LX3 Wishlist…
After three weeks shooting with the LX2, and only after I repeat my unconditional love for this little machine, I think I know what I would like the (if it ever exists) LX3 to be like. Here are the things I believe the LX2 lacks to be the absolute perfect camera, and a couple of things that bug me a bit…
- Lens: It is super sharp and draws in a way I really like. If only it could go down to 24mm and be an f2..Oh, and if it could do Macro focusing down to 1cm..All this, of course, without compromising image quality. The possibility to enable step focus would be out of this world..
- Shutter: 3 minutes long shutter speed for real low light/long exposures. Even when the shutter is suposed to go up to 1/2000, it only does so under certain circumstances: The aperture needs to be f8, and it will not do the 1/2000 when using full zoom (intermediate speeds for the different intermediate zoom and aperture settings). This, whatever the technicall reason might be, seems absurd to me, in a sunny weather like mine you need the fastest speeds when using the biggest aperture…I would love to have REAL and FULL manual control over the exposure.
- Please, please, pretty please, Panasonic, don´t you make this camera a 14 MP one!! Not even a 12 MP one..If possible, make it just 10MP again. Or even better, put your last sensor and processor technology toghether in a 8 MP sensor and give us a killer camera with clean files, with little noise reduction and an unbeatable noise beheaviour.
- Please, give us an option to completely disable JPEG noise reduction. None, nada, zip, niente, rien..
- Well, dreaming is cheap…If you want to throw in a focusing wheel a la DP1, a few of “My settings” a la GR2, and make all the critic parameters (iso, aperture & speed) accesible through dials in the camera´s body instead of hidden in the menu…
That is it for now, but me being a dreamer…more to come soon!!
LX2,taking it a day at a time.. 
DNG output.
A real, optical, big viewfinder (will make it bigger).
Flash hotshoe, compatible with Four Thirds cameras (ditto).
Bigger sensor, at least 2/3″ but preferrably Four Thirds — and not 16:9, why wast Leica glass?
Well, this would be a Panasonic DMC-M1 to compete as a cheap Leica M8, but dreaming is cheap.
Interesting, but there are two things I am not willing to give up: Size (matters) and 16:9..I am hooked!!
Thanks for commenting.
If you have a 4:3 or 3:2 ratio sensor at 10MP, and crop it to do 16:9 you will end up with about 8MP in the 16:9 output file.
My wish? Fix the dumb little annoyances in the software: don’t do any filtering to RAW files, make self-timer persistant.
Also, a dedicated switch for play mode is nice (like the TZ5), two strap lugs, lens-linked optical viewfinder, Large(r) sensor, dampening on the pop-up flash, a bit more zoom range (24-135+ zoom), faster lens with clean bokeh, a manual focus ring, some kind of cable (or even wireless) remote, in-camera USB charging.
oh, one last thing – thread the lens barrel or add a bayonet mount, and sell a barrel extender so we can use teleconverters, wide adapters, etc., without having to kludge a solution.
I think whatever improvements I want it in the same compact size and build quality.Improvements I’d like to see. Use the sensor filtering technology they used to give the L10 the best four thirds resolution. Keep the native 16:9 aspect sensor for sure. Give us VenusIV. And more control over noise reduction. And I’m sure we’ll see a lot of the slick interface from the FZ18.I’ll buy it. Oh it would be too cool to have a mini bounce flash like the L1.After all isn’t that what compact cameras are expected to do.Take low light snapshots when you don’t want to point the DSLR at people.
– 24mm wide angle
– flah hot shoe
– smaller RAW file
– OVF or EVF
– better Macro capabilities
– better Video
– appropriate lens adapter for filters and converters
…thats it.
Great comments!!
Agit-prop, I would prefer to keep the native 16:9 sensor and mybe make THAT an 8MP one..of course Venus IV..Very good point regarding the self-timer. That annoyes me a bit as well but forgot to mention it in the first place. All the rest is fine as long as it doesn´t alter the size of the thing…Regarding the threaded ring, I had to buy an adapter and also bought a Nikon WC-E68 wide angle that should leave me in the neighbourhood of the 19mm..They still haven´t arrived so I can´t comment, but will make some posts and comments when it get´s here.
Elfenone, we all seem to agree in one point: Noise reduction. I don´t know anything about the FZ18´s interface but if the improvements are amongst the ones you mentioned, they would be wellcome..I also would love the camera to have a bigger sensor, but I´m afraid that would affect the size(and speed) of the lens dramatically..
Djordje, clear and simple. I agree 100%..
Hope to continue receiving ideas, this is fun and interesting!!
Best wishes, Erik.
One thing I’d really love is a stepped zoom option like on the Ricoh GX100 and the focal length indication instead of the useless 2x, 3x, 4x in the zoom display.
I don’t need the OVF, on such a small camera it would either add too much size or be useless. Also, no 4:3 please.
I’m very much against a built-in VF. Put a hotshoe on and handle it that way. Keep 16×9 native – that is what makes this camera special. Macro *must* be improved imho. I should be able to get within 1 or 1.5cm like the Ricohs. I’d also like to lose the lens cap and get an auto retracting cover. Add the ability to totally disable NR and I’m good to go.
Though I understand people prefering an OVF or EVF, I think it´s not for me, at least in this type of camera. Maybe Panasonic could come up wit a hotshoe-viewfinder wih 16:9 masks (if it could be a zoom viewfinder that worked for the different positions of the “step zoom” that would be fab..The iprovement of the macro ablity seems again consensus..And yeah, the lens cap can be a pain in the rear…
Best, Erik.
fast startup, focus and file save times, inc. RAW. I often take 10 fast shots to get the good one (kids, nature on a windy day etc). All else fine. Roll on LX3.
Regarding the focus speed, which is never going to be first class in this type of camera, I have been practising shooting with manual focus, using hyperfocal which toghether with the huge depth of field is giving me great results. A quick snap I did yesterday this way is one of the sharpest photos I have ever done!!
Erik
Hi Erik here is the latest info on LX-3 This is the second interview with Panasonic management where it is implied a fall unveiling for LX3. Almost certainly at Photokina in Germany in September.Here’s your link
http://www.seriouscompacts.com/2008/05/panasonic-lx2-replacement-confirmed-for.html
Thanks for the info!! Well now that the LX3 is coming for sure, it might be the perfect moment for getting a nicely priced second hand LX2…It will definetely still be a great camera when the replacement comes out, and will keep taking great pictures.
Erik.
It’s like a dream…
Now, what is that!!!! And where did you get that from??? I need to know MORE!!
Erik.
Sorry, I don’t know more. It’s from our russian forum and are absolutely no details. Here is that thread:
http://lumixclub.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1584
You may watch it 🙂
[…] their potential buyers. Congratulations! A couple months ago I started in this blog a post tittled “LX3 Wishlist”. Many of you kindly contributed and wrote down your wishes for the new machine. Those wishes seemed […]
Firmware update only improvements:
– Improved digital zoom (optimize image stabilization and full iA mode support)
– Electronic level (to see on-screen if you hold camera straight)
– Selectable reset of selftimer (delay) at camera turn on/off – or give option in case shutter time because larger
– Put manual focus and depth of focus bar in same direction
– Scroll bars for Aperature / Shuttespeed in program shift mode, I like: http://a.img-dpreview.com/reviews/CanonG10/images/captures/G10-Menu-8.jpg
Probably only feasible with new hardware:
– Stereo support for video (external microphone)
– Support for wireless external flash (hotshoe is nice but only pratical on this size camera with stand (and then you better bring your DSLR))
– Battery load / picture download without having to take camera out of perfect leather cover (so through small hole, not behind door (picture download potentially via WiFi)) Hmm, I break of those doors…
– One wheel for ISO / Exposure settings (user selectable / mode depending)
If only more than 75 people could read this.
Super awesome article! Truely!