Posted by Mel Ladewig on December 30, 2008 at 12:37 PM
LX3, 12.1mm (60mm equivalent), processed in LR2.2
I updated Lightroom to version 2.2 yesterday which added raw support for the LX3 files. I've also had time to get a better feel for the camera. First, I've had a chance to play with some of the "film modes" which are like the picture styles in Canon's slrs. They affect the jpeg image, but don't appear to have any impact on the RW2 raw files. The 3 B&W film modes are very nice applying different curves to the image. Strangely, the film modes are not replicated in the Silkypix software and there are no dng profiles for them in lightroom. The dynamic range in the RAW file doesn't appear to be as good as an SLR would be, but its still quite good.
On the camera itself you can change the review time on the shots you've captured. I've set my review time to "no review" and it allows you to shoot much quicker. If you set it to 1 or 2 seconds, then you must wait for the review to complete before taking another shot.
If you shoot in manual focus, there is a neat hyperfocal scale that goes along with the aperture you've selected. If you shoot in hyperfocal style, there is practically no shutter lag. It takes less than a second to take another shot. Also when you are in manual focus, a magnified box pops up when you are adjusting the focus and you can point this box to any portion of the frame.
When you are shooting in autofocus, there is a neat little button next to the shutter release which allows you to place the AF box anywhere on the frame. Very cool since it only has one active AF area.
There is a user assignable Fn key. I've set it to ISO for myself, but there are lots of options. All the image settings [Film Mode, White Balance, Metering Mode, AF Mode, Auto ISO mode, ISO and the screen power] can be reached by clicking the Q.Menu button.
The screen seems to be easy to see in daylight and it has a hi power mode to see it in bright light. I have not needed this yet. But if that fails, there is an accessory viewfinder available that clips into the hot shoe, which sits centered above the lens.
The macro range is silly. Close focus is indicated as .04 feet or 1/2 inch at the 5.1mm focal length, but the CA is quite bad at this range. Backing up to an inch or so is much better.
I've printed a 4X6 shot from ISO 400 and it shows more grain than my DSLR would have, but its a very fine texture and the image detail is reasonably good. The IS works well, so if the subject is still, you can shoot confidently in the 1/15th range. ISO 800 and above really are much better with an SLR.
Hopefully this is a helpful review. I know this and the G10 are attractive cameras for those of us who backpack.
Posted by Mel Ladewig on December 30, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Here is a 100% crop from the lightroom file above. I applied a little more than normal sharpening in lightroom, and I think it has hurt this 100% when I applied final sharpening causing some artifacts. The P&S files are definitely a bit different than an SLR file, so it will take some time to dial in good standard settings.
A small addition. The ring which holds the lens cap in place can be unscrewed to add an extension ring to the camera with a threaded filter ring. With this you can use a polarizer, ND or GND holder. I think the G10 has a similar accessory.
I've enjoyed the last few shots of GOG you've posted from your LX3...if ever I get some extra cash, I think I will pick up one of them so accompany my Olympus setup. Happy New Year!
Discussion
2 repliesI updated Lightroom to version 2.2 yesterday which added raw support for the LX3 files. I've also had time to get a better feel for the camera. First, I've had a chance to play with some of the "film modes" which are like the picture styles in Canon's slrs. They affect the jpeg image, but don't appear to have any impact on the RW2 raw files. The 3 B&W film modes are very nice applying different curves to the image. Strangely, the film modes are not replicated in the Silkypix software and there are no dng profiles for them in lightroom. The dynamic range in the RAW file doesn't appear to be as good as an SLR would be, but its still quite good.
On the camera itself you can change the review time on the shots you've captured. I've set my review time to "no review" and it allows you to shoot much quicker. If you set it to 1 or 2 seconds, then you must wait for the review to complete before taking another shot.
If you shoot in manual focus, there is a neat hyperfocal scale that goes along with the aperture you've selected. If you shoot in hyperfocal style, there is practically no shutter lag. It takes less than a second to take another shot. Also when you are in manual focus, a magnified box pops up when you are adjusting the focus and you can point this box to any portion of the frame.
When you are shooting in autofocus, there is a neat little button next to the shutter release which allows you to place the AF box anywhere on the frame. Very cool since it only has one active AF area.
There is a user assignable Fn key. I've set it to ISO for myself, but there are lots of options. All the image settings [Film Mode, White Balance, Metering Mode, AF Mode, Auto ISO mode, ISO and the screen power] can be reached by clicking the Q.Menu button.
The screen seems to be easy to see in daylight and it has a hi power mode to see it in bright light. I have not needed this yet. But if that fails, there is an accessory viewfinder available that clips into the hot shoe, which sits centered above the lens.
The macro range is silly. Close focus is indicated as .04 feet or 1/2 inch at the 5.1mm focal length, but the CA is quite bad at this range. Backing up to an inch or so is much better.
I've printed a 4X6 shot from ISO 400 and it shows more grain than my DSLR would have, but its a very fine texture and the image detail is reasonably good. The IS works well, so if the subject is still, you can shoot confidently in the 1/15th range. ISO 800 and above really are much better with an SLR.
Hopefully this is a helpful review. I know this and the G10 are attractive cameras for those of us who backpack.
A small addition. The ring which holds the lens cap in place can be unscrewed to add an extension ring to the camera with a threaded filter ring. With this you can use a polarizer, ND or GND holder. I think the G10 has a similar accessory.
I've enjoyed the last few shots of GOG you've posted from your LX3...if ever I get some extra cash, I think I will pick up one of them so accompany my Olympus setup. Happy New Year!