Panasonic L10 vs LX100 II

The Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in August 2007 and August 2018. The L10 is a DSLR, while the LX100 II is a fixed lens compact. Both cameras are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The L10 has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the LX100 II provides 16.8 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Panasonic L10		Panasonic LX100 II
Digital single lens reflex		Fixed lens compact camera
Four Thirds lenses		24-75mm f/1.7-2.8
10 MP – Four Thirds sensor		16.8 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-1,600		ISO 200-25,600
Optical viewfinder		Electronic viewfinder (2764k dots)
2.5" LCD – 207k dots		3.0" LCD – 1240k dots
Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed touchscreen
3 shutter flaps per second		11 shutter flaps per second
450 shots per battery charge		300 shots per battery charge
135 x 96 x 78 mm, 556 g		115 x 66 x 65 mm, 392 g

Check L10 offers at
ebay.com
Check LX100 II offers at
ebay.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Panasonic L10 and the Panasonic LX100 II is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic LX100 II is considerably smaller (41 percent) than the Panasonic L10. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the L10 nor the LX100 II are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the LX100 II has a lens built in, whereas the L10 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup. You can compare the optics available for the L10 and their specifications in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The power pack in the LX100 II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

#		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	999	ebay.com
3.		Leica D-LUX 7	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Nov 2018	1,195	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D60	126 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	500	n	Jan 2008	629	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D40X	124 mm	94 mm	64 mm	522 g	520	n	Mar 2007	729	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-420	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-520	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-410	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GX9	124 mm	72 mm	47 mm	407 g	260	n	Feb 2018	849	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic ZS70	112 mm	67 mm	41 mm	322 g	380	n	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic LX100	115 mm	66 mm	55 mm	393 g	300	n	Sep 2014	899	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GF5	108 mm	67 mm	37 mm	267 g	360	n	Apr 2012	499	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GF3	108 mm	67 mm	32 mm	264 g	300	n	Jun 2011	549	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic G10	124 mm	84 mm	74 mm	388 g	380	n	Mar 2010	499	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH2	124 mm	90 mm	76 mm	442 g	330	n	Sep 2010	899	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic G1	124 mm	84 mm	45 mm	360 g	410	n	Sep 2008	599	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic L1	146 mm	87 mm	64 mm	606 g	750	n	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The manufacturer’s suggested retail prices give an idea on the placement of the camera in the maker’s lineup and the broader market. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the LX100 II is 18 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have format factors, respectively, of 2.0 (L10) and 2.2. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3. The LX100 II has the particularity of featuring a switch that allows to toggle between multiple aspect ratios, while maintaining the same field of view and full image resolution.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the LX100 II offers a higher resolution of 16.8 megapixels, compared with 10 MP of the L10. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 3.32μm versus 4.74μm for the L10). However, it should be noted that the LX100 II is much more recent (by 10 years and 11 months) than the L10, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the LX100 II has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The resolution advantage of the Panasonic LX100 II implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the LX100 II for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 23.7 x 17.8 inches or 60.1 x 45.1 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 18.9 x 14.2 inches or 48.1 x 36.1 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 15.8 x 11.8 inches or 40.1 x 30.1 cm. The corresponding values for the Panasonic L10 are 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm for good quality, 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm for very good quality, and 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II are ISO 200 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
3.		Leica D-LUX 7	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.9	12.8	1002	72
4.		Nikon D60	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.5	11.4	562	65
5.		Nikon D40X	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.4	11.4	516	63
6.		Olympus E-420	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.4	527	56
7.		Olympus E-520	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.4	10.4	548	55
8.		Olympus E-410	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.1	10.0	494	51
9.		Panasonic GX9	Four Thirds	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	23.1	12.8	1163	74
10.		Panasonic ZS70	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	19.1	10.6	106	36
11.		Panasonic LX100	Four Thirds	12.7	4112	3088	4K/30p	22.3	12.5	553	67
12.		Panasonic GF5	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.5	10.0	573	50
13.		Panasonic GF3	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	1080/60i	20.6	10.1	459	50
14.		Panasonic G10	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.1	411	52
15.		Panasonic GH2	Four Thirds	15.9	4608	3456	1080/60i	21.2	11.3	655	60
16.		Panasonic G1	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	none	21.1	10.3	463	53
17.		Panasonic L1	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	80	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. The LX100 II indeed provides for movie recording, while the L10 does not. The highest resolution format that the LX100 II can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the LX100 II has an electronic viewfinder (2764k dots), while the L10 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the LX100 II offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the L10 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the LX100 II has a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Panasonic L10 and Panasonic LX100 II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

#		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
3.		Leica D-LUX 7	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
4.		Nikon D60	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Nikon D40X	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Olympus E-420	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
7.		Olympus E-520	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	Y
8.		Olympus E-410	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Panasonic GX9	2760	n	3.0 / 1240	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic ZS70	1166	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Panasonic LX100	2764	n	3.0 / 921	fixed	n	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
12.		Panasonic GF5	none	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	n
13.		Panasonic GF3	none	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	Y	1/4000s	3.2/s	Y	n
14.		Panasonic G10	202	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic GH2	1534	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
16.		Panasonic G1	1440	n	3.0 / 460	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
17.		Panasonic L1	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The L10 has one, while the LX100 II does not. While the built-in flash of the L10 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the LX100 II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Panasonic LX100 II has an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The L10 writes its imaging data to SDHC cards, while the LX100 II uses SDXC cards. The LX100 II supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the L10 cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 and Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

#		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Leica D-LUX 7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Nikon D60	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Nikon D40X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Olympus E-420	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Olympus E-520	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-410	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Panasonic GX9	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic ZS70	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
11.		Panasonic LX100	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Panasonic GF5	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Panasonic GF3	-	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Panasonic G10	Y	mono / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Panasonic GH2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Panasonic G1	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Panasonic L1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the LX100 II offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location. In contrast, the L10 does not provide wifi capability.

Both the L10 and the LX100 II have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. Neither of the two has a direct successor, so they represent the end of the respective camera lines from Panasonic. Further information on the features and operation of the L10 and LX100 II can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic L10 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic LX100 II Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Which of the two cameras – the Panasonic L10 or the Panasonic LX100 II – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• More flexible: Can take a variety of interchangeable lenses, including specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (450 versus 300) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in August 2007).

Arguments in favor of the Panasonic Lumix DC-LX100 II:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (16.8 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 30%.
• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Flexible image proportions: Has a multi-aspect sensor that allows for alternative image shapes.
• Broader imaging potential: Can capture not only stills but also 4K/30p video.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.46x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.0" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1240k vs 207k dots).
• Fewer buttons to press: Has a touchscreen to facilitate handling and shooting adjustments.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (11 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier time-lapse photography: Has an intervalometer built-in for low frequency shooting.
• Ready to shoot: Comes with an integrated lens, while the L10 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (115x66mm vs 135x96mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the L10).
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.
• More modern: Reflects 10 years and 11 months of technical progress since the L10 launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the LX100 II is the clear winner of the contest (22 : 8 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Panasonic L10 and the Panasonic LX100 II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Travel-Zoom Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the L10 or the LX100 II perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

#		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	999	ebay.com
3.		Leica D-LUX 7	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Nov 2018	1,195	ebay.com
4.		Nikon D60	..	80/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2008	629	ebay.com
5.		Nikon D40X	..	79/100	..	+ +	4/5	4/5	Mar 2007	729	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-420	..	85/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-520	..	87/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2008	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-410	..	86/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
9.		Panasonic GX9	4/5	+	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	849	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic ZS70	..	+ +	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2017	449	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic LX100	5/5	+ +	..	85/100	5/5	5/5	Sep 2014	899	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic GF5	3/5	..	..	..	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2012	499	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic GF3	3/5	82/100	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2011	549	ebay.com
14.		Panasonic G10	3/5	..	..	70/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2010	499	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic GH2	5/5	+ +	..	79/100	4.5/5	5/5	Sep 2010	899	ebay.com
16.		Panasonic G1	..	+ +	..	70/100	4/5	4.5/5	Sep 2008	599	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic L1	..	85/100	..	+	..	3.5/5	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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