LX7 - a compact camera of beauty

I couldn't resist. This is my LX7 kit. At this time, I cannot imagine a more versatile camera for day-to-day photography.



My LX7 with added: wrist strap, DMW-LVF2 electronic viewfinder, DMW-FA1 filter adapter, B+W 37mm UV MRC filter, Lumix DMW-LPLA37 thin circular polarizer.

Photograph made with tripod-mounted Olympus E-PL5, Leica 25mm f/1.4 Summilux, B+W circular polarizer.



Jim Pilcher

Summit County, Colorado, USA

Lovely indeed.

Two questions:

What wrist strap are you using?

Are you able to stack the filters without vignetting? It would be convenient to be able to leave the UV filter on all the time and just add the polarizing filter as needed.

Day Hiker said:

James Pilcher wrote:

I couldn't resist. This is my LX7 kit. At this time, I cannot imagine a more versatile camera for day-to-day photography.

My LX7 with added: wrist strap, DMW-LVF2 electronic viewfinder, DMW-FA1 filter adapter, B+W 37mm UV MRC filter, Lumix DMW-LPLA37 thin circular polarizer.

Photograph made with tripod-mounted Olympus E-PL5, Leica 25mm f/1.4 Summilux, B+W circular polarizer.

Jim Pilcher

Click to expand...

I have nothing from that set, but I have nice leather case to protect camera during transport instead



I would buy this viewfinder but it costs ca 300$ in my country so it is too expensive.(For LX-7 I have paid more than 550 $!!!



I have to buy filter adatpter to protect lens because it is dangerous to use it as it is...

even withot filter - it is easy to hit the extended parts of zoom lens.


How do you find EVF quality?

How does the EPL5 compare to the LX7? Funny...I have been torn between the two and then spotted your post. I have an LX5 and am looking for greater dynamic range and wouldn't mind a few extra pixels for larger prints and cropping.

panoptic said:

panoptic wrote:

Lovely indeed.

Two questions:

What wrist strap are you using?

Click to expand...

Op-Tech. I purchased it about four years ago for my Leica D-Lux 4 (LX3). I found it hanging on the rack at my local camera dealer. I don't know if it is still available. About $9 USD.

panoptic said:

Are you able to stack the filters without vignetting? It would be convenient to be able to leave the UV filter on all the time and just add the polarizing filter as needed.

Click to expand...

No stacking! I just checked. Vignetting occurs at the 24mm wide end if I stack these filters. I'm not sure what would happen if the UV filter were also one of the new ultra thins. Problem: Some thin filters have no thread on the front to allow stacking.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Chris62 said:

Chris62 wrote:

How do you find EVF quality?

Click to expand...

I love the EVF. It changes the character of the camera. I particularly like the tilt feature which allows me to look downward into the viewfinder, particularly when mounted on a tripod.

I do not like that I have to shade my eye sometimes to block light coming in from the side. I wish the EVF had a better (deeper) eyecup.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Andrew MM said:

Andrew MM wrote:

How does the EPL5 compare to the LX7? Funny...I have been torn between the two and then spotted your post. I have an LX5 and am looking for greater dynamic range and wouldn't mind a few extra pixels for larger prints and cropping.

Click to expand...

Not to answer for the OP, but I have both also. The EPL5 sensor obviously blows the LX7's away, BUT, to make the EPL5 anywhere near as versatile as the LX7, you need a bag full of lenses, or at least a few. I've done some short trips with the two of them, the LX5 for most shooting, but the EPL5 with one fast prime (the new Olympus 17mm f1.8 is working for me these days) for those real low light situations where you might be able to get by with the LX7, but you'll do a whole lot more than get by with the EPL5. Realistically, the LX7 isn't good much beyond ISO 800 - the EPL5 is good well beyond 3200, so you compare f1.8 at 3200 or 4000 to f1.4 (1.6 if you're shooting at the similar 35mm FOV) at 800-1000, and you can do things with the EPL5 that you simply can't with the LX7. But for most shooting in decent to good light, the LX7 files are very very good. And if you can stay down near base ISO, they're really quite excellent. So they're good companions, these two cameras.

Then again, I also have an OMD and an X-Pro and plenty of lenses for both, so I tend to take more than I need rather than less, but every now and then I like to go minimal, and the LX7 is the best minimal tool I've found...


-Ray
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Andrew MM said:

Andrew MM wrote:

How does the EPL5 compare to the LX7? Funny...I have been torn between the two and then spotted your post. I have an LX5 and am looking for greater dynamic range and wouldn't mind a few extra pixels for larger prints and cropping.

Click to expand...

The E-PL5 blows away the LX7 in overall image quality; I have done direct comparisons. It is a superior camera. I use premium primes on the E-PL5 and the quality of the results show. Be aware, though, that the E-PL5 with, say, the Leica 25mm f/1.4 lens, is several times the price of the LX7.

That being said, I find the LX7 more fun to use. I take it with me almost everywhere. I have zero meaningful complaints about the LX7. It's a terrific camera with better DR than the LX5; some say about 1 stop. The DR of the E-PL5 is even greater. The E-PL5 raw files are extremely malleable in Lightroom. I have to be more careful about exposure with the LX7, which is easy when using the live histogram.

Both cameras have a place in my kit and will stay there.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

I figured the EPL5 with a prime would be superior. How about with a zoom/kit lens? Is there much difference at the lowest settings? I shoot primarily early/late light landscape and never go above 100 on the LX5 (higher on DSLR since it has a slower lens and can shoot high ISO).

I think the answer to both your problems is a Clear Viewer. It's much cheaper, takes up less room and the way you hold your camera blocks the light from the side. Google it if you are not already familiar with it.

Jack

Lovely setup, Jim! I have an LX7 and have been eyeing the filter adapter. It makes so much sense to just get it.

I'm with Ray. I like the combo of LX7 + a Pen with a fast prime. (I went with the EPM2.) A fast prime on M43 is still streets ahead, but the LX7 with its "wide dynamic range" sensor holds up well at base ISO. The LX7 is a nice, unobtrusive little camera for those times when you don't want to have to think about changing lenses or carry even a small bag. And interesting enough I take some of my best photos with the LX7.

Andrew MM said:

Andrew MM wrote:

I figured the EPL5 with a prime would be superior. How about with a zoom/kit lens? Is there much difference at the lowest settings? I shoot primarily early/late light landscape and never go above 100 on the LX5 (higher on DSLR since it has a slower lens and can shoot high ISO).

Click to expand...

I am the wrong person to ask about m4/3 kit zooms. I have had two copies of the latest Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 R II. Both were absolutely terrible lenses, but others claim they are quite good. In my experience, you will be leagues ahead with the LX7 if you do not plan to go beyond a m4/3 kit zoom.

The Olympus XZ-2 might interest you too because of its tilt LCD, which is wonderful on a tripod. I use the tilt LCD on my E-PL5 quite often.

My E-PL5 lens kit is Lumix 8mm f/3.5 fisheye, Zuiko 12mm f/2, PanaLeica 25mm f/1.4, Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 and Zuiko 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7. The zoom only goes out with me when I know I'm going birding or something like that. While not as convenient as a one-lens landscape outfit, it returns results.

Consider the Lumix 12-35mm f/2.8 if you want a quality "kit" zoom in m4/3 suitable for landscapes. I have opted for the primes because I'm a fast-glass freak. I like having f/1.4 or f/2 available when I want it. That's a big reason I jumped on the LX7 too!


Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Member said:

SLOtographer wrote:

Lovely setup, Jim! I have an LX7 and have been eyeing the filter adapter. It makes so much sense to just get it.

Click to expand...

It was the first accessory that I purchased. I like protecting my lens (see story below) and being able to properly use a polarizer on a compact camera is great.

Story: While considering the LX7, I had the opportunity to purchase a mint Leica D-Lux 5 (LX5), except for a bad mark on the front lens element. The camera was perfect in every other respect. It appeared to have been some sort of chemical spill that ate into the lens coating. I dunno, maybe citric acid from an orange, or ??? Anyway, I passed on that camera and purchased the LX7 when I found out about the filter adapter. I ordered it straight away from Japan and screwed in my B+W 37mm UV MRC filter.

Be aware, that a normal B+W or Heliopan circular polarizer might not work properly with the filter adapter. Two of us in this forum (MustangJoe?) had problems with the B+W binding against the front lens barrel. It appears that the filter adapter is maybe 1mm too shallow to use with the design of the B+W polarizer. The solution: Purchase the Panasonic Lumix thin polarizer mentioned in the LX7 instruction manual. It is quite good and does not bind in the least. I got mine directly from the Shop Panasonic web site for about $62 USD.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Day Hiker said:

James Pilcher wrote:

Two of us in this forum (MustangJoe?) had problems with the B+W binding against the front lens barrel.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Click to expand...

Hi Jim,

It wasn't me. Like you, I have the Panansonic polarizer.

I recently purchased the B&W ND110 37mm ND filter which gives you an extra 10 stops. It's about the same depth as the Panasonic polarizer and doesn't have any vignetting at maximum wide angle but it does if you combine it with another filter.

Here's an image taken with it. That's a 10 second exposure at f8 and maximum wide angle in really bright sunshine with lots of white snow. I'm looking forward to taking it on a waterfall shoot.

Joe

That's a great surface to use as a backdrop - really shows the camera off well.

I like your photo. The water flows nicely, but gets a little lost in the frame. I make that comment, though, only because I'm looking for the effects of the filter!

Do you have any comments about noise with very long exposures with the LX7? I've done some exposures up to 4+ seconds at ISO 80 and I detect no distracting noise to speak of.

I'm looking forward to your waterfall experiments.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

dale thorn said:

dale thorn wrote:

That's a great surface to use as a backdrop - really shows the camera off well.

Click to expand...

Thanks. I, too, thought the photo turned out rather well.

I cannot take credit for unusual foresight or a conscious artful decision though. It's a table in my living room that has a lamp on it. I arranged the LX7 kit quickly, put a large white paper reflector on the opposite side of the camera from the main light, and snapped away in raw from a tripod. I chose my final white balance in Lightroom.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Day Hiker said:

James Pilcher wrote:

Day Hiker said:

panoptic wrote:

Lovely indeed.

Two questions:

What wrist strap are you using?

Click to expand...

Op-Tech. I purchased it about four years ago for my Leica D-Lux 4 (LX3). I found it hanging on the rack at my local camera dealer. I don't know if it is still available. About $9 USD.

Day Hiker said:

Are you able to stack the filters without vignetting? It would be convenient to be able to leave the UV filter on all the time and just add the polarizing filter as needed.

Click to expand...

No stacking! I just checked. Vignetting occurs at the 24mm wide end if I stack these filters. I'm not sure what would happen if the UV filter were also one of the new ultra thins. Problem: Some thin filters have no thread on the front to allow stacking.

Jim Pilcher
Summit County, Colorado, USA

Click to expand...

I just received the Panasonic filter adapter, clear MC protector filter, and polarizing filter. I am able to stack the polarizer on the MC filter without any noticeable vignetting at 24mm. I have not tested it extensively, but so far so good. Both filters are the Panasonic versions.

Similar setup with the exception of a metal hood.