Panasonic CM1

Earlier this year, we checked out the Panasonic CM1. In short, it’s either an Android powered compact camera that can make phone calls, or a basic Android smartphone with an incredible camera. Either way, we were impressed by its image capture capabilities. Although it’s clearly a niche product, Panasonic has decided to follow it up with the CM10; a device that’s identical to the CM1 in all ways but one…

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We’ve all heard the phrase that the best camera is the one you have on you, and now with the Panasonic CM1, that could finally be true. It’s possible to have a smartphone that takes amazing pictures. With a 1-inch sensor, Leica lens and some useful software tools, this is easily the best camera setup ever built into an Android device.

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Often when referring to your smartphone, it is said that “the best camera is the one you have with you”. In other words, the camera on your smartphone, in your pocket, is better than the DSLR you’ve got sat on a shelf at home. Despite the rise of quality lenses and sensors, using a smartphone still isn’t quite as good a ‘proper’ camera. There have always been compromises. At least, there have been until now.

Panasonic’s CM1 may be thicker than your average phone, but it’s easily pocketable, not too uncomfortable to hold and has an epic 20MP camera with 1-inch sensor, a 6-element Leica lens, manual controls and a maximum aperture of f/2.8. What does that mean for image quality?

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