Panasonic + Olympus + Leica

The first really interesting new camera announced at PMA today is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC1. It’s an SLR similar to the Oly E-300, but with a couple of notable differences. First, it looks a *lot* better. The lines have been cleaned up and smoothed out. Second, there’s a shutter speed dial right on the top. And most exciting is the new 4/3 format Leica lens on it. This new lens looks pretty sweet. Image stabilization, an effective range of 28-100mm and and… wait for it… an aperture ring! Basically, it looks as though it might just handle like a “real” camera. Time will tell.

That may be the sexiest DSLR I’ve ever seen.