Sold by Leica as the Digilux 2, the Lumix DMC-LC1
is a cost effective alternative for those that want Leica quality
but at a lower price. The LC1 is primarily a photographer's camera,
it's elegant and understated design firmly rooted in the fabled
Leica M-series cameras. The LC1 offers a quality of construction
that, while it has no direct bearing on the quality of the camera's
images, has a profound impact in how the user feels towards
the camera.
While the LC1 can be used as a point and shoot, using that way somewhat
misses most of the pleasure one derives from using a manual camera, which
is precisely what the LC1 is.
Want to prioritize aperture over
shutter speed? Easy. Turn the shutter speed dial to and
simply rotate the aperture ring to the desired f-stop. The information
is clearly indicated in the viewfinder, each smooth click of
the ring corresponding to an aperture. The same simple system
applies if shutter priority is desired. Turn the aperture ring
to the position,
and adjust the shutter speed dial with the thumb while looking
at the numbers shown in the viewfinder.
In the Manual mode, an exposure scale is shown
on the EVF or the LCD monitor, making manual adjustments and
good results simple and quick. And, of course, placing both the
aperture ring and the shutter speed dial to their respective positions
turns the LC1 into a high-end point and shoot, its Program
mode ensuring excellent images with little effort.
Much of that outstanding image quality is directly attributable to the
Leica lens.
Although it is a relatively short
3.2X zoom, the focal range it covers is ideal for 90% of most
people's photography. At 28mm, it easily grabs a shot of the
Taj Mahal, or of the new house to show the relatives. At 90mm
and f2.4, the lens is perfect to capture a portrait.
The value of the Leica lens is the purity of the
images it captures. There is no major distortion — at the
widest angle only a slightest bit of barrelling, and no pincushion
at the telephoto end. Likewise, there is no obvious chromatic
aberration, even with shots that contain strong contrasts.
At 100 ISO, images have little noise, even in the deeper shadows. At 200
ISO a close look at images on a monitor reveals a bit of noise which increases
further at 400 ISO, but still leaves the images useable.
Night shots can be made with the LC1, and are
made particularly practical by the inclusion of a wired remote
control that avoids any camera shake, or avoids having to rely
on the self-timer which can make it difficult to control the
precise moment at which an exposure starts. One regret though,
the relatively short maximum 8 second exposure time.
Outdoors, the LC1 captures excellent images that indicate precise metering.
Colours are accurate, and details
are crisp, helped by the Super Fine mode's very low compression.
In addition, to preclude any possible side effect
from JPEG compression, a RAW mode is available and when used
in conjunction with the RAW images plug-in for Photoshop CS,
offers superb control over the image (see the Interface and
Software section, and the Test photo section of the review.)
Similarly, used indoors, the flash of the LC1 is generally effective, and
its ability to lock with the flash head at a 45° angle allows it to
be used as a bounce flash that provides even lighting and avoids harsh
shadows behind the subject.
Aperture: f4, shutter speed 1/200 sec., 100 ISO.
But, while the bounce flash capability
is an excellent idea that should be pick up by others, the LC1
could have benefited from the addition of an AF assist lamp commonly
found on other cameras.
Aperture: f4, shutter speed 1/160 sec., 100 ISO.
The LC1 is expensive camera, albeit less so than
the Leica version. But its price may be better understood in
light of the quality of construction of the camera, and the quality
of its lens. While a digital SLR and a very good lens can be
had for a comparable sum, the LC1 is sure to appeal to photographers
that prefer a much more discreet and compact camera whose quality,
operation and results will remind them of earlier times.
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Image Quality
and
simply rotate the aperture ring to the desired f-stop. The information
is clearly indicated in the viewfinder, each smooth click of
the ring corresponding to an aperture. The same simple system
applies if shutter priority is desired. Turn the aperture ring
to the 
