Panasonic and old-school German camera and lens manufacturer Leica have been working together for some time but now the two companies have now announced the most significant fruit of the partnership yet, the DMC-L1 digital SLR camera. The third part of the equation is Olympus, as the DMC-L1 is a 4/3 system camera, and should help expand the market for Olympus's digital-dedicated SLR system.
While the DSLR market is getting crowded, Panasonic’s entry holds considerable interest with the inclusion of Leica’s new 14-50mm f2.8-3.5 lens for the 4/3 system. The lens (which also features Panasonic’s Mega O.I.S image stabilisation system) has a dedicated aperture ring, which when combined with the shutter speed dial on the DMC-L1 gives the camera a level of immediate manual control (without using an LCD) that will likely appeal to traditionalists. Stay turned for our review of the DMC-L1 when we get our hands on one …