Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX15

In addition to the somewhat large Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1000, I wanted a camera for every day that had a bright lens and a decent 1" processor. Given the large camera and the good experiences I have with previous Panasonic cameras, the choice was made quickly. The camera focuses quickly, the photo quality is more than excellent and you can use it well as an experienced and novice photographer (in iA or P mode). The 20 MP in this camera compensate for the 'only' 3 x optical zoom. What I really like is that the aperture can be set separately from the menu by means of the ring on the lens. This means you don't have to go through the entire menu every time to adjust this. The accompanying photos were taken during the World Port Days 2017 in Rotterdam (with light show and fireworks in the evening).

I was looking for a good compact camera with a 1" sensor. My main requirement was to take good pictures in most and difficult conditions, where my smartphone especially falls short. I am a novice photographer who would like to learn how to shoot better . My choice fell on three cameras: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX15, Canon PowerShot G7 X II and the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 III. After searching around on the internet, the photo quality of the three cameras and options turned out not to be very far apart. In the end I chose the DMC-LX15 because of the possibility to shoot 4K video and the very good photo quality (in the dark). After receiving the camera, the DMC-LX15 indeed shoots very sharp photos. It is a big difference with cheaper (zoom) compact cameras and smartphones, during the day and completely in the dark. I did set the ISO to a maximum of 1600, after that the photo contains a lot of noise. At the moment I am mainly trying out the different modes P, S, A and M. The touch screen is excellent, 4K videos are fine and the option to shoot in RAW is especially welcome. There are not so many drawbacks. I don't think experienced photographers will miss any electronic viewfinder (EVF). The camera has quite a few settings and menus. This can take some getting used to for novice photographers, but the auto mode can always be used (which is fine). The battery does run out quickly, so a second battery is desirable. Excellent all-round compact camera, also for the novice photographer.

I have been using this beautiful compact camera for a few weeks now. Mainly because of the bright lens, I chose this camera instead of another brand with more optical zoom. After 3 weeks of use on holiday I have to say that it is really a top device. The 4k photo options are certainly a godsend and in the dark it performs really well. I sold my DSLR right away.