Friday 30 January 2009
Arrived it has...
Talk like Yoda I must...
Stop it I can't.
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Initial tests with the LX3 have been gobsmacking in short. Well it is essentially a Leica in disguise as a Lumix so it should come as no surprise... Noiseless low light RAW shooting is a delight, as is having not yet had the need to take it above ISO 100 in any situation. I have had to bend it's parameters or purposefully badly expose a subject to produce any noise worth mentioning.
The intuitive exposure, aperture, EV & multi-bracketing control also doesn't argue that it knows best all the time. This is totally refreshing. Having used a G9 to take the shot above, it barely managed to perform given the available light. When the thing eventually locked the target, it threw a tantrum & decided to argue about every setting...Shame on Canon.
The LX3 on the other hand, knows that the photographer knows best, even if the photographer is very wrong, & thus, it let's the photographer decide. Such wisdom is an asset to learning curves & an aid for anyone aiming to develop genuine eye-to-subject skills. Being allowed to fail in manual exposure & photography is not a bad thing, but being coerced out of any learning by an over zealous electronic intelligence, is.
The LX3 user manual is about as thick as a copy Grays Anatomy & having swiftly bypassed reading everything I opted for dynamic black & white shooting with full manual control the moment I took the LX3 out of the box. And that's another thing, when it arrived I initially thought I'd paid £350 for an empty box. The LX3 is light, but comfortable & has a positive weight in the hand due to great ergonomics & its metal framework. It umm... feels real.
A wee bit of familiarization & a few mental notes & it was on with the 46mm lens ring, UV filter, ND filter in my pocket, cloddy hoofs on & out the door.
I'm sure it has a wealth of preset party tricks for days of listless experimentation, but a good selection of Biermann & Webber filters will do me more favours than fireworks mode, dancing camel or pinhole mode. Such software in cameras these days is a standard trend, & excess baggage in the LX3 - a box so capable, that it is more than able to get in the boxing ring with a DSLR & come out victorious. Some evidence of this will follow shortly.
Hard to fault this camera it is, maybe to the dark side I must turn? Leave the lens cap on hmm?
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Random test shot full manual...
Exposure: 0.003 sec [1/400]
Aperture: f/2.2
Focal Length: 6.3mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Observing the Observer
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)
Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 5.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Talk like Yoda I must...Stop it I can't.
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Initial tests with the LX3 have been gobsmacking in short. Well it is essentially a Leica in disguise as a Lumix so it should come as no surprise... Noiseless low light RAW shooting is a delight, as is having not yet had the need to take it above ISO 100 in any situation. I have had to bend it's parameters or purposefully badly expose a subject to produce any noise worth mentioning.
The intuitive exposure, aperture, EV & multi-bracketing control also doesn't argue that it knows best all the time. This is totally refreshing. Having used a G9 to take the shot above, it barely managed to perform given the available light. When the thing eventually locked the target, it threw a tantrum & decided to argue about every setting...Shame on Canon.
The LX3 on the other hand, knows that the photographer knows best, even if the photographer is very wrong, & thus, it let's the photographer decide. Such wisdom is an asset to learning curves & an aid for anyone aiming to develop genuine eye-to-subject skills. Being allowed to fail in manual exposure & photography is not a bad thing, but being coerced out of any learning by an over zealous electronic intelligence, is.
The LX3 user manual is about as thick as a copy Grays Anatomy & having swiftly bypassed reading everything I opted for dynamic black & white shooting with full manual control the moment I took the LX3 out of the box. And that's another thing, when it arrived I initially thought I'd paid £350 for an empty box. The LX3 is light, but comfortable & has a positive weight in the hand due to great ergonomics & its metal framework. It umm... feels real.
A wee bit of familiarization & a few mental notes & it was on with the 46mm lens ring, UV filter, ND filter in my pocket, cloddy hoofs on & out the door.
I'm sure it has a wealth of preset party tricks for days of listless experimentation, but a good selection of Biermann & Webber filters will do me more favours than fireworks mode, dancing camel or pinhole mode. Such software in cameras these days is a standard trend, & excess baggage in the LX3 - a box so capable, that it is more than able to get in the boxing ring with a DSLR & come out victorious. Some evidence of this will follow shortly.
Hard to fault this camera it is, maybe to the dark side I must turn? Leave the lens cap on hmm?
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Random test shot full manual...
Exposure: 0.003 sec [1/400]Aperture: f/2.2
Focal Length: 6.3mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
•≈•≈•≈•≈•≈•
Observing the Observer
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640)Aperture: f/2.0
Focal Length: 5.1 mm
ISO Speed: 80
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
posted by •≈ Sgian Dubh at 20:54:00 | 
4 Retorts:
At 31 January 2009 at 21:15, 
•≈ Sgian Dubh
Thankyou Master Jedi Armstrong & Obi Wan Brandsma :o)
Flowing the test shots are. Totally psyched about the LX3 & was still up at 4am playing with it like a child. Currently busy making it a rainproof sock from some Reed Chillcheater material & an elastic band. :o)
Might have to road test the G1 soon given the feel & ability of the LX3 to perform. The force is strong with this dark one...
Or maybe test drive a Leica M8 in my dreams.
good it looks, but use it you must.
a tool only it is, prefer results we do. the force, guide you it will.