Not only does the Panasonic
DMC-LC1 have a look and feel that is reminiscent of one
of Leica's M series cameras — Leica offers it
as the Digilux 2 by the way — it also shares the build
quality of these cameras.
Aside from this, the LC1 is bound
to draw a lot interest for another reason: its analogue controls.
The DMC-LC1 provides manual controls for zoom, focus, aperture and shutter
speed if desired. The Leica lens has three mechanical control rings, not
the electronic types that are found on some other cameras.
One is for the zoom, one
for the focus and one to select the aperture. In
addition, it also provides a locking position on the focus of
the ring to engage auto focus, and one locking position on the
aperture to allow the camera to select the aperture automatically.
Similarly, the shutter speeds are selected with a dial, or the dial can
be set to to
give the LC1 control over the selection.
The Shutter Speed Dial dominates
the controls located on the top right of the LC1, and provides
shutter speed settings from 1/2000 sec to 8 seconds. The Operational
Mode Dial is located beneath the shutter speed dial and serves
to select:
Single Mode
Burst Mode: 2 modes are available,
and the one in use is pre selected in the menu (see the
Characteristics section of the review).
Playback Mode
Likewise, the 2-stage shutter
release has a Metering Mode Dial around it to select a
metering pattern:
and a single button selects the Flash modes when the flash is popped-up:
Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction,
Forced On, Forced On with Red-eye Reduction, first or second
curtain Slow Synch Flash, and Forced Off when the flash is
left closed.
Although at first
glance the AF sensor on the front right of the camera looks like
an optical viewfinder, the LC1 is equipped with an electronic
viewfinder.
Moreover, the LC1 also offers a large LCD monitor, the largest size that
can be had currently on a digital camera and has 211,000 pixels.
The EVF yields a sharp image composed
of 235,000 pixels and is equipped with a diopter correction.
Both EVF or monitor provide a 100% view of the image to be captured
by the CCD.
A flash shoe is positioned directly above the EVF. Although Panasonic has
a flash that fits the LC1, the DMW-FL18, the hotshoe is dedicated to Leica
units, underlining the camera's lineage. Leica flash units SF-20, and SF-24D
are supported, and the SF24D offers the greatest compatibility (Auto, TTL
and GNC).
In addition Metz 54MZ-3, or 70MZ-5,
can also be used with an adapter, SCA3502, to operate in Auto
mode. Last, other flash units can be used in manual mode.
A row of 4 buttons are aligned above the LCD monitor. The first opens the
LC1's pop-up flash, the second, as mentioned above, controls whether the
EVF or the LCD monitor is used (either one can also be used during playback),
and the third button controls the level of information shown on the EVF
or the monitor.
In the recording mode, the DISPLAY button
cycles through four views. The first offers basic information
such as the shooting mode, the ISO setting, the image size and
quality and the battery state, and adds aperture, shutter speed
and metering mode.
Pressing the DISPLAY button
a second time adds a real-time histogram that provides a graphical
representation of the brightness of the image. Pressing the button
a third time eliminates most of the information, and overlays
a composition grid which also retains the focusing brackets and
displays the aperture and shutter speed. Finally, a fourth press
of the DISPLAY button eliminates all overlaid information
with the exception of the focus brackets.
The fourth button above the
screen controls exposure compensation, auto bracketing and
flash exposure compensation:
Auto Bracketing Bracketing
can be done over 3 or 5 frames and ±1EV in 1/3 EV
increments.
Flash compensation makes it possible to compensate
flash exposures over EV in 1/3 EV steps over ±2EV.
Other buttons are aligned on the
right edge of the LCD monitor. Foremost is the FUNCTION button
which presents a shortcut to four of the most commonly needed
functions that otherwise need to be set in the menu.
The FUNCTION button provides a quick way to select alternate settings
for four functions. Any one of these is immediately accessed by pressing
one of the four arrows of the Cursor button.
By default, the options are for
white balance; to fine tune any of the preset white balance settings
other than the Auto white balance; to change the sensitivity
(ISO) of the LC1; or to select the spot AF mode. Menu options
presented in the Function menu can be changed in the Setup menu. (See
the Recording menu in the Characteristics section of the review
for more information about each of these functions.)
The Cursor control is itself an interesting
ad novel design. While it provides the now common control that
has 4 directions, it also offers an outer ring that can be spun
to make selections; a system that turns out to be quite efficient,
and which doubles as a way to magnify images in playback (up
to 16X).
Additional functions
are assigned to the Up and Down arrows of the control in the
recording modes. The Up arrow starts the Self-Timer ,
10 or 2 seconds.
The Down arrow enters the quick Review mode, making it possible to inspect
photos that have been captured without switching to the full playback mode,
and even delete them — using the delete button if
necessary.
The LC1 includes lens cap and — in
Canada — a 69mm diameter MC protector filter to prevent
damage to the front element of the lens.
Moreover, a very effective large square-shaped hood is also provided, which
clips onto the lens barrel, and which has its own matching hood cap.
The Panasonic DMC-LC1 brings to the
digital camera a mechanical control systems that have been refined
by a century of design. With the LC1, an aperture is selected
by a simple turn of the aperture ring, the focus and zoom are
similarly adjusted by silky-smooth rings on the lens; while changing
the shutter speed needs only a turn of the dial with the thumb.
These are systems that work reliably and which are intuitive,
something that is not always the case with many of the controls
of compact digital cameras. And the fact that the tried and tested
controls of the LC1 make it so easy and satisfying to use should
give pause to engineers that strive to add more and more functions
to small buttons or joystick controls. Put bluntly, sometimes,
there is really no need to reinvent the wheel.
Introduction
to
give the LC1 control over the selection.
,
10 or 2 seconds.
if
necessary.
