I, like many others probably wanted also, finally, after a final good compact camera, with which I removed quickly on the day from his jacket pocket, can shoot photos in good image quality without (!!!!) having to renounce focal length because They can contrary to the RX100 eg 7x optical cover, which is a very, very important area, while the RX100 has commanded me simply too little zoom. The Canon S110 had with 5x always that little bit of focal length, what was missing in the end. The LF-1is the only precious Compact with slightly larger sensor for less noise and more image details, which covers a 7x optical zoom range with a minimum weight and smallest size. This creates otherwise only the Nikon P7100-7700-7800 and a special camera from Olympus, the 10x optical creates, but as precious Compact as well as the P7100-7800 no longer fits in a jacket pocket.
That's the Todschlagargument for this camera. I want something big, then I will equal the whole package and run with a DSLR rum. But you need just always something in your pocket. And I've searched and searched and searched and found really nothing comparable on the market. I liked the RX100 not quite liked because it was lame on power and the focal length was too short and the image quality had to be always reduced to 20MP on 10-12MP, so it was good.
And now the image quality: I first photographed in JPG. I would be his equal. She rushes here starting at the lowest level ISO80 easily and amplifies the noise from ISO200 noticeably. Most is to ISO400 notice anything because the developers have apparently noticed. In automatic or P mode, the camera never used even at night you about ISO400 settings, so that they correctly increases the exposure time. Here saves the images of good image stabilizer but not so good as in some Samsung compact cameras, use the movably mounted sensors and lenses together, so that they create a double exposure as the LF-1. So you are impatient and has a little steady hand, you have to go through ISO800. I have a programmable wheel placed forward on the lens to ISO, so that I have control over the image quality and not the camera (the worse the lighting situation, the less I zoom and so I always come up from ISO200). On de Fn button back I put the focus so that you can quickly switch between spot and multi-pattern metering.
It's fast when turning, which is very important in a compact camera.
It has an optical viewfinder, which is criticized again and again. Then I have been nothing but. That's great that an optical viewfinder is! Yes, the resolution is not fantastic, but it is sufficient for judging the image section and coarse focus. Ideal at night or at concerts when playing controlled times where the display light and where not :). So you can switch off the display and does not remain incognito visible.
The lens comes from Leica and name have told me honestly never interested. Performance: The distortion of the horizontal edges falls from low and especially very low compared to other compact. The center is absolutely sharp and from wide angle to telephoto. The maximum aperture of F2.0 is ideal as prevails along with the small sensor has a large depth of field with fast lens so that it is always possible for beginners and hobby users to get sharp photos back home because they do not do a narrow depth of field as sensors from about 1 has "If you want you go to spot focus and sets the point pressed halfway to a front plane (eg plant or human) and then goes in the center and press -. Photos obtained with light bokeh (bokehs on time can one but also with image editing make stronger, its just always Fließbandarbeit objects indemnify (with Bezier curves, minimal rounding and drawing tablet, it is of course faster;) ...)).
The aperture of the lens is very fair and practical. F2.0 is ideal for little verzeichnendem 28mm wide angle (the disadvantage is also the advantage, because too much wide-angle 1.3x recorded and you therefore need to zoom in and thus about F2.0 or F2.0 will be about when an use camera with F1.4 24mm, but never 7x optical features and so small and light as the LF-1 is :)). Then it goes downhill quickly, of course, but that does not bother me, because I already knew that beforehand. The case size does not allow for that and I am pleased that the camera only from 28mm begins because you herewith at 7x 200mm. And statistically more you zoom in daylight and at night. But one has at night an all prime lens with 28mm and F2.0 or at a pinch even 2.5x Zoom to F3.2 beu good image stabilization.
The camera is very well programmed and overall not too lame of the software and hardware.
The JPEGs are too sharp in from the camera and amplify the noise unnecessarily. I have the 12MP JPEGs always reduced to 8MP, then the images are very sharp and vivid as just the one model DSLR about 5 years ago (D3000). The contours are sharpened and unfortunately over-sharpened because the 12MP camera does not manage. But the JPEG engine is still very good, since it produces no mud in textures and details and is honest, ie noise in favor of image detail and not the other way around with any experiments fürhren to nothing.
To tease out the most out of the camera, you have to install the included software Silkypix RAW. I still use the age-old Windows XP 32bit operating system and even then the software will work without interruptions. Now you have full control over such an important image features such as focus, exposure, white balance and even the JPEG codec into the deeper characteristics. And also of the compression properties of JPEG are critical about the picture quality. With the following setting, which I found out after tens of hours, I manage to ISO200 exactly the same plastic and sharp images as in an old model DSLR Nikon D300 10MP with eg the same MP resolution. The JPEGs are then at a whopping 10MP 8.5-10 megabytes per image and the impression is not misleading, there are real image details. At ISO400 equivalent the LF-1 then about ISO1000 at a beginner DSLR about 5 years ago. About ISO400 I would recommend this camera no longer want to use, unless you absolutely need something quick to max. 4-6MP shoot:
1) Camera: 12MP RAW (RAW + JPEG Dual you need loose a 32GB Class 10 card minimum, with only RAW everything goes on Class 4 and 2GB Uralt cards then create about 100 photos, so about 400 photos or 8GB 16GB 800 photos in RAW)
2) Silkypix:
Exposure 0.0
White balance: as camera
Contrast: something little contrast (details in dark areas not to drink from)
Color: Manual, saturation 1:14
Sharpening:
Accented Edges: 10
Details emphasize: 100
Edge error: 100 (!!!)
Noise Reduction: left (who wants can bring out sensitivities over ISO 400 the last bit here at high ISO)
Then click File> Development ... go
jpg file format select (industry standard is read everywhere)
JPEG (compressed):
JPEG YCC444 (which is the best algorithm of 3)
Quality 100
Unsharp Mask:
Strength 0
Radius 0.2
Threshold 0
Image size maintained at 4000 x 3000 12MP because working with it straight on
Now in IrfanView (freeware software):
Once sharpening (Shift + S) (Reason: the sharpness algorithm of IrfanView is better than the over-sharpening of Panasonic, as one can easily sharpen step by step further here, because images in 12MP from Silkypix Canon moderately neutral, soft with little noise and have still kept organic plastic)
Size of image change (CTRL + R = Resize / Resample Picture) to Width = 3652 10MP, proportionally this box so that height is then set to 2739. Now we have before we have reduced, thereby promoting the image is sharp but not over-sharpened.
Saving as a JPEG quality 100. This setting gives about 8,5-10MB large image files, the D3000 day at ISO 640 correspond to ISO 200 the old Nikon and at ISO400 LF-1 then at about ISO 800 the old entry Backup DSLR D3000 match. Comparison is the same resolution of 10MP exactly. No interpolated frames, all plastic like a small cheap DSLR, but from his jacket pocket without changing lenses and purchase a travel zoom, with better lens.
The LF-1 costs Stand 02/2015 300 euros on average. This money is well worth it. The Leica C is identical in construction, only the price is twice as high (600 euros), the design is a little fancier and important for quite a lot of people, it has a red dot on it :). Thus, wins clearly the Panasonic LF-1.
Macros loves this camera as well, alone so it saves the cost of a macro lens on a DSLR, since DSLR with macro usually can not do much, as long as you are not separately charged. And the video is seen in the slightly larger sensor clearly detail faithfully than with the 1 / 2.3 "sensors of mass.
Minus points they accumulated in the battery pack, as is standard fare and reaps the prices for many photos per battery charge. Thus, at least to buy a second battery. And as I said the standard JPEG engine oversharpened too strong, the remedy is described RAW way. As you can see, therefore highly recommended not many minus points. The price has a little typical Panasonic extra charge of all exceed 30% extra to ground equipment of the middle class. But you can buy here for a device which again is typical Panasonic directly and has the photographer focus. No unnecessary multimedia bells and whistles, a device, a feature that no compromises, digital camera = image quality and to the slightly longer development time and thus the hope for a longer duration, which makes the price cheaper again at the end.
