Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) by Leica
|
Our Price: $1,979.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $439.00 (click here) Category: Digital Camera See more digital camera details and other models |
|---|
Digital camera reviews of Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Digital camera Review: Great camera but HORRIBLE customer service
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this camera in April and fell in love with it the first time I used it. I am a professional photographer and the image quality blew me away. The color is amazing, and the huge display makes a real difference when viewing images.
Upon the third time using this camera it stopped working. I emailed Leica and was pushed around from one person to the next, and they finally told me my shutter was broken. I mailed it in to their service center in NJ, not far from me in NY. A few weeks later I got an estimate telling me it would take 3-4 weeks to repair. It has now been two months. I have regularly emailed all three people I have been in correspondence with on a weekly basis, asking them what the status was on the repair. I still have not heard from anyone since I mailed the camera in.
I barely used this camera, just a few shots both times I got to use it, and never dropped it or was careless with it. Being a pro, I am very careful with my gear. I'm more than disappointed that after a few months my camera just stopped working. Leica makes some excellent cameras, but I am considering getting the Panasonic in case something else happens to this camera once I get it back (if ever). Leica has a stellar reputation, but to me actions speak louder than words.
Digital camera Review: I've been looking and this is it!
Summary: 5 Stars
After buying 7 digital cameras, the only one I have really liked the pictures from is my Nikon D100 (with some very expensive lenses), which won't fit in my coat or shirt pocket when I'm out and about. I've had to settle on poor picture quality and missed lots of great shots. One of my hobbies is impersonating Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing, and 2 weeks ago I went to Dallas and ended up working with 2 lovely members of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders (I know, it's a tough job, but somebody has to do it). Bottom line, crappy pictures, I had to have a good friend send me a disc with his shots (for the poster size blow-ups!)
That was it, I started looking for the ultimate digital camera and came across the Leica D-LUX 3, it was delivered las week and I haven't put it down since. I am blown away! The user interface is very straightforward, the manual seems to have everything you need to know in it, and the pictures are fantastic, sharp and in focus; especially flash assisted pictures. I can utilize RAW images if I wish, but haven't had to push the camera because the results at lower quality settings are so great. It fits in my shirt pocket with a little bulge, but I find this totally satisfactory.
Yeah, it's pricey, but well worth the money. I definitely recommend it if you're after great picture quality from a conveniently sized camera.
J.R.
Digital camera Review: It is YOUR choice based on YOUR acquired taste!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have just purchased this beautiful jewel(certainly the people who purchased this would agree) from a local camera shop where they had only one left in stock. Why? maybe because now more people start to realize when their cameras are pretty and feel nice, they get to take it out more often. Some people like to show off with their gadgets. And cameras are absolulte gadgets nowadays. Although many people keep arguing which is better between Panasonic and Leica, however, you must understand it is YOUR choice based on YOUR acquired taste. I have purchased and used both brands. But, why do I keep going back to Leica? I have become more aquired to Leica brand than Panasonic. And somehow, I got end of taking more photos with Leica than with Panasonic. This is completely based on MY experience.
Now, for the camera, Leicasonic or Panaleica, both cameras are absolute easy to use.
My favorite features are to have 28mm wide zoom lens and 2.8in. wide screen 16:9 ratio LCD screen.
First, you can crop and do all other things, but can't zoom out what you took from 35mm cameras.
28mm is a perfect rendition to take landscape photos. I take lots of those outside.
Second, 16:9 ratio widescreen LCD is a great renovation for HDTV owners. It kind of gives some panoramic feel to it.
Noise issue has been widely spreaded and severely discussed throughout web forums and journals.
However, if you enjoy more outdoor photography like me? wether it's sunny or cloudy, ISO 100 is perfectly good enough.
Suggestions: Best place to shop: Amazon, BHphotovideo, Local shops found in Leica website, etc.
Best place to look for samples: Leica Camera User Forum, DPReview Leica Forum, or even PBASE website!
Conclusion: it is an extraordinary camera from shape to function. I am very happy with it.
Digital camera Review: Leica -LUX 3
Summary: 5 Stars
Having been a photographer for many years and now working as a TV cameraman i found myself looking for a replacement for my old digital compact (pentax optio 3.2mp) which was excellent for such a small basic and low res camera.
After a very brief internet search i found myself looking at the higher end of digital compacts. i was toying with the DSLR route for the same sort of money but thought no i really want something very small to take on my travels with work and the SLR is not going to be it..so back to a compact camera..
The Leica appealed to me mainly because it can be used in total manual mode including manual focus and that is the way I allways work using the auto settings as an assist and not as a be all and end all. I dont like to be dictated to by a computer, well who does eh? Im the boss! I mean how does that camera know how dark i want those shadows eh???? Simply put it dosn't!
Having used this camera a little on location in the desert of arizona i am fairly impressed, its great for landscapes using the 16.9 format and the auto bracket mode is very useful as exposure is impossible to gauge with the screen in bright sunlight. The lens range is a very useful 28mm f2.8 - 112mm f4.9 it is very good having the 28mm (35mm conv ).
A quick trip to the local Nascar meeting was also a very good execise to put this little camera through its paces and yeah im sure with a little more telephoto I may have got slighty better shots, but then again im not sure about that, and remember this is a 10MP camera so for a magazine page shot could be zoomed slightly and not suffer at all. Im not sugesting you should buy this over a DSLR for sports but it would be a very handy little back up camera for an event like this. I used to Continuous shooting mode for the pit stop action sequences and it worked great!
I have found when needed the Program mode works very well in most situations with a few tweaks in the camera, however the preset modes such 'Party' mode are far from good, giving terrible skin tones. The moral of this story, hmm dont trust a computer.
I purchased mine with a spare batt and a couple of 2GIG cards so that i can shoot in RAW most of the time if needed.
I would normally be the sort of person who would not care about brand names and go for the panasonic but thought hey its not really that much more and i may tire of having to explain to everyone 'it's really a leica you know, with a different badge on , blah blah balh' so i thought dont be a penny pincher just get what you really want and that was a little red dot.
So as a little sum up, i would say if you know what you are doing (as with any camera i guess) and can work around its limitations (lens range lack of accessories ie flash guns, filters etc )this little Leica has the potential to be one of the best cameras you can get period! With its abilty to shoot RAW and giving you 10.4 MP and a good set of optics. Great for travel and candids so very much like the essence of a real rangefinder Leica.
A very neat little package. So far so good!
(This is an ongoing review and i will keep you posted when i have used it more and have found fault with it.)
Digital camera Review: Leica D-Lux3.. an expensive disappointment
Summary: 2 Stars
I've owned a fair number of point and shoot digital cameras varing in price from the inexpensive low megapixel to the latest greatest, the later including the Leica D-Lux3. At a cost of $600 this camera is disappointing. Noise levels above anything but the lowest ISO very prominent the images are quite soft even when shot in RAW and converted with CS2, which now supports the Leica. The build quality and finish of the camera are very good, but where it counts in image quality, it is no better than many cameras costing much less. I purchased both the Leica and Canon's latest 10mp Elf-size camera the SD900 and shot the same images with both for about 30 days. The Canon is still here and the Leica has been sold. Sad to see what was once the industry standard for quality bodies and lenses fall to such a low place. I don't see how leica will survive in the digital world generating such poor quality products. I really wanted to like this camera, but not at any cost...