Panasonic DMC-LX2

Here's some more about my new camera-a Panasonic DMC-LX2. I want to say right up front that I really like this camera and think it is a great bicycling camera.

Now that that's out of the way, here's some things you should be aware of before making the LX2 your choice for bicycling.

1. It has a lens cap! When was the last time you saw one of those on a digicam? I suppose this could go into either the plus or minus column. The little blades on the usual self-capping lenses are very fragile; I would bet that they are the most common mechanical failure on digicams. A real lens cap is much more durable, realiable, and protects the lens better. It is also a pain in the rear to deal with while riding a bike, or even while standing balancing a bike and shooting.

The camera comes with a nice little lasso to keep the cap from getting lost. I haven't tried it since I like to shoot while riding and don't want it flapping around in the breeze. Maybe the lasso with a piece of velcro to fasten the cap to the base of the camera would be a good solution.

I usually carry the camera in a vertical pouch on my handlebar with the lens facing forward and just leave the cap off . I'll try to add a picture of that setup later.

2. The lens protrudes even when retracted. Look at the pictures at Panasonic's site to see what I mean. That cool retro looking body with the flat lens is not ready to take a picture; that is the fully retracted storage position. See the picture at DP Review for what is looks like ready to use in the wide angle position.

3. Like all of the digicams I've used, settings get bumped around taking the camera in and out of a pouch or pocket. On the Panasonic this is only the mode dial. Just check it before use. I leave mine set to "P". I may add a little piece of duct tape once I get over the new camera thing.

There's really little else not to like. The lens is really noticeably great (for a digicam). Having a 28mm equiv. wide angle is very handy. The 16:9 format (a setting option) is very cool. The camera feels even better made than my old Canon A620. The battery lasts forever (I do leave the flash turned off), but you should always have a spare anyway-I picked up a generic for half the Panasonic price. Plus you can have raw file output if you want it, and a good program to support raw (but you have to work hard to top the jpegs the camera puts out). Even the manual is pretty darned readable (a rarity).

Low light performance is probably not a big issue for most bicycle riders, but other cameras can do better at that-most notably the Fuji F20, F30, and presumably the F40 due out in April. I have used the camera a ISO 400 and posted a few shots here, and at ISO 1600 here. The 1600 results are very funky, but I liked them okay and liked being able to get a couple shots in very substandard lighting without flash.

All in all, this is an enthusiast's camera, and I'm really enjoying it. If you don't care about the wide angle lens, or the 16:9 format, or can't live with the lens cap, then you might prefer something like the Canon 700IS or Fuji F40.