3 was its multi-aspect capabilities. Using the switch on top of the lens barrel you could choose between 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. On most cameras the angle-of-view would change at each of those ratios, but on the LX3 they are all the same. Simply put, the focal range (24-60mm equiv.) was the same, regardless of which of the three aspect ratios used. Having the ability to quickly switch aspect ratios made it a lot more tempting to mix things up a bit, since a trip to the menus wasn’t required.

The back of the LX3 had a pretty standard layout, with a 3″ LCD and cluttered controls.

The LX3 had a snappy UI, effective ‘MEGA OIS’ image stabiliization and plenty of manual controls. It could even capture 720/24p video, which was uncommon in that era. It’s battery life of 380 shots/charge was pretty darn good, too.

A pricey optical viewfinder was an available accessory. Third parties made teleconverters, like this 2.5x model from Fujiyama.

Two other nice things about the LX3 were its support for an optional viewfinder and a threaded lens barrel. The DMW-VF1 was attached via the hot shoe and was framed for 24mm shooting. If you wanted to screw something onto the lens, Panasonic sold a 0.75x wide-angle converter and a number of filters. While Panasonic didn’t sell any teleconverters, third parties did. Fujiyama produced a 2.5x teleconverter, which brought the long end of the lens to 150mm equivalent. 

Ultimately, it’s was the sensor + lens combination that made the LX3 so appealing. The LX3 had very good image quality at its base ISO and it held up well through ISO 800. Having that bright lens made the LX3 very capable in low light, as it allowed the photographer to keep the ISO as low as possible. And at a time when CCDs weren’t exactly noise-free, that made a huge difference.

My colleague Richard Butler adds:

The LX3 is the first compact I ever liked. It also, arguably, rejuvenated the entire sector: everyone else started to make small cameras with bright lenses, including Canon re-launching the S series. Sure, the move to 1″ sensors make the LX3 look rather less impressive, but it still pointed the way towards a generation of enthusiast pocketable compacts with lenses that let you get the best out of their sensors.

Have fond memories of your Panasonic LX3? Share them in the comments below!  Feel free to leave suggestions for future TBT articles as well.

Read our Panasonic LX3 Review

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Updated: A look at the Panasonic DC-GH5’s autofocus system

16 Mar
Pushing forward – Panasonic’s improvements to the autofocus system on the GH5 are impressive, but a few quirks remain.
Out of camera JPEG cropped to taste | ISO 250 | 1/500 sec | F5.1
Photo by Carey Rose

Panasonic’s GH-series has always been a line of highly capable video-centric hybrid cameras, and the GH5 is no exception. Despite this, Panasonic’s work on the autofocus system has resulted in some impressive stills-shooting performance; the camera comes with with updated DFD technology, autofocus custom settings so you can tailor the camera to the movement of your subjects and 9fps shooting in Raw and JPEG with autofocus.

It sure sounds like a winning combination, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. Take a look at our updated first impressions review to learn more.

See how the Panasonic GH5 did in our autofocus tests

Check out the GH5 at a rugby match

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Take a look at the first video cage for the Panasonic GH5

11 Mar

Polish video accessory-maker 8Sinn claims to have made the first video cage for the Panasonic GH5. For $ 550 you get the cage, top handle pro, 15mm rod clamp and a Metabones Support. To give you a quick run through all of its components and assembly, our friends at Photo Gear News have put together the above video. 

You can learn more at 8Sinn’s website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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It shoots stills too: Panasonic GH5 studio scene and sample gallery

08 Mar

At first glance, the Panasonic DC-GH5 might appear to be more video-oriented than otherwise, but with an updated 20MP sensor, a new 12-60mm F2.8-4 kit lens bearing the coveted ‘Leica’ designation and refined autofocus performance, that doesn’t mean it’s not capable of shooting impressive stills as well. Panasonic has also told us they’ve been hard at work updating their JPEG engine, so we’ve taken it out on the town, to a Rugby match, and we’ve carefully analyzed its performance in the the studio to see how it really performs. Click through to take a look.

See the Panasonic GH5 in our
studio test scene

Sample Gallery

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic Lumix DC-GX850 real world samples

08 Mar

The Panasonic GX850 represents the merging of its ‘beauty-oriented’ GF-series and its ultra-small GM-series. Like the GM5 it replaces, it’s just barely coat pocketable with its collapsible 12-32mm F3.5-5.6 kit lens attached. Small as it is, it’s mighty enough to offer a 16MP Four Thirds sensor capable of 4K/30p video capture and Panasonic’s array of 4K-based stills modes. 

See our Panasonic Lumix GX850
sample gallery

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Throwback Thursday: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1, travel zoom pioneer

02 Mar

Prior to February 2006, if you wanted a camera with a long lens, you had to get something like this. But on the 14th of that month, Panasonic introduced the world’s first compact travel zoom camera with optical image stabilization: the Lumix DMC-TZ1, which had a 10x 35-350mm equivalent lens.  Where even relatively compact long-zooms like the Lumix DMC-FZ5 wouldn’t fit in an average-sized pocket with its dimensions of 108 x 68 x 85mm, the TZ1 came in at 112 x 58 x 40mm. Naturally, it was also lighter: 250 g, compared to the FZ5’s 326 g.

So how did Panasonic manage to squeeze a 10x, F2.8-4.2 lens into a body 40mm thick? The answer is folded optics. As you can see from the cutaway above, light comes through the front elements, hits a prism and then travels through the rest of the elements before hitting the camera’s 1/2.5″, 5 Megapixel sensor. In the ‘folded’ section of the lens is where you’ll also find Panasonic’s ‘MEGA OIS’ image stabilization system.

Panasonic bragged about the DMC-TZ1’s ‘fiercely fast’ linear autofocus system which, at the time, had the best response times of any camera in its class, at least according to the company.

So what other features did the TZ1 bring to the table? Its 2.5″, 207k-dot LCD had a ‘high-angle’ function, which really did make the screen visible when holding it above your head (this is before articulating LCDs were a big thing).

The camera had numerous scene modes, including one for shooting out of airplane windows. If I recall, you’d get a warning similar to ‘When using the camera, follow all instructions from the cabin crew’ whenever you switched to that mode. Another scene mode of note was ‘high sensitivity’, which dropped the resolution to 3MP and increased the ISO to 800. As you’d expect, the results weren’t very good. (Overall image quality was good for its day, though noisy.) For the videophile, the DMC-TZ1 captured VGA clips at 30 fps.

Panasonic really broke new ground with the Lumix TZ1, and continues to crank out compact travel zooms to this day (with longer lenses and more pixels, naturally). They may not be big sellers anymore, but there’s something to be said for a camera that covers all the bases for a family vacation.

Read our review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5 sample footage

14 Feb

With access to a pair of production-ready Lumix GH5s running near-final firmware, we headed to a local whiskey distillery to put them to the test. We shot the footage above at 23.9p, 150mbps, 10-bit 4:2:2. One camera was set to Cinelike D, while the other was shooting ‘Like 709.’ You’ll also see examples of 60p footage slowed down by 2.5x as well as the camera’s ‘Focus Transition’ mode.

Download original ProRes 422 file

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic cuts stabilizer hum in Lumix G80/85 and GX80/85 with firmware update

11 Feb

Panasonic has released new firmware for its Lumix DC-G80/81/85 and DC-GX80/GX85 camera models that eliminates the whirring noise caused by the in-body stabilization system while in stand-by mode. Firmware version 1.2, in both cases, also reduces the impact of the noise during video recording, which previously would encroach on the audio of scenes shot in quiet situations. Now in stand-by mode the body is silent whereas before it was really quite noisy.

The new firmware also adds Dual IS 2 to the G80/81/85 when the camera is used with the company’s Leica DG Vario-Elmar 100-400mm F4-6.3 ASPH lens. Dual IS 2 is Panasonic’s improved stabilization system that uses the IS features of both body and lens combined to increase the amount and flexibility of the motion compensation.

For more information see the Panasonic update page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Panasonic Lumix GH5 shipments may be delayed due to high number of pre-orders

08 Feb

Update: Panasonic US has clarified that this announcement is intended for customers in Japan, and availability will vary by country. The GH5 is slated for March 30th availability in the US.

Panasonic Japan has announced that customers who have ordered a Lumix GH5 may face a longer wait due to the high number of pre-orders. The camera is scheduled for release on March 23, and Panasonic is prioritizing pre-order shipments. The GH5 was officially announced at the beginning of January, and Panasonic targeted a ‘late March’ shipping timeframe in its initial announcement.

Via: Photo Rumors

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Fixed-lens filmmaking: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2500/FZ2000 Review

17 Jan

Key Features

  • 20MP 1″-type BSI-CMOS sensor
  • 24-480mm equiv. F2.8-4.5 lens
  • Depth from Defocus AF
  • Large electronic viewfinder
  • Fully articulating LCD
  • Built-in variable ND filter
  • 4K video capture (DCI/UHD)
  • 10-bit, 4:2:2 output over HDMI

At Photokina 2016, Panasonic released its high-end 1″-type superzoom, known as the DMC-FZ2500 (FZ2000 in some regions). It retains the same sensor as the excellent FZ1000 that came before it, while gaining a totally new lens, larger EVF, easy-to-adjust ND filter and even more customizable buttons.

While offering several new stills-related features (such as focus stacking), the FZ2500 is really all about video. It shoots both Cinema and UHD 4K, can output 4:2:2 10-bit video over its HDMI port, supports V-Log L recording (for an extra $ 99) and much, much more. In essence, the FZ2500 is the little brother to the DMC-GH4 ILC, which is one of the most capable video capture cameras on the market.

At this point in time, the only other fixed-lens cameras that truly competes with the FZ2500 is the Sony Cyber-shot RX10 III. The Sony has many features in common with the FZ2500, such as 4K capture, zebra pattern and a flat picture profile (S-Log2), but boasts a longer, faster lens and high speed recording at up to 960 fps.

Compared to Panasonic DMC-FZ1000 and Sony DSC-RX10 III

Speaking of specs, let’s take a look at how the FZ2500 compares to its predecessor as well as Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III, which we consider its closest competitor.

  Panasonic FZ2500 Panasonic FZ1000 Sony RX10 III
MSRP $ 1199 $ 799 $ 1599
Sensor 20MP 1″ BSI-CMOS 20MP 1″ BSI-CMOS 20MP 1″ Stacked CMOS
Lens focal range 24-480mm equiv. 25-400mm equiv. 24-600mm equiv.
Lens max aperture F2.8-4.5 F2.8-4.0 F2.4-4.0
ND filter Variable No No
ISO range (expanded) 80-25600 80-25600 64-25600
Top shutter speed
(mech/elec)		 1/4000 sec, 1/16000 sec 1/4000 sec, 1/16000 sec 1/2000 sec, 1/32000 sec
LCD size/type 3″ 1.04M-dot fully articulating 3″ 921k-dot fully articulating 3″ 1.3M-dot tilting
LCD touchscreen Yes Yes No
EVF resolution/type 2.36M-dot OLED 2.36M-dot OLED 2.36M-dot OLED
EVF magnification 0.74x 0.7x 0.7x
Top burst speed (S-AF) 12 fps 12 fps 14 fps
4K video capture Cine/UHD 4K @ 30p/24p UHD 4K @ 30p/24p UHD 4K @ 30p/24p
High speed video 120 fps @ 1920 x 1080 120 fps @ 1920 x 1080 960 fps @ 800 x 270
480 fps @ 1136 x 384
240 fps @ 1824 x 1026
120 fps @ 1920 x 1080
Top bitrates 4K: 100MBps
Full HD: 200Mbps

4K: 100Mbps
Full HD: 28Mbps

 4K: 100Mbps
Full HD: 50Mbps
Flat profile V-Log L ($ 99 extra) No S-Log2
Live HDMI output 4:2:2, 10-bit 4:2:2, 8-bit 4:2:2, 8-bit
Mic/phone jacks Yes / Yes Yes / No Yes / Yes
Wi-Fi Yes, without NFC Yes, with NFC Yes, with NFC
Battery life (CIPA) 350 shots 360 shots 420 shots
Dimensions 138 x 102 x 135 mm  137 x 99 x 131 mm 133 x 94 x 127 mm
Weight (CIPA) 966 g 831 g 1095 g

In most respects, the FZ2500 comes out on top – and that’s without including the myriad of video features that just don’t fit in the table.  The RX10 III does have a longer, faster lens and the ability to shoot at very fast frame rates, but it also costs a lot more. It’s battery life is also considerably better. That said, it costs $ 400 more than the FZ2500, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Lens Comparison

The chart below breaks down the equivalent aperture for each camera, as you work your way through the zoom range. Our article here explains the concept of equivalence, but at a high level all you need to know is that the lower the line is on the graph below, the blurrier the backgrounds you’ll be able to get and, typically, the better the overall low-light performance.

LensEquivalentApertures([“Equivalent focal length (mm)”,”Panasonic FZ1000″,”Sony RX10 II”,”Panasonic ZS100″,”Sony RX10 III”,”Panasonic FZ2500″], [[24,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX10 II at 24mm: F7.6″,null,””,6.5454545454545459,”Sony RX10 III at 24mm: F6.5″,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 24mm: F7.6″],[25,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 25mm: F7.6″,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Panasonic ZS100 at 25mm: F7.6″,6.8181818181818183,”Sony RX10 III at 25mm: F6.8″,7.9090909090909092,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 25mm: F7.9″],[26,7.9090909090909092,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 26mm: F7.9″,null,””,7.9090909090909092,”Panasonic ZS100 at 26mm: F7.9″,null,””,null,””],[27,null,””,null,””,8.1818181818181834,”Panasonic ZS100 at 27mm: F8.2″,null,””,null,””],[28,null,””,null,””,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX10 III at 28mm: F7.6″,8.1818181818181834,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 28mm: F8.2″],[30,8.1818181818181834,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 30mm: F8.2″,null,””,8.7272727272727284,”Panasonic ZS100 at 30mm: F8.7″,null,””,8.454545454545455,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 30mm: F8.5″],[32,null,””,null,””,9.0,”Panasonic ZS100 at 32mm: F9.0″,null,””,8.7272727272727284,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 32mm: F8.7″],[34,8.454545454545455,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 34mm: F8.5″,null,””,9.2727272727272734,”Panasonic ZS100 at 34mm: F9.3″,null,””,null,””],[35,null,””,null,””,null,””,8.7272727272727284,”Sony RX10 III at 35mm: F8.7″,9.0,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 35mm: F9.0″],[36,null,””,null,””,9.5454545454545467,”Panasonic ZS100 at 36mm: F9.5″,null,””,null,””],[39,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,9.2727272727272734,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 39mm: F9.3″],[41,8.7272727272727284,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 41mm: F8.7″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[43,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,9.5454545454545467,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 43mm: F9.5″],[47,9.0,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 47mm: F9.0″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[49,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,9.81818181818182,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 49mm: F9.8″],[51,9.2727272727272734,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 51mm: F9.3″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[56,null,””,null,””,null,””,9.5454545454545467,”Sony RX10 III at 56mm: F9.5″,10.090909090909092,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 56mm: F10.1″],[58,9.5454545454545467,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 58mm: F9.5″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[63,9.81818181818182,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 63mm: F9.8″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[69,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.363636363636363,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 69mm: F10.4″],[70,10.090909090909092,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 70mm: F10.1″,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.636363636363637,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 70mm: F10.6″],[79,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.90909090909091,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 79mm: F10.9″],[84,10.363636363636363,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 84mm: F10.4″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[91,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,11.181818181818182,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 91mm: F11.2″],[100,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.90909090909091,”Sony RX10 III at 100mm: F10.9″,null,””],[102,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,11.454545454545457,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 102mm: F11.5″],[105,10.636363636363637,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 105mm: F10.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[144,null,””,null,””,15.818181818181818,”Panasonic ZS100 at 144mm: F15.8″,null,””,null,””],[151,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,11.727272727272728,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 151mm: F11.7″],[157,null,””,null,””,16.090909090909093,”Panasonic ZS100 at 157mm: F16.1″,null,””,null,””],[170,10.90909090909091,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 170mm: F10.9″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[200,null,””,7.6363636363636367,”Sony RX10 II at 200mm: F7.6″,null,””,null,””,null,””],[208,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,12.000000000000002,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 208mm: F12.0″],[250,null,””,null,””,16.090909090909093,”Panasonic ZS100 at 250mm: F16.1″,null,””,null,””],[262,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,12.272727272727273,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 262mm: F12.3″],[400,10.90909090909091,”Panasonic FZ1000 at 400mm: F10.9″,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””],[480,null,””,null,””,null,””,null,””,12.272727272727273,”Panasonic FZ2500 at 480mm: F12.3″],[600,null,””,null,””,null,””,10.90909090909091,”Sony RX10 III at 600mm: F10.9″,null,””]])

Focusing just on the FZ2500 vs RX10 III, you’ll see that the latter gets a headstart, as its max aperture starts at F2.4, versus F2.8. The RX10 III is always a tiny bit ahead, until it levels off at F4 for the rest of its focal length. When the FZ2500 reaches its maximum telephoto position it’s equivalent aperture is about 1/3-stop slower than the Sony. The camera with the fastest equivalent aperture in the group is the Sony RX10 II, which has a constant F2.8 aperture throughout its focal range (which ends at 200mm.)

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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