Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX7 10MP Digital Camera w/ 24mm F1.4 Lens & 1080p Video $289 + Free shipping

Quote from Bmr4life : lol, but I love the camera.

Love can make a man do crazy things!

I guess I'll stick with the tiny S100, that I have ordered, for now. We have a DSLR, but I dont know much about using advanced settings. When I started shopping for a small P&S, I realized that I don't know much about cameras!! I'm going to try to learn a little more, and I think Im going to invest in some photo editing software, if I can decide what to buy!

I held an S110 at Bestbuy and it was small! The S100 will be a birthday gift for my wife. I think she will really like it. We have the best life ever, with our 3 year old little boy, so it will be nice to have a small camera for quick pictures while we are out.

If the S100 isn't what I expect, then I will give the LX7 a close look. There certainly seems to be alot of loyal and highly protective users!!


Best

Quote from okinawanmatt : These point-and-shoots often do not come with anything but an "auto mode". In fact, I would argue that most compacts being sold do not have a manual focus. When you are buying presents for friends and family who do not have any experience with a camera system, do you buy them a system that can only be used manually and hope that they learn the ropes? Perhaps you do. I tend to purchase point-and-shoots for in-car storage, gifts and travel because I need a camera that can recreate photographic memories without hassle. I was not looking to purchase a DSLR. Since I have owned a P510 and do not plan on purchasing a LX7, my opinion is, inherently, biased in every possible sense of the term. I hope this has brought some clarity to my post

You can point out the flaws and lack of capabilities in the cameras you purchase all you want. I couldn't care less that most P&S cameras don't have manual modes. This camera does, which is a main selling point for people who don't want to make the jump to interchangeable lens cameras. If you don't need the function, move on. The LX7 has more manual settings than most, which is why I'm telling people (not specifically you, which is why I originally didn't quote you) that they should not allow your poor rating of Panasonics deter them from choosing this high end P&S. I'm also telling them to not waste their time looking at a P510, when this camera has superior picture quality, and to show them where they can do real research other than asking for opinions on a deal forum.

Did I say this only has manual modes? No. To get the best picture quality, you most likely will need some control of the settings. If you choose not to use the camera to its full capabilities, don't blame the hardware, blame the user. Would you buy a sports car for an old granny who doesn't drive faster than 40 mph? If people don't care about picture quality, may as well save money and use a cell phone. There's so much crap that people post on facebook and instagram, people don't care about quality compared to, "recreating photographic memories."

If you have no plan on purchasing an LX7, why post such a lengthy post about how poor Panasonic cameras are? You have no experience with this camera, and you even state yourself, are "biased in every possible sense of the term." All your post does, is throw a bunch of misinformation about this camera because you had bad experiences with idiot-proof cameras.

Hopefully this brings clarity to my post and that it was not aimed at you. It was to correct all of your misinformation you posted in this thread.

Quote from VoodooVyper : So is this a new low price, or a temporary sale?

If you clicked the deal link, you would see that there's a $150 instant rebate in effect until the 23rd. So it is a temporary price reduction.

Quote from jason999 : Love can make a man do crazy things! I guess I'll stick with the tiny S100, that I have ordered, for now. We have a DSLR, but I dont know much about using advanced settings. When I started shopping for a small P&S, I realized that I don't know much about cameras!! I'm going to try to learn a little more, and I think Im going to invest in some photo editing software, if I can decide what to buy! I held an S110 at Bestbuy and it was small! The S100 will be a birthday gift for my wife. I think she will really like it. We have the best life ever, with our 3 year old little boy, so it will be nice to have a small camera for quick pictures while we are out. If the S100 isn't what I expect, then I will give the LX7 a close look. There certainly seems to be alot of loyal and highly protective users!! Best

The Canon S-series has plenty of protective users too. The s100 and lx7 serve two different purposes, though they are both very capable P&S cameras. When it comes down to it though, one will fit in your pants pockets, and the other will not. In fact, the lx7 is nearly twice as thick

Thanks OP finally pulled the trigger and bought one. I did two day shipping too in hopes that it'll arrive before valentine's day...can't wait to test it out in indoor restaurant lighting

can anyone recommend a good case for this camera?

Well, I'm excited. I pulled the trigger, and tho they are temporarily out of stock, it looks like I locked in the price and I can wait for the shipment.

I've been waffling on an appropriate video solution, and at half the cost of a comparable camcorder, with the ability to take very good images, the LX7 should be a treat. I don't expect to record things that are 200 yds away, so I don't think I'll miss the zoom on a camcorder, and I think the fact that it's small and easy to use will enable me to take a lot more videos than I otherwise would with a HDSLR or camcorder.

Re: GH2 for video
There is a lot of praise for the GH2 and I almost went that direction, but I don't want to spend $500 for the body and another $600 to get IQ and perspective comparable to the 35mm f/1.8 I love so much (and unfortunately an adapter for the 35mm would give it an effective perspective of 70mm and wouldn't magically improve its AF and AF noise for video purposes). And if I'm not going to get IQ akin to the 35mm f/1.8, then I don't see a need to carry a bulky GH2 when the LX7 will perform better than the GH2 kit lens in low light.

Quote from kahluatex : Well, I'm excited. I pulled the trigger, and tho they are temporarily out of stock, it looks like I locked in the price and I can wait for the shipment. I've been waffling on an appropriate video solution, and at half the cost of a comparable camcorder, with the ability to take very good images, the LX7 should be a treat. I don't expect to record things that are 200 yds away, so I don't think I'll miss the zoom on a camcorder, and I think the fact that it's small and easy to use will enable me to take a lot more videos than I otherwise would with a HDSLR or camcorder. Re: GH2 for video There is a lot of praise for the GH2 and I almost went that direction, but I don't want to spend $500 for the body and another $600 to get IQ and perspective comparable to the 35mm f/1.8 I love so much (and unfortunately an adapter for the 35mm would give it an effective perspective of 70mm and wouldn't magically improve its AF and AF noise for video purposes). And if I'm not going to get IQ akin to the 35mm f/1.8, then I don't see a need to carry a bulky GH2 when the LX7 will perform better than the GH2 kit lens in low light.

black one is OOS for now but white one is still in stock!!

Quote from Chimi : Very highly rated camera. Prices dropped this morning...has been at $450 and now it's the lowest ever. http://www.jr.com/panasonic/pe/PAN_DMCLX7K/ Add to cart and apply code ATJANDR Free slow shipping. I added 2-day UPS for another $2. Review: Roundup: Enthusiast Zoom Compact Cameras [dpreview.com]

I bought this for $300 from amazon before christmas. Seems to go from about this price to MSRP (450) often. Great buy at this price for someone wanting a high end P&S with lots of features to either learn a little about photography or just to keep handy for taking some really good pictures without hauling all of your other gear around all the time.

Full manual controls and RAW support on this one (LR4 needed to read the RAWs for light room fans). Fast lens, good for macro shots to short-zooms (24-90mm equiv)[f.14-2.3]. The auto and scene modes are nice but there is also manual focus, aperture, iso control, etc for taking charge of a shot. the small flash is meh but there is a hotshoe for a proper one if you like.

Sample photos from january taken with the lx7, all reduced for sharing.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4j3wks...l0IpVD3xsJ

i have not used the lx7 for video yet, not really something i do much of anyway and not at all why i bought it.

Quote from mugupo : lol, I got my RX100 for $450. I don't own the other camera anymore.

Dell Amex deal?

Quote from SilverImpreza : Hopefully this brings clarity to my post and that it was not aimed at you.

Thanks for elaborating on the LX7! Although I'm a bit confused as to why you singled me out... You're stating that you were not speaking/replying back to me, which I interpret to mean that you didn't "quote" me in a comment/reply. I've only replied back to people who quoted my original post, so if I accidentally replied back to you, that was just my mistake.

Quote from okinawanmatt : Where were you when I was taking advice from other SDers? We need more well-informed users like yourself posting in the forum. I appreciate it.

For advice you need to be on POTN/FM IMHO.

Quote from MOkoFOko : You're welcome to believe whatever you want, but I still say you've only got entry level and high-end when it comes to P&S. The $200-mark is just a rough number, used for the sake of example. It's certainly difficult to compare every little difference, or even quantify performance in the lab--results are subjective. Capabilities that are important to some (say 120fps-240fps video) may not be important at all to others. MSRP--or possibly street pricing or used resale--are good number to go on, because it's the "fair value" of the goods from the perspective of the manufacturer, the retailers, and even the consumers (supply&demand). Comparing the TS3 and LX7 doesn't work well, because they're not of the same generation of P&S's. Obviously you differentiate based on the capabilities of the cameras in the end. Superzooms generally fall under an entirely different category--bridge cameras. And when they don't, I still see them either fitting into entry or high-end. Welcome to disagree, but P&S's in general are a dying breed--if you do some research, companies are releasing less of these types--sales are being siphoned off by smartphones, and even tablets. As time goes on, we're going to see less and less differentiating these cameras.

If you want to bump it up for comparison's sake, then substitute the TS4 in place of the TS3. Or the LX5 in place of the LX7. Both of those are the same generation across those lines, but vastly different. I'm not saying both aren't high-end cameras in their class; I'm simply saying they are not in the same class. You can't really compare something like a ZS6 to an LX7. They are both point-and-shoots only in the overall sense of their size. I'd still say there are plenty of mid-range cameras out there, as well; be it either in current-generation models that are made to fill that segment of the market, or older-generation ones that fall into that space organically as their newer refreshed counterparts are given more features, quality, etc., but still leave the older generation above the newest low-end segment.

Folks have been extolling the death of the P&S cameras for years, but yet year after year we see more and more progress within that form factor as new models continue to come out, many as wholly new products instead of just rehashes of existing models, and some seemingly out of nowhere (Sony being a prime example). If anything, I think we may see more P&S cameras in the coming years. Why? Because folks love the quality they can get from their m4/3 sensors, but still love the portability of their smaller integrated-lens units. As more manufacturers figure out ways to get larger sensors into smaller bodies, it will continue to open up the field.

Not saying your perspective is wrong by any means. Just saying I happen to have a different take on these things. All are good points for pondering, and I appreciate the back and forth.

In the sub $400 range what is the single best image quality camera available that will slip in the back pocket of jeans? Particularly in lower light? If it has a moderate wide angle lens, don't need much of a zoom. Does need to shoot RAW.

S100?

Make yourself a habit of using DSLR or Mirrorless cameras most of the time. Remember the reason why you bought a DSLR: even the cheapest DSLR still better than the most expensive PS. A PS is a PS with a lens error will show up later.