Panasonic DMC-LX5 firmware v2 studio shots posted

Hi folks. I've just installed the 2.0 firmware update, but am not sure about the following:

1. Now that the update has been successfully completed, can I safely delete the update software (LX5_V20.bin) from my SD memory card?

2. The last step in Panasonic's firmware update instructions is to format the SD Memory Card used for the firmware update before taking photos. I have found the format software here http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/sd/download/index.html BUT can't find any instructions on how to actually use this software to format the SD card. No doubt this is so simple that instructions are not provided, but that doesn't factor in tech dummies like me being too scared to try anything out of fear of messing up the card and possibly my camera! Could some kind soul assist with simple instructions pls?

Thanks!

New fw's high iso NR looks better, however at lower iso 100/400 there seems to be too much NR going on.

Does anybody here know how to 'downgrade' or rollback to previous version, please ? Thanks in advance.

It would be really nice if, in a future firmware update, Panasonic were to do one of the following things:

- add flash compensation to the list of functions that can be assigned to the Fn button,

- add flash compensation to the Quick Menu (perhaps instead of the Picture size option - it doesn't do anything useful, just downgrades the quality of the pictures, and can't be compared to flash compensation in its usefulness),

- either change the function of the left button from self-timer to flash compensation or include the option to do so into the camera menu.

I imagine all of these things are rather simple to implement - and any of these things would most certainly be greatly appreciated by many LX5 owners.

An improvement in auto-focus speeds is always welcome!

However, it's a great pity they did nothing about the buried place of the <b>flash compensation</b> setting!

Like I've already written here (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1033&message=37981885),

They have <b>exposure compensation</b> as a dedicated function of the rear dial (say, in the P mode), whereas the equally useful <b>flash compensation</b> not only doesn't have a dedicated button, but isn't even included in the Quick Menu! Furethemore, it can't even be assigned to the Fn button!..

I think that's a gross oversight. I mean, surely flash compensation is a more frequently used function, on average, than, say, self-timer - which has a dedicated button, a weird choice indeed!

Thanks to this message below --"Ignore the instructions to copy to the first level of the directory... simply drag the UNzipped LX5 firmware to the icon of the SD card on your desktop (and make sure the file is unzipped)." -- I did a successful and fast installation using a Mac. Still, this does not replace the hour of frustration three days back when NOTHING worked. I should also point out that, on my desktop at least, the file unzipped (.bin) looks like the file zipped. Thanks for the forum. Here's a case where it made a difference for me.

Good news: Panasonic has shown with the LX3 and LX5 that they will improve their products after they ship them.

Not so good news: If this just came out, I guess it's gonna be a while before the LX6/7...

Fascinating to compare with the LX3 at ISO 800 and 1600--if you look at jpegs, there is no comparison, the LX5 blows it completely out of the water. Look at raw results, though, and to my eyes it is not at all clear there is much difference. Looks like the main improvement over several years has been in image processing algorithms (which is very good, don't get me wrong) rather than in sensors (which is just a bit of a surprise). Since I shoot in raw, and mostly at 24mm equivalent, I still don't feel any need to upgrade from an LX3.

You can read "THURSDAY" at ISO 3200 !!!!!

(In the watch face BTW. For those who haven't looked in detail at the watch in the last 6 years)

I'm sorry - on my Macbook using Firefox version 6.0.2 I clicked at "Click here to view firmware ... on and off" and only got five empty frames.

What was wrong?

Anyone do the firmware update using a Windows 7 (64 bit) computer?

Download and extraction appear to go correctly, however the file is a bit smaller than Panasonic says it should be, 15.25 MB not 16.??MM.

Then move the .bin file to the photo folder on a LX5 formatted SD card, insert card and start camera, push the play arrow and nothing except the message that there are no pictures--tried taking a few pictures and moving the .bin file to that subfolder the LX5 creates, then restarted the camera with that card in it, hit play, and still nothing.

Given Val Yang's question below, I have to imagine there's something wrong when doing this process on a Windows 7 (64 bit) machine.

Have to try a Mac I guess.

When will Panasonic update their CODEC to work on Windows 64 bit systems?

Downloaded on Vista 64. Had to run the .exe file to convert it to a .bin file. Did I miss that step in the instructions? I see the new menu item. Took a few test shots. Did NOT see any differences. I'll do some 'real' captures as I am very interested in the higher ISO noise reduction for some event captures when not using my D3s.

I was having the same issue updating the LX5 on a Mac. I finally resolved it by formating an SD card on the LX5 and then copying the .bin file to the newly formatted card.

OK - You can make it work with a Mac - but you have to reset the camera to default! (Not necessary in with Windows..... Why?)

The download only works in Windows.

I tried on my Mac (Snow Leopard) - the camera did not recognise the update file. I bootcamped to Windows 7 and re downloaded the update and it worked.

Annoying.

Having been playing it with it a little and like wow.improvement in focus speed is great and high iso is much better

i test it.it very good.awsome.good in NR.good in anti shake.very good min sutter.and many think.g12 its not comparable .

Interesting to compare to Canon G12 at same ISO.

HJ