Issue 2, Vol 1 - April / May 2007

The new LUMIX range of digital compact cameras The Leica / Panasonic LUMIX range of cameras offer some interesting choices for a small candid camera or a secondary camera by Jon Mitchell Sleek, packed with features and with higher resolution sensors, the new Leica / Panasonic LUMIX range also sport Aspherical Leica Vario-Elmar lenses. All this comes in at reasonable prices too. For instance, the DMC-LX2S (pictured, left) is 10.2 Megapixel, has a 4x Optical Zoom, MEGA Optical Image Stabilization, 16:9 Image Recording and has a 3200 ISO setting for low light conditions. This model costs about £300 (US$600). The DMC-LX2K has similar specs and sells at the same price. These two are worth a serious look if you like shooting images on rangefinder cameras. If that is too hard on your wallet, then other new cameras in this range are worth checking out. The DMC-LZ5S is a 6-Megapixel camera with MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer, High Sensitivity Mode & 6x Optical Zoom (37-222mm in 35mm terms) and is quite a good camera for the price, which is just around £100 (US$200). While Leica made a less-than-impressive entry into the digital market with the Digilux 1 (one of which I once owned and the difference with the latest range from Leica has led me to look at them once again). One gaff is repeated here, that while they look like rangefinders, actually, you need to use the screen to compose images - due to the fact there is no viewfinder on most of these cameras. The Leica Digilux 3 is an impressive camera and is a good option if you have a little more cash to spend and like the label. Light, easy to use and with fine optics, the new range of LUMIX offers several good options for those who like to use rangefinder cameras and want good value for money. The design of this range is also now better than the first creations, making it worth a serious look.