Panasonic DMC-L10 Digital SLR offers 2.5-inch large free-angle LCD for full-time live view

Panasonic announces the launch of its second digital single-lens reflex camera (SLR) - the DMC-L10 digital slr offers an interchangeable LEICA lens.

The Panasonic DMC-L10 (DMCL10) digital slr offers an advanced 2.5-inch free angle LCD for full time live view that offers 270 degree rotation and a versatile shooting style. A 10.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor provides beautiful images with delicate gradation and wide dynamic range. Dust reduction with a Supersonic Wave Filter system prevents dust from attaching to the sensor to degrade the pictures. The Venus Engine III image processor boasts high quality image rendering and a high speed response.

Four Thirds System - Developed Exclusively for digital SLR

The Panasonic DMC-L10 adopts the open format of the Four Thirds system for its lens mount - so the L10 can be used with lenses made by a variety of manufacturers, giving users a wider range of equipment options.

The DMC-L10 digital SLR offers a LEICA D VARIO-ELMAR 14-50mm / F3.8-5.6 / MEGA O.I.S. lens. Shipping the world renowned Leica lens with Panasonic's D-SLR camera looks like a smart move that should appeal to photographers.

The full-time live view function makes use of the Panasonic DMC-L10's 2.5-inch large LCD with 270 degree rotation to offer a versatile shooting style even in situations when looking into the viewfinder is not easy - so you don't need to get down on bended knee, or lie flat on the ground - you can see the subject even while holding the camera up high.

Advanced Hybrid AF System

The new DMC-L10 Panasonic SLR camera also adopts an advanced hybrid-type AF system - a first in any digital SLR. A TTL phase difference detection system works for shooting through a viewfinder while contrast AF system best supports the shooting using the live view. This is also the case with AE. A high speed, high precision TTL full aperture light metering by 49 zones multi-pattern sensing system is available for shooting through the viewfinder. For shooting with live view, exposure can be metered and set using the Live MOS sensor for light metering to take the whole picture information and evaluate it by 256 zones multi-pattern sensing system to give a well-balanced exposure as a whole image.

To match the shooting situation and subject's position, the user can select from six auto-focusing methods: Face Detection, 9-point, Multi, 3-point, 1-point and Spot. With the 1-point AF or spot AF method, the auto-focusing area can be chosen from as many as 11 points. Various group area patterns can also be selected in the new Multi method.

10.1-Megapixel Live MOS Sensor and Venus Engine III

The Live MOS sensor used in the Panasonic DMC-L10 digital SLR provides beautiful images with delicate gradation and wide dynamic range that only a CCD image sensor can provide while achieving low energy consumption which is a feature of CMOS sensors. By incorporating the 2.2m pixel technology, Panasonic is first in the industry to succeed in the mass production of a miniaturized circuit that sustains the same light receiving area as the sensor of 7.5-megapixel. In addition, the efficiency of light reception is raised at the same time, to keep the sensitivity as high as that of 7.5-megapixel despite the decreased pixel area. Photodiodes embedded deep in the silicon layer create a structure that suppresses noise generated on the substrate surface. As a result, the white-spot pixel defects and textual roughness that often characterize images captured in shooting at higher ISO are minimized thanks to the incorporation of newly developed noise reduction circuit, so pictures should be much clearer.

The Venus Engine III is an image processing LSI developed by Panasonic to maximise the performance of the Leica D lens and Live MOS sensor. This advanced LSI not only helps reproduce images with outstanding resolution, superior colour and detailed gradation, it also distinguishes chromatic noise from luminance noise and selectively reduces the chromatic noise, one of the chief sources of image quality problems. This helps the DMC-L10 deliver the superb image rendering one expects from a quality digital SLR camera.

Dust Reduction System

A critical issue with digital SLR cameras with interchangeable lenses is the possibility of dust entering the camera body during lens changes. This dust can stic to the image sensor and show up as spots on photos. Panasonic has solved this problem by equipping the DMC-L10 with a Supersonic Wave Filter system that uses supersonic vibration to shake off any dust clinging to the sensor.