The Panasonic Lumix L10 is larger than some compact cameras despite a smaller sensor – but there's a good reason why

Panasonic Lumix L10 being held by hand.

The ongoing trend for compact cameras crams large sensors into small camera bodies. But the new Panasonic Lumix L10 has both a smaller sensor and a larger body than key competition in the trending category, like the Fujifilm X100VI and Ricoh GR IV – and there’s a good reason for the L10’s oversized design.

The Lumix L10, launched earlier this week, is actually a Micro Four Thirds camera, which slots the camera somewhere above 1-inch compact cameras like the Canon PowerShot G7X Mark III and Sony RX100 VII, but beneath APS-C compact cameras like the X100VI and GR IV.