Panasonic L1 vs L10

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in February 2006 and August 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The L1 has a resolution of 7.4 megapixels, whereas the L10 provides 10 MP.

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

Headline Specifications

Panasonic L1		Panasonic L10
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Four Thirds lenses
7.4 MP – Four Thirds sensor		10 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-1,600		ISO 100-1,600
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 207k dots		2.5" LCD – 207k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
750 shots per battery charge		450 shots per battery charge
146 x 87 x 64 mm, 606 g		135 x 96 x 78 mm, 556 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10? 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

An illustration of the physical size and weight of the Panasonic L1 and the Panasonic L10 is provided in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. 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 L10 is somewhat larger (2 percent) than the Panasonic L1. However, the L10 is markedly lighter (8 percent) than the L1. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the L1 nor the L10 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. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras 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.		Panasonic L1	146 mm	87 mm	64 mm	606 g	750	n	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic L10	135 mm	96 mm	78 mm	556 g	450	n	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
3.		Canon XT	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
4.		Canon Rebel	142 mm	99 mm	72 mm	649 g	400	n	Aug 2003	899	ebay.com
5.		Leica Digilux 3	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	141 mm	86 mm	142 mm	734 g	360	n	Sep 2006	849	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D80	132 mm	103 mm	77 mm	668 g	600	n	Aug 2006	999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D70s	140 mm	111 mm	78 mm	679 g	500	n	Apr 2005	899	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-420	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-520	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-410	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-330	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-500	130 mm	95 mm	66 mm	479 g	750	n	Sep 2005	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-300	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic G10	124 mm	84 mm	74 mm	388 g	380	n	Mar 2010	499	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

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The L10 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 40 percent) than the L1, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the L10 offers a higher resolution of 10 megapixels, compared with 7.4 MP of the L1. This megapixels advantage translates into a 16 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the L10 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.74μm versus 5.51μm for the L1). However, it should be noted that the L10 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 6 months) than the L1, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Panasonic L10 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the L10 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm. The corresponding values for the Panasonic L1 are 15.7 x 11.8 inches or 39.8 x 29.9 cm for good quality, 12.5 x 9.4 inches or 31.9 x 23.9 cm for very good quality, and 10.5 x 7.8 inches or 26.6 x 19.9 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 offers exactly the same ISO settings.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

#		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Panasonic L1	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	80	52
2.		Panasonic L10	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.3	10.8	429	55
3.		Canon XT	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
4.		Canon Rebel	APS-C	6.3	3072	2048	none	21.0	10.8	544	55
5.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	1/1.8	10.0	3648	2736	480/30p	18.4	9.5	-727	29
7.		Nikon D80	APS-C	10.0	3872	2592	none	22.1	11.2	524	61
8.		Nikon D70s	APS-C	6.0	3008	2000	none	20.4	10.3	529	50
9.		Olympus E-420	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.4	527	56
10.		Olympus E-520	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.4	10.4	548	55
11.		Olympus E-410	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.1	10.0	494	51
12.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
13.		Olympus E-500	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.7	10.3	45	51
14.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
15.		Panasonic G10	Four Thirds	12.0	4000	3000	720/30p	21.2	10.1	411	52
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 L1 and the L10 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 L1 has a higher magnification than the one of the L10 (0.47x vs 0.46x), 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 Panasonic L1 and Panasonic L10 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.		Panasonic L1	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
2.		Panasonic L10	optical	n	2.5 / 207	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon XT	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon Rebel	optical	n	1.8 / 118	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
5.		Leica Digilux 3	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	235	n	2.0 / 207	tilting	n	1/2000s	2.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Nikon D80	optical	n	2.5 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Nikon D70s	optical	n	2.0 / 130	fixed	n	1/8000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Olympus E-420	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
10.		Olympus E-520	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	Y
11.		Olympus E-410	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
12.		Olympus E-330	optical	n	2.5 / 215	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
13.		Olympus E-500	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
14.		Olympus E-300	optical	n	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
15.		Panasonic G10	202	n	3.0 / 460	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.6/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the L1 and the L10 write their files to 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 Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 and Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10 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.		Panasonic L1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Panasonic L10	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon XT	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Canon Rebel	Y	- / -	-	-	-	1.1	-	-	-
5.		Leica Digilux 3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	Y	mono / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Nikon D80	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Nikon D70s	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-420	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-520	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Olympus E-410	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
12.		Olympus E-330	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
13.		Olympus E-500	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
14.		Olympus E-300	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Panasonic G10	Y	mono / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Both the L1 and the L10 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The L1 was replaced by the Panasonic L10, while the L10 does not have a direct successor. Further information on the features and operation of the L1 and L10 can be found, respectively, in the Panasonic L1 Manual (free pdf) or the online Panasonic L10 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Which of the two cameras – the Panasonic L1 or the Panasonic L10 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Reasons to prefer the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.47x vs 0.46x).
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 450) on a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2006).

Advantages of the Panasonic Lumix DMC- L10:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (10 vs 7.4MP), which boosts linear resolution by 16%.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (40 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 6 months) more recently.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the L10 emerges as the winner of the match-up (5 : 3 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 wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 Panasonic L1 and the Panasonic L10 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 specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the L1 or the L10 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera 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.		Panasonic L1	..	85/100	..	+	..	3.5/5	Feb 2006	999	ebay.com
2.		Panasonic L10	..	85/100	..	+	3.5/5	4/5	Aug 2007	599	ebay.com
3.		Canon XT	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
4.		Canon Rebel	..	..	..	+ +	..	..	Aug 2003	899	ebay.com
5.		Leica Digilux 3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
6.		Leica V-LUX 1	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	849	ebay.com
7.		Nikon D80	..	+	..	+ +	o	4.5/5	Aug 2006	999	ebay.com
8.		Nikon D70s	..	..	..	..	..	5/5	Apr 2005	899	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-420	..	85/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2008	599	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-520	..	87/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2008	699	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-410	..	86/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
12.		Olympus E-330	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
13.		Olympus E-500	..	76/100	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2005	599	ebay.com
14.		Olympus E-300	..	..	..	+	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
15.		Panasonic G10	3/5	..	..	70/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2010	499	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities of other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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