Panasonic DMC-L1 Operation

Panasonic DMC-L1 Operation

The Panasonic L1's menu is more like other Panasonic Lumix models than the Olympus E-300/330 models. The user interface overall is far different from other SLRs on the market, given the Panasonic L1's use of analog Shutter speed and Aperture controls. Rather than using a Mode dial, the combination of settings between these two dials determines the mode. Set them both to A for Automatic, and you're in Program mode. Set the Aperture ring around the lens to another setting than A and you've entered Aperture priority mode, a setting that is verified on the LCD with a large A in the upper right corner. Move the lens ring back to A and move the Shutter speed dial to a manual setting, and you're in Shutter priority mode. Move them both to a manual setting and you're in Manual mode. All of these are indicated on the LCD with a P, A, S, or M letter in the upper left corner. By default, this Status display stays on the LCD until it times out, or you press the Display button. Pressing the buttons surrounding the LCD activates different areas of the Status display, turning it into a quick menu. The Panasonic L1 is a shooting priority camera, meaning regardless of the mode you're in, just press the shutter button to return to the Record mode. In Live View mode, of course, you lose the Status display, and instead are presented with only a few items. Pressing the control buttons like White balance and ISO still bring up a menu, but they're semi-transparent overlays that still show the live image.

Viewfinder
The DMC-L1 has an optical viewfinder, although smaller and dimmer than most SLRs. Still, you get something better than Live View mode on the LCD: a true live view of what you're about to shoot, with no electronic delay. Three autofocus points are arrayed across the center of the screen and the active AF point optionally illuminates when autofocus is achieved. At the right of the screen, the L1 keeps you posted about its settings and status, including Aperture, AE lock, Shutter speed, Exposure compensation, Focus indication, Flash mode, Auto bracket, Card access and Number of images available. See the complete list below.

Record Mode Display
In record mode, the Panasonic Lumix L1's LCD monitor shows a standard Status display with basic exposure information or one of several Live View display modes. The standard display shows focus point brackets, selected mode, and shutter speed and aperture settings. Battery status, resolution and compression, Optical Image Stabilization mode, Film mode, and number of images also appear on the display. Press the Display button and a live histogram appears. Press it again, and all basic info disappears, replaced by a grid. Press it one more time, and the grid gets finer, with five horizontal and five vertical dotted lines. A final press removes all information until you press the shutter halfway to focus and set exposure.

Playback Mode Display
In Playback mode, the default image display shows the most recently captured image, with a modest information overlay present. Pressing the Display button cycles through a more detailed information overlay with a histogram, and no information. Turning the Command dial upward cycles through a nine, or 25-image index display, then to a Calendar display. Turning the dial to the right enlarges the captured image as much as 16x. You use the four arrow keys to move around the zoomed image.

Panasonic DMC-L1 Modes and Menus

Manual Exposure Mode: Manual mode provides complete user control over the exposure, with extended shutter speed settings from 1/1,000 to 1/4,000 second, 2 to 60 seconds, and a Bulb setting for longer exposures. The lens must be set to an aperture and the shutter dial set to a shutter speed to enter this mode. To use Bulb mode you must set the shutter speed dial to 2-60s setting and rotate the Command dial past the 60 second setting to B for Bulb. To set a shutter speed higher than 1/1,000 second, you must again use the Command dial to move from 1/1,000 to 1/4,000 in 1/3 stop increments.

Shutter Priority Mode: This mode lets the user control the shutter speed from 1/1,000 to 2 seconds, while the camera selects the best aperture setting. To move into the extended settings, you must use the Command dial. The lens must be set to A and the shutter dial set to a shutter speed to operate in this mode.

Aperture Priority Mode: The user controls the lens aperture setting while the camera selects the best corresponding shutter speed. Aperture ranges will vary with the lens in use. The lens must be set to an aperture (not A) and the shutter dial set to A to operate in Aperture Priority Mode.

Program Mode: In Program mode, the camera controls both aperture and shutter speed settings, while the user can adjust all other exposure variables. Turning the Command dial while holding down the shutter button in this mode enables Program Shift, which offers a range of equivalent exposure settings biased either toward shutter speed or aperture. The lens must be set to A and the shutter speed dial set to A to operate in Program Mode.

Playback Mode: Accessed by pressing the Playback button on the rear panel, this mode lets you scroll through previously captured images using the Arrow Pad. The Command dial switches the image display to Index mode when turned upward, and when turned downward, enlarges a single image as much as 16x. While zoomed in on an image, the Arrow buttons move the enlarged view around the full image area, allowing you to inspect all parts of it.

Record Menu: In any camera mode but Playback, pressing the Menu button brings up the following four-tab menu screen. Note that not all Camera menu options will be available in all modes.

Setup Menu:

Custom Menu:

Playback Menu: