The LX100 was released in 2014 to a mostly enthusiastic reception from reviewers and enthusiast users. I used one for over two years making many thousands of photos in a variety of conditions.
My copy suffered a complete printed circuit board failure early in its life, repaired under warranty by Panasonic after a long wait for a replacement part.
There has recently been an upsurge of posts on user forums wondering if or when Panasonic will produce a follow up model. Several users have expressed opinions about what features they would like to see in a possible LX200 or whatever it may be called.
In the three years since announcement, the LX100 has continued to generate mostly positive feedback from users.
The main positive has been good picture quality.
Some users say they like the hybrid traditional/modern control layout. What precisely these users like about the controls is not entirely clear to me. Some say they like that the controls are “direct” even though they are not.
The LX100 has generated plenty of complaints. The most common one has been ingress of dust to the lens and sensor. Another has been erratic focussing when the AF box is over an area of multiple bright lights or backlit foliage. Some have lamented the lack of a touch and/or fully articulated screen.
There have been very few complaints about the controls although I do note that many users report on forums that they routinely use “A” on the aperture ring, “A” on the shutter speed dial and Auto ISO, thus effectively providing Program Auto exposure by a roundabout method. I also used the camera this way but doing so effectively renders the main controls irrelevant.
My main complaint about the camera is precisely those controls which some people profess to like so much.
The aperture ring/shutter speed dial control system harks back to the Pentax Spotmatic of 1964 and many similar cameras of that era.
But this control layout is unable to give the user efficient access to all the capabilities of a modern electronic camera which include focus mode, autofocus mode, drive mode, and a host of functions.
On the LX100 the aperture ring is awkward and difficult to use and the shutter speed dial is like others of its type. Changing aperture or shutter speed requires more actions each more complex than completing the same tasks using a well designed control dial + mode dial configuration.
As there is no mode dial the various modes must be accessed via roundabouts.
My idea of a follow up to the LX100 would look like the mockup featured in this post.
This is a full twin dial and mode dial model with a Joystick for controlling AF area position. It has a small but anatomically shaped inverted L shaped handle and the layout of the shutter button, front dial and other controls is in accordance with the “form follows function and function follows fingers” principle.
It is designed from ergonomic principles not as a pastiche of some camera which was famous in 1964.
So my wish for a follow up to the LX100 goes like this:
* Retain the concept of a compact model with very good imaging capability, good enough in fact to replace an ILC with high quality standard zoom in the 24-70 mm range or thereabouts.
* Belt pouch small not “pocketable”.
* Full area 4/3 sensor, using the latest 20Mpx version not a cropped 16 Mpx one from yesteryear. (Alternative: use the latest 15.9mm “one inch” sensor to allow smaller overall size).
* Better EVF.
* Fully articulated monitor.
* Well designed modern control layout as illustrated by the mockup shown in this post.
I note yet again that good ergonomics costs no more to build than poor ergonomics.
* All the latest Panasonic features and performance capabilities which are considerable.