Pros: sleek body,good manual control, ease of use.
Cons: poor quality control, not dependable.
The Bottom Line: DO NOT BUY this camera! When it is working, it works fine, but is is not dependable. It breaks down with limited use -- a complete waste of money.
young6521's Full Review: Panasonic Lumix® DMC-LC5 Digital Camera
I've been phtotographing as a hobbyist for several years and own several 35mm and medium format cameras. I purchased this camera in 2002 as my first trial with digital cameras. After about 2 years of very limited use, the camera malfunctioned and was unusable.
The reviews I had read from most trade magazines were glowing when this camera first appeared. And of course having the name "Leica" associated with the camera (they make the optics, Panasonic does the electronics) is a draw for any camera enthusiast. When I tested out the camera I was impressed with the large 2.5" display which was rare at the time this camera came out. Also unusual was the ease of manual control. I have a strong preference for manual focus and exposure control for most of my photography and I found these manual controls in most non-SLR cameras to be far more clumsy and difficult to use. Of course the camera has all the automatic settings that make it work as a point and shoot camera as well. I also liked the sleek metal body, and the arrangement of the knobs and controls seemed simple and intuitive.
I purchased the camera for 625$, and for the most part the camera worked as expected. The large display helped considerably with the manual focus, however it also meant that it drained the battery faster. In normal use, a fully charged battery would not last a full day photo outing. My biggest initial disappointment with the camera was the dynamic range of the sensor (that is the range between highlights and shades in which the camera sensors can provide detail) -- it was much poorer than the dynamic range of most films. This however may be symptomatic with digital cameras in general (the sensors may have improved in the last 2 years), and I never saw any evidence that the dynamic range of this camera was worse than for other similar cameras. Although I didn't feel I could use it for serious photography, it worked great as a "point and shoot" camera for getting quick images. And the quality of the images were acceptable.
However, anything positive I have to say about this camera is completely nullified by the fact that after 2 years of very limited use, the camera malfunctioned. The camera started to turn itself on and off every few seconds. This is the exact same problem that the previous reviewer Luando had, and I have found several others noting the same problem on the internet. The camera now has become completely useless, and I don't feel I want to spend the money trying to repair it. I still see used versions of this camera being sold for more than 200$ on the internet. Please DO NOT buy this camera -- it has serious quality control issues and is not dependable especially as a used camera. I'm deeply disappointed that the brand names "Panasonic" and "Leica" have been completely destroyed for me. They may have resolved their quality issues in their current versions of this camera but I have no intention of ever purchasing a camera from this collaboration ever again.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 625.00 This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
4 megapixel sensor creates 2240 x 1680 images for prints at 11 x 14 and beyond 3x optical plus 2x digital (6x total) zoom with Leica DC Vario-Elmarit ...More at Amazon Marketplace
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