When the Panasonic Lumix L10 was announced this month, it posed a very pointed question: Does this mark the end of the dominance of the Fujifilm X100VI?
In this world of trendy-but-not-very-compact cameras, the L10 takes the fight right to the X100VI. It's about the same size, about the same price, it's just as (if not more) stylish, it has its own take on Film Simulations (Realtime LUTs)… but crucially, it has one key difference: a zoom lens. And, for some people, that's an instant win.
Has the mighty X100VI finally met its match? My colleague Chris George and I discussed the subject on our latest DCW News Podcast.
ABOVE: Watch the discussion!
Chris: Yes, it is – it's the X100VI killer. No doubt about it. The trouble with the X100VI, it didn't have a zoom – it's stuck with a wide-angle lens. And [the L10] allows you a variable range, 24-75mm, and it's just so much better for travel photography and everyday shooting, I think.
James: This is a thing that's been carried over from photography since day zero: primes versus zooms. And I think in a lot of ways the X100VI was really popular because it was just that prime street photography kind of focal length – but that did kind of box into a niche, right? Whereas I think the Lumix L10 isn't just a "street photography camera"; it's like a great travel camera, a great everyday camera… it's just a much more versatile tool that might make a great family camera, perhaps.
Chris: Well, I think you're right. If you stuck with one wide-angle lens, it defines your way of shooting things, doesn't it? It is very documentary, photojournalist-style. That works quite well for some styles of street photography, but it's not very good for taking pictures of your family, taking pictures of markets or even buildings – you're really stuck with one view, and a zoom is so much better.
Of course, a certain segment of the photographic community would argue that primes are for "proper photography" – which might suggest that the L10 isn't as serious a cameras as the X100VI.
James: Would you say that other compacts with a fixed prime lens, like the X100 is "a camera for photographers" or a camera that makes you feel like a photographer? And the L10, with a zoom that just enables you to get the shot, is less about being pretentious and more about, "Actually, I just want the picture, thank you"?
Chris: No, I don't agree with you at all. I mean, I get the argument. Going around with one focal length of lens is very photographic. And it's what we did when I started, I started with a 50mm, and yeah, all that. But, I think part of the reason I enjoy photography and the art of creating photographs is having that choice of focal length.
I think that's part of the artistic choice when you take a picture. It's not just a lazy tool that saves you from moving in closer or anything like that. I think it does from an artistic point of view, a creative compositional point of view, adds a lot to your photographic armory. And that's why I'm so keen on having either a zoom in a compact camera or a system where you can change lenses.
We discussed much more about the Lumix L10, from its sensor size and video specs to what this means for the future of Panasonic's MFT lineup and compact competitors from Sony and Canon. You can watch the podcast in full here.
You might also like…
See how the L10 stacks up against the best compact cameras on the market, including the best APS-C compact cameras and the best full-frame compact cameras.
