Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 - An Advanced Compact for the Casual Shooter

Introduction

With smartphones eating away at the entry-level compact camera segment, camera manufacturers have shifted their focus to the advanced compact segment. And it appears that the recent onslaught of advanced compact cameras isn’t going to stop anytime soon, with Sony announcing the RX100 II and Olympus releasing two advanced compact models, the XZ-2 and its smaller sibling the XZ-10.

The LF1 is Panasonic’s newest advanced compact and is a somewhat similar to the Lumix LX7, albeit with a slightly different flavor. The sensor inside the LF1 is the same size and type as the one found inside the LX7, though the LF1’s sensor sports a higher resolution. Other differences include a longer but slightly slower lens and an electronic viewfinder (EVF) which is a rarity on smaller cameras. But are all these enough to make the LF1 stand out? While we managed to test out the Panasonic LF1 in Bali, the short time we had with the camera did leave a favorable first impression on us that we've decided to revisit it in this full review.

Design and Handling

With the LF1 looking more like a streamlined version of the LX7, it’s only natural that comparisons are abound. Design differences include the omission of a hot shoe mount and the AF/AE lock button on the LF1. The slightly curved hand grip on the LX7 is also missing on the LF1; in this regard the LF1 has more in common with the appearances of the Sony RX100 than the Lumix LX7. This also means that you might have a harder time holding on to the LF1 if your hands are slick with sweat after an entire day of shooting. On the positive side of things, we’re glad that the LF1 features an automatic lens cover and not a lens cap, which was one of things we disliked about the LX7.

Moving on, we focused on the differences/similarities seen on the rear of the camera. First off, there’s an Fn button on the rear of the LF1, which lets users assign certain functions or shortcuts to that button, like AF/AE lock or to set the focus area. This sort of compensates for the lack of a dedicated AF/AE lock present on the LX7 brother. For the casual shooter, the default function assigned to the Fn button is set to bring up a composition guide, where a grid overlay pops up on-screen to help with composing your shots.

We were disappointed though, to find that the 3-inch, 920k-dot display was not touch-sensitive. To be fair, the LX7’s display isn’t touch-sensitive either, but when a travel superzoom like the Panasonic TZ40 adopts this feature, we’re not sure why Panasonic’s advanced compact line-up skips on this. After all, it would make setting a focus area much simpler and faster instead of using the scroll wheel.

The LF1 also comes with a control ring, which by default handles the setting for the mode you’re shooting in. Turning the ring adjusts aperture if you’re shooting in aperture priority mode, you can set the shutter speed with the control ring if you’re shooting in shutter priority. The control ring around the base of the lens barrel can also be assigned other functions such as the ability to set exposure compensation or ISO, though only a single function can be assigned to the control ring at any one time. This feature made shooting a more intuitive experience, since your hand will be on (or near) the lens barrel when shooting, there's no need to move your grip in order to adjust the aperture or shutter speed. 

The LF1’s electronic viewfinder (EVF) is one of the LF1’s major draws and while the EVF is a sound concept, the actual implementation leaves more to be desired. In our actual trials, the 0.2-inch EVF is too small to be used exclusively; in fact, we found it tiring when trying to make an active effort to use it. So it turned out that we only resorted to using it in bright sunlight, when the rear display is difficult to discern. There’s no eye sensor on the LF1, so you will need to press the LVF (live viewfinder) button that sits beside the EVF in order to toggle between the EVF and the rear display. Despite these nitpicks, fortunately it offers a 100% field of view so what you see, is what you will frame.

The LF1’s menu system is easy to navigate, with all the settings split between the four sub-menus: record, setup, video and Wi-Fi. Of course you won’t be accessing the main menu that frequently as Panasonic’s Quick Menu button makes an appearance on the LF1 as well, which brings up a list of commonly-accessed shooting functions when pressed.

Functionality-wise, Panasonic has lately been releasing cameras with Wi-Fi and NFC capability and the LF1 is no different. In fact, users can directly access the Wi-Fi settings through the Wi-Fi button right beside the LVF button. Connecting to your smartphone or tablet is simple with the assistance of the Panasonic Lumix app, and from there you can set it to share images with other apps and services. While the number of services and apps that the Panasonic Lumix app interfaces with are aplenty, you are limited to the top, bottom, left and right sides of the screen to assign app shortcuts. Once you have assigned the apps, you can just drag and drop the image you wish to share onto the app shortcut. We found this to be a fresh and simple approach to sharing images, though initially it took us awhile to find the share settings menu.

Image Quality and Performance 

In terms of resolution the LF1 scored slightly below the LX7, though we can't say for sure if this is a result of squeezing more pixels into the sensor. The LF1 scores 2000LPH both vertically and horizontally in our resolution test, compared to the LX7's 2000 x 2200LPH (horizontal and vertical). As with almost every modern digital compact, image noise is kept under control through the camera’s noise reduction software. Fortunately the LF1’s approach isn’t too aggressive, with details being retained until you hit ISO 800. Even then, it’s only apparent when you zoom in 100%.

The LF1 has a longer focal length of 28-200mm (in 35mm equivalent), which gives it much more reach than the LX7's 24-90mm. The LX7 has a faster lens however, with a maximum aperture of f/1.4 at the wide end and f/2.3 at its longest. The LF1, in comparison, can shoot at f/2 at the wide end and f/5.9 at the longest. That's still pretty fast at the 35mm equivalent of 200mm, when you consider that a standard 18-55mm DSLR kit lens' aperture maxes out at f/5.6 at the longest range of 55mm.

Rated battery life is at the lower end of the spectrum, with many other advanced compacts able to get 300 or more shots before running out of juice, while the Panasonic LF1's battery life is rated at 250 shots. Throw in some Wi-Fi use and we expect the numbers to drop further. For comparisons, the slightly larger and heavier LX7 has a larger battery pack rated for 330 shots.

Below are sample photographs shot with the Panasonic Lumix LF1. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images.

Conclusion

The Panasonic Lumix LF1 is able to shoot at f/2.0 at its widest end, but that's not all that unique today, considering that many other advanced compacts can shoot at f/1.8 and even f/1.4. What it does better is that it has a longer reach, at 200mm compared to its peers. That gives is an optical zoom of ratio of up to 7.1x, which is much more than its LX7 sibling that only offers 3.8x. To put things in perspective, the Canon PowerShot S110 racks out to 120mm, while the Panasonic Lumix LX7 stops at 90mm. Shooting at f/5.9 at its longest end may seem unimpressive, but you have to remember that the LF1 provides far more reach than other advanced compacts (as compared in our LX7 review). And don't forget the LF1 also comes with built-in Wi-Fi and smart sharing options that may not be present in all of its competitors.

In terms of sensor size the LF1 is pretty standard with the majority of its peers sporting the same sensor size (but it's still bigger than that of entry-level compact cameras). Of course you can always opt for the Sony RX100's 1-inch sensor, though that comes at a higher asking price (approximately an additional S$250 with its new SRP at S$849). And while the LF1's electronic viewfinder may entice some potential buyers, its small size (0.2-inch) and low resolution (200k-dot) pales in comparison to the Fujifilm X20's optical viewfinder. Thus, we wouldn't recommend buying the LF1 just because of the EVF alone, as a day of shooting with the small viewfinder will prove to be a tiring affair. In our field use, the EVF is handy only when the bright sunlight makes it difficult to discern the camera's rear screen.

It's inevitable that most will be comparing the LF1 to the Canon S110 since they're the closest in terms of specifications and price. The Panasonic LF1 costs S$100 more at S$599, but you get a much longer zoom (which reaches further than any of the advanced compacts on the market right now) and the ability to shoot at f/5.9 with the lens racked out as compared to the Canon S110's f/8.0. And while the Panasonic LF1's 250-shot rated battery life may be lower than most, it is still better than Canon S110's 200-shot battery life.

Back when it was announced a few months ago, we thought it was weird for Panasonic to release the LF1 considering it has the LX7 in its line-up. However, after spending more time with the LF1 as we did for this review, it became apparent that both cameras are aimed at different crowds. The LX7 (and the rest of the more expensive advanced compacts) will appeal to the photography enthusiast who likes to shoot with wider apertures and manual controls. The trade-off is that these cameras all come in larger bodies and have limited focal ranges.

We feel that the Panasonic LF1 will appeal to someone who wants to experiment with manual shooting modes, but places more importance on optical zoom capability rather than the ability to shoot at wider apertures. The fact that the LF1 is smaller in size than the rest doesn't hurt either. Thus the Panasonic LF1 is a more versatile camera which is suitable for the casual shutterbug due to its longer zoom range and smaller size while retaining good imaging quality.

If zoom is the most important factor in your decision, you could always spring for a superzoom compact seeing that they are around the same price range as the LF1 - such as the just reviewed Sony Cyber-shot HX50 or the Panasonic Lumix TZ40. However, do take note that the Panasonic Lumix LF1 being an advanced compact and sporting a larger sensor size, images captures are certainly sharper, especially when viewed at larger resolutions (check this full-sized photo from the HX50 vs. the LF1) and it has the ability to shoot at a relatively wide aperture of f/2.0 for better low light photography (again check the HX50 vs. the LF1).

All things considered, the Panasonic Lumix LF1 seems to offer a pretty decent package and would appeal to those who need pocketable camera with better imaging capabilities than a basic compact camera while offering a decent zoom level in a slim build. As such, the LF1 sits in a niche that's right in-between a traditional compact camera and that of mirrorless and DSLR cameras. In fact, we reckon the LF1 might be a decent companion pocket camera to those who've invested in the bigger lens system based cameras.

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