Contax N Digital vs Panasonic L1

The Contax N Digital and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2002 and February 2006. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on a full frame (N Digital) and a Four Thirds (L1) sensor. The Contax has a resolution of 6.1 megapixels, whereas the Panasonic provides 7.4 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Contax N Digital		Panasonic L1
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Contax N mount lenses		Four Thirds lenses
6.1 MP – Full Frame sensor		7.4 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 50-1,600		ISO 100-1,600
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.0" LCD – 200k dots		2.5" LCD – 207k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
4 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
100 shots per battery charge		750 shots per battery charge
152 x 138 x 80 mm, 990 g		146 x 87 x 64 mm, 606 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Contax N Digital and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Contax N Digital and the Panasonic L1 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Panasonic L1 is considerably smaller (39 percent) than the Contax N Digital. Moreover, the L1 is substantially lighter (39 percent) than the N Digital. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the N Digital nor the L1 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

As can be seen in the images above, the N Digital has a battery grip built in. This facilitates image-taking in portrait orientation and gives it additional battery power.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Contax N Digital	152 mm	138 mm	80 mm	990 g	100	n	Feb 2002	7,399	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic L1	146 mm	87 mm	64 mm	606 g	750	n	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1Ds	156 mm	158 mm	80 mm	1265 g	600	Y	Sep 2002	8,999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 10D	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	850 g	500	n	Feb 2003	1,999	ebay.com
5.		Canon D60	150 mm	107 mm	75 mm	855 g	620	n	Feb 2002	2,999	ebay.com
6.		Canon Rebel	142 mm	99 mm	72 mm	649 g	400	n	Aug 2003	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon XT	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
8.		Leica Digilux 3	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
9.		Leica M9	139 mm	80 mm	37 mm	585 g	550	n	Sep 2009	7,999	ebay.com
10.		Leica M10	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
11.		Leica M10-P	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
12.		Leica SL	147 mm	104 mm	39 mm	847 g	400	Y	Oct 2015	7,450	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D1X	157 mm	153 mm	85 mm	1100 g	1200	Y	Feb 2001	5,999	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D100	144 mm	116 mm	81 mm	780 g	370	n	Feb 2002	1,999	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-300	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
16.		Olympus E-330	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The L1 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 86 percent) than the N Digital, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Contax N Digital features a full frame sensor and the Panasonic L1 a Four Thirds sensor. The sensor area in the L1 is 74 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 2.0. The sensor in the N Digital has a native 3:2 aspect ratio, while the one in the L1 offers a 4:3 aspect.

Despite having a smaller sensor, the L1 offers a higher resolution of 7.4 megapixels, compared with 6.1 MP of the N Digital. This megapixels advantage comes at the cost of a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 5.51μm versus 11.90μm for the N Digital). However, it should be noted that the L1 is much more recent (by 3 years and 11 months) than the N Digital, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that make it possible to gather light more efficiently.

The resolution advantage of the Panasonic L1 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the L1 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 15.7 x 11.8 inches or 39.8 x 29.9 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 12.5 x 9.4 inches or 31.9 x 23.9 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 10.5 x 7.8 inches or 26.6 x 19.9 cm. The corresponding values for the Contax N Digital are 15.2 x 10 inches or 38.6 x 25.5 cm for good quality, 12.2 x 8 inches or 30.9 x 20.4 cm for very good quality, and 10.1 x 6.7 inches or 25.7 x 17 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Contax N Digital has a native sensitivity range from ISO 50 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 are ISO 100 to ISO 1600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the N Digital is build around a CCD sensor, while the L1 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Contax N Digital	Full Frame	6.1	3040	2008	none	21.5	10.5	1283	59
2.		Panasonic L1	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	80	52
3.		Canon 1Ds	Full Frame	11.0	4064	2704	none	21.8	11.0	954	63
4.		Canon 10D	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.1	10.9	571	57
5.		Canon D60	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	20.3	9.8	301	47
6.		Canon Rebel	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.0	10.8	544	55
7.		Canon XT	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
8.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
9.		Leica M9	Full Frame	18.1	5212	3472	none	22.5	11.7	884	69
10.		Leica M10	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	24.4	13.2	2133	86
11.		Leica M10-P	Full Frame	23.8	5952	3992	none	25.1	14.1	2739	93
12.		Leica SL	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	13.4	1821	88
13.		Nikon D1X	APS-C	5.9	3008	1960	none	..	..	..	..
14.		Nikon D100	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	9.9	394	48
15.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
16.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
17.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The N Digital and the L1 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the N Digital has a higher magnification than the one of the L1 (0.73x vs 0.47x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The table below summarizes some of the other core capabilities of the Contax N Digital and Panasonic L1 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Contax N Digital	optical	Y	2.0 / 200	fixed	n	1/8000s	4.0/s	n	n
2.		Panasonic L1	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 1Ds	optical	Y	2.0 / 120	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	n	n
4.		Canon 10D	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon D60	optical	Y	1.8 / 114	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon Rebel	optical	n	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
7.		Canon XT	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Leica Digilux 3	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Leica M9	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.0/s	n	n
10.		Leica M10	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	n	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
11.		Leica M10-P	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
12.		Leica SL	4400	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	n	n
13.		Nikon D1X	optical	Y	2.0 / 120	fixed	n	1/16000s	3.0/s	n	n
14.		Nikon D100	optical	Y	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
15.		Olympus E-300	optical	n	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
16.		Olympus E-330	optical	n	2.5 / 215	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
17.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the N Digital, but is missing on the L1 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The N Digital writes its imaging data to Compact Flash cards, while the L1 uses SDHC cards.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Contax N Digital and Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Contax N Digital	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
2.		Panasonic L1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon 1Ds	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
4.		Canon 10D	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
5.		Canon D60	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
6.		Canon Rebel	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
7.		Canon XT	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Leica Digilux 3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Leica M9	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Leica M10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
11.		Leica M10-P	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
12.		Leica SL	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.0	Y	-	-
13.		Nikon D1X	Y	- / -	-	-	-	FW	-	-	-
14.		Nikon D100	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
15.		Olympus E-300	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Olympus E-330	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Contax N Digital (unlike the L1) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the N Digital and the L1 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The L1 was replaced by the Panasonic L10, while the N Digital does not have a direct successor. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Contax and Panasonic websites.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is the Contax N Digital better than the Panasonic L1 or vice versa? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Contax N Digital:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.73x vs 0.47x).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More portrait friendly: Features an integrated vertical grip for easier portrait shooting.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2002).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (7.4 vs 6.1MP), which boosts linear resolution by 8%.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.5" vs 2.0") for image review and settings control.
• More compact: Is smaller (146x87mm vs 152x138mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 384g or 39 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (750 versus 100) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (86 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 11 months of technical progress since the N Digital launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the L1 comes out slightly ahead of the N Digital (8 : 7 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Contax N Digital and the Panasonic L1 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the N Digital or the L1 perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Contax N Digital	..	..	..	..	..	..	Feb 2002	7,399	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic L1	..	85/100	..	+	..	3.5/5	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
3.		Canon 1Ds	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2002	8,999	ebay.com
4.		Canon 10D	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2003	1,999	ebay.com
5.		Canon D60	..	..	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2002	2,999	ebay.com
6.		Canon Rebel	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Aug 2003	899	ebay.com
7.		Canon XT	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
8.		Leica Digilux 3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
9.		Leica M9	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	..	Sep 2009	7,999	ebay.com
10.		Leica M10	4.5/5	..	..	..	4/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	6,595	ebay.com
11.		Leica M10-P	..	..	3/5	..	..	4/5	Aug 2018	7,995	ebay.com
12.		Leica SL	4/5	..	4/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Oct 2015	7,450	ebay.com
13.		Nikon D1X	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Feb 2001	5,999	ebay.com
14.		Nikon D100	..	..	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2002	1,999	ebay.com
15.		Olympus E-300	..	..	..	+	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
16.		Olympus E-330	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
17.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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