Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1
A twenty-year-old Four Thirds DSLR that makes you slow down
I accidentally bought a Four Thirds lens that would not fit my Micro Four Thirds Olympus E-PM1, and chasing that mistake led me to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1. It is chunky, slow and a joy to shoot, and the photos it makes when conditions line up are some of my favorites. I got mine with a lens for about $335 and thought that was great.
Should you buy this camera?
Where it lands on my buy-it scale. Five is a coin flip; ten is a camera I'd hand to anyone.
- Solid metal body that has aged well: after about two decades the labels are bright and the buttons and screen all work
- Uses SD cards, unlike some of the older Four Thirds bodies, so it fits into a modern routine
- Buttons are easy to reach, and you can find them by feel even in the dark
- Photos I love when conditions line up
- The original battery still has a lot of life in it
- Autofocus is slow
- Chunky and heavy, with none of the grip ergonomics of a modern DSLR
- Very rudimentary controls and no flippy screen
- The Four Thirds system can be a little pricey to buy into
Where it shines
Scores reflect the reviewer's first-hand experience using this camera for each kind of shooting, 0 to 5.
Who it’s for
Someone who wants a slow, measured camera and doesn’t mind carrying something chunky. The L1 makes you take your time, and the shooting experience is wonderful if you meet it halfway. If you want to buy into Four Thirds for stills at a reasonable price, this is a great way in.
What it’s like to shoot
My path here started with a mistake. New to cameras, I dipped my toes into the current Micro Four Thirds environment and found a great deal on a 70-300mm Olympus lens. It was significantly chunkier than I expected, and it took me about 30 seconds to realize it did not fit the Olympus E-PM1 I was using. A brief search showed the error of my ways and opened up a question about what these Four Thirds cameras were all about. They were some of the earliest digital SLRs to come out of Olympus, along with a partnership with Panasonic. (Four Thirds system on Wikipedia)
I bought an Olympus E-300, with its weird sideways-mounted mirror, and found it took delightful pictures. I was so taken with it that I loaned it to a friend, which turned into a longer-term loaner program, so I went looking for a second Four Thirds body and found the DMC-L1.
The L1 has a black metal body with a slightly dulled finish, not matte and not highly reflective. It is heavy and thick in the hand, so you know you’re carrying a camera, and it disappears into your grip after a while. I took three or four pictures, pulled the photos off, and was immediately taken with the quality. I lack the vocabulary and the eye to explain why something looks good or bad, but the photos I take when conditions line up with this camera are some of my favorites.
I started with an Olympus 14-45mm kit lens. When I ordered this camera it came with an Olympus 18-180mm superzoom, which lacks stabilization. I also read that the Panasonic Lumix Leica lenses made for these cameras are phenomenal, and I found an excellent price on a stabilized Leica 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5. The two favorites below were shot with an Olympus 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5.
See all 23 of my photos from this camera in the Panasonic DMC-L1 gallery.
Strengths
The shooting experience feels modern, slow and measured. The L1 has live view, one of the early cameras to offer it, but I mostly shoot through the viewfinder. The controls are rudimentary, but everything you need to take a great photo is right there. My copy, now pushing two decades old, feels as good as it did on day one, I suspect. The plastic is intact, the labels are bright and clear, the buttons and screen work, and the original battery still has a lot of life in it. It uses SD, unlike some of the older Four Thirds bodies, which makes it much easier to work into your modern life.
Weaknesses and workarounds
Autofocus is slow, but there is a zoom punch-in when you focus manually. There is no flippy screen and the controls are bare, and the handle has none of the ergonomics of a modern DSLR. The Olympus 18-180mm has no stabilization, which is hard on my shaky hands, though it took great pictures in the bright sunlight I happened to shoot in. The stabilized Leica 14-50mm fixed that for me.
Four Thirds can be a little pricey to buy into, and prices got a bit of a lift recently. If you track prices, you can get a great camera with a nice kit lens for a few hundred dollars or less, and if you are careful and pay attention to your searches you can find one for less than a hundred.
How it compares
The obvious cross-shop is the Olympus E-300, the Four Thirds body I bought first. See DMC-L1 vs Olympus E-300 for the live price matchup.
Further reading
Camera Labs found the rubber-coated magnesium alloy body very solid and well built. DPReview noted that the standard viewfinder view passes through a half mirror, which makes it dimmer. Imaging Resource has a hands-on user report. For another take, see the One Month Two Cameras video This Forgotten Camera Is Better Than You Think - Panasonic L1 Review.
Verdict
If you want a slow, solid camera that makes you take your time, buy the L1. This is a hard yes from me, and I would recommend it despite the slow autofocus, the plain controls and the lack of video. I paid about $335 with a lens and thought that was great. Every once in a while I tell my wife that if this had been the first camera I got, it's possible I wouldn't have gotten another. The exceptions would be my birding camera, my shoot-anywhere camera that handles lower light, my other character cameras (cameras that shoot better than their specs, with unique visual qualities), my weird collection of CCD mini cameras and my action camera. Aside from those, I wouldn't need anything else.
Anyone who shoots video, needs fast autofocus, or wants a light body.
Compare the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1
In our guides
This review captures the reviewer's experience with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1, not its current price. For today's lowest observed used price across the major used-gear sites, see the camera detail page. For how Should You Buy This Camera collects prices and computes deal scores, see /methods.