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Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II Camera Review

Tested using Methodology v0.12.1
Reviewed Sep 16, 2021 at 10:59 am
Latest change: Writing modified Jan 29, 2024 at 09:10 am
Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II Picture
7.1
Travel Photography
7.2
Landscape Photography
6.8
Sport & Wildlife Photography
7.1
Raw Photo Performance
4.8
Vlogging
6.8
Studio Video
3.9
Action Video

The Pansonic LUMIX LX100 II is a premium compact camera with a 17-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor. It's designed with enthusiasts in mind, with a dedicated shutter speed dial and aperture ring around the lens for on-the-fly exposure adjustments. It's also very portable and lightweight. It takes advantage of its larger sensor by cropping photos down to a range of different aspect ratios without reducing field of view. Because of this, its built-in Leica DC lens has a full-frame equivalent focal length of 24-75mm, giving you some flexibility to zoom in or take close-ups. It delivers excellent JPEG image quality and has impressive RAW noise handling capability, making it well-suited to taking photos in low light. That said, its video quality isn't quite as impressive, and it introduces a lot of rolling shutter effect when panning from side to side. Its autofocus system also struggles to track moving faces, though it does a better job with objects.

Our Verdict

7.1 Travel Photography

The Panasonic LX100 II is decent for travel photography. It's portable and lightweight, making it easy to slip into a travel bag. It also delivers excellent image quality with relatively minimal noise at higher ISO levels, so it's well-suited to shooting in low light. It also has a good battery life that should last through a day of taking photos, though this can vary with settings and usage habits. Unfortunately, it's not the most comfortable to use due to the cramped spacing of its physical controls, and it has a fixed screen, giving you less flexibility to shoot from different angles. Also, its autofocus system does a poor job tracking moving subjects in photography.

Pros
  • Excellent image quality for its class.
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Good battery life.
Cons
  • Poor autofocus tracking performance.
  • Cramped physical design.
  • Fixed screen.
7.2 Landscape Photography

The Panasonic LX100 II is decent for landscape photography if you need something compact. Image quality is excellent overall, and it has decent dynamic range to bring out a fairly wide array of detail in high-contrast landscape shots. It's also very portable, so it's easy to take to more remote shooting locations. That said, it isn't the most comfortable to use, as its compact size and crowded physical design make it easy to accidentally change settings. Its fixed screen also makes it harder to shoot from lower angles.

Pros
  • Excellent image quality for its class.
  • Small and lightweight.
Cons
  • Cramped physical design.
  • Fixed screen.
6.8 Sport & Wildlife Photography

The Panasonic LX100 II is decent for sport and wildlife photography. It has a fast continuous shooting speed with a virtually instantaneous buffer empty time for uninterrupted burst photography. It also delivers excellent image quality and performs well even in low light. Unfortunately, its autofocus performance is disappointing when taking photos. It's not the most comfortable to use, either, because of its small size and cramped physical controls. Also, while it has a zoom lens, its max focal length isn't long enough to zoom in on really far-away subjects.

Pros
  • Excellent image quality for its class.
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Fast continuous shooting speed.
Cons
  • Poor autofocus tracking performance.
  • Cramped physical design.
  • Limited focal length.
7.1 Raw Photo Performance

The Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II has decent RAW photo performance. Its sensor doesn't have the highest resolution, so you don't have too much leeway to crop in your images without losing sharpness. Its dynamic range is decent for a compact camera, so it captures a reasonable range of highlight and shadow detail, though you'll still lose some highlights or shadows in very high-contrast scenes. Its noise handling is alright, and its relatively bright f/1.7-f/2.8 lens makes it better-suited to low light than most point-and-shoots, but images still look fairly noisy at higher ISOs.

Pros
  • Decent dynamic range.
  • Wide-aperture lens helps in low light situations.
Cons
  • Noise handling is just okay.
  • Sensor doesn't have the highest resolution.
4.8 Vlogging

The Panasonic LX100 II is a poor choice for vlogging. It has a fixed screen, so you can't easily monitor yourself while recording. That said, it's very lightweight and portable, so it's not cumbersome to carry around for long periods, and it delivers good overall video quality, especially in 4k. However, there's a lot of distortion when panning from side to side due to rolling shutter effect. It also lacks in-body stabilization and does a poor job of reducing camera shake when moving at a moderate pace.

Pros
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Good overall video quality.
Cons
  • Significant distortion from rolling shutter when panning to the side.
  • Disappointing video stabilization.
  • Autofocus struggles to track moving faces.
6.8 Studio Video

The Panasonic LX100 II is okay for studio video. It delivers good overall video quality, particularly in 4k. It introduces a lot of rolling shutter effect when panning from side to side, which can be distracting. It also lacks headphone and microphone jacks. Its internal recording capability is also limited, so it can only record 4k video in 15-minute increments. While its autofocus system is good at tracking moving objects, it struggles a lot with moving faces.

Pros
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Good overall video quality.
  • Easy-to-use menu system.
Cons
  • Significant distortion from rolling shutter when panning to the side.
  • No headphone or mic jack.
  • Autofocus struggles to track moving faces.
3.9 Action Video

The Panasonic LX100 II isn't well-suited to action video. While it's compact and easy to carry around, it isn't designed for mounting on a helmet or chest rig. It also lacks water resistance, though we don't currently test for this. Its overall video quality is good, particularly in 4k, but it introduces a lot of distortion when panning from side to side due to the rolling shutter effect. It also does a poor job smoothing out camera shake in 4k, though it's a bit better in FHD.

Pros
  • Small and lightweight.
  • Good overall video quality.
Cons
  • Poor video stabilization in 4k.
  • Significant distortion from rolling shutter when panning to the side.
  • Autofocus struggles to track moving faces.
  • 7.1 Travel Photography
  • 7.2 Landscape Photography
  • 6.8 Sport & Wildlife Photography
  • 7.1 Raw Photo Performance
  • 4.8 Vlogging
  • 6.8 Studio Video
  • 3.9 Action Video
  1. Updated Jan 29, 2024: Added text to the 'Raw Photo Performance' verdict box.
  2. Updated Jan 29, 2024: Converted to Test Bench 0.12.1.
  3. Updated May 29, 2023: Added a link to the Leica D-Lux 7 to the 'Body' section of the review.
  4. Updated May 11, 2023: In a previous version of this review, we mistakenly indicated that this camera had a built-in flash. We've corrected the review to specify 'No (accessory included)' in the 'Built-In Flash' field.
  5. Updated Apr 24, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.12.
  6. Updated Mar 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.11.
  7. Updated Sep 16, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.10.
  8. Updated Aug 05, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.9.
  9. Updated Apr 22, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.
  10. Updated Sep 16, 2021: Review published.
  11. Updated Sep 13, 2021: Early access published.
  12. Updated Aug 11, 2021: Our testers have started testing this product.
  13. Updated Aug 06, 2021: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  14. Updated Jul 09, 2021: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

The Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II comes in one color variant: 'Black'. 

Let us know if you come across another variant or your LX100 II doesn't correspond to our review, and we'll update it.

You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Cameras

Leica D-Lux 7

The Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II and the Leica D-Lux 7 are similar cameras. The D-Lux 7 is essentially a Leica-branded LUMIX LX100 II. The biggest difference between the two cameras is that the Leica has a slightly different body, with no finger grip.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
7.8
Design
Portability
Height
2.6" (6.6 cm)
Width
4.9" (12.5 cm)
Depth
2.8" (7.1 cm)
Volume
35.7 in³ (585.8 cm³)
Weight
0.89 lbs (0.40 kg)

See this camera's portability with its lens extended here and with its flash accessory attached here.

7.0
Design
Build Quality

  • Body is made of metal and plastic
  • Rear command dial is sluggish and aperture ring is a bit difficult to turn, but the shutter speed dial is sturdy
  • Lens dial is overly sensitive, so it's easy to accidentally change a setting
  • Zoom toggle is highly sensitive, so it's easy to shift focal length by mistake
  • Buttons are small but offer good physical feedback
  • Battery and SD card compartment is covered by a locking hinged door
  • Inputs covered by a solid plastic hinged door

Design
Body
Body Type
Large Sensor Compact
Water Resistance
No
Mirrorless
Yes
Rugged
No
Hot Shoe
Yes
Customizable Button
Yes
Command Dial
4
Tripod Mount
Yes
Lens Mount
No Lens Mount
Built-In Flash
No (accessory included)
Fastest Shutter Speed
1/4,000 s

If you want a similar camera with a slightly different design and color options, including a limited 007 edition, check out the Leica D-Lux 7.

Design
In The Box

  • Panasonic LUMIX LX100 II camera
  • Lens cap
  • Lens cap string
  • Shoulder strap
  • Hot shoe cover
  • External flash
  • DMW-BLG10PP battery
  • AC adapter
  • USB-A to micro-USB cable
  • Storage pouch for flash
  • User manual

6.0
Design
Ergonomics & Comfort
Hand Grip: Small Hand
Yes
Hand Grip: Medium Hand
Yes
Hand Grip: Large Hand
No
Hand Grip: Extra-Large Hand
No

  • Camera is small and lightweight, though it may be uncomfortable to use for those with larger hands
  • Includes a small handgrip with a slightly rubberized texture and a small thumb rest on the back
  • Lens is compact but includes many physical controls, so it can feel a bit crowded and hard to use
  • Due to its small size and extensive physical controls, it's hard to find a comfortable grip where you can be sure you won't accidentally press an input or change a setting by mistake
  • Fixed touchscreen is highly sensitive, so it's easy to change focus points by mistake
  • Dedicated video button makes it easy to start recording video on the fly
  • Viewfinder is very small and not the most comfortable to use
  • Can't access SD card while mounted on a tripod

Design
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type
Electronic
Advertised Coverage
100%
Advertised Resolution
2.76 million dots
Advertised Magnification
0.7
4.9
Design
Screen
Screen Articulation Type
No Articulation (Fixed Screen)
Screen Max Brightness
900 cd/m²
Advertised Resolution
1.24 million dots
Size
3.0" (7.5 cm)
Touchscreen
Yes
9.0
Design
Menu System
Guide Mode
Yes
App Name
Panasonic Image

  • Menu and Q menu are easy to navigate using touchscreen and physical buttons
  • Q menu gives quick access to commonly used settings like ISO, drive mode, and exposure compensation
  • Includes five customizable buttons and three customizable tabs on the screen
  • Display option to show all settings at once, as you can see here, though enabling this prevents you from using live view or the viewfinder
  • Guide mode to explain features and settings, easily toggled by pressing the 'Display' button while navigating the menu

7.6
Design
Built-In Lens
Maximum Aperture
1.7-2.8
Max Aperture (Full-Frame Equivalent)
f/3.4
Minimum Focal Length
10.9 mm
Maximum Focal Length
34 mm
Max Focal Length (Full-Frame Equivalent)
75 mm
Optical Image Stabilization
Yes
Luminance
80.8%
Light Falloff
69.3%
Design
Sensor
Sensor Type
MOS
Advertised Effective Pixels
17 MP
Sensor Size
4/3 (MFT)
Processor
Venus Engine
Extended ISO Minimum
100
Native ISO Minimum (Base ISO)
200
Native ISO Maximum
25,600
Tested Firmware
Ver.1.1

Note: While this camera has a Micro Four Thirds sensor, it uses only about 85 percent of its sensor, cropping photos down to different aspect ratios without reducing the field of view.

7.5
Design
Battery
Battery Type
Panasonic DMW-BLG10PP
USB Charging
Yes
Power Delivery While Recording
Yes
Advertised Battery Life In Photo
340 photos
Tested Battery Life In Video
91 min
Photo General
6.6
Photo General
Photo Shooting Speed
Low Speed Continuous
2 fps
High Speed Continuous
11 fps
Silent Shooting Continuous
11 fps
Raw Buffer Size
40 Photos
JPEG Buffer Size
105 Photos
Buffer Empty Time
22 s
4.9
Photo General
Photo AF-C Tracking
Autofocus Tracking Shots
Perfect Focus Hit Rate
36%
Usable Focus Hit Rate
49%
7.8
Photo General
Photo AF-C Center Point
Autofocus Center Point Shots
Perfect Focus Hit Rate
76%
Usable Focus Hit Rate
91%
6.6
Photo General
Photo Image Stabilization
Minimum Shutter Speed Achieved
1/30 s
In-Body Image Stabilization
No
Photo Image Quality
7.0
Photo Image Quality
Photo RAW Dynamic Range
Dynamic Range At Base ISO
9.3 f-stops
Dynamic Range At 1/500s Exposure Time
7.5 f-stops
Dynamic Range At 1/2000s Exposure Time
6.5 f-stops
Dynamic Range At 1/4000s Exposure Time
4.9 f-stops
7.4
Photo Image Quality
Photo RAW Sharpness
Vertical Edge MTF50 At Base ISO
1,612 LW/PH
Horizontal Edge MTF50 At Base ISO
1,659 LW/PH
6.8
Photo Image Quality
Photo RAW Noise
SNR 18% At 1/8 Exposure Time (125 ms)
33.3dB
SNR 18% At 1/30 Exposure Time (33 ms)
29.7 dB
SNR 18% At 1/125 Exposure Time (8 ms)
24.4 dB
SNR 18% At 1/500 Exposure Time (2 ms)
18.5dB
Pictures Sample Gallery
Pictures Sample Gallery
The Skate Park Picture
JPEG Skate Park Picture Download
RAW Skate Park Picture Download
Pictures Sample Gallery
The Polish Church Picture
JPEG Polish Church Picture Download
RAW Polish Church Picture Download
Pictures Sample Gallery
The Studio Picture
JPEG Studio Picture Download
RAW Studio Picture Download
Pictures Sample Gallery
The Stairway Picture
JPEG Stairway Picture Download
RAW Stairway Picture Download
Video General
Video General
Video Features
Full HD Video
Yes
4k Video
Yes
6k Video
No
Clean HDMI Output
Playback Only
Advertised Max Chroma Sampling Over HDMI
Playback Only
Advertised Max Bit Depth Over HDMI
N/A
Log Picture Profile
No
Recording Light
No
Video General
Audio
Audio Test Sample
Audio Recording
Stereo
Microphone Level Display
Yes
Video General
Video File Format And Compression
MP4 H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
Yes
MP4 H.265 / HEVC
No
MOV H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
No
MOV H.265 / HEVC
No
AVCHD H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC
Yes
All-I Compression
No

Note: AVCHD format is only available in FHD resolution at 60p, 60i, 30p, or 24p.

4k Video
6.0
4k Video
4k Video Frame Rate
240 fps In 4k
No
120 fps In 4k
No
60 fps In 4k
No
30 fps In 4k
Yes, with a Crop
24 fps In 4k
Yes, with a Crop
4k Crop At Max Available fps
1.26 x
6.5
4k Video
4k Video Internal Recording
Bitrate Maximum In 4k
94 Mbps
Bitrate Minimum In 4k
93 Mbps
Chroma Sampling In 4k
4:2:0
Bit Depth In 4k
8 Bit
Record Time Limit In 4k
15 min
Overheat Recording Interruptions in 4k
1
6.3
4k Video
4k Video Autofocus Performance
Object Tracking In 4k
8.3
Face Tracking In 4k
2.9
Face Detection In 4k
Yes
Eye Detection In 4k
Yes
7.3
4k Video
4k Video Quality
Low Light Capability In 4k
7.0
Test Scene Extract In 4k
7.5
3.3
4k Video
4k Video Rolling Shutter Effect
4k Rolling Shutter
10.7°
Full HD Video
5.5
Full HD Video
FHD Video Frame Rate
240 fps In FHD
No
120 fps In FHD
No
60 fps In FHD
Yes
30 fps In FHD
Yes
24 fps In FHD
No
FHD Crop At Max Available fps
1 x
7.4
Full HD Video
FHD Video Internal Recording
Bitrate Maximum In FHD
27 Mbps
Bitrate Minimum In FHD
20 Mbps
Chroma Sampling In FHD
4:2:0
Bit Depth In FHD
8 Bit
Record Time Limit in FHD
30 min
6.3
Full HD Video
FHD Video Autofocus Performance
Object Tracking In FHD
7.3
Face Tracking In FHD
4.0
Face Detection In FHD
Yes
Eye Detection In FHD
Yes
7.0
Full HD Video
FHD Video Quality
Low Light Capability In FHD
7.0
Test Scene Extract In FHD
7.0
6.4
Full HD Video
FHD Video Rolling Shutter Effect
FHD Rolling Shutter
5.7°
Storage And Connectivity
Storage And Connectivity
Storage
Card 1 Slot
SD Card UHS-I
Card 2 Slot
No 2nd Card Slot
5.3
Storage And Connectivity
Inputs / Outputs
USB
Micro USB
HDMI
Micro (Type D) [Playback Only]
Headphones
No
Microphone
No Microphone input
Wi-Fi
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes