Panasonic Lumix LX100 II review

Panasonic has upgraded one of our favorite compact cameras, but does it offer enough to stand above all the smartphone cameras available?

Digital Camera World Verdict

With a large sensor, great lens and an EVF, the Panasonic Lumix LX100 II has all the ingredients we’d want from a compact camera, and it even encourages creative photography.

Pros

  • +

    Large sensor gives you control of depth

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    Easy-to-change aspect ratios

  • +

    Retro metal control dials

Cons

  • -

    The LCD screen is fixed

  • -

    There is no pop-up flash

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    Wireless image transfer is clunky

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 While we love the Panasonic Lumix LX100, it dates from 2014, which is a long time ago in camera development terms. So naturally we are delighted that Panasonic has introduced an update, the Lumix LX100 II. And Panasonic has stuck with a winning formula that combines a superb Leica DC Vario-Summilux 24-75mm (equivalent) f1.7-2.8 lens with a multi-aspect Four-Thirds type sensor, in a compact body with an electronic viewfinder.

The most significant change brought by the new camera is the sensor. This has been uprated from a 16MP chip in the Mark I to a 21.77MP sensor in the Mark II camera. As before, this sensor works as a multi-aspect device, which means it’s actually larger than is required by any of the available aspect ratios. As a result, the largest images are made up of 17 million pixels, up from 12 million pixels with the original LX100. This adds to its appeal as possibly one of the best travel cameras out there right now for expert photographers.

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