Jump to content

Panasonic L1 review in Amateur Photographer this week


ejd

Recommended Posts

Advertisement (gone after registration)

The model shoot was done off in a separate studio. I wasn't using the 5D during that shoot. But I did use the 28mm and 28-70mm using the 5D at Pictureline about 1.5 weeks (they thought I was wierd) when it officiallly hit the store. And yes I used it so that's that.

 

The viewfinder wasn't very glasses friendly (not high point like the R8) and considering there isn't very much to go by when shooting in low light, I found that wide angles didn't work well at all with people wearing glasses where I have to look through two sets of optics (glasses and lens)...

 

E1 test was much better. Easier to see. In fact the Nikon D200 is awesome for manual focusing hands down. I think that Nikon was smartest on the bill regarding this.

 

This is my honest assessment. If you wish 2 disagree, all the better for it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Replies 115
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Add in the fact that the Panny L1 offers better ergonomics than any Cannon 5D hands down... It's evident that:

 

No manual aperture ring (even Nikon offers this) on any Cannon EOS lens whatsoever.

No manual shutter speed dial (a first on the Panny for any DSLR) on any Cannon EOS body whatsoever.

 

It's ironic that Leicafiles who prize professional control over anything else are relegated to button mashing worse than any Nintendo DS Lite I have fumbled with... I thought one of the advantages of wanting Leica stuff was for full control of how the shot is to be done.

 

Even the graciously wonderful Epson R-D1/s offers both a manual aperture ring and manual shutter dial! Geewhiz, why can't a $3300 professional tool offer that even???

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks to a friend in Britain, I've read the Amateur Photography review (remember that? the original topic of this thread?). It seemed like a well-considered, careful assessment to me. Not the full-on scientific testing that our buddy Albert craves, but a well-crafted review. The reviewer didn't bring up the viewfinder as an issue, which leads me to believe it can't be that awful. She didn't bring up the lack of dynamic buffer, but probably because she didn't encounter the problem. She wasn't crazy about the autofocus, but I keep cameras on full manual control and focus 99% of the time, so I'm not concerned. It was nice to hear that noise is a non-issue through about ISO 800. It wasn't a rave review, but it was, overall, very positive.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, well-crafted review = sophistry.

 

Okay, it was glowing to one guy here but does AP still get the rap? Da, it does. Stoy the presses...

 

At least Puts had the guts to include testing of lenses at wide open and stopped down apertures. AP and other cookiecutters just post random pix. At least include a cute chick for the Faustian bargain, dude!

Link to post
Share on other sites

It was nice to hear that noise is a non-issue through about ISO 800.

 

To be fair to all ;) ... here is an ISO 800 image ... what do you think?

 

http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/review/panasonic_L120060904/iso_b0800.jpg

 

And here's one ISO1600.

 

http://it.nikkei.co.jp/photo/camera/review/panasonic_L120060904/iso_b1600.jpg

 

A rather complete set of samples can be found here:

 

?L1 Samples on IT-Plus

Link to post
Share on other sites

Add in the fact that the Panny L1 offers better ergonomics than any Cannon 5D hands down...

 

Interesting. In my view, there is a lot more to ergonomics than aperture rings and shutter speed dials.

 

Personally I have no trouble operating the 5D in full manual mode - one dial for aperture and another for shutter speed, with everything clearly visible in the viewfinder, does not strike me as too difficult, but I have not used a camera with an aperture ring or a dedicated shutter speed dial so I am not really able to comment extensively on the benefits of one over the other. Personally, for the 5D I really appreciate the mid sized body, the reasonably light weight and the enormous viewfinder. It could have full time ISO display and a better mirror lock-up regime but these are not big issues for me personally. The avilability of a battery grip with a vertical shutter release is also a big benefit for my personal shooting style.

 

To me the L1 looks pretty awkward to hold and I note that the fabled Cannonaut, Michael Reichmann, observed some pretty significant ergonomic shortcomings in his review - dodgy shutter release placement, awkwardly placed eyelets, body too small to hold, and perhaps most worrying of all (particularly if you are planning to do some manual focusing), a small dim viewfinder, which is exacerbated for glasses wearers by the fact that you will probably be unable to see the LCD readout. The dim viewfinder criticism is one that he also levied against the 350D so I am not sure that this is premised off bias.

 

Still I have never used the L1 so it might be better than the review suggests.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Personally I have no trouble operating the 5D in full manual mode - one dial for aperture and another for shutter speed, with everything clearly visible in the viewfinder

 

Agreed, though I do wish there was an option to place both shutter speed and aperture control on the main control dial (ie by pressing one of the rear buttons and turning for one and just turning the dial for the other). That's the way I have my EOS-1N set up, and for me its much easier than faffing about with the rear dial.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for that link, Simon. There are a lot of images there--it will take some time to look closely at all of them. The noise in the ISO 800 images seemed manageable to me. I wouldn't want to make a huge print, but for a personal 8 x 10 or so, no problem. ISO 1600 is another story, of course.

 

It wil be interesting to see if Leica shows off their version on Friday.

Link to post
Share on other sites

No shutter speed dial on the camera itself

 

Of course there is. How else could the setting be changed. :rolleyes:

 

Just because the values come up on a screen as opposed to being on the dial doesn't make it invalid. Your D70 is just the same.

Link to post
Share on other sites

That's why I don't like that feature of the D70. Nikon seriously needs to correct this error. (Plus no aperture ring setting either!). Thumb wheels are worthless when you are tripoding the SLR and triggering it... Plus I can see on the top what I'm dialing the shutter speed at.

 

That's why R8/DMR is awesome. You can dial in anything from 32 S to 1/8000... geewhiz. that's more straightforward than peeping in the portal.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thumb wheels are worthless when you are tripoding the SLR and triggering it...

 

Why? Put camera on tripod, turn dials. You are attempting to do this with your hands, right Alfie? If you are doing it with your teeth, I can understand the source of your frustration. Personally never had any problems with the hands...

Link to post
Share on other sites

It's much easier to see engraved numbers than clockwork numeros here!

 

Not in the dark. Quite handy to have a backlit display then.

 

I have also never found the display on the top of the 5D to wash out regardless of how much sunlight there is.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...