peterm1
Veteran
I have recently been struck by the beauty of the Panasonic L1. This camera looks like a digital RF but is actually an SLR (using a Porro Prism arrangement to avoid having a penta prism housing.) It has a Leica 14-50 lens (equivalent to 28 to 100mm in 35mm) which all tests report as being excellent. The thing I really like about this is (a) it has the feel of a rangefinder when in use but (b) it has optical image stabilisation, which is a huge plus. I have noticed recently that a lot of my shots are a bit soft and I put this down to inability to hold the camera as steady as I would like. (Getting old I guess.) It has dropped in price recently and is now a more comparable price to other cameras in the 6-10 meg range. Much of its original high price is due to the Leica glass and the no doubt limited market that would be interested in such a non typical camera. The camera has a traditional shutter speed dial and the lens has a traditional aperture ring. I like this retro arrangement and find it suits my shooting style.
Any thoughts? Any experiences with this camera?
Besides it is a beauty to behold and there is no way I am going to be able to spring for an M8 any time in the foreseebale future. See this pic.
Any thoughts? Any experiences with this camera?
Besides it is a beauty to behold and there is no way I am going to be able to spring for an M8 any time in the foreseebale future. See this pic.
Attachments
Last edited:
abumac
Well-known
I have had it . It is a really great camera. Buy it if you will get it for a good price. But look also for an Leica D2 it is the same camera but with a livetime warrenty for a CD failture.
Taipei-metro
Veteran
1, 14-50 = 28-100
2, L10
2, L10
cysewski
Member
I love the interface, where the buttons are, how the thumb wheel works, the access to controls, the more you use it the more you appreciate it. Make sure you up date the firmware, the new firmware makes a large difference in the camera. I used the camera for a month in Thailand and know other cameras feel awkward. The lens is also great. It is an acquired taste, but once you acquire the taste you will really appreciate the camera. I think the Leica equivalent is the Digilux 3.
I have two bodies now.
Steve
I have two bodies now.
Steve
kshapero
South Florida Man
I owned it. great image quality. I blacked out the Panasonic name. Everyone thought it was a Leica. But it just felt like a brick in my hand. Even so, I regret selling it. I see it as low as $850 US new. Go for it.
peterm1
Veteran
OK guys thanks for that. Looks like my wife is gonna hate me again (kidding.)
I must say that it is non mainstream cameras like this that interest me. The only problem with going down this route is that I can see myself using my film based cameras less and less. I hate the idea of selling my Leica gear because it is all so beautiful but.... there will come a day.
It is strange that so many reviews of this camera are equivocal about it in some small respect or other when clearly it is so good. I suspect that most reviewers like so many of the buying public never thing out side the square and are happy to sit in the mainstream.
Price wise, we cannot yet get it as cheap as in the US. For some reason prices in Australia are still higher than there, (and this is with an Ozzie dollar that is almost at parity to the US one) although having said that the price is now around half of what the original selling price was. To make things worse, many eBay sellers in the US refuse to sell overseas. I guess its too much hassle and the US market is big enough not to have to bother. The experience of users on this forum is unusual. My experience with a few top end digital cameras that are not designed for the mass market, like the Panasonic L1, the Sony R1 and the Sony f828, they do not seem to turn up second hand much in Australia. They are highly competent cameras which produce top results and the owners seem to hang onto them
I must say that it is non mainstream cameras like this that interest me. The only problem with going down this route is that I can see myself using my film based cameras less and less. I hate the idea of selling my Leica gear because it is all so beautiful but.... there will come a day.
It is strange that so many reviews of this camera are equivocal about it in some small respect or other when clearly it is so good. I suspect that most reviewers like so many of the buying public never thing out side the square and are happy to sit in the mainstream.
Price wise, we cannot yet get it as cheap as in the US. For some reason prices in Australia are still higher than there, (and this is with an Ozzie dollar that is almost at parity to the US one) although having said that the price is now around half of what the original selling price was. To make things worse, many eBay sellers in the US refuse to sell overseas. I guess its too much hassle and the US market is big enough not to have to bother. The experience of users on this forum is unusual. My experience with a few top end digital cameras that are not designed for the mass market, like the Panasonic L1, the Sony R1 and the Sony f828, they do not seem to turn up second hand much in Australia. They are highly competent cameras which produce top results and the owners seem to hang onto them
Last edited:
boobbbers
Member
Taipei-metro said:
Auctualy it is an L1
retow
Well-known
If Leica or Olympus would launch a few prime pancake lenses (like Pentax did), then I would consider the L1 an interesting camera indeed. Especially at today's pricea.
QUAsit
Established
For 4/3 Leica already has Summilux 25/1.4 standard angle lens.
ywenz
Veteran
the camera body looks good, but with that lens, it looks absurd..
Is there a smaller pancake prime lens for it?
Is there a smaller pancake prime lens for it?
kevin m
Veteran
If you're going to carry something that big, why not just use a DSLR? 
ampguy
Veteran
my thoughts as well
my thoughts as well
The 4/3 sensor size is smaller than the aps-c, though maybe bigger than most p&s.
It does look great, but for a dslr, I'd go for bigger sensors. No matter how great the lens, I doubt highly enlarged images, or dynamic range would equal that of a nikon d40x or canon digital rebel (assuming decent lens on those bodies).
my thoughts as well
The 4/3 sensor size is smaller than the aps-c, though maybe bigger than most p&s.
It does look great, but for a dslr, I'd go for bigger sensors. No matter how great the lens, I doubt highly enlarged images, or dynamic range would equal that of a nikon d40x or canon digital rebel (assuming decent lens on those bodies).
kevin m said:If you're going to carry something that big, why not just use a DSLR?
ywenz
Veteran
kevin m said:If you're going to carry something that big, why not just use a DSLR?
Well, the L1 is technically a DSLR..
However, the 4/3 format and all those olympus bodies(and now Leica & Panny) have been rather undesirable in the popular consumer/professional market, and with good reason!
photogdave
Shops local
This camera defies the physics of a 4/3 sensor! You should see the gorgeous, sharp 13x19" prints the guys at the camera shop have made with this thing, using both Leica and Olympus glass. The Olympus 50mm Macro on the L1 is a very nice combo! The sensor size wouldn't worry me for a second. I think this camera is far better than the reviewers have let on!ampguy said:
kevin m
Veteran
That's good news. They make any compact, prime lenses for the format?
photogdave
Shops local
The Olympus 50mm macro and the Sigma 30mm 1.4 are the smallest I know of. Too bad there's nothing wider!kevin m said:
kuzano
Veteran
Probably a great camera. Some of the cooperation between Panasonic and Leica has been great.
However, I would look for that camera to lose value rapidly because of the flat top, just as the Olympus Evolt 300 did. Olympus dropped the "no prism hump" concept because the market place was not buying the camera. I have an Olympus 4/3 system E300 and if I didn't really like the camera I'd be displeased about what's happened to the value. The Evolt introduced some nice features, like the commitment to 4:3 and the electrostatic dust barrier, but the market passed on the flat top design. The mechanism for getting around the prism is more complex, but has been durable.
Olympus finally relented and went back to the standard prism concept and their cameras based on that style (the 400, 500, 410 and 510) are far more widely accepted in the market.
I think it's reasonable to say that the consumer market has been educated that a camera with the hump (SLR) is the mark of a professional and they want the hump.
If you are a consummate Gear Hog, always changing camera's, then I submit that you will lose money on this Panasonic. I've seen it, I've held it, and I read good things about it. Unless the market has changed since Olympus did the E300 and E330, the Panasonic you are looking at will likely have very low resale value.
I am thankful that I like the E300 and I knew I would by my research. I bought it used for a song, because I knew the market effect of the no-prism design. I am SOOO glad I did not pay retail. Even then, I feel somewhat locked into the camera because of the continuing decline in price.
No more flat top DSLR's for me, unless I score a great price and plan on keeping it for a while.
Say what you want about Olympus vs the Panasonic/Leica partnership. But I don't think Panasonic is going to change the vastly uninformed marketplace on camera design, any more than Olympus was unable to. Most consumer cannot even relate to the positives of Panasonic partnering with Leica.
However, I would look for that camera to lose value rapidly because of the flat top, just as the Olympus Evolt 300 did. Olympus dropped the "no prism hump" concept because the market place was not buying the camera. I have an Olympus 4/3 system E300 and if I didn't really like the camera I'd be displeased about what's happened to the value. The Evolt introduced some nice features, like the commitment to 4:3 and the electrostatic dust barrier, but the market passed on the flat top design. The mechanism for getting around the prism is more complex, but has been durable.
Olympus finally relented and went back to the standard prism concept and their cameras based on that style (the 400, 500, 410 and 510) are far more widely accepted in the market.
I think it's reasonable to say that the consumer market has been educated that a camera with the hump (SLR) is the mark of a professional and they want the hump.
If you are a consummate Gear Hog, always changing camera's, then I submit that you will lose money on this Panasonic. I've seen it, I've held it, and I read good things about it. Unless the market has changed since Olympus did the E300 and E330, the Panasonic you are looking at will likely have very low resale value.
I am thankful that I like the E300 and I knew I would by my research. I bought it used for a song, because I knew the market effect of the no-prism design. I am SOOO glad I did not pay retail. Even then, I feel somewhat locked into the camera because of the continuing decline in price.
No more flat top DSLR's for me, unless I score a great price and plan on keeping it for a while.
Say what you want about Olympus vs the Panasonic/Leica partnership. But I don't think Panasonic is going to change the vastly uninformed marketplace on camera design, any more than Olympus was unable to. Most consumer cannot even relate to the positives of Panasonic partnering with Leica.
QUAsit
Established
photogdave said:
Once again. Leica released Summilux 25/1.4 lens for 4/3 Digital system. This is the ONLY prime, standard angle fixed-focal length lens for this system.
eFOV of 25mm lens is 46 degrees for 4/3s sensor size.
ywenz
Veteran
You do know that the 4/3 format has a 2.0x crop factor?
Unless you're strictly a telephoto or normal fov shooter, this camera shouldn't even be on your radar, no matter how good the body looks.
Unless you're strictly a telephoto or normal fov shooter, this camera shouldn't even be on your radar, no matter how good the body looks.
QUAsit
Established
Olympus has 2 wide angle zooms - 11-22 and 7-14, 8mm diagonal fish-eye and 16-80 prime zoom (excluding a gang of 14-xx Zuiko zooms with 28mm eFOV)
I think quite enough to go wide.
P.S. I am not Oly fan. I am ex Canon EF user
I think quite enough to go wide.
P.S. I am not Oly fan. I am ex Canon EF user