Panasonic L1 Digital SLR Camera w/ Leica D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 Lens

Rigid, high-precision, lightweight magnesium-alloy body
The L1's structural frame is made of a magnesium alloy that is lightweight yet rigid and extremely durable. It gives the L1 a good solid feel and makes the camera tough enough for reliable operation in difficult conditions.

A rounded camera body and grip that fit the hands securely and comfortably
The place on the camera back where you rest your right-hand thumb and palm is curved gently toward the front grip section. The L1 feels just right in your hands from the moment you first pick it up. While the left hand operates the lens, your right hand holds the camera at the grip and operates the shutter button and other controls on the camera back. The L1 feels so good to hold, you won't want to put it down.

Easily accessible controls and intuitive operation Aperture ring and shutter speed dial operate with a comfortable, familiar click 
The L1 features analog-like controls that feel comfortable and instantly familiar. You can adjust settings with the touch of a fingertip, check them with a quick glance, and set the exposure intuitively. For photographers who consider the way a camera feels an important part of photo shooting, the L1 is a revolutionary digital camera. It's easy to use and feels just right in your hands. Each time you make a 1/3-EV step adjustment of either the shutter speed or the aperture, the L1 responds with a reassuring click that contributes to its extraordinary operating ease. With the L1, photographer and camera quickly become one.

Lever-operated light metering mode and drive mode
The systems switching the light metering mode and drive mode use independent mechanical levers. The light metering mode lever lets you instantly select intelligent multiple metering, center weighted metering or spot metering. The drive mode lever allows one-touch selection of single-frame shooting, burst shooting, auto-bracket shooting, or the self-timer.

Exposure compensation, AF/AE lock and other features designed  for easy use while shooting
The exposure compensation function can be activated by pressing the function button and turning the command dial. When "Direct exposure compensation" is turned ON in the Custom menu, you can control the exposure compensation by just turning the dial. In designing the L1, Panasonic experimented with a variety of sizes and locations for the command dial. You'll find that the dial is just the right size and in just the right place for you to operate with the thumb of your right hand. The AF/AE lock button is positioned just right too. You can perform a series of shooting operations - aiming the camera, saving the exposure and focus settings in memory, changing the camera angle, and pressing the shutter release button ? quickly, naturally and effortlessly.

Set functions can be easily recalled
The function buttons let you assign a variety of function settings, like film mode, number of recording pixels, and exposure compensation, to the Function 1 and Function 2 to match your shooting style, and then recall them whenever you need them.

Built-in pantograph-type flash that allows bounce lighting
The built-in flash pops up at the push of a button and features red-eye reduction, slow synchro, rear curtain synchro and flash output adjustment. You can point the light emitting section upward so the light reflects off the ceiling (a technique photographers call bounce lighting). The flash intensity can also be fine adjusted by using the flash adjustment button on the back of the camera and the command dial. It can be adjusted in the range of +/- 2 EV, in 1/3-EV steps.

Today's most advanced optical technologies...Because it's the first-ever D lens
This innovative digital SLR lens was achieved by a combination of Leica's rich abundance of lens know-how and Panasonic's extraordinary optical and digital technologies. The result is an entirely new kind of digital SLR camera - a tool capable of capturing all the beauty around you in clear, vivid, expressive images that are rich with emotion.

The LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT 14-50mm/F2.8-3.5 ASPH. comprises 16 elements in 12 groups, with two glass molded aspherical lenses that feature large diameters and high dimensional precision. The D lens' many other advanced features include a carefully applied multi-coating to prevent flare and a circular aperture that produces a beautiful dimensional ambience. The focusing system is entirely internal, so the external length of the lens doesn't change during focusing. The 14-50mm focal length is equivalent to 28-100mm on a 35mm film format. From wide angle to zoom, this lens does it all. You can take incredible beautiful portraits and expansive landscape photos. The minimum focusing distance is just 29 cm over the entire zoom range, so you can capture 0.32x close-ups (35mm equivalent).

An image-rendering performance with magnificent beauty and depth
While carrying over the renowned ability of Leica D lenses to express the "ambience" of air, smooth gradation and rich, vibrant color, this advanced new lens also features a state-of-the-art design that brings overall performance to new heights. The D lens provides exceptional contrast all the way to the fully open 2.8 F-stop. Distortion and peripheral vignetting at the wide end are minimal. Image definition is superb, and there is no color bleeding. Particularly impressive is the D lens' ability to capture the subject three-dimensionally against a background with a shallow depth of field. This is the kind of lens that makes photography such a satisfying creative pursuit.

Leica D lens - The first Lecia lens with MEGA O.I.S
The LEICA D VARIO-ELMARIT is the first Leica D lens and first Four Thirds lens to incorporate Panasonic's advanced MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer). More often than not, blurry photos are caused by slight hand-shake (not poor focusing performance, which is a common misperception). MEGA O.I.S. compensates for hand-shake to help prevent blurring, so you can catch clear, sharp shots every time you shoot. To further improve image stabilization performance - meeting the more advanced requirements of single-lens reflex cameras - the lens also incorporates Panasonic's Venus Engine Plus. This advanced LSI processes output from the gyrosensors at an extraordinary 4,000 times per second, helping achieve an exceptional hand-shake compensation performance.

Two image stabilization modes to suit different needs
When the MEGA O.I.S. is in continuous operation, you see a clear, blur-free image in the viewfinder or on the LCD monitor. However, the gyrosensor system provides maximum performance when MEGA O.I.S. is activated only at the moment the shutter is released. With the DMC-L1 you can select whichever of two stabilization modes better suits your needs.

Based on the Four Thirds Standard
The lens mount system used in the L1 is based on the Four Thirds open standard. This helps provide the optimal lens design for digital photography while also making it possible to create a lens that is small in size without sacrificing focal distance or brightness. Use of the Four Thirds Standard also means the L1 can use lenses made by other manufacturers using the same standard. You get an extensive range of interchangeable lenses to choose from.

The Live MOS sensor combines the advantages of both the CCD sensor and the CMOS sensor
Panasonic applied a wealth of advanced Maicovicon technologies to develop a completely new image sensor that offers the benefits of both a CCD and a CMOS sensor. Called the Live MOS sensor, this breakthrough device maximizes the remarkable image rendering performance of the Leica D lens to reproduce images of stunning beauty. The circuitry in the Live MOS sensor employs a new drive system in which signals are read out pixel by pixel while also lowering power consumption. It reduces the number of control wires from the three required in conventional CMOS sensors to two, which results in a larger light-receiving area. The 5-V drive system also reduces noise. These features all combine to produce the same high level of image quality as a CCD sensor. This advanced sensor provides delicate gradation, realistic textures and vivid colors.

Beautiful, low-noise color reproduction with spectral characteristics
After re-examining the spectral characteristics of the RGB colors, Panasonic designed the Live MOS sensor to achieve a color balance that helps reproduce natural-looking colors with smoother gradation. Panasonic also applied embedded photodiode technology that we accumulated in developing CCDs and created a new low-noise process technology that achieves low-voltage (5.0 V) operation. This reduces noise in dark image areas, so you can capture bright images even when shooting in dim lighting. The L1 also employs original signal readout circuit technology and pixel control circuit architecture that not only allow low-voltage operation, but also cut power consumption.

High resolution and true-to-life colors... The superior reproduction capabilities  of the Venus Engine III
No existing imaging engine provided an acceptable match for the superb image rendering of the Leica D lens and advanced performance of the Live MOS sensor, so Panasonic developed Venus Engine III ? an imaging engine that offers the significantly higher image processing capabilities needed to deliver the high performance demanded in single-lens reflex cameras. The new Venus Engine III provides excellent color reproduction, outstanding resolution and rich gradation, as well as high-speed processing with minimal time lag. Thanks to extensive energy-saving measures, the Venus Engine III uses only about 80% as much power as the previous Venus Engine II. This combines with the energy-saving Live MOS sensor to let you shoot about 450 pictures (CIPA standard) on a single battery charge.

Compose shots on the large LCD monitor with nearly 100% field of view.
The ability to shoot while viewing the LCD monitor is an advantage offered only by digital cameras. With a viewing angle that approaches 100%, the LCD monitor makes it easy to frame shots and gives you a wealth of information at a glance. This enables a number of conveniences, such as letting you check the colors after adjusting the white balance or view the changes from exposure compensation before you shoot. You can also compose your shots without having to look in the viewfinder when using a tripod. However, conventional digital SLR cameras have not taken full advantage of this ability. By combining the Live MOS sensor's full-time image output with a mirror-raising mechanism, the L1 provides a preview function that displays the exact same image signal on the LCD monitor that the sensor receives through the lens. You can also display a preview of the image using the aperture preview button, to check the depth of field before you shoot. You see a clear image on the large LCD.

Accurate phase difference detection system allows auto focusing, even in Live View
Auto focusing activates when the shutter button is pressed halfway. A mirror in the up position flips down and up again to achieve sharp, precise focusing. In manual focus mode, the L1 provides an MF Assist function that enlarges the screen image to 4x or 10x. This makes it easier for you to get a sharp, precise focus.

Dust reduction system protects the cameras insides
If dust collects on a digital camera's imaging sensor, every photo the camera takes will be affected. Dust entering the camera while changing the lens is one of the biggest problems with digital SLR cameras featuring interchangeable lenses. The L1 solves this problem with its dust reduction system. A special filter called Supersonic Wave Filter is positioned in front of the imaging sensor, between the low-pass filter and shutter. Every time the camera is switched on, this filter generates supersonic vibrations at a rate of around 30,000 per second to shake off dust and other particles from the sensor. The area between the sensor and the filter is completely airtight. The dust is collected by a dust absorption section below the filter.

Film Mode: Choose color characteristics the way you choose different kinds of film.
In the same way that you select different films for their distinctive coloring and contrast characteristics, the L1 lets you choose from four color types and three monochrome types. The development and color adjustments that were previously arranged in various different functions have been integrated into the advanced and intuitive Film mode. When shooting in black and white, the contrast, sharpness, saturation, and noise reduction for each mode parameter can also be customized in five steps and stored in memory. The same is true when shooting in color, with the addition of the saturation adjustment. This gives you the same kind of delicate selection capability as you have with film, and makes it easy to take creative photos that look exactly the way you want them to. Also, because the adjustments are digital, you can change them at any time while shooting.

Four types of white balance adjustment:

• Choose according to the conditions -In addition to Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, and Flash settings.
• White balance adjustment - You can make fine color adjustments by using the arrow keys to navigate on a graph with two axes (amber to green, and magenta to green) displayed on the menu screen. The full-time Live View function lets you immediately confirm the color adjustment condition.
• White Set mode - Use this mode to store in memory a white balance setting made by pointing the camera at an 18% standard reflector plate or white color. Two different settings can be stored.
• Color temperature setting - The color temperature can be finely adjusted between reddish 2500 K (Kelvin) and bluish 10000 K

Intelligent multiple metering  for precise exposure
The L1 provides a multi-metering function that divides the image area into 49 blocks (with finder), or 256 blocks (using Live View), and measures the brightness of the subject by evaluating the brightness distribution, color temperature, focus and other information in each block. This intelligent function helps you get a proper exposure in virtually any shooting condition. The L1 also provides center weighted metering and spot metering, which measures the light in a small section of the image to suit specific shooting situations or techniques.

Precise auto focus with superimpose function
The L1's auto focus system employs a TTL phase difference detection system with three measuring points across a wide image area. When the image is in focus, the superimpose function illuminates the focal point in red. If you prefer, you can specify a particular point as the focal point. This can be useful in certain shooting situations or with certain shooting techniques. Also, with the "AF + MF" setting turned ON in the menu, when you're in auto focus mode and the focus has been set, simply turning the focus ring on the lens barrel switches the camera to manual focus mode. Now you can make fine focus adjustments to achieve a particular effect.

A wealth of information on the optocal viewfinder and the LCD
The L1's optical viewfinder features a magnification rate of about 0.93x and a field of view of about 95%. In addition to showing the focal point, the viewfinder displays information such as the aperture and shutter speed settings outside the image frame. You can also set the camera to display other shooting information on the LCD monitor at the same time.

Extra Optical Zoom - a first in a SLR camera
The L1 lens provides Extra Optical zooming, which increases the optical zoom power by 1.5x. (Extra Optical zooming is possible only when using Full-time Live View or recording at a resolution that is less than the maximum.) For example, when shooting in 3-megapixel mode with a 4:3 aspect ratio, the Extra Optical Zoom function can "cut out" an image area at the Live MOS sensor's center equivalent to 3 mega pixels (of the total 7.5 mega effective pixels). This increases the zoom power with minimal deterioration. The L1 also offers 2x and 4x digital zooming. When combined with the Extra Optical Zoom, this provides up to 22x zoom power.

The first SLR camera to allow both 16:9 and 3:2 shooting
The Full-time Live View function also makes this function possible. In ordinary shooting, the camera takes photos with the same 4:3 horizontal-to-vertical aspect ratio used for standard TV screens and PC monitors. With the L1, however, you can also shoot photos with the 3:2 ratio used in 35mm film or the 16:9 ratio of wide-screen TVs. Photos shot in 16:9 can fill the entire screen of a VIERA wide-screen TV, giving you a sensational viewing experience. You can also shoot while checking the image on the LCD monitor.

Equipped with a hot shoe that enable intelligent flash control
Mounting the Panasonic DMW-FL500 / FL360 TTL external flash unit onto the L1 hot shoe gives you precise TTL light control of the high-powered flash, and lets you use the versatile functions of the flash. Linked with the L1's light-metering functions, the DMW-FL500/360 uses a TTL light adjustment system to measure the light that actually strikes the Live MOS sensor, then adjusts the flash intensity accordingly. The result is flash photos with outstanding exposure.  The FL500 has a guide number of 50, the FL360 has 36 (ISO 100/m). The angle zoom function covers a lens range of 24-85mm (35mm camera equivalent). Using the built-in wide panel further extends coverage to a view angle of 18mm. The firing angle can also be automatically changed to create a bounce lighting effect.

High Quality LCD gives you great viewing
Just press the "Playback" button on the camera back to switch the L1 to playback mode. Now you're ready to enjoy crisp, clear images on the L1's 2.5-inch, 207,000-pixel LCD monitor. Images are bright and easy to see, even outdoors on a sunny day.

Quick, easy playback: When you press the Play button the last image you shot appears on the LCD. You can then use the cursor control to select other images to view. Deleting a photo is as quick and easy as pressing the button. Using the command dial, you can set the camera to display 9 images or 25 images at a time.

View the photos you took on a particular day: The Calendar Playback function and command dial let you view all the photos taken on a particular day or days. View them one by one on the entire screen, or view 9 or 25 at a time.

For viewing vertical (portrait) shots: The Rotate Display function detects and records whether the photo is being shot horizontally or vertically, then automatically rotates all vertically framed images during playback.

Playback Zoom gives you a closer look: Using the command dial you can enlarge the playback image to 2x, 4x, 8x or 16x its original size. You can use the cursor button to select a particular part of the image that you want to enlarge. This gives you a good way to check image details, the focus, or a facial expression

A host of great playback and  image processing options to explore

Slideshow: Treat yourself and friends to a slideshow of all the photos you shot. Images look clear and bright on the L1's high-quality LCD monitor. Select 1, 2, 3 or 5 seconds or any desired time as the playback interval.

Favorites function lets you choose the best images: Use this function to select your favorite shots, then view a slide show of just those images. Or, select your favorites and delete all the rest.

Reduce an image for e-mail use: The resize function function makes it easy to "shrink" an image, or reduce the number of pixels. This is convenient when you want to post a photo on a Web site or blog, or attach it to an e-mail message.

Change an image's proportions: You can convert an image with a 16:9 aspect ratio to 4:3 or 3:2 for printing.

Enlarge or trim your images: The Trimming function makes it easy to trim off extraneous parts of an image along the edges. You can save the trimmed image separately from the original.

DPOF function for quick, easy printing: Use the DPOF (digital print order format) function to designate which photos you want to print and how many copies of each you want, and then you can print them easily on a DPOF-compatible printer. You can also have the date printed on the photos.

Direct printing without a PC: Using the USB cable provided, you can connect the L1 to a PictBridge-compatible printer and print the images you want, using controls on the L1. No need to connect to a PC.

Connect to a PC for viewing, organizing, editing or developing your images
A digital camera gives you endless creative possibilities. Upload your images to a PC, then you can organize, edit, retouch, manipulate, develop the RAW data and much more. The L1 comes with a CD-ROM disc containing the following software utilities.

• SILKYPIX Developer Studio 2.0. - This software utility lets you develop RAW data files. For example, you can develop RAW data to create an image with the effect you were trying to capture when you took the shot. You get high-level basic image processing abilities that give you control over such things as unnatural edges from saturated color borders, false colors in structures with intricate detail, and chromatic noise in photos taken at high sensitivity settings. This utility provides a unique combination of high resolution and extraordinary color separation performance.
• LUMIX Simple Viewer - This image management software makes it easy to upload images to a PC, print them, send them as e-mail attachments, and more.
• PHOTOfunSTUDIO -viewer- This image viewing software lets you upload photos, organize them in categories, process them, and print them. It also converts RAW data files from LUMIX into JPEG files.

4:3 Aspect Ratio: 3136 x 2352, 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536
3:2 Aspect Ratio (Still Image): 3136 x 2080, 2560 x 1712, 2048 x 1360
16:9 Aspect Ratio (Still Image): 3136 x 1760, 1920 x 1080
 

Digital Zoom: 2x 4x (live view only)

Focusing Area: 0.29m at all focal lengths

Type: TTL Phase Difference Detection System
Modes: AFS / AFC / MF
  

Program AE
Aperture Priority AE
Shutter Priority AE, Manual  

Shutter Speed: 1/400 - 60 and bulb (up to approximately 8 minutes)    

Recording Format:
JPEG (Design rule for camera file system based on Exif 2.21 standard)
DPOF corresponding
RAW  

Burst Shooting Mode: Up to 6 images (when there are RAW files) at 3 or 2 frames/sec.

Unlimited Consecutive Shooting: Yes (when there are no RAW files) 

Battery Life: