Are Panasonic cameras difficult to use?

Autumn colors, originally uploaded by jiihaa.

Digical Camera Review has published first thoughs on Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, and mirroring my early experiences with the LX3 the reviewer writes: "I tend to adapt quickly to new camera interfaces, but at the end of my shooting day with the G1 I was still fumbling around for some common adjustments. We'll be sure to spend some time seeing if we can uncover a hidden logic in the G1's interface that didn't reveal itself to me during my time with the camera. At the moment, however, it seems that for all the lip service paid to building a camera that addresses SLR complexity issues, pure novices may still find the Lumix's basic setup as intimidating as most other entry-level interchangeable lens cameras."

I felt quite similarly about the LX3 during the first 3-4 days of use. After that I started to understand the logic of the system a bit, and now, at day 9, I feel quite comfortable in using the controls and the menu system. However, even now I occasionally get lost and need to go through the menus to find what I'm looking for.

It seems that the more advanced Panasonic cameras may have a common flaw: they are developed by engineers for engineers, not photographers. But wait - I'm an engineer by education also...

To really make a mark on the camera market Panasonic needs to know what photographers need in a camera. Of course, the other camera companies are not perfect either - except perhaps Pentax, at least according to the pentaxians.