Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC20S 2.1MP Digital Camera w/ Leica Lens and 3x Optical Zoom, Silver
by Panasonic

List Price: $349.99
Category: Digital Camera
See more product details

(Click here)

Digital Photo Product Details

• 2.0 megapixel sensor creates 1600 x 1200 images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• 3x optical plus 2x digital (6x total) zoom with Leica DC Vario-Elmarit autofocus lens
• Included 8 MB Secure Digital (SD) card holds approximately 14 images at default settings
• Connects with PCs and Macs via USB port
• Uses lithium-ion battery (included)

• Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
• AmazonBasics SDHC Class 4 32GB Secure Digital Card
• Adobe Photoshop CS5 [Old Version]
• AmazonBasics Quilted Case for Small Electronics Including Cameras, Mobile Phones, and GPS Units (Black)

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC20S 2.1MP Digital Camera w/ Leica Lens and 3x Optical Zoom, Silver

Customer Review: Awesome Little Camera LOADED with Great Features
Summary: 5 Stars

Despite Panasonic being pretty new to DC's, I noticed a lot of the features that I was looking for on the LC-20 and decided to take a chance. What first caught my eye about this Panasonic was the Leica Lens. Being somewhat familiar with photography, I have always known Leica to make excellent (and expensive!) lenses. I don't have a digital photo printer so I can't comment on how well these pictures print out.

This baby had just about every important feature I was looking for: 2.1 mp, 3x optical 2x digital (but everyone knows digital zoom's useless), compact, light, plugs directly to my computer via USB (don't need to buy a separate reader), burst mode rocks; and it uses 2 AA batteries (included with charger!) which have averaged a good 70+ shots with the LCD screen on.

Movie mode with sound is a great addition too with a 20s film clip eating 3.25megs each. One feature that I thought was awesome and I'm still learning to use is Burst mode. This was another feature I highly desired, seeing that one of the major complaints my friends had with their DC was the 1-2 second lag in between picture-taking. Burst mode allows you to take 3-5 pics per second, with one drawback being you can only take as many pictures as fast as the flash will allow. This basically translates to being able to use burst mode most effectively outside during the day.

I talked to friends before I bought this camera, most of whom own one of the Canon Elphs (great line of cameras too), others have Olympus Camedias (huge and bulky) and Sony's (not bad, but pretty pricy for what you're getting). I tried theirs out before I made my purchase and I can safely say I'm much happier with my camera for the following reasons:

-The Panasonic powers up FAST! Power-up to a picture taken is about 3 seconds.
-The delay between hitting the shutter button and the camera actually taking the picture is very short, less than or about a second.
-Burst mode! Although it really only functionally works during the day when you don't need a flash, one of the most frequent complaints I heard from friends is it's impossible to time action shots. Burst mode helps remedy that.
-AA batteries are cheaper than proprietaries and can be bought anywhere if you find yourself on vacation or just out and unable to recharge quickly
-The camera fits well in my hand
-The macro feature is a definite bonus
-I recently took this camera skiing and can happily report that I could turn the camera on/off, and take pictures pretty easily even with my gloves on.

Some drawbacks that I've come across:
- Don't even bother with the packaged software. Even using plain old Windows Explorer beats it.
- Doesn't include a DC adapter, but this is easily remedied by buying a set of 4 rechargables for a total of 6, that'll take care of 200+ pics at a time)
- Of course 8MB isn't enough, but you need to buy a new memory card with every DC on the market anyway; my 128MB card can hold 159 1600x1200 pics without compression. That jumps to over 1000 pictures if you lower the resolution to 640x480 and use compression.
- Uses SD (SecureDigital) memory cards, which are slightly more expensive than Compact Flash and Sony Memory Sticks (and hardly anyone else uses them so you're stuck if you want to switch brands later). These memory cards are SMALL, though, about the size and thickness of a dime.

Some people may say 2.1 mp is a drawback, but these pictures come out crisp and clear at 1600x1200 and are already pushing 700kb. If you want 3-4mp, you'll probably need to invest in huge memory sticks not to mention a bigger hard drive. Digital pictures add up! I've already taken over a thousand in the past month!

The key to buying a DC will be to ask yourself what you will be using the camera for most. Is it something you want to bring with you EVERYWHERE? If so, you'll probably want something ultra-small, smaller than this camera (and thus probably twice the price of this camera). I just wanted something to replace my Point-and-Shoot, something that allows me to take a lot of pictures without worrying about the cost of film, development, etc. IMHO, this is a great starter DC. It's relatively cheap, has a lot of great features, and it's compact enough to carry in a jacket pocket. Overall, it has exceeded my expectations and continues to please.

Description of Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC20S 2.1MP Digital Camera w/ Leica Lens and 3x Optical Zoom, Silver

The LC20S has an optical zoom of 3x and a 2x digital zoom, making the overall zoom capable of magnifying an image up to six times. The camera has several automatic and manual controls for focus, exposure, white balance, and flash. It also has a feature that enables you to take consecutive pictures at a fast rate (either 3 or 5 frames per second), ideal for those hard-to-capture moving objects and similar to regular full-motion video. Use the large 1.5-inch LCD monitor to keep track of all these settings and manage your photos.

Since the camera has full USB connectivity, you can easily transfer your photos to a PC or Mac. Photo-editing software is also included for more creative uses of your photos. Also included in the package are an AC adapter, battery pack, video and USB cable, and strap.

Digital Cameras

• Camera & Photo > Digital Cameras