LX3 images

[ozimax]

Picked up a Panasonic LX3 last week as a travel camera. I've read all the reviews and I am not disappointed with the images. I have owned both the G9 and G10 in the last 12 months or so, and sold both. Both were wonderful cameras, but just a tad too big for true pocketability. The LX3 is noticeably smaller. The F2 lens really sings. Anyway, here's a few first snaps:

Sawtell headland, full sunlight last Saturday, macro mode, image unprocessed except for re-sizing.


Botanic Gardens, fading late afternoon light in the shade, image unprocessed (except for facial tweaking with Portrait Professional).

[surenj]

I also have a LX3 and it's quite good for video as well. I do struggle with RAW files having to use Silkypix. The distortion of the lens is also an issue but those things aside, what a great camera to use. It even looks good!

[ozimax]

I also have a LX3 and it's quite good for video as well. I do struggle with RAW files having to use Silkypix. The distortion of the lens is also an issue but those things aside, what a great camera to use. It even looks good!

Now Silkypix is one weird and wacky programme. Engrish aside, I haven't used it but once, but then again, I rarely shoot raw anyway.

As for the video, I must use it one day too. (I've never been much of a videographer.) I am thoroughly enjoying this little gem. It makes photography a lot of fun.

[chrisk]

i'm totally in love with mine. mind you, wrestling out of the wife's hands is quite another matter. its been near impossible. colours are punchy, lens is sharp, small and easy to handle. just what the doctor ordered for a small P&S. (apart from that dumb ass lens cap.)

[ozimax]

i'm totally in love with mine. mind you, wrestling out of the wife's hands is quite another matter. its been near impossible. colours are punchy, lens is sharp, small and easy to handle. just what the doctor ordered for a small P&S. (apart from that dumb ass lens cap.)

I think I'm getting used to the lens cap business. I attached the fine thread to it and haven't lost it, yet.

I do a fair bit of walking, so now I just tuck it inside a small bum bag (or baggy pocket) and off I go, looking for things to capture.

[surenj]

Boys, Don't forget to use it with a radio trigger to do off camera flash. This camera is a lot of fun indeed. If you are stuck in a glass cubicle, one could use it as a brick to break the glass

[DaveB]

I also have a LX3 and it's quite good for video as well. I do struggle with RAW files having to use Silkypix.

Don't you have access to Adobe Camera Raw? (via Photoshop, Lightroom, or recent versions of Photoshop Elements)
You shouldn't have to put up with Silkypix.

[ozimax]

Boys, Don't forget to use it with a radio trigger to do off camera flash. This camera is a lot of fun indeed. If you are stuck in a glass cubicle, one could use it as a brick to break the glass

I have ordered some cactus v4 triggers this week, should arrive tomorrow. I was going to order some cybersyncs but I went for the cheap option initially. We'll see how things go. Radio triggers seem the way to go for OCF stuff.

[surenj]

Dave,

I use lightroom(always) + CS2 (as necessary) as a routine with my DSLR.

With the LX3 I can't use LR as it doesn't recognise the files. Apparently panasonic didn't let adobe have the processing algorithms. The scoop may be that the f2 lens causes alot of distortion at 24mm so panasonic corrects them secretly in RAW (silkypix) and didn't want adobe to know this.

I haven't tried adobe camera raw because my understanding was that you need to process the images one by one.... Besides I didn't know whether it was compatible.

[Matt. K]

Suren
Have you tried converting the files to Adobe DNG files? The converter is free to download and once converted then Camera RAW will recognise them.

[surenj]

I didn't know one could do this!!!!

Thanks for the tip Matt and Dave....

[DaveB]

The current versions of Lightroom (2.2+) and ACR (5.2 or later, part of CS4) can handle the LX3 files natively. The current DNG Converter can also handle them and produce DNG files that older versions of ACR/LR can process.

HOWEVER, there are some compatibility issues with these files.

With the release of Camera Raw 5.2 (and upcoming release of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom® 2.2), there is an important exception in DNG file handling for the Panasonic DMC-LX3, Panasonic DMC-FX150, Panasonic DMC-FZ28, Panasonic DMC-G1, and Leica D-LUX 4. For those who choose to convert these native, proprietary files to the DNG file format, a linear DNG format is the only conversion option available at this time. A linear DNG file has gone through a demosaic process that converts a single mosaic layer of red, green, and blue channel information into three distinct layers, one for each channel. The resulting linear DNG file is approximately three times the size of a mosaic DNG file or the original proprietary file format.

This exception is a temporary solution to help ensure that Panasonic's and Leica's intended image rendering from their proprietary raw file format is applied to an image when converted DNG files are viewed in third-party software titles. The same image-rendering process is applied automatically in Camera Raw 5.2 and in Photoshop Lightroom 2.2 when viewing the original proprietary raw file format.

In a future release, Adobe plans to update the DNG specification to include an option to embed metadata-based representations of the lens compensations in the DNG file, allowing a mosaic DNG conversion. In the interim, Adobe recommends only converting these files to DNG to allow compatibility with third-party raw converters, previous versions of the Camera Raw plug-in, or previous versions of Photoshop Lightroom.

ACR 5.4 and LR 2.4 incorporate the DNG 1.3 standard, which has those new options. LR2 can now do a lot better with the LX3 native files than earlier versions.
But the flip side of that is that if you're saving DNG files to use in CS2 or LR1 you may need to find the magic option to the DNG Converter to create files in an older DNG version.

If you're using Lightroom 2 you can update to the current version (2.5) and use the LX3 RAW files natively. You don't NEED CS2 to be able to handle the RAW files, as Lightroom will do that and pass over PSD or TIFF files to Photoshop when required.

[surenj]

Thanks DaveB... Looks like it's easier to try and upgrade to LR2. I will have to find a few hours to do installations etc etc. Hate installing new stuff as windoze will complain.

[chrisk]

surenj, just to confirm the latest LR, (i think its 2.4 from memory), opens all LX3 files. if i shoot raw, (which is pretty rare i must say), thats what i use.

[DaveB]

LR 2.2 (late 2008) was the first one to support the LX3 at all.
LR 2.4 (June 2009) was the first one with the new support including opcodes for the LX3 images.
LR 2.5 came out earlier this week (free update for any licenced 2.x users of course).

[surenj]

Thanks Rooz and Dave, This is very good news. I gave up using Silkypix (uninstalled) and stopped using RAW files on the LX3 pretty much the day I bought it! Since then I aven't kept up. FINALLY I can use LR to catalogue my PS photos!!!

[ozimax]

Another LX3 image. Snapped this shot in a coffee shop yesterday morning with my daughter and grandson, in iA mode, jpg and low-ish light. I am ever so impressed with this camera.

[Killakoala]

A good camera still needs a good photographer to take good photos. I think that shows in your lovely images.

[zafra52]

I like the vivid colours in the first, the natural pose of the lady in the second, and the composition and natural skin tones and colours in the last one. But what I like above all is that you are happy with your new toy and I am looking forward to see more pictures.

[ozimax]

It is true, the camera that you have with you is the one you will use. My trusty 40D is not getting as much use these days.

[malificentmuse]

I recently bought this camera around 2 weeks ago, and am in love with it, it's everything I could ask for packaged into something pocketable, it's definitely something I could carry everywhere and even to informal things (where I usually lugged around my d90). I've yet to do anything extensive with it, but compared to my last P&S a Sony DSC-W300, I am impressed by the image quality.

Has anyone done any strobist work with this camera? I'm thinking of giving it a try, shutter syncs at 1/2000 apparently, but that wouldn't be the case with radio triggers.

I've noticed people have been talking about the lenscap and thats something that I've come to be slightly conflicted about, does anyone use the Ricoh LC-1 or equivalent with this camera?

[ozimax]

Has anyone done any strobist work with this camera? I'm thinking of giving it a try, shutter syncs at 1/2000 apparently, but that wouldn't be the case with radio triggers.

I have tried it with Canon flashes attached and using OCF with Cactus V4 triggers. No problems with either.

I've noticed people have been talking about the lenscap and thats something that I've come to be slightly conflicted about, does anyone use the Ricoh LC-1 or equivalent with this camera?

The cap never bothered me.

[surenj]

I sometimes use my canon 430EX on AND off camera with this. No problems. It's very top heavy when the flash is attached. It's a bit wierd getting used to the controls at first.