Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) by Leica
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Digital camera reviews of Leica D-LUX 3 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black)
Digital camera Review: Leica d-lux3 is a beauty.
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently got the Leica D-lux 3 from B&H. It is very easy to work with and take very sharp pictures. It feels more like my Nikon D80. It does not feel or look like those cheap point and shoot cameras out there. I have look at the Lumix and the casing is make of cheap plastic and also feels cheap. I know, you should buy the camera for its pictures but what P&S camera has all the function of the Leica? Just remember that this Leica D-Lux is delicate and not something you can throw around. Like a jewelry. Good picturing.Digital camera Review: Nice package, but RAW mode has its flaws...
Summary: 3 Stars
Leica D-Lux 3 is another offspring of the Panasonic-Leica cooperation, surely benefiting both partners. D-Lux 3 is a re-badged Lumix LX2. Main asset of both cameras is clearly the Leica VARIO-ELMARIT Lens, quite sharp on both ends. Fascinating is the 16:9 ratio wide panorama mode. 10Mpix is a good resolution, helping to get over the usual noise and noise correction smearing of details, which is visible even at ISO 100. If sampled down to approx. 2-3Mpix size, even ISO 400 images can be still well usable. ISO 800 is a stretch, but no worse than any competition in such small cameras, or rather such small sensors.
Of course, all photographers who do not like Jpeg's limited dynamic range are thrilled by the RAW mode! Me too. However, herein I see two issues:
1) First, I would like to know the Analog/Digital resolution in bits per pixel. Neither Panasonic nor Leica seem to be capable of or willing to give an answer to this simple question. My impression from conversions in Lightroom is that the dynamic range of the RAW images is barely over the 8-bit range of the jpegs, maybe 9-10bit/pixel effective.
2) Panasonic RAW format produces files titanic in size, why not to use DNG like in the L1 camera? The D-Lux 3 produces always *.raw and *.jpg file, and they both occupy whopping 22Mbytes typically. This is over twice as much as in a typical 10Mpix Nikon NEF or Canon CR2 file. Writing of such a vast amount of data takes time: Leica D-Lux 3 needs 3-4sec to store a raw file even to an Extreme III class of SD card, and this clearly renders Leica/Lumix RAW mode useless in all action situations.
The LCD display is nice, but it still has a very narrow angle of view. Turn the camera by as little as 30-40 degree, and the colors will strangely change or even reverse.
Nonetheless, D-Lux 3 is a nice and handy camera for numerous occasions. Being in the $500..600 class, it opens up the noble marque Leica to many photographers, who would have otherwise not even considered to invest in equipment with the famous red circular logo! We both with my wife like to have this little great camera handy, and we like to think that the Lumix-Leica cooperation will help Leica to succeed in its transition as a provider of top-notch digital cameras.
Digital camera Review: Not as good as the name
Summary: 1 Stars
Leica is a name brand in the world. However, the product and the service are very bad. I bought a Leica D-LUX 3 on March. Only one shot and nothing has shown on the lcd screen. I sent it back under the instruction which was provided by the customer service department from Leica. I did not receive any messege from Leica at all. I tried to call them many times and left my cell number to them, no body called me. They did not concern the small account. After I complain about the bad service from the name brand company, they finally wrote to me. The department found the camera and the problem right away after the mail. It was so funny.
Leica is a name brand in the world. However, the quality is not as good as the brand. Maybe I got a Friday Made product, but it really broke the image in my heart. No more Leica for me.
Digital camera Review: OUTSTANDING, AFFORDABLE LEICA
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to think that I a one of a very few lucky humans to own this beaury. This camera is all as promised. Pics are very sharp and with 10 MPs, each to print very large pics.
The owner's manual is almost as long as the one for my Canon 1DM2N--and it's a bear. All this means is that the camera does so many different things and the user can control so many functions to enhance the end result. There is probably more camera in this little package than in most DSLRs on the market for 2 or 3 times the money.
You won't regret buying this, if you can EVER get your hands on it. Now, if the leather case would just become available.
Digital camera Review: Only average
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased the camera expecting the best point and shoot around ( I shelled out $650 for it) and after having the camera for more than six months the pictures are average, not excellent. The images lack sharpness and the shutter is crazy slow, even in burst mode. Of course I wasn't expecting DSLR speed, but if this shutter where a car it would do 0-60 in 15 seconds.
ALSO, why in the world is the camera now more than twice the price I paid for a few months ago? I HAVE NO IDEA!!! But honestly, it's not worth it.
Get the Samsung NV11, it's been getting GREAT reviews all over the place.