Panasonic Lumix LX100 Lens problem

I have sometime this problem but I think it's a battery issue. If I put a fully charged battery it disappears. I have four batteries, it's cheap and I can't stand the idea of missing a picture because of a lake of battery. Did you try with a brand new battery ? If you have only one it could be tired (too much unecessary recharge cycles)...

Good luck

It happened to me with the original battery which was about 2 months old. Fully charged.

Time for an update, as this thread (and threat) is picking up speed surprisingly...

For the record, I bought my LX100 in Cologne, Germany in 7/2015. Every time I took the camera in for repair, I had the service people write down in detail the absence of physical damage... had that happen to me before... The issue some more people by now have wittnessed is definitely not due to weak batteries, but is hard to pin down as it obviously only occurs after a while of sitting on the shelf, and the more you try to reproduce it, the less the fault is there. In my imagination, I see some grease harden up in some delicate thread or gear...

Interstingly, 2 weeks after I received the successfully repaired camera, the service departent called me and suggested to now exchange the camera against a new one from their stock free of charge "because this happened to the camera once, it might happen again" (no further explanations), so I did as they told me.

Needless to say, only when up in the mountains for a three week holiday I realized that the (brand new, out of the box before my very eyes) camera had something sticking to the optics internally, leaving a dark spot on every picture taken with f5.6 or higher... also, the new camera chose to freeze every now and then, leaving me with the only option to take out and reinsert the battery. Luckily, I had taken some quick pictures inside the shop the moment I laid my hands on the new LX100, and retrospectively it was obvious that the black spot had been there right from the start, so no discussions this time. The freezing I had documented with my smartphone camera...

So it has been in for repair for another 4 weeks and is now sitting in the shop waiting for me to make it there. On the phone it sounded like they exchanged everything but the outer shell... I promise, there will be more thorough testing this time... and next defect will lead to legal action from my side.

Hope this helps, if probably not with trust in the perceived quality of this camera...

Mine just came back after 4 weeks (apparently spending most of this time collecting dust on the workshop shelves for some stupid paperwork reasons).

Lens unit changed.

Working fine so far.

Remi

At least Panasonic is fixing yours!

A follow up to my experience with Panasonic LX100 that Panasonic claimed had "physical damage" and refused to repair. Well they would repair it for over $300 dollars despite being still under warranty. After a long delay I did get the camera back and resent it to Mack extended warranty - since I had bought that warranty at time of purchase. In less time than Panasonic had my camera without doing anything to it - other than taking off the strap - Mack had the camera back in my hands fixed. No comment no complaint from Mack just a quick repair and return!!! I have used it many times and seems to be working great. No complaint with the Mack warranty service! ...........Panasonic screwed up here but what is a consumer to do?

Why bother to take the strap off if the camera had "physical damage" and you won't honor your warranty and why does it take such a long turn around time if you don't plan to fix it? If I sound bitter, it is because I am. I have been a long time solid Panasonic owner going through 4 successive cameras without a single issue - but this camera has drawbacks such that I would urge perspective buyers to look for something else.

My Lx100 has developed the same problem. Very slow lens on initial start up after being off for a day or so. Then it finds it hard to focus. I purchased it on the 31st Jan 2016. I'm taking it back in to Jessops (Birmingham) tomorrow. I'm still under warranty and hope i don't get no "physical damage" rubbish" as it's been well looked after. I do have a new G7 so i'm not bothered about the repair time. I just want it fixed so i can sell it. Its a great camera though and if it wasn't for finances i'd keep it. I shall update with more info when i have it.

Just a quick update to say I received my LX100 back from Panasonic and they've replaced the lens motor etc. Took 3 weeks and all is fine now

I apologize for reviving such an old thread, but I wanted to chime in and mention that I too have noticed the odd occasional very slow lens extension and retraction while powering on and off my LX100, and today, it refused to focus beyond two feet after displaying the issue. Powering off and on again fixed it, but is this something to be concerned with? It seems it is triggered by the camera sitting unused for a few days at a time.

My LX100 is just barely over a year old (and has been babied the entire time) so I figure warranty service is out. Is anyone here "living with" this issue and is it simply a matter of using it more often to remedy it, or does it mean inevitable mechanical failure?

What is interesting is that it seems like a deliberate, conscious behavior of the camera. Even when it's extending and retracting very slowly, the action is very smooth and the motor doesn't sound strained, and when it's working swiftly as it should be, the motor and mechanism are as smooth and quiet as ever, with no hitches.

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https://www.youtube.com/user/derekaggs11

I see hat might be the problem with mine

I have a LX100 which I Purchased from new in November 2017. Panasonic gave me a 5 year warranty on the camera, I have a certificate stating this.

I did read about the dust problem before buying and have since always stored in a case and keep the camera as dust free as I can.

Reading this thread now I fear the issues yourself and others are facing but confident Panasonic will adhere to their warranty and sort me out in future.

It's the only camera I have at the moment as it has replaced a Canon EOS 30D which I used with a Tamron 18-50 f2.8 lens. I find the LX100 very versatile along with great IQ.

Mine is doing the same now after 2 years ish.

Also notice the lens barrel will slide in and out about 5mm!?!

Did you have to pay for the repairs? If so how much?

I have had the same problem. I have had two LX100 in the past four years. After two years for each camera, the lens started sticking. It wouldn't fully retract. It would go in jerky as mentioned above and I would get a message saying "turn the camera on and off." There were days where it wouldn't start at all and that's when I got a new one only to find two years later exactly the same problem occurred. I also had a problem with dust getting into the lens. It all happened around the same time - the lens sticking and a dot on the screen. I'm told it will cost half the price of a new camera to fix.

I've had problems with my LX100 for sometime.When turning OFF the lens dosent want to go back into the camera and needs encouragement with a slight push...which cant do it much good.It doesnt always come out fully when turned on.When reviewing photos after about 10 seconds it shuts down.

Not sure if Ive got a rogue one or whether to gamble and get another,seeing as though Ive got a filter,spare batteries and case already.

Hi everyone,

just for the record, my actual (2 repairs, then exchange, then repair of the 2nd one) LX100 now has the same problems with the "sloppy" lens mechanism I described above. It's so bad it sometimes does not protrude fully on power-up or does not retract fully on power-down. Needless to say this profundly interferes with focussing. sometimes it also emits strange clicking noises indicating that something is severely jammed inside the lens. I hate it.

Got a RX100Va before summer holiday. So far quite happy. No Panasonic for me anymore.

gordon flash said:

Hi everyone,

just for the record, my actual (2 repairs, then exchange, then repair of the 2nd one) LX100 now has the same problems with the "sloppy" lens mechanism I described above. It's so bad it sometimes does not protrude fully on power-up or does not retract fully on power-down. Needless to say this profundly interferes with focussing. sometimes it also emits strange clicking noises indicating that something is severely jammed inside the lens. I hate it.

Got a RX100Va before summer holiday. So far quite happy. No Panasonic for me anymore.

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Agree. The build quality of my LX100 drove me back to Sony. Very, very happy with the RX10m4 and plan to buy the RX100vii to finally replace my dust infested LX100. The LX100 is perfect on the spec sheet, but the build quality is awefull given the premium price.

$1000 for the camera, $400 for repairs and the dust is back

I wonder if there's any improvement in the LX100 ii

I too came to know of the same problem with LX 100 II zoom failing. In fact I had suggested the purchase to a not that knowledgeable friend on the grounds of its fine performance. Unfortunately it seems there is some inherent design/manufacture flaw in the helicoid mechanism I presume. In this case camera was exchanged for new, because zoom snapped in a few days time after purchase.