When this camera was introduced I knew I wanted one. The look and feature set just appealed to me. Finally I got one. It is not a perfect camera for everyone, but get your hands on one and it speaks for itself. I love using this camera and I find it quite comfortable to use with everything where I expect it to be. Some features I particularly like are the manual controls, two-stage flash, live view, and the kit lens.

The manual controls feel more natural than using menus. I especially like the quick access buttons on the back and the drive mode and metering switches on top. Though these switches can change position easily at times, I still much prefer it to delving into a menu. I also love the two programable function buttons. This can be very useful, though be warned that one of them defaults to aperture when using a lens without the ring. But this has its workarounds.

I normally avoid using flash, but on the L1 I will try to find a way to use it. The bounce flash I find especially useful for portraits. The power of the flash I think is also very good for a built in unit. Its also amusing to see other peoples' faces when you pop the flash.

Live view is a feature many seem to scoff at, but I find it quite useful. It also helps to compensate for the viewfinder's deficiencies or when you really want to get that unique perspective.

And last but not least, the LEICA lens. I wanted a bright lens, and the L1 comes with one. Having a quality piece of glass to start with is a real plus and this lens is part of what makes the L1 the camera it is.

The L1 has its faults and quirks too.

The viewfinder is small and dark. Though I don't find it to be any darker than the viewfinder on my old Canon AE-1, it is smaller than most. But it is adequate for ordinary shooting and something you quickly adjust to. If you're shooting detail you can use Live VIew to check focus and to better view in dark lighting.

The auto focus is normally quick and near silent, but it does struggle in dim lighting or under harsh backlighting. Then the lens racks through its range and can make a bit of noise. But it is quieter than mechanical focus systems and I find it to be very accurate most of the time.

Lastly a few nit-picks. The flash being located off center from the lens axis can cause uneven lighting, but it is barely noticeable and often only occurs at either close or far distances. Also, don't use the lens hood with the flash as it causes shadows. The shutter dial is nice to use, except it doesn't turn 360 degrees. This makes switching from aperture to shutter priority a slight pain at times. But it isn't a big deal unless you switch between shooting modes a lot. Battery life isn't stellar by comparison to some others, especially if you use Live View a lot. So an extra battery would be suggested.

Overall this is a very unique piece of photographic equipment and is one you will either love or hate. But don't just take peoples' word for it. Get your hands on one and see for yourself. I love mine and wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm proud to own what will surely become a piece of photographic history.

I bought this camera when Amazon had them for $799. I thought it would be a good camera to re-familiarize myself with manual controls and a higher degree of involvement with photography. I was also in love with the design and layout of the controls and the body.

I will not get into an analysis of the pros and cons of this camera; there is enough information out there to provide anyone with a sense of how the L1 measures against the competition. I will however, contribute a few observations.

Even though the viewfinder is dark and small, you adapt to it fairly well. I used the camera on a 4 day trip to Colorado and found it a lot better to manage than I initially thought.

This camera requires patience and a willingness to try different things. If you just stick it in Auto, you miss the whole point of using this unique instrument. A tweak here, an adjustment there, and you are rewarded with rich, detailed and well balanced images.

You will be stunned at the quality of images this camera produces. Outdoor shots are beautifully rendered, bokeh is quite good, and the 14-50mm Leica lens is a joy to use, albeit a tad unforgiving when the wrong settings are used.

7 megapixels is more than most people need.

Low light performance is really poor. The AF hunts and hunts, high ISO performance is relatively noisy (But why would anyone shoot above ISO800 anyway?) and the built in flash only works well at close range. One cool feature is the bounce-flash feature, which returns well lit and not washed out portraits, but only at a reasonable distance.

I have a Nikon D300 SLR that I use for more professional applications. I however prefer to use the L1 as a walk around, fun camera. It behaves very much like an analog camera.

Perhaps one shouldn't think of this camera's challenges as shortcomings, but of how far digital photography has advanced and even gone beyond film in performance and flexibility.

As long as lighting conditions are good, this camera shines!

considering that you can get the camera for much cheaper than what it originally was priced its a great bargain. You first get a DSLR with a live view, bounce flash and great analog controls then the 2.8 14-50mm (28-100mm equivalent) Leica lens with Mega OIS. And with the four-thirds system that is steadily gaining popularity you really cant go wrong.

take some time to get to know the camera's features and settings,you'll be amazed by what kind of images it can produce!

build quality is fantastic!

a very much understated one of a kind camera.

OK, I have used a Nikon 35mm SLR (which I still use and love) for the past 30 years. When I saw that Panasonic had come out with a digital camera that had aperture priority with adjustment on the lens barrel and speed settings similar my Nikon, I was intrigued. It was somewhat difficult for me after I decided it was finally time to go digital, not to get another Nikon, as I have brand loyalty and several Nikon lenses though after research concluded for optimal results, you need a digital lens for a digital camera so that shouldn't be a factor. I read the reviews on the Leica lens that comes with the DMC-L1 and concluded it was probably more capable than I was plus, there is the cachet that comes with the name. The next hurdle was my wife, who has a Canon 30D with an assortment of Canon lenses and who thought I was crazy to buy an "oddball camera" from an upstart manufacturer but I was drawn to the similarities to my old camera so decided to take the plunge and bought from Amazon just before X-mas '07, on sale at a really good price as essentially I just paid for the lens. That's the good news, the bad news was when I opened the box on Christmas morning and it didn't have the battery charger that was supposed to accompany the kit. Oops! With trepidation I contacted Amazon, who directed me to Panasonic where I was afraid I was going to have a problem but was pleasantly surprised by their service department who took the serial number of my camera then called me the next day to say they were shipping me the charger free of charge which came two days later. To be completely honest I can't compare how it performs to the other brands as I haven't used them (other than the 30-D and a Nikon Coolpix 5400) but can say I absolutely LOVE this camera. The controls seem intuitive, my wife is extremely impressed with the pictures it takes compared to her Canon (which makes me feel vindicated) and there is just something that is difficult to articulate.... a joy of ownership along the lines of owning a classic like a Jaguar XKE car, a '68 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, or an old Nikon 35mm SLR... and if you have to ask, you don't understand. Get one, while you can.

I bought this camera to replace my Leica M6 as I move to digital. As soon as I opened the box I felt that I had made a mistake. It is gigantic, much bigger than any 35mm I have ever owned. In fact, it is nearly as big as my 2 ¼ cameras that I use for weddings.

After spending some time with it, I realized that I was wrong. If you are going to digital, this camera is a worthy replacement for any 35mm camera, including Leica. The many buttons on it make it easy to change modes instead of using the display and scrolling through menu after menu. Being able to finely control white balance, select different film types, and shortcut common functions make this camera a real pleasure to use. Even its size is a benefit; it is extremely easy to steady for long exposures.

My only regret is that Panasonic has abandoned this type of camera in favor of the more traditional digital SLR and that the 4/3rds sensor is not bigger. I would love this camera even more if it had 14 or more megs and a bigger sensor.

I was attracted by the retro-style aperture ring, shutter dial, dedicated buttons for various functions, the superb Leica lens. But after using the camera for about 10 days, and comparing it to my trusty Nikon D40x, I found it wasn't as nice as I had hoped.

Unlike other DSLR's I've tried, the L1 has noise...and the noise appears in shadows at ISO 200. The D40x has lower noise at ISO 800 than the L1 at ISO 400.

Next, the L1 is not a well balance camera...I don't know if it is the shape, the lack of real grip or what. But the D40x and other DSLRs I've tried balance nicer. That might be okay, except that while your right fingers are fiddling with shutter release and buttons on the right side, you have to use your left fingers to re-set ISO or WB...this slows down the action quite a bit.

The evaluative meter on the L1 simply is not as sophisticated or as consistent at the D40x...that is one area Nikon really shines in.

I do like the two position flash on the L1...works very nicely. Live View was not as nice as I had imagined. It's a little clumsy because the camera has to flip the mirror to focus, and flip back so you can shoot the photo.

All in all the D40x took a much higher percentage of good shots. Since I use the Function button to set ISO, I could actually set ISO faster on the D40x (by that I mean, set while maintaining a shooting position.) On the L1, you have to fiddle a lot with the exposure compensation...setting -1/3 or -2/3 in sunlight, and + 1/3 or 2/3 on cloudy days. In contrast the D40x gets the exposure right without having to think through every shot.

All in all, the L1 is a nice enough camera...I really wanted to like it because of the direct manual controls. But in the end, it just didn't compare with my D40x...not even close. I suspect there are Canons, Pentax, and Olympus DSLR cameras that will also outperform it handily.

This camera is the best dSLR I've ever used, hands down. Gorgeous photos right out of the box. Color is perfect, white balance is great, and that Leica LENS, oh what a lens. Sharp, no distortions, even at wide angle. I've been shooting at ISO 100-400, and there is no noise. The camera itself is solid and well-built, and even the sound of the shutter feels luxuriously deluxe. I have another Leica, so I expected the lens to be amazing, but who knew the Panasonic camera body would be just as fabulous?

The folks that complain about button placement and accidentally changing settings must have big thick fingers or something. I'm a woman with normal-sized hands, and it all seems perfectly comfortable to me. The controls are so intuitively designed, and you don't have to drill down through a dozen menus to find what you need. If I could give this camera 6 stars, I would.

Although I thought this "four thirds" camera might be a little smaller than it is, I am very pleased with the ease of use and the quality of the images. It is simple to use and controls are in logical locations. The "Live View" has been of value as well as the option to shoot 5 shot bracked exposures for HDR. The camera is a little pricey but the lens quality makes it worth it. Construction is solid too.

I purchased the L1 in December 2006 for a then-great price of $1,299, tried it out, and then returned it. Since then, that price is more the norm.

The Leica lens, of course, is the strength of the kit. It's much better than other kit lenses. It's solid and sharp. Some online sites have suggested that the lens will list for about $1,300 (when sold alone), but I don't think it's worth that. It's not on par with Canon L lenses or Nikon's top lenses.

The Panasonic body has drawn attention because of its design, with retro features such an exposure dial on the camera, as well as an aperture ring on the lens. It's built like a tank, but that's where my complements end. As has been mentioned in various online reviews, the camera has major problems, including the viewfinder (incredibly dim; the worst I have ever used), the grip (way too small for medium or large hands), the metering (quite limited and inconsistent), the auto focus (slow and inconsistent), and the noise (very high at ISO 800 and above).

These qualities of the camera really take away from the user experience. The camera is OK in daylight when shooting still subjects/objects. However, indoors, at dusk or in any low light, the camera is terrible. You can see almost nothing through the viewfinder (and I have good eyesight), the auto focus doesn't work, metering is off, and noise is problematic.

These troubles completely overwhelm the strengths of the Leica lens. Even at $1,299, the L1 kit is not a good purchase. Let's figure the lens is worth $1,000 (not the $1,300 that I have seen online). That means the body is worth about $300 (maybe $350, if you figure you get a deal by purchasing a kit). It just didn't make sense to me to use a $300-$350 digital SLR (which had so many limitations) with a lens of such a higher standard. In addition, purchasing an L1 completely goes against the idea of choosing a system and, thus, being able to keep excellent lenses to use on future bodies. (OK, it took me too long to figure this out one.) Is Panasonic planning to sell the L2 and L3 without a similar lens? I doubt it.

I would suggest considering another camera--Nikon D80, Nikon D200, or Canon 30D. All are just as well-built (if not better) and much, much better when it comes to viewfinder, grip, metering, auto focus, and noise (as well as myriad other camera specs and functions). In addition, Nikon and Canon provide two enormous advantages: 1) a proven and guaranteed system that you can use for years to come; and 2) a choice of myriad lenses, including some that are of higher quality than the Leica lens of the L1 kit.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts, per my own experiences with different cameras. I'm sure some people will like the L1 and enjoy using it. Others, like me, will not. I suggest that you consider other options.