What I Like (and Don’t Like) About the Panasonic Lumix L10

When Panasonic announced the Lumix L10, most of the reviews came from photographers who had early access to pre-production or loaned cameras. Those reviews did an excellent job introducing the specifications and highlighting the new features. Rather than adding another launch review, I wanted to spend some time actually using the camera.

After several weeks of shooting with the Lumix L10, customizing it to fit my style of photography, and carrying it on multiple photo outings, I thought it would be useful to share what I genuinely enjoy about the camera—and a few areas where I think Panasonic could make it even better.

None of these are deal breakers. Instead, they’re simply a few design decisions and features that I think could make an already capable camera even better. Overall, I’ve really enjoyed using the Lumix L10, and it has quickly become one of my favorite travel and day trip cameras.

What I Like

Real Time LUTs Make Photography Fun

One of my favorite new features on the Lumix L10 is Real Time LUTs.

Rather than waiting until I get home to edit every image, I can create my own custom look in Lumix Lab, transfer it to the camera, and see that look applied while I’m composing the photograph. It makes JPEG photography much more enjoyable and encourages experimentation.

Of course, I still shoot RAW when I want maximum flexibility, but there is something satisfying about creating an image that already reflects my personal style before I ever press the shutter.

For a deeper look at creating your own custom LUTs, see my guide to Lumix Lab’s Magic LUT feature.

Lumix Lab Makes the Camera Feel Connected

Real Time LUTs are only part of the story.

The integration with Panasonic’s Lumix Lab app is one of the biggest improvements to the overall shooting experience. I can create new LUTs, upload them to the camera, edit existing LUTs, organize my favorites, and even share LUTs with other photographers.

Just as importantly, Lumix Lab makes it quick and easy to transfer photos and videos directly to my smartphone or tablet, where I can continue editing before sharing them. Whether I’m making a few final adjustments, applying a different LUT, or posting an image or video to social media while traveling, the entire workflow is fast and seamless. It eliminates several extra steps and makes it much easier to capture, edit, and share content while I’m still in the field.

Instead of treating the smartphone as a simple remote control, Panasonic has created an ecosystem where the camera and mobile device work together. It’s one of those features you may not fully appreciate until you start using it regularly, especially when you’re traveling and want to capture, edit, and share your images without waiting until you get home.

Extensive Customization

One thing Panasonic consistently does well is giving photographers control over how the camera operates.

Nearly every important control can be customized, including buttons, dials, the Quick Menu, the control (focus) ring, the Function (Fn) Switch, and Custom Modes.

Rather than forcing every photographer into the same workflow, Panasonic allows you to configure the camera around the way you shoot. After spending a little time making those changes, the camera begins to feel like your camera instead of Panasonic’s camera. I also wrote an article on customizing the Panasonic Lumix L10 Quick Menu to keep your most frequently used settings within easy reach.

The Function Switch Adds Flexibility

One feature I’ve come to appreciate is the customizable Function Switch on the top of the camera.

Depending on how and what you’re photographing, you can assign the Function Switch to features such as:

• Step Zoom
• Aspect Ratio
• Real Time LUTs
• Subject Detection
• Photo Styles

I appreciate that Panasonic doesn’t lock the Function Switch into a single purpose. Instead, I can customize it based on what I expect to photograph that day. The feature I want at my fingertips while wandering a downtown district may be different from what I want while photographing landscapes or experimenting with Real Time LUTs. That flexibility allows the camera to adapt to my photography instead of forcing me to adapt to the camera.

Subject Detection Works Very Well

Panasonic’s autofocus has improved dramatically over the past few generations, and the Lumix L10 continues that trend.

Subject Detection has worked very well during my shooting, whether photographing people, animals, or vehicles. It inspires far more confidence than older Panasonic cameras and makes it much easier to concentrate on composition instead of constantly worrying about focus.

Ironically, my only complaint isn’t Subject Detection itself—it’s the interface used to change between different subject types. More on that later.

The Fully Articulating LCD

I’ve been a fan of fully articulating LCDs for years, and I’m glad Panasonic included one on the Lumix L10.

Whether I’m photographing wildflowers close to the ground, composing landscapes from a low perspective, or holding the camera above a fence or railing, the articulating LCD makes those situations much easier. It’s also a valuable tool for video, allowing me to monitor framing when recording myself.

I also appreciate being able to fold the screen inward when packing the camera. It protects the LCD during travel, helping prevent scratches while the camera is stored in my bag.

Portrait Display Information

This may sound like a small feature, but it’s one I’ve grown to appreciate very quickly.

When holding the camera vertically, the shooting information rotates to match the camera orientation. Instead of tilting my head or mentally rotating the display, everything is presented naturally in portrait orientation.

It’s one of those quality-of-life improvements that you don’t think much about—until you pick up a camera that doesn’t have it.

Things I’d Like Panasonic to Improve

The Camera Is Larger Than the LX100 II… But That’s Not Necessarily a Bad Thing

One criticism I’ve seen repeatedly online is that the Lumix L10 is simply too large.

Coming from the Lumix LX100 II, I certainly noticed the increase in size. However, I also think this issue has been somewhat overblown.

The Lumix L10 was never intended to be an LX100 III. It’s an entirely different camera built around a new sensor and processor, a fully articulating LCD, and a larger battery. Those improvements require additional space.

Would I have preferred Panasonic could fit all of this into an LX100 II-sized body? Absolutely.

But given everything Panasonic included, I think the size represents a reasonable compromise rather than a flaw.

The Lack of a Joystick

If I had to choose my biggest ergonomic complaint, it would be the lack of a joystick.

A joystick makes repositioning autofocus points incredibly quick and intuitive.

Fortunately, Panasonic provides a good workaround by allowing the rear LCD to function as a touch pad while using the electronic viewfinder. Even better, you can limit the active touch area through the Touch Settings menu to prevent accidental movements.

While the workaround works well, I’d still like to see Panasonic include a joystick on a future version.

Power Zoom Is Still Slower Than I’d Like

The power zoom lens offers a faster zoom speed option, and that certainly helps.

Even so, it still feels slower than I’d prefer when trying to react quickly to changing scenes.

For travel photography, landscapes, and general everyday shooting, this isn’t a major issue. For street photography or fast-moving moments, however, I occasionally find myself wishing the zoom responded a bit faster.

The AF Mode Selection Interface Could Be Simpler

This isn’t a criticism of the autofocus performance. In fact, I’ve been very pleased with how well the autofocus and Subject Detection perform.

My criticism is with the AF Mode Selection interface itself, which appears when pressing left on the control dial.

Changing between standard autofocus modes and Subject Detection—and then selecting the desired subject—requires more steps than I think it should. I added the AF Detection Setting (on/off) and Detecting Subject to my Quick Menu, which makes it easier to access, but the overall workflow could still be more streamlined.

I would have liked to see Panasonic make it faster and easier to switch between autofocus modes and subject types.

Weather Sealing Would Make It an Even Better Travel Camera

The Lumix L10 is clearly designed with travel photography in mind, making the lack of weather sealing a little surprising.

I don’t intentionally photograph in heavy rain, but weather has a habit of changing unexpectedly when you’re traveling. A little extra protection against dust and moisture would provide additional peace of mind when photographing city streets, coastal landscapes, or national parks.

At this price point, weather sealing would have made an already capable travel camera even more versatile.

Final Thoughts

No camera is perfect, and the Panasonic Lumix L10 is no exception.

There are certainly a few areas where I’d like Panasonic to refine, but none of them have kept me from enjoying the camera. In fact, the features that matter most to my photography—Real Time LUTs, Lumix Lab integration, extensive customization, Subject Detection, and the fully articulating LCD—have made the Lumix L10 a camera I genuinely look forward to using.

After several weeks of shooting with it, I can confidently say it has earned a permanent place in my travel photography kit. I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs on future trips, where I suspect many of these features will become even more valuable.