Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 review – Build and handling
The body of the Lumix DMC-LF1 is sleek, stylish and reminiscent of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100; its small size means you can keep it about your person without feeling encumbered. The zoom retracts to a good size, with the rotating outer bevel adding just a millimetre or two to the camera’s width.
The layout holds no surprises, with everything placed in a fairly standard location. The rotating ring around the lens is now a common sight on many advanced compact cameras, and it is equally at home here on the LF1. It can be used to quickly adjust a number of exposure settings, though I found it most useful when set to adjust the aperture or exposure compensation.
Despite its ease of use, a few things could be changed to further enhance the camera’s handling. First, I would swap the quick menu button with the menu/set button. The quick menu allows fast access to regularly used shooting settings, so I think it should be in the centre of the main control dial, while the comprehensive menu, which is used less, should be placed more out of the way.
With regard to the main menu itself, I don’t like the four main large icons that serve as the entry point into the sub-menus. I would rather that the icons and sub-menus be at the side or top of the screen, with the main menu content at the side. This would make it far easier to scroll through the various options, particularly when you are unsure which sub-menu contains the item you are looking for.
However, I am nitpicking, and generally there are no are real issues. The electronic viewfinder switch is clearly visible next to the Wi-Fi button. I found that connecting Wi-Fi, even without the NFC technology, was straightforward and quick, and being able to view the screen remotely on my iPhone was a very neat feature, particularly as it allowed me to operate the zoom lens remotely.
Image: The macro mode works well and the f/2 aperture offers a reasonably shallow depth of field when shooting this close
