Panasonic LX1 Preview Sample Gallery Posted

[Suhit Gupta]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0507/05072701panasonic_LX1_samples.asp

Panasonic had announced the world's first wide angle compact camera with a 16:9 ratio CCD last week. The fully manual Lumix DMC-LX1 offers a 8.6 megapixel 1 /1.65" CCD and is the first camera in the LUMIX 16:9 wide LX series.



Dpreview.com now has several sample pictures. I find it cool that taking these 16:9 ratio images basically gives people panoramic pictures for free, i.e. you are getting all those extra pixels. However, Jason correctly pointed out (we were chatting about these images yesterday) that most people might have to end up re-thinking the way they take pictures, especially close-up portrait style photos. I guess this camera will lead to a lot of cropping of images to make them fit in those already existing photo-frames.

[Suhit Gupta]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0507/05072701panasonic_LX1_samples.asp

Panasonic had announced the world's first wide angle compact camera with a 16:9 ratio CCD last week. The fully manual Lumix DMC-LX1 offers a 8.6 megapixel 1 /1.65" CCD and is the first camera in the LUMIX 16:9 wide LX series.



Dpreview.com now has several sample pictures. I find it cool that taking these 16:9 ratio images basically gives people panoramic pictures for free, i.e. you are getting all those extra pixels. However, Jason correctly pointed out (we were chatting about these images yesterday) that most people might have to end up re-thinking the way they take pictures, especially close-up portrait style photos. I guess this camera will lead to a lot of cropping of images to make them fit in those already existing photo-frames.

[mariov]

Really cool... but will i find a place to print those things? Anyway, looks good to big family pictures...

[jeffd]

beh... why? Even wide screen movies are shot with extended frames incase you don't frame up the scene exactly on the first try. Id rather crop a full frame as I can make sure what I want is in the picture. Also I wouldn't be limited to one camera choice.

[klinux]

Originally Posted by jeffd

beh... why? Even wide screen movies are shot with extended frames incase you don't frame up the scene exactly on the first try. Id rather crop a full frame as I can make sure what I want is in the picture. Also I wouldn't be limited to one camera choice.

Why? Because someone wants the functionality that's why. I can't stand people who think "because this is what I'd do, therefore it does not make sense for other people to do something else."

So you rather crop a 4:3 shot to make a 16:9 shot, good for you. Why can't another person rather crop a 16:9 shot to a 4:3 shot?

As for limited to one camera choice - terrible argument. It's the first one of it's kind - what do you expect, all 18 camera manufacturers of the world do a simultaneous release?

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Partly because visualising a scene to crop at a wider aspect ratio is a little harder, if you ask me.

Main problem with this camera will come when printing the photos. Good luck at the lab (be prepared to shell serious money like X-Pan/TX1 users) or else print on roll paper and have a very very good cutter on hand (which also warrants serious money).

[klinux]

Originally Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng

Partly because visualising a scene to crop at a wider aspect ratio is a little harder, if you ask me.

Maybe. But do you find it more difficult to watch a movie in 16:9 rather than a TV in 4:3?

Instinctively we are trained to look through the viewfinder of film SLR using one eye, correct? In that scenario, 4:3 seems like a good choice. However, now many of us using digital cameras where we use the LCD to compose our pictures. In that case, I suspect (because I have not a chance to use this camera yet) it will no more difficult to use 16:9 than 4:3 to compose one's photo in a few days' use.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Visualising a scene is one thing; visualising a scene to crop later is another, particularly when one is forced to choose to stick to a different aspect ratio for the crop in post-processing.

Using one eye is not a problem though; having used a X-Pan I can say that with confidence. Plus like what has been said, the X-Pan is a niche camera that is certainly not suitable for general purpose photography, especially with an even wider aspect ratio of almost 3:1.