When it was released in autumn last year, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 raised a lot of eyebrows. Panasonic's first DSLR was an unconventional-looking machine which, although it shared a lot of technology with the Olympus E-330, was unlike anything else around at the time. Panasonic's entry into Four Thirds also marked the arrival of the first stabilised lens in the system, in the form of the Leica D Vario-Elmarit 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 with Mega OIS, which is bundled with the L1. Leica-badged optics, retro styling and rock-solid construction lent the Lumix L1 an air of quality and luxury appropriate to its �1,499.99 kit price tag, but in the face of stiff (and more affordable) opposition from the other major manufacturers it has failed to take the digital SLR market by storm.
Panasonic is keen to stress that the L1 isn't going anywhere, but with the Lumix DMC-L10 the company appears to be aiming squarely at beginners and enthusiasts. Although a better specified camera than its elder brother, the L10 has lost the Leica-inspired styling and quirky interface, and costs significantly less than the L1, at a list price of around �900 with the Leica 14-50mm Vario-Elmar f/3.8-5.6. If the L1 resembles an oversized 35mm rangefinder, the L10 looks more like a slightly fatter digital bridge camera, and shares a similar control arrangement to Panasonic's popular 10-million-pixel DMC-FZ50.
Barney Britton
more : amateurphotographer
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