Whenever I check the stats from my blog, there’s a number that sticks out: the clicks that this post here about the Lumix DMC LC-1 is still getting.

It’s just amazing that to this day – and we are in 2026 – people are still interested in this camera that was launched 22 years ago in 2004!

Why?

Simple: the Lumix DMC-LC1 had all the features a photographer could ask for: excellent lens, mechanical zoom ring, aperture ring, shutter speed dial. And EVF.

This camera was so ahead of its time.

While the Lumix DMC LC-1 had the right fundamentals, it was nevertheless hampered by the technological limitations from 2004 as I explained here.

Trust me, the same camera with today’s technology would be a killer and I’d buy it in no time.

I know, there’s the Lumix LX100 with its Leica branded version, just like the DMC-LC1.

Same recipe, but not exactly the same because now they use an uninspiring motorised zoom in lieu of the mechanical zoom ring that felt like a proper camera, not an electronic gadget.

Anyway

It’s 2026 and yesterday I decided to take the Lumix DMC-LC1 out for a spin. Weather was good, with a clear winter sky and good directional light. Remember, this camera comes from 2004 when low light photography was noisy as hell.

So I wondered how this camera would perform in good conditions and how I would judge on current standards. Some shots below.

Key takeaways

The colours look excellent to me.

But the limitations of the 5MP CCD sensor are obvious. Noise is noticeable almost everywhere in different degrees (I could probably do something in Lightroom). And the low resolution is quite visible from my iMac screen. Perhaps still ok to visualise from a smartphone screen?.. Just forget pixel peeping.

Still. I think this camera takes good photos. If anything, the low resolution actually results in a certain softness that is refreshing against the ultra sharpness from digital photos nowadays.

Fun

Just forget image quality for a while. I truly enjoyed using this camera yesterday. It made me remember the practicality of a good zoom lens. I’ve been using primes ever since I jumped to mirrorless so many years ago. But a good zoom lens like this one – with a proper mechanical feel – is actually very pleasant to use.

And it made me wonder why there are no more high grade, high quality compacts like this one.

I’d definitely welcome a good compact camera for traveling. A small and portable one with EVF, a fast zoom lens, aperture ring, shutter speed dial and a mechanical zoom ring, not the motorised by-wire bullshit that are so common now.