Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope you had deliciously gigantic servings of turkey, stuffing, and the ground-up guts of sub-par digital cameras. Let’s get back to hopefully better cameras with Camera Labs’ review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10.

The L10 has an interesting Intelligent ISO feature which, according to the review, “detects subjects in motion and increases the ISO if necessary to allow a sufficiently fast shutter speed to freeze the action.”

It also has what the review calls the “now-legendary Super Sonic Wave Filter” which was also available on Olympus DSLRs:

In our tests with Olympus DSLRs on which the SSWF made its debut, we found it was the most effective at hiding dust marks, even if the particles weren’t always physically shaken free.

Sounds good to me. It sounds like the theory is that the filter is far enough away from the sensor that any dust particles that accumulate on it will be sufficiently blurred so that they don’t interfere with the image. Plus it’ll do the usual dust shake to try to shake them off. They left the lens off of the camera inside and outside for 20 minutes, and saw only two faint, blurry dust blobs at f/22.

The review turns up excellent results for the Panasonic’s lens-based image stabilization system, coming up with three stops of improvement in their 100mm test:

Interestingly our best results were with OIS Mode 1, where we managed to grab an almost 100% sharp result at just 1/6. To achieve a similar result without stabilisation required a shutter of 1/50, which gives the OIS system a decent three-stop benefit in practice, or four stops over traditional wisdom.

They’re reasonably happy with the build quality, saying that it’s a step up from the Canon Digital Rebel XTi build:

In terms of build quality, we’d say the L10 is a small step-up from the 400D / XTi and has a classier, less plasticky feel to it. The L10’s grip is also taller and deeper, which with the textured rubber coating, gives it a more serious look while also being more comfortable to hold. Overall its build quality and finish looks and feels closer to models like the Nikon D80. The Leica 14-50mm is also a big step-up in build quality over most kit lenses.

The review points out that the L10 is the only DSLR on the market with a fully articulated LCD display, which is pretty amazing:

…it’s almost unbelievable to think the L10 is the only DSLR on sale at the time of writing to offer it –– since the Olympus E-330 is long-discontinued and the flagship E-3 is yet to arrive. It gives the L10 a unique advantage over its rivals.

Indeed. It’s interesting that the L10 gives you two dials for spinning between options, which isn’t very common on introductory-level DSLRs, but still doesn’t give you a dedicated LCD screen to display camera settings. If I had to choose only one of those two things, I don’t know which it would be, but right now I might be leaning towards the LCD screen (if only because I’m more used to having that, with my current Digital Rebel XT.)

Speaking of the Canons, the review compares the high ISO noise performance between the L10 and the Digital Rebel XTi, and finds that the Canon comes out ahead at high ISOs:

The Lumix L10 delivers detailed images from 100 to 400 ISO which look similar to those from the Canon EOS 400D / XTi. At 800 ISO though, the L10′s image quality drops noticeably, and again at 1600 ISO. The Canon’s quality also falls at these settings, but less so than the L10. As such the L10 exhibits similar noise performance to the Olympus E-510 — which is what we’d expect given the same sensor. Like the E-510, the Lumix L10 offers a variety of noise reduction settings and we have examples of each at the bottom of the page.

The review’s main negative points about the L10 are:

  • Smaller optical viewfinder than in other DSLRs
  • Slow continuous shooting speed, which slows even more at higher sensitivities
  • Price.

Maybe price should be listed a few times. As the review states — and as so many L10 reviews have already stated — the L10 is an improvement over the cheapest DSLRs out there, but is the improvement worth the huge difference in price? I’d say no, because that’s really a huge price difference. The Camera Labs review leaves it more undecided:

The biggest problem facing the L10 though is price. Perhaps Panasonic has wisely chosen not to compete at the cut-throat level of models like the Canon 400D / XTi, Nikon D40x and Sony A100. And by equipping it with a superior, stabilised kit lens and features like Live View and a flip-out screen, it’s certainly a step-up from these budget models.

But how big a step? Is it really worth double the price of the 400D / XTi kit, or around $500 USD more than the Olympus E-510 twin lens bundle? In fact, for a little less than the L10 kit, you could buy a Canon EOS 40D, albeit without a lens.

In fact, the high price of the L10 was able to knock the review verdict down a level:

Had the L10 been available in a cheaper kit without too many optical compromises as a result, it would have easily earned our Highly Recommended rating, but as it stands at the current asking price against the competition, we’ll have to go with our Recommended award. If you’re after a cheaper DSLR kit or a traditional semi-pro model, then there’s simply better options out there. But if you value the L10’s unique features and want to buy into a system with a decent kit lens from day-one, then Panasonic’s second DSLR definitely comes Recommended.

Honestly, I think Panasonic might have shot themselves in the foot with this one. Canon and Nikon are the big guns of DSLRs, and consumers know that. Olympus, a less prominent player, can complete with their E-510 because it has a great combination of features and low price. The L10, however, gives you a very nice lens and some good features, but at a price that means it’s begging to be compared to better cameras (as the review says, it’s a similar price to a Canon 40D without a lens.) That’s going to be a tough sell.