LX100 mk 1 a good buy in 2018?

amountainhigh said:

My first post so not sure whether I should be posting in this or the Panasonic Compact forum.

We're heading off to Nepal to trek to Everest Base Camp in October. I've decided that I don’t want to lug my Canon 60D and 15-85 lens due to the size and weight so have been looking at smaller options. I do quite a bit of hiking and increasingly I'm reluctant to carry my dSLR.

I much prefer a viewfinder which narrows the field down somewhat and would tend to exclude the usual options of Panasonic LX10/15, Canon G7Xii. I seem to have narrowed my preference down to either the Panasonic LX100 (which I've been tempted by before) and which would be an everyday carry camera, or alternatively going for a new m4/3 ILC set-up - either GX80 (cheap in UK) or the newer GX9 - in which case it would likely be a replacement for my Canon dSLR.

I'm leaning towards the LX100 as a second camera rather than investing in another ILC set-up, though ideally I’d prefer a little extra reach and I've read of some focusing issues.

Timing wise we leave at the beginning of October which means I'm unlikely to be able to get hold of the new LX100 II in time. Would buying the original LX100, which is almost 4 years old, be a wise move in 2018 or should I be looking for a more up-to-date model? Or is it time to jump all in and grab a GX9 with something like a 12-60 lens.

Appreciate anyone's thoughts or other suggestions.

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I have an LX100 that I bought second hand for work. I have come to love this camera, and use it for personal stuff as well.

It is a fun camera to use.

If you can find one at a discount or SH then yes, go for it.

One warning though. Check before you buy for sensor dust. A lot of these cameras left the factory with hairs and crud on the sensor. Mine di and so did the other SH one in my local camera shop.

Panasonic fixed it for free without any problems.

Here is an Ebook I made using just this camera.

I was considering 1 inch compact options, and ended up with the GX85 12-32mm kit on which there was an amazing deal last Black Friday. That serves as my jacket pocket camera. Then I got a used 14-140mm II and this pretty much became my travel kit instead of bringing my D5000 along with two lenses (which I found like you did with your DSLR was a chore to bring).

LX100 is a lot smaller and the lens it includes is faster and has more reach than the 12-32mm. It's more tailored to manual uses (has dedicated shutter speed, aperture ring, EV dial; not the typical PASM dial).

But the GX80/GX85 will have the tilt screen and touchscreen, uses more of the sensor (so has 16MP vs 12.7MP), IBIS, popup flash, and given it's an ILC it can be expanded for other uses. Also has unlimited 4K, while LX100 is limited to 15 minutes.

GX9 adds the 20MP sensor (only negative of this is the 4K has extra crop 1.25x vs 1.1x in GX85), tilt EVF, higher res screen, more controls (EV dial, AF switch), bluetooth, latest JPEG engine. And if you want the 12-60mm lens, there's a kit.

If EVF is important however, it is best if you can try both out. Some people don't like the EVF in the GX85.

amountainhigh said:

My first post so not sure whether I should be posting in this or the Panasonic Compact forum.

We're heading off to Nepal to trek to Everest Base Camp in October. I've decided that I don’t want to lug my Canon 60D and 15-85 lens due to the size and weight so have been looking at smaller options. I do quite a bit of hiking and increasingly I'm reluctant to carry my dSLR.

I much prefer a viewfinder which narrows the field down somewhat and would tend to exclude the usual options of Panasonic LX10/15, Canon G7Xii. I seem to have narrowed my preference down to either the Panasonic LX100 (which I've been tempted by before) and which would be an everyday carry camera, or alternatively going for a new m4/3 ILC set-up - either GX80 (cheap in UK) or the newer GX9 - in which case it would likely be a replacement for my Canon dSLR.

I'm leaning towards the LX100 as a second camera rather than investing in another ILC set-up, though ideally I’d prefer a little extra reach and I've read of some focusing issues.

Timing wise we leave at the beginning of October which means I'm unlikely to be able to get hold of the new LX100 II in time. Would buying the original LX100, which is almost 4 years old, be a wise move in 2018 or should I be looking for a more up-to-date model? Or is it time to jump all in and grab a GX9 with something like a 12-60 lens.

Appreciate anyone's thoughts or other suggestions.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum.

Ideally, and in accordance with the title of the thread, this one should have been posted on the Panasonic Compact forum, but since you are also debating between the LX100 or an m43 camera system as a replacement for your DSLR, I believe it can be let be for a while here, until you have received enough advise on the advantages or disadvantages of going the full m43 way.

Then we can move it and let it sit on the Panasonic Compact forum, which I also moderate, so I'm very familiar with both. That's my opinion. If you want it moved right now, I can do that too.

I bought a refurbished LX100 last march ($600 Cdn/$470US) Something to throw in a small shoulder bag or coat pocket. And something I could afford on a retirement income. I wanted a camera I could carry around with me all the time. It more than does the job. I am happy with its performance. It think it will work very well for what you want it for. The LX100 II is an evolutionary upgrade IMO.

Seeing as how the price has gone down to about $450, you're getting unparalleled bang for the buck as it's the perfect travel camera. Having said that, for long periods of mountain weather, there's a lot to be said for a weather proof camera. Of course you can keep it in a waterproof bag.

The LX100 is a very good buy right now. So if you can live with its advertised specs then you probably will be happy. Any regrets would likely be due to GAS in your head rather than the gear.

I sold mine because I was tired of the short fl. I generally used it as a second camera, with my primary holding a telephoto.

I didn't have any issues with dust, and it was in a lot of filthy places.

I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to a friend who was looking for a non-ILC camera like this.

I had an LX100 for a while. It was sort of no-man's-land camera for me.

If I want a very portable fixed lens camera, the Sony RX100 line is a better fit. The image quality is roughly the same as the LX100, but it's way smaller. The MK3 model and later have EVF as well. The LX100 has much better ergonomics, but the Sony legitimately fits into a pocket, while the LX100 is much too big for anything but a large jacket pocket.

I loved how the LX100 feels, but it's not that much smaller than a medium-sized M43 camera. So instead of using the LX100, I generally took the M43 kit instead.

If you can live with the fairly limited range of the LX100's lens, and having a pocketable camera isn't a goal, I think it's a good compromise between between the RX100 line and a full on M43 kit.

Personally, I need ultra wide, fast primes, etc, so I would never go with just an LX100, so it was the odd man out. But if it suits your needs, it's a great camera, and has the best ergonomics of any fixed lens camera I've used, outside of the much larger Sony RX10.

The MK2 has only superficial upgrades (or so it seems), so a used LX100 MK1 would be a decent purchase.

amountainhigh said:

My first post so not sure whether I should be posting in this or the Panasonic Compact forum.

We're heading off to Nepal to trek to Everest Base Camp in October. I've decided that I don’t want to lug my Canon 60D and 15-85 lens due to the size and weight so have been looking at smaller options. I do quite a bit of hiking and increasingly I'm reluctant to carry my dSLR.

I much prefer a viewfinder which narrows the field down somewhat and would tend to exclude the usual options of Panasonic LX10/15, Canon G7Xii. I seem to have narrowed my preference down to either the Panasonic LX100 (which I've been tempted by before) and which would be an everyday carry camera, or alternatively going for a new m4/3 ILC set-up - either GX80 (cheap in UK) or the newer GX9 - in which case it would likely be a replacement for my Canon dSLR.

I'm leaning towards the LX100 as a second camera rather than investing in another ILC set-up, though ideally I’d prefer a little extra reach and I've read of some focusing issues.

Timing wise we leave at the beginning of October which means I'm unlikely to be able to get hold of the new LX100 II in time. Would buying the original LX100, which is almost 4 years old, be a wise move in 2018 or should I be looking for a more up-to-date model? Or is it time to jump all in and grab a GX9 with something like a 12-60 lens.

Appreciate anyone's thoughts or other suggestions.

Click to expand...

Congratulations for being so privileged in life to be able to journey to the foot of Mount Everest in Nepal. It is a high honor you have earned to go where only a handful of people will ever stand and see, the majesty of Mount Everest.

Now, I realize you asked about a Panasonic 4/3 sensor travel camera, and not the Olympus Tough TG5 which only at present has a 1/2.3 sensor, and just 12 megapixels.

But Thursday, my wife had never seen Shaw's Botanical Gardens, which is officially called Missouri Botanical Gardens in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA., so we took a trip from our base camp to the very peak of the entire reason we drove all that way to St. Louis, for here to see the Linnean House that Shaw built in 1882 for the Aroid exhibit.

As described on the webpage of Missouri Botanical Gardens:

==========================

Built in 1882, the Linnean House (also “Linnæan House” in some historical references) is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River. It is the only remaining greenhouse at the Garden that was built during Henry Shaw’s day. It was designed by noted architect George I. Barnett, as were its two “sister” greenhouses in Tower Grove Park, the palm house and the plant house.

The Linnean House was originally designed to be an orangery, a house to overwinter citrus trees, palms and tree ferns. These large potted plants provided bold accents in the outdoor gardens throughout the summer, and were brought in each winter.

===========================

Here's my best Tough TG5 Olympus photo of the Linnean House.


Linnean House

I didn't know an aroid was a tropical plant, but them women love all those old Greek words and flowers and all such as that, you know?

I took my wife over a hundred and sixty photographs, and she's happy as a clam, because I transferred them all over to her smartphone and she was looking and admiring the Linnean House pictures while I bought myself at 1960 Sweet 16 at Art's Gunshop in Hillsboro Missouri, and she at least pretended not to notice another gun in the back of the newer Suburban.

Now, if you are wondering what all this has to do, with going to the foot of Mount Everest, then close your eyes and pretend you are standing with your wife outside the Linnean House, glad to see her enjoy the Aroid exhibit, and knowing that Art had a 1960 Sweet 16 waiting for you to check out in Hillsboro, and maybe buy it, and then you dropped both your Micro Four Thirds camera and your other backup camera seven feet down on a hardwood floor, or inside of a fifty foot deep pool of water.

it would not be such a catastrophe as dropping both your fragile Panasonic cameras at the foot of Mount Everest in Nepal, and you could continue right on with your trek, trying to use your cell phone.

But friend, my Tough TG 5 Olympus comes with a floating strap, and it only cost $299 as a refurb from Robert's Camera, and four extra batteries were peanuts online, and it charges the batteries using a standard USB cord used to charge an Android smart phone. They are only $399 from Olympus, brand new, with full Olympus warranty.


I can go back to St. Louis any damn time I please, but you'll not be going to the foot of Mount Everest, all that often, I'd reckon.

Buy yourself an Tough TG5 Olympus, and you'll have the finest Tough camera on the planet at the foot of Mount Everest.

If Mallory and Irvine had toted up a Tough TG5 Olympus, it would be about as good today as in 1935, don't you think?

http://www.alanarnette.com/blog/201...e-continuing-search-for-malloy-irvines-camera

If you are travelling someplace, i say take the toughest camera you can afford.

--
Humansville is a town in the Missouri Ozarks

Thanks Martin. Perhaps I should have used a different title as switching to a m43 setup is certainly an option I’m considering.

My conundrum/thoughts are thus:-

1) Buying an LX100 (mark I) for my Everest Base Camp trek - but will I wish for more MP or better image quality? Is a mark 1 LX100 still a good buy in 2018? On my return the LX100 would serve as a second camera to my Canon 60d which I would keep

vs

2) Moving to m43 with a GX80/85 or GX9 set-up, which would become my primary set-up as I’d sell my dSLR. This would give me a smaller setup for Nepal (though not so small as an LX100) but would I regret moving from APS-C to m43 longer term? Would a small 12-32 kit lens set up be too limiting? How do people see the future of m43 with the push to mirrolesss FF?

I’m currently travelling in Europe so I haven’t had chance to handle the cameras or check out the viewfinders that have been commented on.

Having owned the LX100, I wouldn't recommended it for your uses. It's a very nice camera to hold and to use, but it has too many cons in my opinion:

Possibility of dust on sensor (mine got dust after a few months).

Soft images at wide angle (from the lens distortion correction).

Low ISO noise worse than M43, and to be honest, sometimes worse than RX100 (in my experience).

No weather sealing.

No IBIS, and OIS not as good as competition.

I found it almost impossible to shoot handheld 4K video.

Colour wasn't impressive, especially faces (purple lips, etc.), and in low light.

Personally I think you would be better off with a 2nd hand RX100 m3, which go for about the same price, or even a 2nd hand Nikon D3400, which has 1300 shot battery life and is not much heavier than LX100 with the kit lens or a cheap prime, but feels lighter because of the grip, plus has far better dynamic range, resolution, low ISO noise, and better colour. They're so cheap you won't even worry about damaging it. And the live view in Nikon's latest DLSRs is very good.

A GX9 wouldn't be bad either, but more expensive.

I have been using my LX100 in short hiking trips. I love the manual controls, and the lens is nice. However, LX100 is not good in low light, and I get as good pictures with Pixel 2.

I think it is a good buy but not for your purposes. I'd find the lens too restrictive and also found other aspects of the LX100 irritating, including the length of time it took to power on. I very much preferred my Fuji X30 for travel even though it only had a 2/3 sensor.

Battery life also strikes me as an issue, especially if it is going to be cold. In which case most SLRs would be much better than most mirrorless cameras. I'd check battery life before committing to a new camera.

I've just sold mine, but I would say yes it is still worth buying. Essentially I can't really fault it, everything is in a grey place, easy to use, nice fast lens that tops out at 2.8. My only crit is it would have been nice to have a built in auto closing lens cap.

The only reason I sold it is that I've bought a gx9 and prefer limiting myself to a prime when I go out to force me into working with what I have.

I might grab a MK2 when they come down in price, the MK1 is under £200 second hand