Major differences between these two cameras are:

• The L1 has a 256-segment metering in LCD-preview mode.
• The L1 has a 50% larger buffer for continuous shooting.
• The L1's built-in flash can be used as a ceiling-bounce flash.
• The E330 allows 1/3, 1/2 and 1 EV increments for exposure, the L1 only uses 1/3 EV increments.
• The E330 allows exposure compensation from -5 to +5, the L1 from -2 to +2.
• The E330 has highlight and shadow spot metering modes in addition to the L1's 3 metering modes.
• The E330 has manual focus bracketing, white-balance bracketing and flash bracketing.
• The Kelvin scale on the E330 covers from 2000K to 14000K, the L1 covers from 2500K to 10000K.
• The E330 uses both Compact Flash and xD cards, while the L1 uses SDHC and SD cards.
• The LCD-Preview on the E330 does not show correct exposure and white-balance.
• The E330 has a second LCD- preview mode which shows only 92% frame coverage but allows normal focusing, normal metering and use of the viewfinder.

Panasonic's first DSLR, the Lumix DMC-L1, stands out from norm. Even though it is largely based on the Olympus E-330, which is already an exotic camera, the L1 adds even more distinction. There are two special aspects to this DSLR: its rangefinder-inspired design and its image preview feature. Both these aspects are discussed further below. Before that, lets describe this camera's photographic performance.

Since supply of this camera is relatively scarce, it has not been subjected to much testing yet so there may be more variance then usual about results from the L1. Noise levels seem very low up to ISO 200. Starting at ISO 400, the L1 progressively shows more noise than your average DSLR. At ISO 400 it is quite minimal, at ISO 800 it is easily noticeable in midsize prints but results are not useable at ISO 1600 without software noise-reduction. Luckily, Panasonic seems to use gentle noise-reduction here, so a good amount of detail is retained despite increased noise. Overall, image quality is below average - recent DSLR cameras have great image quality. Wether the difference is noticeable depends on print sizes and the ISO used. For low-light photography at high-ISO, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is not recommended.

The L1 uses a 3-point focusing system which gives less flexibility than most digital SLR cameras. There is not much to say about focus speed because it depends on the lens. Startup speed is noticeably slow due to the dust-reduction mechanism which seems quite effective. Performance issues with the LCD preview are discussed below. At this time, the L1 is only sold with a stabilized Leica 14-50mm F2.8-3.5 lens. This is a rather expensive lens which performs extremely well compared to other kit lenses. It is equivalent to a 28-100mm lens on a 35mm camera. This Leica lens is very sharp and brighter than other kit lenses. The L1 supports other 4/3 lenses, just like Olympus E-series cameras. In terms of flexibility, this limits lens choices compared to other manufacturers. This is presently a serious limitation, although it may change with time.

This camera's squarish body has numerous buttons and dials which provide access to most photographic controls without using menus. This accessibility is one of the L1's strong points and is clearly aimed at traditional photographers. The camera's modes (P, S, A and M) are selected using a combination of the shutter-speed dial and the aperture ring. For lenses which do not feature an aperture ring, a vertically mounted control dial is used instead. However, there are no markings on that dial since it serves other purposes as well. The body design also has several disadvantages, as clearly pointed out by The Luminous Landscape. One problem is that the top-mounted shutter-dial forces a high grip which places the strap eyelets against the photographer's right hand. The most serious problem, however, is that the L1 has a very small and dim viewfinder. This is partly caused by a small sensor and partly caused by the porro-mirror finder. Nevertheless, such a small viewfinder damages the usability of this camera.

With the L1, Panasonic took another step towards bringing live-view to DSLR cameras. Even though Olympus and Panasonic call their preview feature live-view, it is not yet equivalent to live-view from fixed-lens digital cameras. So that readers do not confuse it with a WYSIWYG live-view, we call this feature LCD-preview. The LCD-preview of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 shows 100% frame coverage, compared to the viewfinder's 95% coverage. This allows precise framing. When evaluative metering is used, the LCD-preview uses 256 (rather than 49) metering-segments. Generally, the LCD-preview is exposure-priority. This means that the image's final exposure is approximated in the LCD-preview. Unfortunately, this is not the case in manual mode where it would undeniably be the most useful! Hopefully, Panasonic can fix this using an updated firmware. Otherwise, both white-balance and exposure compensation are taken into account by the LCD-preview. There is also a useful histogram and manual-focus magnification (10X or 4X) mode when using the LCD-preview. In use, the LCD-preview mode is very slow. First, there is a significant blackout or freezing of the camera during auto focus. This takes between 0.7 and 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, the camera gives up if it cannot achieve proper focus. Secondly, there is a shutter-lag of roughly 1 second to capture the image from the LCD-preview. This makes it difficult to use LCD-preview for moving subjects. Finally, contrarily to a fixed-lens camera, taking a shot from the LCD-preview mode is rather loud. While we would not say this mode is useless, it clearly is not useful for all types of photography and photographers.

Since most DSLR cameras do not have a comparable feature, the limitations of LCD-preview are no reason to avoid the L1. At best, you will occasionally use this feature, at worst you will never use it. There is also some ambivalence about this camera's ergonomics. The external controls are useful to quickly control the camera but the body design and viewfinder can wear you down.

Those who absolutely want the LCD-preview, can only chose between the L1 and the E330. Generally, the L1 is better, particularly with image quality. See right column for details.

Without the LCD-preview, there are many better DSLR cameras available. Among those, the Canon 30D should be considered for its image quality, speed and robustness. A more ergonomic choice would be the Nikon D80. The lightweight Canon Digital Rebel XTi and Canon Digital Rebel XT are also an excellent choice due to their image quality. Note that these last two cameras are neither as fast as the 30D, nor as ergonomic as the D80 and not as solid as either one. The main advantage the Panasonic L1 has over all these cameras is its dust-reduction system. The Canon XTi has one too but it does not seem to be as effective.