Panasonic Lumix DMC-LF1 review – Viewfinder, LCD, live view and video
Although Panasonic should be praised for the addition of an electronic viewfinder, it is not of the quality we have come to expect in recent years. For instance, at 0.2in it is fairly small, especially compared to the EVFs in CSCs and DSLR-type cameras. At just 200,000 dots, the EVF also has a very low resolution. If anything, this EVF is most like those we used to see a few years ago, in video or bridge cameras. While it is OK for composition, and certainly bright enough, looking through the viewfinder even slightly off axis results in red, green and blue lines and dots becoming visible, almost looking like chromatic aberration. Also, the dots that make up the screen can be easily seen. So while Panasonic has done well to cram in a viewfinder at all, I hope the company’s future compacts will come equipped with better models.
Pressing the LVF button on the rear of the camera switches between the EVF and the rear LCD screen. It is a shame that an eye sensor hasn’t been included to do this automatically. The rear screen itself is good for a compact camera, with the 3in screen having a resolution of 920,000 dots, a good viewing angle, and, as the LCD panel sits very close to its glass covering, the screen is bright and clear and the effect of reflections is reduced.
As you would expect from Panasonic, video capture is well covered in the LF1, with the camera capable of shooting full HD, 1920×1080-pixel interlaced footage at 50 frames per second. The quality of video capture is very good, showing no sign of sensor wobble unless extremely fast panning is attempted. Audio is recorded in stereo, and there is a mini HDMI socket so that video footage and images can be displayed on a TV.
