Nothing like it in the world. Handling is in another league. Build quality is tremendous, and the lens.... the lens alone is worth its initial retail price. Leica doesn't even make a zoom in the M mount, and nowhere near this fast of an aperture. This camera is priceless.

EVF needs an eye sensor to automatically switch, the lack of an AEL lock button (as opposed to half pressing the shutter release).

The LC1 and its twin, the Leica Digilux 2 are coveted a full decade after being announced, and there is a good reason for it. When you experience using this camera you forget all about specs and comparisons. It's controls are celebrated in its design- for photographers who demand a fundamental first design. It's optics are first rate, some of the best ever in the world. It's much like a digital Contax G2 than a Panasonic anything.

It's unique in several ways, including its built in flash head that is a two position type- allowing for a real bounce flash indoors, without the need of an accessory flash. It's everything you need for still photography with controls right at your fingertips- where they ought to be. Camera makers ought to take note of it and design still cameras more like this one, especially today when rangefinder styling is so popular. Fuji are trying but they really drop the ball when it counts the most- handling its controls.

Similar Products Used:

None since it is unique.

Build
LENS (Leica Summicron quality all the way round)
Image Quality (100 for jpegs, up to 400 raw)
Resale value
Uniqueness (nothing like it)
Style
Quiet
Manual controls (including shutter speed dial)
2 position flash (45degree bounce feature)
Fixed lens, no dust internally
Personal analog connection

Slow raw writing speed (8 seconds or so per exposure)
Slow shot to shot times for Jpegs
Weak buffer
Battery life could be better, but not that bad
ISO 200-400 for Jpegs (decent for b/w images though)
Not for the instant gratification shooter
Macro

For a 6.5 year old digicam, the Leica ... I mean, Panasonic LC1 still to this day produces wonderfully unique images. The effects of the lens and processing aren't always obvious to the untrained or inexperienced eye and usually have a more subliminal positively emotional effect upon viewers.

I find the build, handling, and styling of this camera to be quite excellent with a unique and satisfying aftertaste that begs you to hold it and shoot it constantly. It's a slow camera by todays standards, but this is ok because the camera is meant to be used deliberately with full manual control if you are into that sort of thing.

The LC1 is a camera for the patient and experienced photographer who appreciates subtlety in design and image quality. For photographers who buck the instant gratification trend/plague that seems to have swept over modern day humanity, you will appreciate this fine camera (if you can get your mitts on one).

It's resolution is plenty for most image types, and if you use Raw you can squeeze out a bit more sharpness and performance from it's 5.2 mp images giving you very decent looking 11x14 photographs. There's also plenty of dynamic range in those raw and jpeg images surprisingly, the 2/3" sensor outperforming many of today's best compact cameras with prints that look simply fantastic.

Don't expect to use this camera at ISO 400 for jpegs if you want low noise, instead shoot raw and underexpose 2 stops bringing up the shadows in post processing- and you'll be much happier with the output. I've even used the LC1 at ISO 200 in raw 2 stops under and brought them up in post giving me an ISO 800 sensitivity equivalent with very good results.

The lens alone is worth the money on this camera. It is a brilliant Leica Summicron f/2-f/2.4 28-90mm dream lens. The focusing ring, zoom ring, and manual aperture ring are smooth as silk in operation, built of all metal, and connect you physically to the camera in such a way that reading a review could never fully communicate.

I like to call it analog bliss much reminiscent to the days of old film cameras, yet Panasonic doesn't give you a cheap wanna be experience here. The design feels legitimate, purposeful, and appropriate.

Since the smaller than DSLR 2/3" sensor hits the sweet spot of that brilliant lens , expect very little distortion or corner softening at any f-stop or focal length, it's razor sharp corner to corner. Out of focus areas (bokeh) look surprisingly nice when you open up the aperture and focus close to your subject. Macro performance however is average.

The Pana LC1 gets huge points for its build and external controls. It is built like a small metal rangefinder and the controls are all of high quality- the doors, buttons, and knobs all feel built to last a long time.

The electronic viewfinder leaves a bit to desire, but functions just as good as most EVF's on the market today and at least is included with this camera to give you an option. I particularly like how Pana paid attention to its placement- allowing you to view through it with one eye, yet with most of your face exposed to your subjects. This is less intimidating to them because your face isn't hiding behind a camera (think DSLR).

Its menu system takes a bit of getting used too and in some ways is counter-intuitive, but overall pretty logical and well designed (Pana did better with the L1, which is another favorite camera of mine).

In closing, you'll need to make sure that if you get a copy of this camera that it doesn't suffer from the failing sensor recall these cameras had back in 2004. Also, standard SD cards are required, which go up to a maximum of 2GB (you cannot use SDHC cards with this camera). They are harder to find than the newer SD cards.

Although an expensive camera still today, those niche photographers who desire a rangefinder styled retro machine will find nothing else quite like it on the market for its price -save the Leica Digilux 2 which is basically a clone of this camera.

For collectors, it offers excellent resale value.

For artists (namely street shooters and portraiture photographers) who take their time photographing, they will benefit most of all from it. Have some patience to find and coax the best out of this little camera and you will be rewarded with some of the most unique looking images you can get for the price.

No camera is perfect, but the LC1 scores huge points for uniqueness above all over digicams ever designed. This is not a cookie cutter design with a different spec sheet and color like most of today's cameras. If you want one, you're going to have to look hard for a good copy, and you'll be rewarded with something unique to you personally that you can flaunt in style.

Carl

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic L1
Sony V3
Canon S70

Image Quality - Top notch
Large LCD View Screen
RAW Mode
Manual like the old film cameras with dials on the lens
Flash has 2 positions including a 45 degree angle for bounce usage
Camera included a wired remote, and lens hood and a UV filter !

The AF - Macro dial gets bumped frequently, but now I check for it before shooting.
Battery life is not prime, but I carry 2 batteries with me so problem solved

I am late in submitting my review on this camera, but felt compelled to do so by my well over a year of using it. I have many cameras, both digital and film and have used many others so I do have preferences built up over time for what features I enjoy in a camera.

Let me start by saying every camera has something I won't like about it and I accept that. The Lumix has so many rights, the few wrongs are insignificant to me.

It has provided utlra-sharp images which compete with my 6 and 8 megapixel cameras and it's built rugged and compact.

Customer Service

Non needed so far (fingers crossed)

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Just about everything.

Robust build, great design. 2.5 in LCD is superb, light and crisp. Menu and settings are the best ever - logical, well laid out, no fuss, handy. Quick start-up, no shutter lag - feels like a REAL camera. Outstanding lense, free of CA and distortion, fast in the whole zoom range, and goes to 11! Manual dials and rings are a real feat for the photog - the fastest way to adjust focus, zoom and exposure.

EVF is difficult to get used to, and is hard to use in manual focus mode. AF and AF macro are too close on the focus ring, and it's easy to incidentally flick the ring over with your finger - and produce blurred images. RAW files take ages to save.

I had been putting off going digital simply because I found the cameras shody, the quality compromising, and the depreciation value too alarming. I normally use a Contax G2 rangefinder, so SLRs were out of the question. I'd been flirting with the Leica Digilux 1 before but it proved to be a far cry from what I call a camera. Then came the LC-1, and it magically fit all the categories in my wish list. I had to own one, as soon as it hit the market and got the first rave and sneering reviews. Basically, I wanted something that gives me the range finder feel, crisp picture quality, but without the fuss of interchangeable lenses. I got it all, and am happy with it. To my surprise, it is bulkier than the G2, although somewhat lighter. Picture quality, white balance, and exposure are spot on. With digital cameras I usually start with adjusting AE to -2/3 or -1 to get deeper shadows and full-bodied texture. With the Lumix, it's all perfectly set without +/-. It is no Point and Shoot, the lens is bulky, feels more like an SLR (without the clickety rattle of course). But it's worth the extra cargo: the Leica lense delivers nicely. I tried night shots from tripod, and it was less noisy than I expected (ISO 100, may I add; ISO 400 does get fuzzy). Overall, it is a prime shooter for the top amateur or a handy backup for the pro when a D1 or similar is too intrusive. Bit pricy but the quality features make up for it in the long run. And, it is the first digital still camera that looks timeworthy, and hopefully will not date as rapidly as other models.

Customer Service

Not needed so far.

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Contax TVS digital Contax G2 Canon G5 Olympus C-5060

excellent picture quality very fast lens very good construction simple to use

The price is a little bit high - buy it at internet shops!

It is a joy to use... in every way: The great lens, the very good menu and the big and great display. All is made to concentrate the mind on taking pictures...

Customer Service

not needed