LX100 Best Exposure Mode ?

The LX100 is a good street camera. 

My other camera is a Panasonic FZ1000. I never use this in P (Program Exposure) Mode because the Program Exposure algorithms result in some combinations of aperture, shutter speed and ISO which don’t work for me. So with the FZ1000 I generally use A (Aperture Priority) Mode at the wide end of the lens zoom range and S (Shutter Priority) or M (Manual) Mode at the long end to ensure an adequately fast shutter speed to prevent blur from camera shake.

The LX100 is different 

First, there is no really long end to the zoom range so camera shake is a less pressing issue.

Second, the camera uses different and more appropriate Program Mode algorithms. With Auto ISO These deliver a combination of ISO, shutter speed and aperture which I find very close to optimal in most situations.

So I use Program Auto Exposure Mode   with Auto ISO and Multi Metering almost all the time for general hand held photography with the LX100.  This is set when the Aperture ring and Shutter Speed Dial are both at the red [A] position.

Outdoors  as brightness increases the camera will set ISO 200, a shutter speed of 1/125 and increase the f stop to f5.6. If brightness increases further the camera will hold f5.6 and increase shutter speed.

This behaviour gives good results in a wide variety of outdoor situations. I am finding I rarely need to intervene but should I want to alter the aperture for a specific reason such as wanting less depth of focus for a portrait I am finding it is easier to do this with Program Shift using the rear Control Dial than switching to Aperture Priority with the Aperture ring on the lens.

Indoors  As light levels decrease the camera will open the aperture to the widest available for the focal length in use then reduce the shutter speed to 1/60 (wide) or 1/125 (long) then increase the ISO to 1600.  This sequence covers most indoor photographic situations in my experience.  The lens works well at its widest aperture at all focal lengths. A good balance of aperture, shutter speed and ISO is achieved.

In darker conditions the camera holds ISO at 1600 and lowers shutter speed to about 1/8 second.  It will not increase ISO above 1600 until the shutter speed would otherwise fall below about 1/8 second.  This is the only time I have a problem with the Program Mode algorithms.  The camera has good OIS and with good technique can be hand held at 1/8 second with reasonable success but human and animal subjects move about and will be blurred at this shutter speed.  Program Shift is not useful in this situation which can be managed by either:

* Manually increasing ISO until shutter speed comes up to an acceptable level.  I have enabled this by assigning ISO to the lens Control Ring.  I find this the most straightforward way of working as the ring can be operated with one finger of the left hand.  When looking through the viewfinder I generally use the “left hand over” (the lens) position as I find this more stable and comfortable than “left hand under”.  In this position the Control Ring falls naturally under the middle finger of the left hand.

* Setting Shutter Priority by moving the Shutter Speed Dial.  This requires more movements each more complex. Some LX100 users might think they can operate the Shutter Speed Dial with either the right index finger or the right thumb but I find that for consistency both fingers are required. This in turn disrupts grip with the right hand. This is not a big deal but does slow proceedings a bit. 

* Using the flash.  Oh……..Right………….there is no flash.  Wait a minute, yes there is a flash unit but it’s  separate and a nuisance to carry about and by the time it has been retrieved from its bag or wherever and slotted into the hotshoe the subject has probably wandered away and the photo op has been lost.   Anyway, I hate the look of direct, on camera flash photos so I leave the flash at home all the time.