And for those that see the world in black & white (and, photographically speaking, I increasingly do), here’s a mono conversion done in DxO Labs FilmPack, on the Ilford XP2 setting, with the relevant film grain added for authenticity.
More info on the excellent DxO Filmpack software at http://www.dxolabs.com, and for more LX3 mono images, see galleries at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com
We know how versatile the LX3 is, and in capturing the detail on this old pot, I was really pleased to not only get the level of fine detail I’d hoped for, but also a very accurate white balance. I’m not obsessive about this, but there was definitely room for a lot of improvement on the LX3, and Panasonic have done a fantastic job of it.
Some who’ve been reading LX3 Imaging will know that I’ve been using RAW files lately, wherever possible (ie time allowing), and that on such files, the wb can be changed at will in the SilkyPix raw converter software. Fact is, I’ve left it on the ‘camera default’ setting in SP most of the time – and my LX3 is set to Auto White Balance, with the latest firmware installed.
On this image, there’s the tail end of the warm evening glow coming in from the r/h side, while on the left is the much cooler ‘shadow’ side, with evening daylight from a back window. The LX3 has captured this exactly as it appeared, without advertising a featured ‘Multi-Pattern White Balance’ setting, as say on the Ricoh (and which, incidentally, does work very well on the CX1) … nevertheless, the result speaks for itself.
Many more new LX3 images & galleries at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com … hope you find something there that you’ll like !
From last night, this image is another one that has pleasantly surprised with the level of detail that could be pulled from the LX3’s RAW file.
Exposing for the sunset, the foreground was entirely dark – in fact, almost black & blocked out. Because there was so little light, there’s a little noise, and I purposely haven’t run this through NR software, so that you’re able to see properly what’s there. I’d say this is an exceptional result under the circumstances.
See many more LX3 images at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com and more photography stuff at http://nickbland.blogspot.com
OPP GRANGE FARM, CHICHELEY
Literally did wait for the light on this one … had been a little dull, sun behind the clouds. You know how it is, when you can visualise a great landscape, but the light just isn’t there. Look up at the sky (find myself doing that a lot), sun behind the clouds. Lower camera to your side. Wait. Keep waiting.
Then, as if by magic, having hoped that this hadn’t been the end of today’s ‘golden hour light show’, a flicker crosses the field, just for a few seconds. Captured in RAW.
Result.
As usual, a note – do take a look at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com for many more LX3 16:9 landscapes, architectural, interior, product and other LX3 galleries … and enjoy !
Came across this scene while out walking earlier this weekend, and found that LX3 RAW file flexibility was ideal in pulling out the entire colour range and detail in this image.
Intentionally, I’ve used Nik Color Efex filters to modify the image to what, for some reason, reminds me a little of a Japanese garden. With ‘Russet’ and ‘Polarisation’ filters in play, the Nik system is always useful in adding something of value to virtually any image, with its selection of Styling and Traditional versions. These can of course be mixed to obtain the look you’re after.
Incidentally, that’s not chromatic aberration on the tree branches – its the Nik colour boost & processing that has given it that look, which on this image, I’m quite happy with, as it adds to the feel I was after. Needless to say, the Leica lens on the LX3 is stunning, and suffers very little from ca generally … that’s a quite different story from the Canon G10, for example, where ca rears its ugly head in a very noticeable way much of the time. Thankfully, software these days can easily reduce/remove it, but its good to have one less processing step to deal with.
The Nik Color Efex filters come very highly recommended, and I have them set up to run within Capture NX. Along the same lines, but specialising in mono conversions, the Nik Silver Efex Pro filters are also superb, and can take your images into an entirely different realm.
Both software versions are available on a free trial basis – but you will find you want them ! Check them out at http://niksoftware.com, where there are also PDF and video lessons, alongside Online training.
If you’d like similar mono results to those produced by Silver Efex Pro for a much lower investment, I recommend DxO FilmPack as a great package for colour positive, colour negative, cross-processed and black & white film replications. In addition, there are toning filters that add to its flexibility – see more at http://dxolabs.com, where there are again free trial downloads.
Again, there are examples in many of my galleries for you to see at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com
It’s common knowledge – amongst some, anyway – that I’m not one to spend ages ‘post-processing’ images, although I do spend some time on each of my photographs. None are straight from the camera, but for several months, I thought LX3 RAW files to be unnecessary, and enjoyed ‘multi-film’ mode and the immediacy of the jpegs, with just a few levels, contrast, colour and sharpening mods to get them how I wanted them to look.
More recently, in my interest to gain as much quality and flexibility from the LX3 as possible, I’ve shot RAW files, and used the supplied SilkyPix software for initial processing, finally saving each file as a 25MB tiff.
Shot this evening at dusk, I’d missed the best of the evening light, but came across this scene as I walked from the car park near to a local lake. With signs of a decent sunset – which I enhanced later in Capture NX – this RAW file has given a better result than a couple of earlier attempts in Photomatix HDR software.
Although not necessarily aiming for a typical high-dynamic-range style, I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of latitude available from the RAW file from my LX3. The final version is again testament to this stunning camera that is fast replacing my SLRs for everyday shooting where portability, convenience and file quality all count.
As usual, there’s much more to see at http://nickbland.zenfolio.com, where you’ll find many LX3 galleries, most separated into subjects, for ease of use. Feel free to leave a comment on here or on the zenfolio site – I’d be interested to know of your own experience with your LX3.
From the weekend while I was at Excel, I processed this image of Poplar DLR station from the RAW file, then in DxO Labs FilmPack v2, and liked the Selenium toning option, in keeping with the style of the image. I chose not to add grain, so as to maintain smooth sky and detail on the platform and tracks.
For more details, go to http://www.dxolabs.com where there’s a free trial download of the software. You may also be interested in checking out http://www.duggal.com for more information on the expert development partner that DxO chose to work with.
As usual, visit http://nickbland.zenfolio.com for a separate LX3 gallery dedicated to DxO Labs FilmPack v2 conversions, where you can see how well it works with LX3 high-res files – enjoy !
LX3 NEWTON LONGVILLE LANDSCAPE
So, Olympus has finally launched what’s been considered likely to be the most interesting non-SLR camera this year (so far). And the spec does look interesting, and Olympus is, quite rightly, a highly-respected manufacturer.
Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy the rumours & then final announcement of what looks to be an exciting new camera just as much as the next man. What I’m not keen on is the instant immersion into fantasyland before the new piece hits the streets, and the often ludicrous conjecture that surrounds this unknown, unused (by the vast majority, as yet), and largely untested tool. The questions emerge :
What’s best at high ISO, E-P1 or LX3 ? Should I sell my LX3 (or anything else of value) for E-P1 ? What are the best 4/3 lenses to get for E-P1 ? (are they even available ?) Does it matter ?
Without getting into all of the technicalities of the new E-P1, there are some points to consider.
I processed this landscape shot from an LX3 RAW file, something I’m doing a little more these days, when I can make the time, and find myself continually impressed by what this still hard-to-come-by camera has to offer. I made this image while driving along a country road one wet Sunday, late afternoon … still raining, grabbed the LX3, captured it from under a brolly, then back into the car.
My point ? One of the greatest reasons for owning the LX3, for me, is the immediacy of the capture. It’s already set-up : Aperture priority, usually around f4, -0.3EV, 16:9 format, RAW +jpeg file, AWB (!) … so it’s lens cap to pocket, switch on & go. The thought of ‘Is this the right lens for this kind of shot’ doesn’t (need to) enter my mind. Let’s also consider that the E-P1 is announced for July delivery at £599 (body only), and with a 14-42 lens – ie equivalent 28-84mm field of view – around £749. Over twice the price of LX3, and no 24mm wide-angle. No Black so far … only Silver, White or Pink finishes ?
I suspect that Panasonic are working on a ‘new’ LX3, quite probably with detachable lenses, to ship before the year is out. Things move way too quickly in the digital camera market for them to hang around, and we’re into a profitable and potentially high-volume market area – if they can make enough, and in good time. When it appears, I may well want to acquire the ‘LX5’ (4 is considered an unlucky designation in the Far-East). But it would be used in addition to my LX3, not instead of. Either/or isn’t in it.
Conclusion : there’s a great case for having an arsenal of cameras – different horses for different courses – and we’re living in interesting and exciting times in the world of imaging. It’s worth remembering though that it’s the photographer that makes the image, not the camera. And so far, it’s hard to establish if there’s any substantial improvement in image quality from the E-P1 over any other quality (fixed-lens) ‘compact’ …LX3, DLux4,GRDII,G10, DP1 &DP2.
If you already own an LX3, you’ve done well to find one ! If you were after an LX3 and are now wavering, with the E-P1 announcement, there’s no hope – but you know you’ll end up with both eventually anyway. And I know which one you’ll use the most (begins with L)
PANASONIC LX3
7th June 2009 : Been meaning to do this for some time – really since the start of the year, when I first acquired my Panasonic Lumix LX3.
Even then, supply from Panasonic wasn’t great, and several thousand images later, this has become my most-used camera ….. ever.
Given its wide-ranging abilities, I believe the LX3 is fast becoming a modern classic that will be looked upon as a groundbreaking photographic tool that set a new benchmark at its inception.
To see just what the LX3 is capable of, visit http://nickbland.zenfolio.com for (many!) new & updated galleries, subdivided into categories for ease of use.
For those of you just generally obsessed by photographic gear, I also recommend a visit to http://www.1001noisycameras.com for all of the latest info, rumours, opinion, reviews and more
WARNING : it can be addictive !
LX3 Imaging 