Panasonic LUMIX DMC CM1 Review | 108 Data compared

Overview and Camera Performance The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is an innovative hybrid device that bridges the gap between a high-end smartphone and a premium compact camera, catering specifically to ambitious hobby photographers. It features a large 1-inch CMOS sensor capable of capturing 19.1-megapixel images and is equipped with a bright f/2.8 Leica lens, delivering superb image quality and extensive manual controls. Users can independently adjust shutter speeds, ISO levels, aperture, and white balance, alongside having the ability to shoot in RAW format for enhanced post-processing. However, the camera falls short in its automatic mode, which produces high image noise, a loss of fine details, and suffers from distinct autofocus issues when utilizing the built-in flash. Hardware, Usability, and Verdict As a smartphone, the device offers solid performance powered by a 2.3 GHz Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, an Adreno 330 GPU, and Android 4.4.4, ensuring smooth system navigation. It includes a 4.7-inch Full HD display, a microSD slot to expand the limited 16 GB internal storage by up to 128 GB, and supports modern connectivity standards like LTE, NFC, and dual-band...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is an Android hybrid smartphone tailored for photography enthusiasts, featuring a massive 1-inch, 20-megapixel sensor previously reserved for dedicated compact cameras. Its standout features include an elegant retro design wrapped in a leather-like textured finish, a physical control ring around the lens for swift setting adjustments, and a dedicated camera slider that boots the shooting app in under three seconds. In practice, the device delivers exceptional image quality with highly accurate colors, a precise automatic white balance under difficult lighting, and superb RAW file detail preservation. Performance is snappy thanks to a Snapdragon 801 processor paired with a lean, stock-like Android user interface. However, the CM1 compromises severely on basic camera and smartphone functionalities given its steep €899 price point. On the photography side, it lacks a standard tripod thread, relies on a weak single LED instead of a true Xenon flash, has a mediocre maximum aperture of f/2.8 for a fixed 28mm focal length, and caps 4K video recording at a heavily stuttering 15 frames per second. As a smartphone, the unit is unusually bulky...

Overview The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is a unique hybrid device released in late 2014 that effectively merges an Android 4.4.4 smartphone with a high-quality compact digital camera. It features a sharp 4.7-inch FullHD display, a dedicated physical camera slider, and a tactile lens control ring that mimics the operation of traditional digital cameras. The camera app operates seamlessly within the Android ecosystem, providing advanced manual shooting options (P, S, A, M modes) and a layout that will feel immediately familiar to photographers. However, running a dated, near-stock version of Android means third-party apps cannot yet fully utilize the camera hardware due to operating system limitations. Pros and Cons Pros High Image Quality: Delivers premium photo capabilities that rival standalone compact cameras. Dedicated Hardware Controls: Built with a physical two-stage shutter button, a fast camera-start slider, and a responsive lens ring. Robust Camera App: Offers an intuitive, highly functional interface with full manual controls and quick menus. Premium Build: Features a high-quality chassis with a grippy faux-leather coating and anodized aluminum accents. Cons Weak Battery Life: Barely lasts a single day...

However, the device compromises heavily on design and ergonomics, making it relatively heavy (204 grams) and bulky with a thickness of 16 mm, extending to 21 mm around the camera lens section. Its battery life is mediocre, lasting only 5 hours and 47 minutes in the standard mixed-use test, and the 2600-mAh battery is non-removable. Additional drawbacks include an outdated Android 4.4.4 operating system out of the box, a display that becomes highly reflective and difficult to read in direct sunlight, and a Micro-USB port that lacks host functionality for external storage. Furthermore, 4K video recording suffers from a low frame rate of just 15 fps, resulting in noticeable playback flickering.

The Panasonic Lumix CM1 is a unique hybrid device that bridges the gap between an Android smartphone and a premium compact camera, featuring high-end specs like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and a 4.7-inch Full HD display. Its standout hardware feature is a massive 1-inch, 20-megapixel image sensor paired with a high-quality 28mm f/2.8 Leica lens, putting its photographic capabilities in the same league as dedicated compact cameras like the Sony RX100. On the software side, it runs a largely stock version of Android KitKat (4.4.4) with full Google Play Store access, while its customized camera app offers professional manual controls, RAW file support, and an intuitive user interface. The review highlights several distinct pros and cons of this €899 device. On the positive side, it delivers exceptional image quality that outperforms any standard smartphone, offering an incredibly fast autofocus, low image noise at high ISO settings up to 800, and a beautiful bokeh effect. Additionally, the integration of Android allows users to instantly edit and share photos using any app. On the negative side, the physical design feels awkward—being...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is a unique hybrid device that essentially expands a high-quality compact camera with the capabilities of an Android-based smartphone, rather than simply putting a better camera module into a regular phone. It features a large 1-inch 20-megapixel MOS sensor, a premium 28mm f/2.8 Leica DC Elmarit lens, and an advanced Venus Engine image processor. Driven by a 2.3 GHz quad-core processor with 2 GB of RAM and running Android 4.4.4, the device provides full access to the Google Play Store for direct on-device photo editing and rapid sharing via LTE (4G) or Wi-Fi. The review highlights its exceptionally fast autofocus, highly accurate colour rendering, and clean low-light performance with minimal image noise, while also noting its intuitive touch-based menu and a physical lens control ring for quick adjustments. Despite its excellent photographic capabilities, the device exhibits clear limitations regarding its modern smartphone and video features. A notable disadvantage is its 4K video recording, which is restricted to just 15 frames per second, resulting in choppy footage, though it functions well for high-resolution burst photography. Standard Full-HD...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is a specialized camera-smartphone hybrid that acts primarily as a high-end compact camera integrated into an average Android device. On the positive side, its photography performance is outstanding due to a massive 1-inch 20-megapixel image sensor paired with a premium 28mm f/2.8 Leica wide-angle lens. This hardware combination creates remarkably sharp images with realistic colors and handles low-light situations exceptionally well, especially when shooting in the supported RAW format. Additionally, the hardware lens ring allows users to manually adjust shutter speed and aperture, while a massive suite of scene pre-sets and an extensive photo app offer flexible customization for enthusiast photographers. Conversely, the device suffers from several notable flaws that limit its mass-market appeal. Its design is thick, clunky, and heavy compared to normal smartphones, which forces an awkward physical handling experience where the user must navigate on-screen menus with one hand while gripping the lens control ring with the other. The 4.7-inch Full HD display lacks the brightness needed to clearly compose or judge photos under direct sunlight. Furthermore, its smartphone capabilities are highly average,...

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 acts as a hybrid "communications camera," featuring a 1-inch 20.1-megapixel MOS sensor that delivers superior image detail, dynamic range, and low-light performance compared to standard smartphones of its time. It includes a Leica DC Elmarit lens with an f/2.8 aperture and a physical control ring for adjusting settings, while offering a nearly stock Android 4.4 experience, as noted in various hands-on reviews. YouTube ·B&H Photo Key advantages include top-tier image quality with RAW support and a robust build, although the device is limited by its high cost, lack of optical image stabilization (OIS), and a bulky 21.1mm thick design. Additionally, video capabilities are constrained, with 4K recording limited to a jerky 15 frames per second, say reviews from sources like PCMag. Further analysis of the device can be found on YouTube.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is an innovative digital camera-smartphone hybrid designed specifically for demanding photographers seeking DSLR-like quality in a mobile device. Its standout feature is an exceptionally large 1-inch image sensor—the largest ever integrated into a smartphone at its time of release—which delivers exceptionally sharp, detail-rich photos and strong low-light performance up to ISO 1,600. Operating on Android 4.4, the device features a bright 4.7-inch Full-HD touchscreen interface, allowing users to manually adjust extensive photographic settings like PSAM modes and shoot in RAW format. Additionally, it offers physical control elements like a versatile lens control ring for quick aperture or shutter speed adjustments, a fast autofocus system, and support for GPS, Wi-Fi, UMTS, and NFC. Despite delivering the best photos seen on a smartphone at the time, the hybrid design comes with notable compromises. The 28mm F2.8 fixed focal length lens suffers from a severe sharpness loss of up to 34% at the outer image edges, and visible image noise appears at viewpoints starting as low as ISO 400. While it supports Ultra-HD (4K) video recording, it is hindered...

The Digitalkamera.de review characterizes the Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 as a superior smartphone-camera hybrid, largely due to its 1-inch 20-megapixel MOS sensor that delivers exceptional dynamic range and image quality. Key advantages include manual exposure controls, RAW shooting capabilities, and a functional lens control ring for tactile handling. Conversely, the device suffers from a bulky form factor and relatively slow autofocus speed of 0.4 seconds. The review notes that while high-ISO performance is good up to ISO 1,600, automatic mode does not fully utilize the hardware, requiring manual adjustments to achieve optimal results in low light. For the full, detailed review, visit Digitalkamera.de.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 review describes a unique hybrid "Smart Camera" that bridges the gap between premium compact cameras and modern smartphones. On the hardware side, it features a massive 1-inch, 20-megapixel MOS sensor paired with a fixed 28mm f/2.8 Leica DC Elmarit lens, driving exceptional image sharpness, extensive detail, and a natural look that rivals high-end compacts like the Sony RX100 III. The device includes a dedicated physical camera slider switch, a two-stage shutter button, and a physical control ring around the protruding lens to manually adjust apertures (f/2.8 to f/11), ISO, or shutter speed. Operating on a stock version of Android 4.4 powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor with 2GB of RAM and a crisp 4.7-inch Full HD display, it provides a fast, stutter-free interface that functions comfortably for on-the-go image editing and daily smartphone tasks. However, this camera-first configuration demands considerable design and usability trade-offs. The major pros include its unmatched 1-inch sensor, RAW format image capture capability, a highly tailored Lumix camera app with full manual exposure controls, fast contrast-detection autofocus, and crisp 1080p video...