LX3 has sharpness problems?

[fcastro]

Hello all,

I have always been (and will be…) a SLR user but now I am willing to have a compact camera as well (for it's pocketability). So I am in the market to buy one.

As I value image quality, wide angle and the less possible noise, I came across some Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 reviews. From what I've read I am convinced that it is a very good performer but I am not so sure about its sharpness.
Can someone, owning one of these, tell me if the LX3 has sharpness problems?
Thanks,
Francisco

 

[Corkcampbell]

all of the reviews of this camera I can find and I haven't noticed anything like that.

 

[tinpusher]

I have the Leica version and it's pin sharp.

I don't know where you got the impression that images are soft but I often use spot focusing for Macro and Portraits ( on the eyes ) and my camera is very accurate.

 

[fcastro]

Well, the last one I saw was at the most recent number of the french magazine "Chasseur d'Images". They were testing several compacts and the Lumix LX3 was loosing clearly in sharpness/detail against Fujifilm FinePix F100fd and Canon Powershot G10. But LX3 wins in high ISO noise.

 

[Olga Johnson]

I am convinced that it is a very good performer but I am not so sure
about its sharpness.

Like most cameras out there today, one of the LX3's features includes a setting for sharpness. You set it where you want it. Some prefer to set it lower so that they can do the sharpening on their own. Others want it sharper out of camera.

Olga

 

[Barry Fitzgerald]

Wonder what aperture the OP is using??

The smaller sensor cameras don't like being stopped down to DSLR levels, you get diffraction and softness..

 

[Olga Johnson]

Well, the last one I saw was at the most recent number of the french
magazine "Chasseur d'Images". They were testing several compacts and
the Lumix LX3 was loosing clearly in sharpness/detail against
Fujifilm FinePix F100fd and Canon Powershot G10. But LX3 wins in high
ISO noise.

Perhaps you're talking about resolution and not sharpness? Those are two different things.

Olga

 

[tinpusher]

Perhaps you're talking about resolution and not sharpness? Those are
two different things.

I think you're right.

If the OP reads this website's review of the camera he will see it doesn't resolve as well as cameras with more megapixels AT THE LOWEST ISO.
But this is by design and makes the LX3 just a bit special !!

 

[fcastro]

Well, the last one I saw was at the most recent number of the french
magazine "Chasseur d'Images". They were testing several compacts and
the Lumix LX3 was loosing clearly in sharpness/detail against
Fujifilm FinePix F100fd and Canon Powershot G10. But LX3 wins in high
ISO noise.

Perhaps you're talking about resolution and not sharpness? Those are
two different things.

Olga

Yes, I am sorry (I'm not a native english speaker and sometimes...), I meant resolution/detail...

Does LX3 have a problem with this?

 

[fotophool]

fotophool

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7131002@N05/

 

[timo]

Can someone, owning one of these, tell me if the LX3 has sharpness
problems?

On the basis of one week's ownership I would say no, provided you do not try to take jpgs at high ISO. As with the Canon G10, too much noise reduction is applied in the camera to jpgs at high ISO settings, with consequent loss of detail. Raw shots are much better, albeit with noise that can be cleaned effectively with something like Neat Image or Noise Ninja.

With low ISO jpgs I find that the default sharpness setting is too high - putting sharpness AND noise reduction to minimum produces more pleasing results. Even then the camera is doing some noise reduction, as you will see if you inspect an 80 ISO raw shot closely.

--
tim

 

[BlackSwan]

I love my little LX3.
I have again a little camera that I can bring everywhere.

Crazy to say I have never used my Nikon D300 since I received the lx3 last month ...

 

[rafinmelb]

has been posting shots like these
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1033&message=30923688

regularly. Look OK to me for sharpness.
--
Rafael (FZ30 and D300)
http://rafael.zenfolio.com/

 

[Gordon Peffer]

Those are sharp. The loose board in the barn picture looks as if it's coming out of the screen.

Gordon Peffer

--
'I am no Einstein' Einstein

 

[gsqd]

Does anyone know at what magnification on the LCD playback you get 100% pixel level. I often check my ultimate shot focus and sharpness at 100% on my D-SLR's but I don't know which magnification that equates to on the camera's LCD?

Is it 4x, 8x or ? ?

Or am I missing something really simple here?

--
Lots of D-SLR stuff, lights and 'stuff'.
Plus an LX3 for the real world!

 

[Tony T C Lau]

Well, the last one I saw was at the most recent number of the french
magazine "Chasseur d'Images". They were testing several compacts and
the Lumix LX3 was loosing clearly in sharpness/detail against
Fujifilm FinePix F100fd and Canon Powershot G10. But LX3 wins in high
ISO noise.

When the images are examined at 100%, then to my eyes the ones from G10 and F100fd do capture more details. The built-in imaging processing engines of the G10 and F100fd seem to be more sophisticated in this respect.

However, that will not stop me from getting the LX3. I am still waiting for it to be available again in Vancouver, Canada.

--
Tony

 

[win39]

There is no 100 percent setting. Since you have a limited number of magnifications just pick the one where you can still judge the sharpness of your focus and where it is.

 

[gsqd]

That's what I thought - thanks. I'm sure the mag goes beyond 100% so as you say it's just best to pick the sharpest mag for the screen.

--
Lots of D-SLR stuff, lights and 'stuff'.
Plus an LX3 for the real world!

 

[Kevin Coppalotti]

Does anyone know at what magnification on the LCD playback you get
100% pixel level. I often check my ultimate shot focus and sharpness
at 100% on my D-SLR's but I don't know which magnification that
equates to on the camera's LCD?

Is it 4x, 8x or ? ?

Or am I missing something really simple here?

--
Lots of D-SLR stuff, lights and 'stuff'.
Plus an LX3 for the real world!

I use 4X on the LCD as my benchmark with the LX3.
--
Kevin Coppalotti
http://maxhr.zenfolio.com/
http://razorsharp.smugmug.com

 

[gsqd]

Thanks Kevin,

Just tried it and it seems right.

Alex

--
Lots of D-SLR stuff, lights and 'stuff'.
Plus an LX3 for the real world!