The Panasonic LX100 stands out in the compact camera market, particularly for underwater photography and videography. Though small in size, it offers powerful features that rival even larger systems. The heart of this camera is its 16-megapixel Micro Four-Thirds sensor. Designed as a multi-aspect sensor, it delivers an effective resolution of 12.8 megapixels. What sets the LX100 apart is the combination of this sensor with a high-quality Leica-designed lens and advanced 4K video capabilities. These elements combine to produce outstanding image quality, rich color, and detailed footage underwater.
The lens features a bright aperture ranging from f/1.7 to f/2.8 depending on zoom. This allows more light into the sensor, a major advantage when filming in dimly lit underwater environments. The lens also includes optical image stabilization, which helps minimize camera shake, although it is not as advanced as newer Panasonic models with in-body stabilization. The LX100 borrows the same video software engine used in Panasonic’s GH4, a highly regarded video-focused mirrorless camera. This means that video quality on the LX100 remains crisp and cinematic even under challenging lighting conditions below the surface.
Key Video Capabilities of the Panasonic LX100
The LX100 can shoot 4K UHD (3840x2160) video at either 24p or 30p, with a bitrate of up to 100 Mbps. It also supports full HD recording at up to 60p. Even if your target output is HD, it’s advisable to shoot in 4K. This not only improves clarity and resolution but also allows for cropping and stabilization in post-production without loss of quality. Footage shot in 4K and rendered in HD appears cleaner, sharper, and exhibits less noise.
The camera records video in either MPEG-4 or AVCHD formats. MPEG-4 is the better choice for most users due to its broader compatibility and simpler workflow. The LX100’s lens also plays a significant role in enhancing video quality. Its close focusing ability, especially at the wide end, lets you capture dramatic close focus wide-angle shots. At its minimum distance of about 1.18 inches, you can highlight foreground details while keeping the background in frame, a key technique in underwater videography.
Autofocus is managed via a switch on the lens that allows toggling between manual focus, autofocus, and macro autofocus. Autofocus works well in most video scenarios, though in macro or tight situations, you might try manual focus. That said, manual focusing underwater can be difficult due to surge or current, so experimenting beforehand is recommended. The camera uses Panasonic’s contrast-detection AF system enhanced by Depth from Defocus (DFD) technology. While AFS is quick and accurate, AFC may occasionally hunt in low light.
Additional features like focus peaking, magnified focus view, and zebra patterns for overexposure warnings aid in achieving sharp, correctly exposed footage. Although not essential, they can be helpful when shooting under changing underwater light conditions.
Physical Controls and Interface Customization
Despite being a compact camera, the LX100 offers excellent manual control options. It includes top-mounted dials for shutter speed and aperture, as well as customizable function buttons. This retro-style layout may appeal to photographers familiar with analog controls. These physical dials are not just aesthetic; they allow for quick adjustments underwater without digging into menus.
Customizing these controls before your dive can significantly enhance your ability to respond to unexpected moments underwater. The camera also features three function buttons on the rear, all of which can be reassigned to access different features quickly. The menu system is intuitive, and with five main categories—Recording, Motion Picture, Custom, Setup, and Playback—you can easily find and change settings as needed.
Shutter Speed
For video, a general rule of thumb is to double your frame rate to set your shutter speed. So if shooting at 30 frames per second (fps), use a shutter speed of 1/60. If shooting at 24 fps, select 1/50, as 1/48 is unavailable. These slower shutter speeds may require you to adjust aperture or ISO to avoid overexposure, especially in shallow waters or with bright sunlight filtering through.
Aperture
The aperture ring around the lens makes adjusting this setting highly intuitive. Wider apertures like f/1.7 or f/2.0 let in more light, which is essential for lower ISO settings and cleaner footage. The larger sensor and bright lens allow for shallow depth-of-field effects, although the micro four-thirds crop factor means that f/2 on the LX100 is equivalent to around f/4.5 on a full-frame camera. While this limits extreme bokeh, the added depth of field can help keep moving subjects in focus more easily.
ISO
The ISO control is located at the top of the rear control dial. While Auto ISO is convenient, it’s often better to manually set ISO underwater to reduce noise. The LX100 performs well at lower ISOs but struggles a bit at higher ones. For scenes with a blue water background, ISO 800 should be your limit. For reefs or closer subjects where noise may be less visible, ISO 1600 can be acceptable. Always test before your dive to decide your own tolerance for noise.
Aspect Ratio
A unique feature of the LX100 is its multi-aspect ratio sensor. This allows for easy switching between 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, and 1:1 compositions via a switch on top of the lens. For still photos, 4:3 maximizes resolution. For video, 16:9 provides a cinematic look. While you do lose some megapixels depending on the aspect ratio selected, the flexibility in framing is valuable. The choice between these formats is largely a matter of personal preference and the intended use of your footage or stills.
White Balance
Setting a custom white balance is critical for underwater video. The LX100 makes this easy with reliable custom WB options. You can set up to four separate custom balances, which helps when changing depths. Use a white plastic card or white slate to capture an accurate balance every 10 to 20 feet of depth change. This ensures more accurate color rendition, especially when relying solely on ambient light.
Function Button Reconfiguration
To make the camera more responsive, go into the Custom Menu and find the “Fn Button Set” on screen 7. Here, you can reassign functions to the three rear function buttons. A highly recommended change is to assign one of them to “Utilize Custom Set Feature,” which lets you quickly recall saved camera profiles. For example, you could set:
C1 for still photos
C2 for 4K video
C3 for 4K photo mode (allowing video to be triggered by the shutter button)
Saving Custom Profiles
In the first page of the Custom Menu, you can save your current settings to one of three custom profiles (C1, C2, or C3). Once assigned, these can be recalled instantly, especially if you’ve mapped the “Utilize Custom Set Feature” to a function button. This allows seamless switching between modes without digging into menus, particularly useful if you are alternating between stills and video during a single dive.
Specific Settings for Custom Underwater Video Profiles
Creating a custom video profile tailored to underwater use will save time and improve results. The LX100 doesn’t have professional video profiles like V-Log, but you can approximate a flatter look with some tweaks. Under the Motion Picture Menu:
Set Photo Style to "Natural" or "Standard," then lower contrast to -3 and sharpness to -5. Leave noise reduction and saturation at 0. This flattens the footage slightly, helping in post-processing. The i-Dynamic setting (also in the Motion Picture Menu) can be left off to reduce noise in the shadows.
In the Rec Menu, under “Highlight Shadow,” you can further tweak your tone curve. A good starting point is -5 for highlights and 0 for shadows. This can help preserve detail in bright areas without lifting shadows too much and introducing noise.
Continuous autofocus should be enabled for most video work. In the Motion Picture Menu, set AFS/AFF/AFC to AFF or AFC, and turn Continuous AF to “On.” Panasonic’s DFD technology is fast and effective, though it can struggle in low light. Still, it works well enough for general underwater scenes.
EVF and Live View Display
The LX100’s electronic viewfinder (EVF) is bright and sharp, but it becomes mostly unusable underwater when housed. You’ll be relying on the rear LCD for composition. To ensure the camera doesn’t automatically switch to the EVF while inside the housing, go into the Custom Menu and on page 9 disable the Eye Sensor by selecting “LVF/Monitor Switch” and setting it to “MON.” This forces the camera to stay in live view mode, avoiding issues during the dive.
AF/AE Lock and Intelligent Auto Mode
Assign the AE/AF lock button to AF only to enable back button focusing, which can be useful in video. The LX100’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode is not recommended for underwater use, but you can adjust its behavior. In the Custom Menu, page 8, set the iA button to “Press and Hold” to prevent accidental activation.
Once you have applied and tested all these settings, save them under one of your custom profiles (C1, C2, or C3) so you can quickly return to them before a dive.
Understanding Light and Exposure Underwater
When filming underwater, light behaves differently than it does on land. Water absorbs light, especially the red end of the spectrum, very quickly. By the time you are just a few feet below the surface, most of the red light is gone. As you go deeper, the rest of the spectrum diminishes in stages—orange, then yellow, followed by green, and finally blue. This results in a dominant bluish or greenish tint in your footage if you're not compensating with white balance, lights, or filters. Because the Panasonic LX100 lacks an internal red filter system or automatic white balance compensation for underwater conditions, it's critical that users manually set custom white balance often and consider the role of both natural and artificial lighting.
Correct exposure is also a challenge. Even if your camera settings are perfect above water, they need to be adjusted for underwater use. Light scatter and water clarity affect brightness, contrast, and saturation. It’s helpful to use the camera’s histogram during a dive to monitor exposure, particularly for avoiding blown-out highlights or completely underexposed areas. This small graph provides a visual summary of the tonal values in your frame. A well-balanced histogram will show distribution across the midtones, highlights, and shadows without spikes at either end.
To ensure proper exposure, always review footage frequently between takes. The rear LCD screen can be deceiving, especially if it’s reflecting ambient light. By using a histogram or zebra warnings when available, you can double-check that your highlights are not being clipped and that the scene is well lit overall.
Composition Techniques for Underwater Video
Underwater videography requires careful attention to composition, especially because of limited visibility and often unpredictable subject movement. The Panasonic LX100, with its sharp lens and 4K resolution, enables you to compose detailed and professional-quality shots, provided you follow a few essential principles.
The rule of thirds remains fundamental underwater. Place subjects off-center to add dynamic tension and to lead the viewer’s eye across the frame. When filming marine life, consider the direction in which your subject is moving. Leave space in front of the subject to “breathe.” This technique gives your footage a natural flow and avoids making the subject look cramped or cut off.
Foreground interest is another key element. Using the LX100’s excellent close focusing ability, try framing coral, rocks, or plant life in the foreground while focusing on the subject in the midground. This technique—close focus wide angle—adds depth and dimension to the scene. The fast lens of the LX100 allows you to shoot with a relatively shallow depth of field when needed, creating background separation and focusing attention on your subject.
Avoid shaky footage at all costs. Even small movements are magnified underwater. Try to steady yourself by anchoring against a rock (without damaging marine life), or use controlled breathing to minimize body sway. If possible, use a tray with dual handles for your housing. This not only stabilizes the footage but also improves your control over camera movements.
Another tip is to use slow, deliberate pans or tilts if you are moving the camera. Quick movements are jarring and disorienting. Smooth motion lends a cinematic feel and keeps viewers engaged. Practicing these motions on land or in a pool before your dive will improve your muscle memory and make your footage more consistent.
The Role of Buoyancy in Underwater Videography
Buoyancy is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of underwater filming. Yet, it’s one of the most critical skills you can master to get steady, usable footage. Buoyancy refers to your ability to hover in the water without sinking or floating upward uncontrollably. Good buoyancy allows you to get close to subjects without stirring up sediment or damaging the reef and helps maintain a stable platform for your camera.
The Panasonic LX100 is a small camera, but once inside a housing, especially with lights or trays, it can become negatively or positively buoyant depending on the setup. You may need to add or remove buoyancy arms, floats, or trim weights to balance the rig. A well-balanced camera is easier to hold steady, especially during long clips or macro video where even minor movement can ruin a shot.
Neutral buoyancy is ideal. Practice adjusting your body position, breathing slowly, and using your BCD (buoyancy control device) sparingly. Fine-tune your buoyancy before you even start recording. If you are fighting your position in the water, you’ll end up with shaky, hard-to-watch footage. Dive training and constant practice are the only way to perfect this skill.
Remember that movement from surge or current can also impact buoyancy and your filming position. If conditions are rough, look for protected areas such as reef overhangs or large coral structures to shield yourself. Let the current work in your favor by drifting along with it instead of fighting against it, using it to create natural tracking shots.
Using Natural Light vs. Artificial Light
Choosing between ambient and artificial light depends on your shooting goals and dive conditions. The LX100’s fast lens makes it well-suited for ambient light filming in shallow, clear waters. In such conditions, using only natural light can yield beautiful, balanced footage with no extra gear. However, because color is lost quickly underwater, natural light videos tend to have a cool, blue cast, especially as you go deeper than 15 feet.
When shooting with ambient light, always set a custom white balance. Carry a white balance card or even a white fin and adjust your white balance frequently—every 10 to 20 feet in depth. In clear tropical waters with lots of sunlight, you can often film effectively up to about 50 feet without supplemental lights. Beyond that, even the LX100’s excellent sensor will struggle to capture rich colors unless you use lights or heavy post-production correction.
Artificial lighting restores color and contrast to underwater scenes. Video lights illuminate your subject, bringing back the reds, oranges, and yellows that water filters out. A good pair of video lights with a wide beam angle and consistent brightness will dramatically improve footage. Make sure the lights you choose offer at least 1000 lumens, preferably more for wide-angle scenes. The LX100’s fixed lens works well with wide-beam lights, as its minimum focal length allows wide field-of-view shots even in close quarters.
When using lights, it’s crucial to avoid backscatter. Backscatter occurs when light reflects off particles in the water between your subject and the lens, resulting in specks of light that ruin the image. To reduce this, position your lights away from the camera’s axis—typically at a 45-degree angle or wider. Adjust the intensity and positioning to avoid overexposing the foreground or casting hard shadows.
Also, avoid mixing light sources unless necessary. Combining artificial and natural light can lead to mismatched color temperatures, creating strange hues in your footage. If you must use both, match your white balance carefully and consider adjusting temperature in post-production.
The Importance of Practicing Camera Movements
Filming underwater isn’t just about pointing and shooting. Movements must be deliberate and precise. The Panasonic LX100 is sensitive enough that even minor hand tremors can show up in your footage, especially in 4K where detail is amplified. Practicing how to move the camera underwater before your actual dive can vastly improve the smoothness and professionalism of your clips.
Start with slow pans. Choose a subject and rotate the camera gently along the horizontal axis. Try not to rotate your entire body—use your wrists and arms with minimal motion. Next, practice tilt shots, moving the camera up or down slowly while maintaining composition. Combine pan and tilt movements only after you’re confident with each separately.
Tracking shots are more advanced. This involves swimming slowly toward or alongside a subject while keeping the camera focused. Proper buoyancy control is essential for this technique. Use a steady breathing pattern and stay relaxed. If you’re chasing a fast-moving fish, sometimes it’s better to wait and anticipate their movement rather than follow them chaotically.
If you’re using lights, keep in mind how movement affects illumination. Quick turns or angle changes can throw harsh shadows or cause uneven lighting. Moving too quickly might also cause the autofocus system to struggle, particularly in low light. Always plan your shots, wait for the right moment, and minimize unnecessary motion.
Audio Considerations in Underwater Video
The Panasonic LX100 captures audio through an internal microphone, but in most underwater scenarios, that audio is muffled, distorted, or unusable due to the housing and water medium. Serious underwater videographers typically mute the camera's onboard audio and overlay music, voiceovers, or ambient sound effects in post-production.
If you're interested in recording usable audio underwater—for instance, diver breathing, equipment sounds, or underwater communication—you would need an external audio recording system placed inside its waterproof housing. However, for most applications, this isn’t necessary. It’s better to focus on getting the cleanest, most cinematic footage possible and deal with audio later in editing.
Evaluating and Reviewing Your Footage Underwater
During your dive, take advantage of your safety stops or transitions between sites to review footage. The LX100’s LCD screen offers decent visibility, and the playback controls are easy to access through most housings. Review clips to check framing, focus, exposure, and color.
Look closely for signs of soft focus, exposure clipping, or unwanted backscatter. You can adjust white balance, ISO, or focus mode between dives. Inconsistent clips are hard to fix in post, so it’s better to catch issues early. For macro video, be especially vigilant about camera shake. It’s harder to stabilize macro clips without cropping away important detail.
Reviewing also helps with learning. By evaluating what worked and what didn’t, you develop better habits and improve your next dive’s success. You’ll learn when the autofocus behaves poorly, what lighting angles produce the most dramatic shadows, and how marine life responds to your presence and camera setup.
Color Correction and Editing Considerations
Once back on land, color correction becomes an essential step. Even with well-executed custom white balance, raw underwater footage usually benefits from some form of correction in post-production. Software like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro allows you to adjust exposure, contrast, saturation, and color balance with precision.
The LX100’s 4K footage is detailed and malleable. You can recover shadows, adjust highlights, and boost contrast without degrading image quality. However, avoid pushing the footage too far, especially if shot at high ISO. Too much correction introduces noise, especially in midtones and shadows.
Start with a basic color balance. Use the white balance eyedropper on a neutral part of the frame—sand, a gray slate, or a diver’s suit—then tweak manually. Lift the shadows slightly, reduce highlights if they’re blown out, and boost saturation gently to restore natural color. Red and magenta often need special attention because these tones fade fastest underwater.
Consider applying a slight vignette to draw attention to the center of your frame or adding a color grade to evoke a mood—cool tones for a dramatic reef, warm tones for shallow coral gardens. Be subtle. Over-editing can make your footage look artificial.
Finally, stabilize your footage if needed. Most editing programs offer warp stabilization tools. These work well for mild jitters but can create warping artifacts in fast-moving scenes. The better option is always to get it right in-camera with stable shooting techniques.
Manual Focus vs Auto Focus Underwater
In underwater videography, focus is one of the trickiest aspects to control, especially when dealing with fast-moving subjects or murky water. The Panasonic LX100 provides both Auto Focus (AF) and Manual Focus (MF) capabilities, but knowing when to use each is key.
Auto Focus is highly efficient for fast-paced or dynamic scenes where you cannot anticipate the subject’s distance, such as filming schooling fish or divers in motion. The LX100 features a Contrast-Detect AF system with face and eye detection, which can be useful for shallow and clear water, but may struggle in low-contrast environments or when there's particulate matter in the water.
Manual Focus becomes valuable when shooting macro or stationary subjects. It gives you control over what is in sharp detail, and avoids focus hunting that can ruin clips. With the LX100, use the focus ring on the lens and the magnified assist view to dial in sharpness. You can also enable focus peaking for extra visibility.
The ideal workflow includes pre-focusing before you hit record. This works best with a wide-angle wet lens attached and when your distance to the subject won’t change drastically.
White Balance Techniques for Natural Color
White balance is crucial underwater due to how water absorbs and distorts light. The deeper you go, the more red, orange, and yellow are lost from the visible spectrum, leaving behind a blue-green tint. Relying on Auto White Balance (AWB) underwater rarely delivers accurate color.
The Panasonic LX100 allows custom white balance settings. Ideally, you should create a custom white balance at the depth you are shooting, using a white slate or even your hand if nothing else is available. Perform this process every time your depth or lighting conditions change significantly.
There are three white balance banks in the camera. You can preset these with different depths in mind: one for shallow (5-10ft), one for mid-depth (15-30ft), and one for deeper environments (40ft+). This gives you fast switching options on the fly.
Avoid using the daylight or tungsten presets, as they are designed for topside use. Instead, always try to correct the white balance manually in-camera to reduce the amount of post-production needed later.
The Role of Lighting: Video Lights and Strobes
Ambient light quickly disappears as you dive deeper, making artificial lighting essential for rich, colorful video. The Panasonic LX100 pairs well with continuous video lights, which illuminate your scene in real time.
Choose video lights that offer a high CRI (Color Rendering Index) of 90+ for natural tones and a wide beam angle—around 90-120 degrees is optimal. Depending on your shooting style and budget, you can choose dual lights or a single mounted light on a tray system.
Avoid using photo strobes while recording video, as these are meant for stills and will result in brief bursts rather than consistent light. Instead, select video-specific lights with multiple brightness levels and at least 2000 lumens output for deeper dives.
Red filters can also be used in shallow water, but they cannot replace artificial lights. In many cases, combining custom white balance and proper lighting yields the most vibrant and color-accurate results.
Image Stabilization: Keeping Your Shots Steady
The LX100 includes optical image stabilization (OIS), which is helpful but limited in extremely shaky environments. For underwater video, where stability is critical and hard to maintain due to buoyancy, good stabilization techniques go a long way.
Use a tray with dual handles to create a more stable shooting platform. A tray not only offers better ergonomics but also helps balance the buoyancy of your setup. Adding flotation arms or weights to fine-tune your trim ensures smoother footage.
If you're filming while swimming, keep your elbows close to your body and kick gently with your fins to minimize body movement. When stationary, hold your breath briefly while filming to avoid camera shake.
Avoid panning too quickly. Slow, deliberate movements look more professional and are easier to watch. Let the movement of the subject dictate your motion rather than trying to follow erratically.
Lens Options and Underwater Conversions
The LX100 is a fixed-lens camera but features a versatile 24-75mm (full-frame equivalent) f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens. Underwater, the camera’s native lens is best used at its widest setting—24mm—for maximum field of view.
To further enhance this, you can use wet wide-angle conversion lenses. These attach to your housing’s port and allow for closer focusing distance and wider field of view, ideal for reefscapes, large subjects like wrecks, or capturing divers.
For macro, there are diopter lenses or macro wet lenses that magnify small subjects like nudibranchs or shrimp. These lenses shorten your minimum focusing distance and allow intricate detail to shine.
Always make sure your housing supports wet lens mounting. It’s also crucial to remember that zooming underwater, especially with wet lenses attached, may affect sharpness or introduce vignetting. Test your gear in shallow water to find the optimal settings.
Frame Rates and Resolutions
The Panasonic LX100 can record video at a variety of resolutions and frame rates. These include:
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4K at 30fps
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1080p Full HD at 60fps
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720p HD at 30fps
For underwater use, 1080p at 60fps is often preferred due to smoother playback, especially when filming fast-moving marine life. However, if you want the highest detail and plan to crop or stabilize in post-production, 4K at 30fps is an excellent choice.
Use 60fps when you want the option of slow motion in post. Just remember that 4K footage takes up more memory and drains battery faster, so plan your dive accordingly.
In most cases, avoid using interlaced formats (i.e., 1080i), as progressive scan (1080p, 4Kp) delivers cleaner and more modern video suitable for editing and sharing.
Audio Considerations Underwater
Audio is often neglected in underwater videography, but it can greatly enhance storytelling when done right. The Panasonic LX100 has an internal microphone, but inside a housing, its ability to capture sound is severely reduced.
If ambient sound is important—like bubbles, divers’ voices, or equipment noises—you can use an external audio recorder like a Zoom H1 or H5 in a separate waterproof housing, synced in post-production.
For professional video work, it’s usually better to strip the underwater audio and replace it with ambient tracks or music unless you're shooting very close to the sound source.
Avoid using automatic gain control (AGC) if using any external solution. Instead, set audio levels manually to avoid clipping and background hiss.
Battery Life and Memory Management
Underwater shooting demands careful battery and storage planning. The LX100 has decent battery life but can be drained quickly in 4K mode or when using the LCD screen extensively.
Carry multiple fully charged batteries and store them in waterproof containers. Pre-dive, ensure the battery level is full, and avoid reviewing footage on the dive unless necessary.
Memory-wise, use UHS-I Class 3 (U3) SD cards for smooth 4K video recording. At least 64GB is recommended for 4K dives, and bring spares if you're planning multiple dives in a day.
Always format the memory card in-camera before starting the day to reduce the risk of corruption. Also, back up your footage immediately after each dive to prevent data loss.
Color Correction in Post-Production
Even with the best in-camera white balance, some footage may still need color correction in editing software. This is especially true in deeper or mixed-light environments.
Editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve offers color wheels, scopes, and LUTs that can be used to adjust temperature, contrast, and saturation.
The first step is correcting the white balance to restore natural tones. Use the RGB parade to match channels and bring back reds and oranges where needed. Next, adjust the contrast and shadows to give more depth to the footage.
If you’re shooting in flat or neutral picture profiles, post-processing becomes even more flexible. Use these profiles to retain maximum dynamic range and recover detail during color grading.
Save a few preset looks that match the typical environments you shoot in (e.g., blue water, green water, low-light wreck) for faster workflow.
Working with Filters
Some videographers use red or magenta filters for specific depths and water types. Red filters restore warm tones in blue water, while magenta filters work better in green water.
However, filters only work effectively at shallow depths (up to 30 feet) and under bright daylight. Beyond that, artificial lighting becomes essential.
When using filters, be sure to disable any custom white balance or calibrate WB after mounting the filter. Combining both may result in unnatural hues.
Avoid using filters and video lights simultaneously, as the filter will block some of the artificial light. Choose one approach depending on depth and conditions.
Quick Tips for Underwater Video Success
To summarize the key points in practical terms:
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Always set custom white balance at each depth
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Use 1080p60 for smoother movement or 4K30 for high resolution.
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Turn off digital zoom and use optical zoom only.
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Rely on manual focus for macro and stationary subjects.
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Use continuous video lights with high CRI for best color.
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Carry spare batteries and SD card.s
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Keep shots steady using a tray with dual handles.
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Practice slow camera movements to improve viewer experience
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Always test settings in a pool or shallow dive before a big shoot.s
Post-Production Techniques for Panasonic LX100 Underwater Video
When the shooting is done and the camera is out of the water, the journey is far from over. Post-production is where the magic of underwater footage comes to life. This stage is essential for correcting colors lost at depth, stabilizing footage, and crafting the final narrative. With the Panasonic LX100’s strong image quality and manual controls, the raw footage offers a powerful starting point for post-production work.
The first consideration in post-production is color correction. Underwater video footage often suffers from color loss due to the water absorbing red and yellow light at depth. Even with manual white balance applied during filming, post-production color grading is typically required to restore a natural look. Software like Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro provides powerful color correction tools that allow divers to adjust hue, saturation, and luminance precisely.
Using the color wheels and LUTs (Look-Up Tables) can transform your flat-looking footage into vivid, lifelike scenes. When using the Panasonic LX100, which captures footage in a relatively flat color profile compared to high-end cinema cameras, minor tweaks in exposure and color temperature can make a big difference. Increase the warmth slightly and add contrast where needed. If filming with an external color reference card underwater, you can use that as a baseline to manually color balance the footage in editing software.
Noise reduction is another common task, especially for scenes filmed in low-light conditions or at greater depths. The LX100’s Micro Four Thirds sensor performs well, but pushing ISO can still result in grainy footage. Most editing software includes a noise reduction filter, but care must be taken not to over-process the image and lose fine detail. It’s best to apply noise reduction sparingly and only to scenes where it’s needed.
Stabilization is also a major consideration. Even the steadiest hand underwater may introduce camera shake, particularly in surge or current. While in-camera stabilization is not available on the original LX100, post-processing tools like Warp Stabilizer in Adobe Premiere Pro can smooth out footage effectively. For longer clips, it’s wise to manually adjust the stabilization parameters to avoid warping artifacts.
Another technique that elevates underwater video is slow motion. While the LX100 doesn’t offer super high frame rates, shooting at 60 fps and playing back at 30 fps can add a dreamy, cinematic quality to footage. Scenes such as marine life gliding through the water, air bubbles rising, or sunbeams dancing on the sea floor are ideal candidates for slow motion treatment.
Sound is often overlooked in underwater video, as the LX100’s onboard microphone is not effective once housed. Most divers mute the camera’s audio and use royalty-free underwater soundscapes in post-production. Alternatively, ambient sounds recorded separately with hydrophones or dive log audio narration can be layered in for a more immersive experience.
If you’re planning to share your footage on social media or video platforms, exporting settings matter. The LX100’s 4K video capabilities allow for high-resolution output, so always export at the native resolution unless file size or bandwidth is a constraint. H.264 or H.265 codecs strike a good balance between quality and file size. Keep bitrate settings high enough to preserve detail but optimized for your platform—YouTube recommends 35–45 Mbps for 4K footage.
Subtitles and text overlays can enhance storytelling. Include species names, dive locations, or environmental notes to educate and engage viewers. Keep text readable with a consistent font and avoid placing it where it might blend into the background.
Finally, soundtrack selection can dramatically influence viewer perception. Underwater scenes often benefit from ambient or cinematic instrumental tracks that evoke curiosity and awe. Make sure to use properly licensed music, especially for public distribution.
In summary, post-production is where creative control truly blossoms. With proper color correction, stabilization, audio editing, and thoughtful pacing, you can turn raw Panasonic LX100 footage into a stunning underwater narrative.
Tips for Troubleshooting Common Challenges
Even with careful planning, underwater videographers often encounter challenges that impact the quality of their footage. Knowing how to respond to these obstacles with the Panasonic LX100 can save your dive and your video.
One of the most common problems is fogging inside the housing. This can occur when warm air is trapped inside the housing and condenses on the lens port in colder water. To prevent this, always include a silica gel desiccant packet inside the housing. Pre-cool the camera and housing together in the shade before the dive to minimize internal humidity. If fogging happens during the dive, there’s little you can do until you surface, but avoiding this with preparation is key.
Another frequent issue is inconsistent white balance. Even with manual settings, changes in depth or direction can shift the color temperature. The best solution is to recalibrate white balance frequently—ideally before each major scene change or every few meters of depth change. It’s a good habit to frame a white or neutral object, such as a dive slate, and recalibrate as needed.
If your footage looks too dark or too bright, it’s likely due to incorrect exposure settings. Underwater lighting is tricky and changes quickly. Reviewing your histogram while recording is vital. If highlights are blowing out, reduce ISO or increase shutter speed slightly. For shadowy scenes, avoid bumping ISO too high; instead, consider opening the aperture fully. The LX100’s fast lens (f/1.7–2.8) is one of its greatest strengths in low light.
Some users struggle with focus drift, especially when filming macro subjects. If autofocus hunts or fails to lock, consider switching to manual focus. Use focus peaking if enabled to ensure sharp focus. You can also prefocus on a known distance and wait for the subject to enter the focal plane, minimizing chances of hunting.
If your battery drains quickly, ensure Wi-Fi and screen brightness are turned down when not needed. Avoid leaving the camera powered on during surface intervals. In cold water, keep spare batteries in a thermal pouch. Carry at least two or three fully charged batteries for a full dive day.
A more advanced challenge is backscatter, where particles in the water reflect light at the lens, causing white specks or haze. To reduce backscatter, position external lights at a wide angle from the camera’s axis. Keep the lens port clean and avoid using the onboard flash. Shoot in clearer water whenever possible and practice proper buoyancy to avoid disturbing sediment.
Sometimes you might notice banding or flickering in artificial lighting conditions, such as near underwater installations or boats. This usually results from a mismatch between your shutter speed and the flicker rate of the light source. Adjust your shutter speed slightly up or down to reduce this effect.
Finally, file corruption or accidental deletion can ruin valuable footage. Always format memory cards in-camera and avoid removing them while the camera is writing. Bring spare memory cards and rotate them daily. Back up footage to a laptop or external drive after every dive session if possible.
By anticipating these challenges and knowing how to address them, you can increase your confidence and capture better results during every dive.
Artistic Techniques to Elevate Your Underwater Footage
Technical mastery is essential, but artistry is what makes underwater footage compelling. The Panasonic LX100’s manual controls, combined with your creative eye, can be harnessed to produce breathtaking visuals that evoke emotion and tell a story.
One powerful technique is leading lines, which guide the viewer’s eye through the frame. In underwater settings, coral walls, fish schools, anchor lines, or rays of sunlight can serve as natural leading lines. Compose your shots with intention, placing these elements so they lead toward your subject.
Negative space is another underused but impactful element. Leaving room around a subject, such as a solitary turtle against the blue water column, can create a sense of scale and calm. This works well when paired with slow motion and ambient music.
Movement and transitions should be purposeful. Panning too quickly can disorient viewers. Slow, deliberate movements feel more natural underwater and give the audience time to appreciate the scene. Try to let the action come to you instead of chasing it.
Use layering to add depth. Include foreground elements like soft coral, midground subjects like fish, and background scenery such as a reef or wall. This three-dimensional approach enhances realism.
Backlighting and silhouettes can add drama, especially when shooting upward. Position your subject between the camera and the sun for a glowing outline. Ensure exposure is set to preserve highlight detail, or intentionally underexpose for a true silhouette.
Don’t underestimate the power of macro scenes. Tiny creatures like nudibranchs, crabs, and shrimp offer a colorful and detailed world that contrasts beautifully with wider reefscapes. Switch to macro mode and use manual focus for precision.
Storytelling is vital. Rather than random clips, think in sequences. Capture establishing shots, close-ups, interactions, and reactions. A sequence of a diver descending, interacting with marine life, and ascending again can form a complete mini-story. Narrate with text or voiceover to give context.
Lastly, consider using filters and transition effects sparingly. While editing software offers many options, too many transitions can distract. Simple cuts or cross dissolves are more effective in conveying a calm underwater atmosphere.
Artistry under the sea isn’t about flashy effects—it’s about connecting the viewer to the underwater world authentically and emotionally. The Panasonic LX100 gives you the tools; your perspective provides the soul.
Conclusion
The Panasonic LX100 remains one of the most versatile compact cameras for underwater video, especially when paired with a reliable housing and thoughtful settings. From its fast Leica lens and Micro Four Thirds sensor to its manual controls and 4K video capabilities, the LX100 provides both enthusiasts and professionals with a platform to create visually stunning underwater footage.
Understanding the fundamentals of underwater videography—lighting, white balance, exposure, and stability—is key to unlocking the camera’s full potential. By mastering these technical foundations and combining them with post-production artistry and creative composition, divers can tell impactful stories from beneath the surface.
Whether you’re filming a bustling coral reef, a tranquil kelp forest, or the mysterious depths of a wreck, the LX100 gives you the precision and image quality to capture it beautifully. Practice, patience, and preparation are your best allies on this journey.
With each dive, each frame, and each story shared, you not only improve your craft—you also help raise awareness of the fragile, extraordinary world that exists just below the surface. Dive often, shoot smart, and keep exploring.