To some, Panasonic's first-ever D-SLR might appear as though it's been cobbled together from the entrails of an Olympus E-330... but it would be wrong to draw such a conclusion.

It's true that the L1's mirror box, shutter and viewfinder hail from an Olympus factory, but the 7.5Mp NMOS sensor and the new firmware at the heart of this intriguing camera are one hundred per cent pure Panasonic.

And what a great sensor it is. This is the same CCD that graces the E-330, and for the simple reason that Panasonic makes the chip for Olympus. It's an NMOS device that can feed a live image to the bright and colourful LCD screen at the rear of this unusual camera. And now that we've managed to scotch the rumours that this is simply a rebadged Olympus, we can move on to examine the Lumix L1 in closer detail. Let's start with the camera body.

This is a boxy and rectangular metal design that harks back to Leica's range of M-series 35mm film cameras. In ergonomic terms it's hardly a triumph of modernity and usability, mainly due to the shallow height that causes the user's bottom two fingers to struggle to find a resting place on the slightly cheap feeling, textured plastic grip.

The underlying magnesium alloy shell is extremely well made and almost feels as if it's been hand crafted. There's definitely a whiff of Leica about the construction, although it does have a slightly odd feeling in the hand and you do have to spend some time with it in order to feel more comfortable . If you're used to shooting with a more conventional SLR body then you may not like the L1's elongated frame and slightly quirky controls.

SDHC-compatible

The L1 stores its images on an SD card rather than the dual xD and Compact Flash slots provided on its Olympian cousin. The memory card compartment door is well made with a hefty spring-loaded flap that should withstand plenty of openings and closings.

Panasonic has opted to use SD cards because it was the co-inventor of the format. And as you'd expect from a founding member of the SD club, Panasonic has made sure that the L1 is compatible with the new high-capacity SDHC cards. Companies such as Pretec and Toshiba have announced new SDHC cards with capacities of up to 8Gb.

In common with the Olympus E-330, the L1 incorporates a Live View feature that takes a real-time image from the sensor and then feeds it through to the crisp 2.5-inch LCD screen. Sadly, we think that Panasonic has missed a trick here by not fitting the same tilting screen that Olympus has incorporated into the E-330. The lack of a tilt mechanism makes taking of low-angle shots a right pain in the neck, and it does seem an odd thing to have overlooked or deliberately omitted. That said, the Live View is excellent and, when used with the superb manual focus ring on the 14- 50mm Leica kit lens, is perfect for taking closeups and checking out lighting situations.

Incidentally, that NMOS CCD sensor also features a Supersonic Wave filter for reducing the effects of sensor dust. Over time, dust and specks can settle on the light-sensitive sensor and that can cause dust patterns and dark spots to appear on images.

Cleaning such a delicate component is not something for the fainthearted and clumsy cleaning can even wreck a sensor. The L1 keeps down dust levels by shaking the sensor's glass filter with a wave of high-frequency vibrations that cause dust spots to fall from the sensor. The particles are then trapped on a piece of sticky material in the base of the mirror box.

Breath of fresh air

For those photographers who are used to using older-style film SLRs with separate shutter speed dials and proper aperture rings, the L1 will feel like a breath of fresh air. The camera has both types of control and it's so much fun to be able to select apertures and shutter speeds in the old-fashioned way.

It puts you right back in the creative driving seat and is a trip down memory lane for those of us who honed our photographic skills back in the 1970s and 1980s. Of course, if you simply want to shoot on full automatic mode then it's really easy to dial in the Auto setting and shoot away.

In terms of exposure and white balance settings the L1 is hard to beat. Even under the most hideous of mixed lighting conditions - with fluorescent, tungsten and even a dash of daylight fighting for space - the L1 coped magnificently. Whites were white and exposures were bang on.