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The second digital SLR from Panasonic is out, and looks good.

The Panasonic DMC-L1 left its mark on the digital SLR world, although sales were bellow expected. Now, short for two years after that moment, Panasonic brings us the DMC-L10, and much more is expected from it.

Panasonic DMC-L10: Highlights

• Live MOS 10.1 Megapixel sensor (3648 x 2736 pixels)
• Lightweight body
• Kit Lens: LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR 14–50mm/ F3.8–5.6/ASPH
• Articulating screen
• Live View
• Dust Removal System
• Four Thirds Lens Mount

Panasonic DMC-L10: Sensor and Processor

The 10 Megapixel Live MOS sensor place this camera in the middle-high places in sensor resolution and it is a good choice for serious hobbyists. While not top of the top, the majority of amateur photographers will not come across the need for increased resolution.

The Venus Engine III is an image processing LSI made to maximize the quality of the photos captured by the sensor. One of the main highlights of the processor is its ability to distinguish between luminance noise and chromatic noise, increasing image quality.

Panasonic DMC-L10: Live View and Articulating Screen

The Live View, together with a 2.5″ articulated LCD screen, take dSLR photography to a new dimension. No more bending and twisting to be able to look through the viewfinder and no more “blind” shots. Twist the LCD your way and see how the photo looks before you press the shutter button.

The Live View and articulated screen make for a much easier transition from a P&S to this SLR.

Panasonic DMC-L10: Leica… what more to say

Leica is one of the most known lens makers prized for the quality of the lens and, of course, the images they produce. So, having a Leica lens attached to this camera is definitely a plus, and the LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR 14-50mm/F3.8-5.6 ASPH (15 glass elements) is sure to meet the highest standards. Also, the Venus Engine III processor was developed with this lens in mind. This might be the reason why this camera is only sold, so far, as a kit with the lens.

The Four Thirds Lens mount is another plus with this camera, since there is the possibility to use lenses from a much more wide range of sources and brands.

Panasonic DMC-L10: Price might be an obstacle

The lens is probably also the reason why the price for this camera is so high. At around $1300, the DMC-L10 is on the same price range as other, more feature rich, cameras. So, there is a tough choice to be made here. While having such a quality lens is attractive, if you are transitioning from a P&S, probably you will not yet appreciate the lens quality. If you have a more established photographic knowledge and are capable of appreciating the lens, you’d probably want to go for a better camera on the same price range. It’s all a matter of balance that I’m not sure that Panasonic was able to achieve.

Panasonic DMC-L10: Overall

This camera was released to target a booming market: consumers who want to expand their photo capacities from the P&S. While the camera features are more than enough to satisfy those customers, the jump from a $300 P&S to a $1300 SLR might be too much for many. If consumers think that having a very high quality lens is indispensable, then this camera is recommendable. Otherwise, there are other cameras on the market that, although possibly harder to handle for someone without the know-how, are a better value for the same money.

The release of the Lumix DMC-FX100 digital camera was announced by Panasonic and it’s the latest on their Lumix digital cameras series.

Featuring an amazing 12.2 Megapixel CCD and a 28mm f/2.8 LEICA lens, the Lumix DMC-FX100 arrives to break another barrier in image resolution for the ultra compact digital cameras. As claimed by Panasonic themselves, this is the world’s first 12.2 Megapixel digital camera with 28mm wide-angle lens.

Lumix DMC-FX100: HIGHLIGHTS

• 12.2 Megapixel sensor (effective)
• f2.8-5.6 3.6x zoom lens by LEICA (28-100mm equivalent)
• OIS (optical image stabilization)
• 2.5″ display with 207,000 pixels
• Ultra compact at 96.7 x 54.0 x 24.5 mm ( 3.80 x 2.13 x 0.96 in)
• ISO 80 - 1600 (forced up to 6400)
• 3 video recording modes
• Up to 320 shots per battery charge

Lumix DMC-FX100: SIZE

One of the things that impresses in the DMC-FX100 is the size. At only 96.7 x 54.0 x 24.5 mm ( 3.80 x 2.13 x 0.96 in), fits in the ultra compact category for digital cameras. Fitting a 1/1.72″ sensor and a 7 element lens in such a slim body could not have been an easy task, but the result is here.

Lumix DMC-FX100: LENS

The quality of LEICA lenses is worldwide known and this camera comes equipped with a 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO ELMARIT lens, capable of f2.8 - f9 on wide and f5.6 - f18 on tele. The 3.6x optical zoom gives the 35mm equivalent of a 28-100mm lens.

As some of its predecessors, the DMC-FX100 features OIS (optical image stabilization) to guarantee the perpetual alignment of the optical unit with the CCD, minimizing the blur caused by shaky hands.

Lumix DMC-FX100: ENGINE, SENSITIVITY and MEMORY

As for speed of shooting, at the full 12.2Mp resolution, the interval between shots is as low as 0.9 seconds and decreases at lower resolutions reaching the 6 shots per second range in High-Speed bursting mode.

The ISO range goes from 80 to 1600 and can be extended (High-sensitivity mode) to a whopping 6400, although beyond 800 the noise levels might become a problem as it is the case with most digital cameras.

For this kind of resolution the 27Mb built-in memory is almost unusable, but the camera offers an Secure Digital / MultimediaCard slot to allow expansion, also compatible with the new Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC) cards.

Lumix DMC-FX100: LCD and POWER

To view your photos, the 2.5″ polycrystalline TFT LCD with 207,000 pixels resolution is another highlight of this digital camera.

To feed all of these features, power is provided by a 3.7V, 1150mAh Lithium Ions battery, allowing on average 320 pictures per charge.

Lumix DMC-FX100: FINAL REMARKS

From their press release: “Providing the outstanding performance of a 28mm wide-angle lens and a 12.2-megapixel CCD in a sleek body, the new DMC-FX100 is a superior camera that can be relied upon to capture your most special moments. Elegantly finished in a choice of either sleek silver metallic or cool black metallic, the sleekly styled FX100 will be available from July.”

If you are planning to buy a new compact digital camera, it might be worth to wait until July and get your hands on the Lumix DMC-FX100.

No set prices have been released but my assumption is that it will hit the streets at something between $400 and $450. In Europe the price will be slightly higher and according to the german Panasonic site, the camera will have a price around 429 euros (aprox. $575 US).

Download the data sheet with the full specifications (pdf file)

Specifications taken directly from panasonic-europe.com