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Tom’s Guide
Tom’s Guide
Technology
Alejandro Medellin

I swapped out my modern mirrorless for this 20-year-old DSLR — and I’ve never been more creative

A photo of the Lumix L1 DSLR on a wooden surface.

There are cameras I use professionally. Then, there are ones I use for fun. The Panasonic Lumix S5II and the GH5 are of the former variety, while the Olympus E-PM2 falls in the latter category. That's because bringing a professional camera to a soccer match or event can be too much. I need a smaller, older, less expensive camera to bring on the weekend because I'm not scared to drop or lose it. If either happens, it doesn't affect my bottom line.

I'm constantly looking for a new, fun camera, of which there are too many. It seems like every time I get on YouTube shorts there's a creator telling me about a digital camera from the 2000s that I've never heard of. That's how I heard of the Lumix L1 (shout out to snappiness), a beautiful rangefinder-style Panasonic DSLR from 2006.

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