Panasonic DMC-L1

120 reviews

Apr, 2024

Positive
performance (33)
lens (24)
image quality (22)
usability (21)
design (15)

Negative
price (20)
low-light (8)
focus (8)
size (8)
viewfinder (8)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 120 reviews of Panasonic DMC-L1. The average rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Views about the portability and image quality are on the whole positive. The usability and lens also get good reviews, but some have doubts about the low light performance and focus.

performance, lens, usability, image quality, portability

price, size, viewfinder, focus, low-light

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Panasonic DMC-L1 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

See all Panasonic Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 120 reviews)

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Showing 1 - 10 of 41 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (79)

Expert review by : Phil Askey (dpreview.com)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Review

On February 26th 2006, in a packed press conference on the first day of PMA 2006 Panasonic revealed their first digital SLR, the DMC-L1. The DMC-L1 represents another first, it's the first non-Olympus Four Thirds digital SLR which has to be good news...

Excellent control layout; proper shutter speed and aperture dials Very fast access to aperture and shutter priority modes Very good build quality; magnesium alloy frame Supersonic Wave Filter ensures no dust on sensor Metering available in viewfinder...

Small and dark viewfinder view (difficult to see fine detail, difficult to check focus) Auto-focus in live view requires display freeze and mirror flip down / up Image processing algorithm not 'crisp' in appearance (although artifact free) Live view...

The DMC-L1 is Panasonic's first foray into the highly competitive digital SLR market. As such I think they should be pretty happy with the result. From an image quality point of view they've taken a surprisingly mature and conservative approach...

Apr, 2007

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Expert review by : Phil Ryan (cnet.com)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 review

intro Things are about to become very interesting in the world of digital SLRs. Now that Panasonic has its Lumix DMC-L1 in stores, three of the world's largest consumer electronics companies have joined the big leagues of digital imaging. How the L1...

Fast, image stabilized kit lens; built-in bounce flash; can preview shots on LCD.

Expensive kit is your only option; very noisy at higher ISOs; somewhat clunky design.

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-L1 is a nice first attempt at a dSLR, but a clunky design and noise at higher ISOs destroy its chances for dSLR superstardom.

Nov, 2006

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Expert review by (letsgodigital.org)

Panasonic Lumix DMC L1 review

Panasonic have been making digital compact cameras for years. Remarkable features include MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilisation) and lenses that sport the Leica name. However, it seems that Panasonic are eager for more. The Japanese brand wants to...

Panasonic show they are realistic. They know they will not instantly become a market leader. After all, the market will need to get used to them, and Panasonic will in turn have to learn a thing or two about this "new market". This strategy of building...

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Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (photographyblog.com)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is the first foray by Panasonic into the digital SLR market, and the Japanese consumer electronics giant has certainly taken an interesting approach. Instead of starting ...

The Panasonic L1 isn't a mass-market device, and deliberately so, therefore it feels a slightly odd choice of first DSLR for a major electronics manufacturer. In fact, it is...

Mar, 2007

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Expert review by : Shawn Barnett (imaging-resource.com)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Digital Camera - Full Review

Panasonic's first SLR, the Lumix DMC-L1, has a 7.5 megapixel sensor and a large, fast 14-50mm optically stabilized zoom lens that's equivalent to a 28-100mm lens on a 35mm camera. This 2.4 pound SLR is thick and requires two hands to hold. A unique...

Sturdy build, Unique pop-up flash with bounce option, Nice LCD display, Good resolution, Many buttons for easy access to frequently used controls, Live View mode good for composing images from odd angles, Good quality lens with optical image...

LCD does not swing out from the body, Optical viewfinder is dim even in bright daylight, Autofocus in Live View mode is extremely slow, introducing dramatic shutter lag, Preflash is very early, increasing shutter lag beyond 1/2 second, Flash does not...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 brings to fruition the company's pledge in April 2005 that it would create a digital SLR under its own branding, compatible with Olympus' Four Thirds lens mount standard. The L1 looks to be quite an interesting SLR at that,...

May, 2007

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Expert review by : Melissa Robotti (washingtonpost.com)

Panasonic DMC-L1

The 7.5-megapixel Lumix DMC-L1, Panasonic's first digital SLR, was announced in early 2006. It was the first non-Olympus SLR built around the Four Thirds System. It came a little more than a year after the manufacturer announced it would work with...

Sep, 2007

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Expert review by (photoaxe.com)

Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 Digital Camera Review

Using this camera is similar to using a film camera: the zoom and aperture rings on the available Leica lenses plus the mode dial and manual focus. Also, since there are no scene modes, i highly recommend that you only buy this camera if you are more...

Sep, 2007

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Expert review by : Pop Photo (popphoto.com)

Camera Test: Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1

It's not easy being the new kid on the block, but it helps to have friends who are well known in the neighborhood. Take Panasonic, new to digital SLRs, and veterans Olympus and Leica. With their help, Panasonic hopes its new 7.5MP Lumix DMC-L1 DSLR...

Jun, 2007

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Expert review by : Peter K. Burian (shutterbug.com)

Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-L1; High-Tech Digital SLR With Conventional Controls And Traditional Style

The first Panasonic D-SLR, the Lumix DMC-L1 is a product of an alliance with Olympus, since it employs, according to the company, some "jointly developed technologies and components." In fact, this camera shares many attributes with the Olympus EVOLT...

Autofocus is available but the camera must lower and raise the reflex mirror for the system to work; that process, and the noisy clicking it produces, can be somewhat slow and annoying. Frankly, I found manual focus to be far more convenient. The...

Feb, 2007

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Expert review by : Dc Resource (dcresource.com)

Expert Review

The Lumix DMC-L1 marks Panasonic's entry into the crowded midrange digital SLR market. Co-developed with Olympus (whose E-330 is quite similar), the DMC-L1 packs a 7.5 Megapixel LiveMOS sensor, a FourThirds lens mount, a 2.5" LCD display with live...

Very good photo quality, especially if you shoot RAW, Excellent Leica kit lens with optical image stabilization, Built like a tank, Robust performance in most areas, Live view on sharp 2.5" LCD (but see issues below), Handy MF assist feature when using...

Very expensive for what you get, Bulky, clumsy body has too many buttons and dials; some switches, very, poorly placed, Noisier than other D-SLRs at high ISOs, JPEG image processing isn't the best; you'll get much better results shooting RAW, Live view...

Jan, 2007

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