 Olympus EVOLT E-330 -The Olympus EVOLT E-330 sells with a lens online for under $900 – a bit more than half of the L1's current price. It's much more than half as good – it provides live preview on a better LCD display that pivots for easier viewing. The Four-Thirds formatted 7.5-megapixel E-330 lacks image stabilization, but it has Olympus's dust control system. Given the choice, we'd rather have image stabilization than the dust shaker, but we think the $850 price gap makes the Olympus look pretty good.
 Canon EOS Rebel XTi - Canon's 10-megapixel, $899 entry-level camera is much cheaper than the L1, but it has an inferior kit lens that lacks image stabilization and is not nearly as well-built – it's hard to believe that the Rebel XTi will last as long as the L1. On the other hand, the XTi features an automatic mechanical dust removal system, plus a software-based dust remedy as well. With higher resolution, much better autofocus, and compact flash compatibility, the XTi may tempt customers away from the L1.
 Nikon D80 - The Nikon D80 is a 10.2-megapixel DSLR that lists for $999 and comes with an inferior kit lens. It costs a lot less than the Panasonic L1 too. The kit lenses packaged with the Nikon D80 do not offer image stabilization, although some Nikon lenses are stabilized. We haven't tested the D80 in its entirety yet, but it follows up the D70s, a workhorse that was very well-built. We expect the D80 to match the L1 for fit and finish, and for convenient controls. Like the Rebel XTi, the Nikon features very good auto focus, a big advantage over the L1. The L1's live preview provides superior manual focus, but most users rely on auto focus more often and both the XTi and D80 have brighter viewfinders.
 Sony α (alpha) DSLR-A100 - The Sony alpha DSLR-A100 is a 10.2-megapixel DSLR that lists for $899 body only, much cheaper than the L1. The alpha has dust control and image stabilization built into the camera body, which should keep the cost of the Carl Zeiss lenses down. We don't expect the alpha's kit lens to match the L1's Leica-branded optics. The Sony A100 is not as sturdy as the L1, but it adds cool features including a sensor that starts the auto focus system as soon as users hold the camera to their eyes. With a lower price and higher resolution, the Sony alpha is a strong competitor for the L1.
Value (5.75)
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 is the company's top-of-the-line camera; it also happens to be the only offering in its DSLR “line” so far. It comes with an extraordinary lens that is very well-built and includes a measure of Leica cache. We looked at the L1 and the Leica Digilux 3 at Photokina, and the only differences we saw were minor changes in button labeling, the shape of a switch or two, and apparently different firmware settings. Even the cameras' menus are identical. There may be differences in image quality, but we'd bet it isn't very significant.
The L1's interface is great – it's very comfortable to use a real aperture ring and a big shutter speed dial. Its lens is bright and extremely well-made, compared to other kit lenses. On the downside, a $1,700 camera should have a much better auto focus system than the L1, and should have better noise performance, too. Competing DSLRs that cost half as much are also stocking way more resolution than this DSLR, tempting consumers away.
Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters - The L1 is designed for manual use, and it's designed to be reminiscent of old film cameras. It lacks an easy setting for full auto operation, and it's pretty big – point-and-shooters should look elsewhere, even if they want a DSLR with live preview.
Budget Consumers - The L1 is relatively expensive for what it is. Most budget users will have to forego the excellent lens and spend less – but will probably get a more capable camera body.
Gadget Freaks - For shooters who want some Leica mystique without the stratospheric price, the L1 might appeal. The lens is great, and the controls are both quirky and efficient. When we took it to a wedding, a couple of shutterbugs at the reception were fascinated by it.
Manual Control Freaks - The L1's market is manual shooters who work slowly enough to benefit from manual focus in the live view mode. For them, the L1 might be perfect, if they're comfortable with the image quality.
Pros/Serious Hobbyists - We still don't think of Four-Thirds as a viable format for pro shooting. The L1 is too big for pros to use as a “fun camera” to have in addition to a system DSLR.
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