The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX10 (LX15 in some markets) is a 20MP large-sensor compact with a bright F1. 4-2. 8 24-72mm equivalent zoom lens. Which is to say, it's a very capable pocket camera.
And, being a Panasonic, it has video specs and clever video-based features to back up its stills capabilities.
Panasonic's LX cameras have always had the enthusiast in mind, built around larger-than-average sensors with short but bright lenses and as many direct controls as can sensibly be fitted onto a pocketable camera body. They helped reinvigorate the enthusiast compact sector and prompted a series of imitators before the much larger sensor of Sony's RX100 rendered them irrelevant.
Key specifications
20MP 1"-type CMOS sensor
24-72mm equivalent F1. 4-2. 8 zoom
7 fps continuous shooting with autofocus
4K video at up to 30p
5-axis, digital and optical stabilization in 1080 video
4K Photo mode
Post Focus and Focus Stacking modes
The LX10 is Panasonic's first direct response to the big-sensored Sonys. The company has already built an excellent series of compacts that address every other niche you can think of: the long zoom stills/video FZ1000 and FZ2500, a large sensor ZS100 version of their well respected travel zoom series, and a larger sensor photographer's camera, the LX100. But the LX10 is a head-to-head competitor for Sony's pocket wonders.
The approach is a little different: unlike the RX100 III and IV, the LX10 doesn't have a viewfinder. Instead, it offers a touchscreen interface and a screen that can be tilted upwards. In many respects, the LX10 is a logical post-1" successor to the last of the smaller sensor models: the LX7.
The camera also offers Panasonic's 4K Photo mode, which offers a series of ways of specifying when the camera should capture a video clip from which stills can then be extracted. It also has Panasonic's Post Focus mode that captures a video clip of the camera racking focus, so you can choose to grab the frame with optimal focus, after the fact.
Compared with its peers
The LX10 means there are now three brands building small cameras with 1"-type sensors and short, bright zooms (and Nikon promising a comparable 'DL' model at some point). We've also included the LX10's big brother, the LX100 in this comparison, just to show what you get if you have room to carry its additional size.
Panasonic
LX10
Sony
DSC-RX100 IV
Canon G7X
Mark II
Panasonic
LX100
MSRP
$699
$999
$699
$899
Sensor area
116 mm2
116 mm2
116 mm2
180 mm2
Lens range (equiv)
24-72mm
24-70mm
24-100mm
24-75mm
Aperture range
F1. 4-2. 8
F1. 8-2. 8
F1. 8-2. 8
F1. 7-2. 8
Control dials
Aperture ring
Command dial
Lens ring (stepless)
Lens ring (stepless)
Four-way/dial
Lens ring
(stepped/
stepless)
Exposure Comp
Four-way/dial
Aperture ring
Shutter dial
Exposure Comp
Lens ring (stepless)
Four-way/dial
Viewfinder
No
2. 36M-dot
No
2. 76M-dot
equiv. *
Rear screen
Tilt up
Touchscreen
Tilt up/down
Tilt up/down
Touchscreen
Fixed
Video capability
4K/30p
1080/120p**
4K/30p
1080/120p
1080/30p
4K/30p
1080/60p
Built-in ND Filter
No
Yes
(Auto for stills)
No
No
Flash
Built-in pop-up (bounceable)
Built-in pop-up
(bounceable)
Built-in pop-up
(bounceable)
Clip-on hotshoe flash
Battery life (CIPA)
260
280
(230 with EVF)
265
300
(270 with EVF)
Dimensions
mm (in)
105 x 61 x 42
(4. 1 x 2. 4 x 1. 7)
102 x 58 x 41
(4. 0 x 2. 3 x 1. 6)
106 x 61 x 42
(4. 2 x 2. 4 x 1. 7)
115 x 66 x 55
(4. 5 x 2. 6 x 2. 2)
*The LX100 uses a field-sequential display that updates red, green and blue information in sequence and, as such, does not require three dots to make up each three-color 'pixel. '
**1080/120p video is only available in a dedicated high speed video mode, with limited control.
Equivalent apertures
The chart below breaks down the equivalent aperture for each camera, as you work your way through the zoom range. Our article here explains the concept of equivalence, but at a high level all you need to know is that the lower the line is on the graph below, the blurrier the backgrounds you'll be able to get and, typically, the better the overall low-light performance.
LensEquivalentApertures(["Equivalent focal length (mm)","Panasonic LX100","Sony RX100 IV","Canon G7 X II","Panasonic LX10"], [[24,3. 7434,"Panasonic LX100 at 24mm: F3. 7",4. 90909090909091,"Sony RX100 IV at 24mm: F4. 9",4. 90909090909091,"Canon G7 X II at 24mm: F4. 9",3. 8181818181818183,"Panasonic LX10 at 24mm: F3. 8"],[25,3. 9636,"Panasonic LX100 at 25mm: F4. 0",5. 454545454545455,"Sony RX100 IV at 25mm: F5. 5",null,"",4. 0909090909090917,"Panasonic LX10 at 25mm: F4. 1"],[26,4. 1838,"Panasonic LX100 at 26mm: F4. 2",6. 0000000000000009,"Sony RX100 IV at 26mm: F6. 0",null,"",4. 90909090909091,"Panasonic LX10 at 26mm: F4. 9"],[27,4. 404,"Panasonic LX100 at 27mm: F4. 4",null,"",null,"",5. 454545454545455,"Panasonic LX10 at 27mm: F5. 5"],[28,4. 6242,"Panasonic LX100 at 28mm: F4. 6",6. 8181818181818183,"Sony RX100 IV at 28mm: F6. 8",null,"",6. 0000000000000009,"Panasonic LX10 at 28mm: F6. 0"],[29,null,"",null,"",null,"",6. 8181818181818183,"Panasonic LX10 at 29mm: F6. 8"],[30,4. 8444,"Panasonic LX100 at 30mm: F4. 8",null,"",null,"",null,""],[31,null,"",null,"",null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Panasonic LX10 at 31mm: F7. 6"],[32,null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Sony RX100 IV at 32mm: F7. 6",6. 0000000000000009,"Canon G7 X II at 32mm: F6. 0",null,""],[34,5. 0645999999999995,"Panasonic LX100 at 34mm: F5. 1",null,"",null,"",null,""],[37,5. 2848,"Panasonic LX100 at 37mm: F5. 3",null,"",null,"",null,""],[39,null,"",null,"",6. 8181818181818183,"Canon G7 X II at 39mm: F6. 8",null,""],[41,5. 505,"Panasonic LX100 at 41mm: F5. 5",null,"",null,"",null,""],[44,5. 7252,"Panasonic LX100 at 44mm: F5. 7",null,"",null,"",null,""],[52,6. 1655999999999995,"Panasonic LX100 at 52mm: F6. 2",null,"",null,"",null,""],[54,null,"",null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Canon G7 X II at 54mm: F7. 6",null,""],[70,null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Sony RX100 IV at 70mm: F7. 6",null,"",null,""],[72,null,"",null,"",null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Panasonic LX10 at 72mm: F7. 6"],[75,6. 1655999999999995,"Panasonic LX100 at 75mm: F6. 2",null,"",null,"",null,""],[100,null,"",null,"",7. 6363636363636367,"Canon G7 X II at 100mm: F7. 6",null,""]])
Just as the specs suggest, the LX10's lens is broadly similar to that of the Sony RX100 III and IV. It's a little brighter at first but by 30mm equivalent, they're both already down to F2. 8 (F7. 6 equiv). So although it should offer a similar performance to its big brother, the LX100, at wide angle, the bigger camera maintains an advantage across the rest of its zoom range.
. dpreview.com2016-9-19 14:15
