Recently, Q.G. de Bakker posted:

Neil Gould wrote:

My point is that they *do* have good brand recognition in pro video.
As digital still cameras are derivative of that technology, and as
Panasonic is one of very few primary manufacturers of digital
sensors, their name *should* be more of a draw than Fuji. So, it's
marketing. Good enough for Leica, indeed.

You know, Panasonic was not "first choice" when Leica was looking for
a partner. Fuji was.
But they went and spoilt it all by making a 35 mm rangefinder camera
that was in direct competition with Leica's main-stay product... Exit
Fuji. And then (!), suddenly, did the name Panasonic acquire a good
ring in Leica's managerial ears...
;-)

I can easily understand that, from a marketing perspective. Fuji has
considerable penetration into the world of film. A collaboration between
two major names in film would make the marketing of new photographic
products easier. Panasonic is all but invisible in that realm.

However, digicams are not film, and their quality and performance have
little to do with film. Thus, a collaboration with a company deeply rooted
in digital imaging *should* be A Good Thing for Leica. I can't say much
for the performance of the Lumix line, as I've only had my hands on one
FZ10 in a store that lacked storage media (both the camera and the store).
I can tell you that the manual user interface on the Lumix makes a heck of
a lot more sense than the one on my Nikon. I figured it out in a few
moments without access to a manual. Not much chance that someone will be
able to do that with the Nikon. ;-)

Neil