Panasonic L1 follow On?

[paulferesten]

<p>Does anyone know if Panasonic plans a follow on to the 7.5 Megapixel L1? I like the features of this camera including the manual shutter speed dial but the L1 is several years old.</p>

[davidlong]

It's unlikely that Panasonic will produce any more regular 4/3 bodies (as opposed to micro-4/3).

[phule]

<p>Didn't the L10 replace the L1 for Panasonic? </p>

<p>The biggest waves, I believe, are being made by the G1 and the GH1 right now.</p>

<p> </p>

[jtk]

<p>How many of us believe Panasonic won't soon be making a version of this at Canon 5DII price?</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092301_leica_s2.asp">http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092301_leica_s2.asp</a></p>

[jstarks]

<p>I agree (sadly) Panasonic will focus on m4/3 for the foreseeable future. I thought at one time they'd produce a killer full featured rig; I'm not holding my breath.<br>

Such wasted potential,<br>

Jesse</p>

[godfrey]

<p>I doubt Panasonic will make a follow-on DSLR in the same style and build as the L1. It's a classic: I continue to use mine and it continues to produce excellent results. </p>

<p>Panasonic is probably focusing on the G1 and micro-FourThirds development. My hope is that they produce a camera in the micro-FourThirds line that has the build quality and ergonomic design of the L1. It could be virtually identical to the L1 other than for the latest sensor, the EVF instead of the optical reflex finder, and with a thinner body for the reduced lens mount register ... I'd buy it. </p>

<p>I'm not holding my breath for it, but I hope it happens. </p>

<p>Godfrey</p>

[patrick j dempsey]

<p>I'm really honestly surprised Godfrey, that the G1 does not more resemble the L1... after all, it's a designed based on a Leica and now they have the ability to make the body the same size or smaller than a Leica. Seems like a weird decision to me.</p>

[.th]

<p><em>"How many of us believe Panasonic won't soon be making a version of this at Canon 5DII price?"</em></p>

<p>there's a theory that never crossed my mind...</p>

[rdm]

<p>Hey <strong>Godfrey</strong> . Panasonic had sketches for the L10 and G1 like you were describing before it was released. I had seen them on some site and i think i saved them somewhere. I'll try to see if i can find them. They did that because i think the L1 was a better seller than the L10. It looked really cool, but they had a marketing company run some focus groups and the overwhelming response was that they wanted a camera with interchangeable lenses to look like the typical SLR. I.E. they wanted that bump at the top. On the L-10 it made sense because it was cost effective (cheaper) to make the prism on the top so they did it that way. However they thought the G-1 would be easier to do without the hump. But again the Focus group they got for the G-1 returned the same verdict.<br /> Patrick, about what you are saying about the design being based on the Leica, unless all the information I have ever read was incorrect, the Leica Digilux 3 was based on Panasonics design. When they acquired Leica they used the range finder styling that worked for Leica (and i think they had a Leica designer do it, but I don't remember I'd have to check ) to make their four-thirds camera, and Leica of course loved the design and modified it a little and released the Digilux 3 later the same year. But it was Panasonic that Initiated it. The G-1 is based on a previous design tho, the previous Lumix four-thirds camera. The L-10 which followed up the L-1. The L-10 should have followed the L-1 design. Dam those Focus groups. I bet none of them even Purchased an L-10 or G-1 or even considered it.<br /> <img src="http://www.thehomecinemacentre.co.uk/cameras/Panasonic-DMC-L10KEB-K.jpg" alt="" width="308" height="269" /> <img src="http://www.digitalcamerareview.com/assets/22076.jpg" alt="" width="315" height="260" /></p>

[godfrey]

<p><em>> Panasonic had sketches for the L10 and G1 like you were<br /> > describing before it was released. ... </em><br /> <br /> I saw many sketches for cameras people wanted from Panasonic (I sent them a couple of my own! :-) but I never saw any bona fide *Panasonic* prototype sketches published anywhere. I have quite a collection of the sketches that were shown on the web... <br /> <br /> Also know nothing about a focus group. The L1/Digilux 3 model was designed in collaboration with both Leica and Olympus ... the optical finder/sensor/shutter subframe are shared with the E-330 model. Olympus has history in the 'sidewinder mirror' reflex light path (the Pen F SLRs from the 1960s used a similar light pipe reflex design) and I'm sure Leica was involved in the control design so similar to the Leica M cameras. The L10, on the other hand, was an all-Panasonic design and I believe the design origins are related to the FZ50. The G1/GH1 is definitely a Panasonic design in the same styling convention as the FZ50 and L10. <br /> <br /> I still think an L1 derivative would be great. The future is wide open ... we haven't seen what Olympus is going to deliver yet, and the interviews with Panasonic leave the future open. <br /> <br /> Godfrey</p>

[GerrySiegel]

<p>The L-1is beautiful to look at. And had a quality all metal solid feel. I passed it up because I thought the optical viewfinder, mirror based system like the E 330-correct me if wrong-, was too dim for my comfort level after the E-1. Sellers were almost giving away the body at the end and that lens was very nice alone if you didn't have the 14-54 Zuiko. The Pan. decision to go with lens adjustment all on the lens itself was a bold stroke- Japanese venerate the Leica and its style lines, but a no sale for Americans or rather a small sale. A company as big as Matsushita can afford to take a hit and still keep punching away. Even in sluggish times. Size matters. Seems like the G-1 is a knockout...and more models to come. Game changer.</p>

<p>We and perhaps other countries have gotten used to having adjustments sit on the top deck or on a knurled ring. I wouldn't refuse an L-1 if I got one gifted to me, and I admire the cute little pop up flash 'doojigee.'-very clever. A flat deck camera says amateur I suspect.("Have to get over that hump, men.".."you go first, lieutenant.")</p>

[rdm]

<p>a year ago i seen like 30 of the Panasonic L-1 s for sale on ebay new from dealers with buy it now for $699 now if you doo see an L-1 on the auction site they sell for close to a thousand used , but the close of auction. I also remeber the bodys selling a year ago for about 500 used. Im thinking alot of people purchased them for the lenses, as you could not purchas a body alone new. I have to admit i love the fact that all the controles are in the Typical classic locations. especiallt on the lens. I always get anoyed when i borrow other peoples cameras and i have to lower the camera and adjust settings. And next week after i pick up my E410 i predict many more anoying camera adjustment times in the future ;)</p>

[rdm]

<p>Godfrey, i am 100% positive about the Panasonic focus groups thing that resulted in the L10. I remember specifically because i thought it was stupid; the part of the artical that people said "they like their SLRs to look more professional" and i remember when they wer talking about the G-1 how they said there was no longer a need for the hump so they could make it a littlemore compact without the hump for the mirrorbox. In it and they said, people told us "we want our cameras to look like real cameras" and the artical said "which meant the bump on top". I swear that got me so anoyed when i read that. I was like who the hell are they asking? Then i talked to my sister (uses a Nikon D40x) and her sister in-law (Canon Xis) and their cousin Ellen (Sony Alpha) when they were all at this family BBQ this past summer, Around the time i read that last focus group article. Well i was asking these 3 women who were all using their cameras that day taking pictures of their children and such, what they thought about that and if that was important. Now my sister was an art major in high school and was really good with photography way back when; I in fact inherited the Minolta x370 after she stopped using it. My sister said she bought the Nikon because everyone says they are the best and she wanted to be able to get into photography again. She admits not utilizing it like she hoped, and is too busy a mom, she had a D40 before this one and never moved either off the program mode and always uses the auto settings. the other two woman said they specifically looked for that HUMP type design because that told them professional quality. Well all 3 told me they wouldn't have purchased a camera that looked like the Panasonic L-1, unless it was several hundred dollars cheeper and was promised the same quality. So i guess that was the type of people the focus group consisted of, Lazy annoying house wives that spend too much money and other idiots. The should always include ammature and professional photographers when they ask these things.</p>