Fujifilm has had a huge viral hit with its chunky, robust and retro X100VI compact camera, to the extent that demand often outstrips supply.
The subsequent release of the Panasonic Lumix L10 – no, not the identically named DSLR from 2007, but rather its latest point-and-shoot marvel – seems to have been based largely on "We'll have some of that, thanks very much."
And, just over a week after its announcement, it was reported that L10 orders have predictably exceeded expectation, with Panasonic Japan already talking of fulfilment delay.
This is exactly what the company wanted, of course, in flying truckloads of influencers to Panasonic HQ in Osaka, Japan, and gifting them an L10 each.
[Full disclosure: DCW was among the contingent of international journalists, reporters, YouTubers and influencers at the L10 launch event – Ed]
Surprisingly, I’ve got no issue with such bare-faced, manufactured hype; it’s textbook stuff.
It’s also good to see a camera manufacturer hosting a proper, old-school, in-person camera launch, rather than making a low-key announcement to journalists via Teams or Zoom.
Panasonic has form here. I was lucky enough to be one of just two UK journalists flown to Osaka, twenty-five years ago, for the launch of its first-ever Lumix cameras – the big anniversary for which falls this October.
The term 'influencer' didn’t exist then, although the company was no doubt hoping that flying me business class to see its inaugural Lumix DMC-LC5 and DMC-F7 compacts would very much have an 'influence' – on both me and my readers.
Both zoom cameras were primitive stuff by today’s standards, with a resolution of 4MP and 2MP megapixels respectively, plus 3x or 2x optical zoom, but they’d still be recognizable to current observers as compact digital cameras.
Fast-forward to the present and it feels like this is where the hyped Panasonic L10 fails. Yes, it ticks the box for Fujifilm X100VI-like classic charm, complete with the eye-level viewfinder that "proper" photographers love. But a compact camera it is not.
Which is odd. As a truly compact, trouser or shirt pocket-sized camera with a large-ish sensor – whether we’re talking 1-inch, Micro Four Thirds or APS-C – is what we’re constantly told the buying public is crying out for right now. Sony has the 1-inch sensor RX100 series, while Canon has its latest 1-inch sensor special edition PowerShot G7 X Mark III.
But Panasonic? Well, most recently, there was the 1-inch sensor, 15x optical zoom TZ300 / ZS300, which feels very close to perfection for those seeking a decent everyday compact. Close, yes, but no cigar; as the latest iteration omits an eye-level viewfinder, something we do get on the larger L10.
Comparing the two cameras, the L10 measures 5.01 x 2.91 x 2.64 inches and weighs 508g with battery and card, compared with the TZ300 at 4.68 x 2.61 x 1.78 inches and a weight of 337g.
However, pit both against 2014’s interchangeable lens Micro Four Thirds Lumix GM5 mirrorless camera – a cult classic that weighed just 211g with battery and card, had a viewfinder and measured 3.9 x 2.36 x 1.42-inches – and it’s clear the manufacturer can do seriously lightweight and compact when it wants to. It just hasn’t done so with the L10.
So, when it comes to Panasonic, the wait continues for a truly modern enthusiast compact that justifies and warrants that description.
I’m hoping the electronics giant may yet surprise us again, preferably before the 25th anniversary year of Lumix is out…
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