Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1

Pros: Easy interface, Great Lens with focus and aperture ring, Shutter Speed on top dial

Cons: Can't see out of lens without power, can't pause when shooting action, can't get good info without LCD on

Summary: This is my first SLR camera and I chose Panasonic because my first digital camera I ever owned was a Panasonic FX9.

I'm happy to report that I'm not disappointed and in fact quite delighted with the overall package. With the old school looks and easy to get to features such as shutter speed, aperture and focus, I take pictures alot faster and better than say someone using say the Canon Rebel.

However, thats an unfair comparison since the value of the two cameras is at two different price points. A fairer comparison would be the DMC-L1 with say, the Canon EOS 30D. The EOS doesn't have built in Dust Reduction System or a Leica Lens out of the box. However, besides those two things, its hard to figure out what other advantages there are to the Panasonic.

The Canon 30D has 8.2 Megapixels, while the DMC-L1 has 7.5 Megapixels. The 30D has a slightly faster start up time, I don't even notice since both are so fast. But the big thing is, is that the 30D is priced at $1,399 US while the DMC-L1 is at $1,999.

So basically, if you like the old school look with the DMC-L1 reminiscent of the Rangefinder bodies, easy to get to main features, such as aperture, focus, and shutter speed, and of course a Leica lens, then you just might to pick up the new Panasonic DMC-L1.