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: Wonderful camera but don't pay more than $599
Summary: 5 Stars
This is really a wonderful little camera but it baffles me why Amazon insists on jumping into bed with price gougers like Wall Street Photo. The street price of this camera is $599 and the camera is available from reputable dealers like E.P. Levine in Boston, yet Amazon highlights the ridiculous price of over $1200 being asked for by Wall Street Photo. Don't get me wrong here, Wall Street Photo can charge what they like and I have no problem with that at all, but I always thought Amazon was about getting the consumer a better deal, not the merchants. So come on Amazon, you're not going to endear yourself to your customers by putting the price gougers at the top of the list just because they (presumably) paid you to be there. You need to make it clear to your customers what the real deal with these products is instead of being a willing accomplice to the bottom feeders and leading your customers towards their crappy deals first.Digital camera Review: Worth It
Summary: 5 Stars
Just bought this camera. I had no plans on getting a new one, until a friend from work asked me to accompany him to the camera store because he wanted to check out this model. He thought it was pricey. I handled it, shot a few tests in the store -- and I would not forget it. A few weeks later, I bought one for myself.
I do not regret this purchase at all. The pictures I'm taking are fantastic. I had a Nikon before this -- and it can't compare with this Leica. I'm only using the pre-configured settings. I haven't even played around with the manual settings. And still -- my pics look great. This is the best digital camera I have ever had -- or seen.
Fantastic!!!!
Digital camera Review: Worthy Successor to Leica's D-Lux 2
Summary: 5 Stars
The brand new Leica D-Lux 3 is a stylish update of the popular Leica D-Lux 2 which was available in limited release late last year. It carries on the now grand tradition of Leica digital point and shoot cameras with improved optical image stabilizing and enhanced Leica-designed firmware for ultimate image quality. I had the chance to use this camera briefly twice recently, and was extremely impressed with both its easy handling and superior image quality. Like its predecessor it offers three different types of image formats. But, best of all, you don't need to rely on the camera manual to pick it up and use it immediately (EDITORIAL NOTE: I had the opportunity to use the camera from 11/20/06-11/30/06 primarily to photograph some of the most impressive Christmas store displays here in New York, NY, and to photograph fellow Brunonian - and former classmate - author Rick Moody at a private reception held in his honor prior to a public event featuring him at the venerable 92nd Street Y. I'm greatly impressed with both the image quality and the realistic color saturation of the images I took using the least amount of .jpeg compression at a maximum pixel size of 8.5 Mb. I am grateful to Leica Camera USA for allowing me to borrow a current production version of this camera.).
The Leica D-Lux 3 has approximately the same dimensions and features as its illustrious predecessor (Dimensions (WxHxD) - 4.2 x 2.3 x 1 inches (105.7 x 58.3 x 25.6mm) Weight - 6.5oz / 7.8oz (185g/220g) (without/with battery, memory card and lens cap)). But it is replete with an extensive list of features that weren't available in the D-Lux 2. For example, I believe there is more opportunity for creative manual control via its manual control features. There is also ample flexibility in available apertures for different kinds of photography from wide angle to telephoto (Aperture - F2.8-F8.0 (wide angle) F4.9-F8.0 (telephoto)). There is also a flexible array of flash options ranging from red eye reduction to second curtain synchronization modes. And then there is a flexible in image format modes. There is a video recording mode in which you can choose between 16:9 and 4:3 formats: - In 16 - 9 format a choice between 1280 x 720 pixels 15 fps or 848 x 480 pixels 30 fps/ 10 fps; in 4 - 3 format a choice between 640 x 480 pixels 30 fps/10 fps or 320 x 240 pixels 30 fps/10 fps. Your only limitation is the storage capacity of the SD card you use. Images can be stored in the following file formats: Still - RAW, JPEG (Fine/Standard), Movie - QuickTime Motion JPEG. Last, but not least, you can dictate the type of digital photography being done and let the camera handle the rest via these scene programs: Portraits, sport, night scenes, night portraits, fireworks, parties, snow, self-portraits, food, high-sensitivity mode, Baby 1, Baby 2, soft skin, candlelight, starry skies, landscapes, print . Quite simply this camera offers so much at a relatively reasonable price for a digital Leica - or indeed any other digital - camera in this class.
Digital camera Review: Ya, its awesome ~ !
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not going to say anything that someone else hasn't said already or written already about this camera. This is just my 2 cents. I have had mine almost 3 years to the day (from Amazon, at the time they were $599)
and it's been everything I had hoped and much more. It is the best point and shoot I have ever had, and one of the best looking and well built. I have never had one problem with it and I have shot thousands upon thousands of photos with it, in all different settings.
I own a Nikon DSLR, and a couple Sony point and shoots, but I use the Leica most of the time. Very glad I bought it, and if your thinking about one of these, or the 4, I would not hesitate for a second.
Digital camera Review: best point and shoot.. EVER
Summary: 5 Stars
First the bad news- NOISE!!!!! I guess with a sensor this small, there is just nothing you can do about it, short of using a noise plug-in with photoshop. At ISO 100 and 200 this is not a problem- jump to 400 and above and it becomes an issue.
Now the good news- because of the image stabilization, you can choose a lower speed, and minimize the noise as much as possible.
The lens is at least the equal of the one on my Contax TVSIII, which was the sharpest I have ever seen on a pocketable camera.
The internal flash is adequate for most conditions, but if you are takin advantage of the wide format, and trying to get a large room or group more than a few feet away, you should get the Metz compact digital flash which matches with it well.
I took RAW and JPEGs of the same scene and blew 'em up to 13x19 inches. While the raw image was marginally better, the JPEG (with minimal tweaking) was almost as good, and both were quite usable.
If you plan on shooting RAW- bes sure to get a largish high speed SD card.
I love that you can shoot manually, and getting great portraits is a snap- easy to blur out the background and get an incredible sharp portrait.
The preset modes suck.
The screen is great.
If you have a good photo stitching program, and you take a landscape photo with the camera vertically (say 4 or 5 sequential shots), taking advantage of the wide format, you will be floored. With this combination you can print landscapes 48 inches wide. I did this at the Eagles game on Monday night (Eagles won- thankfully!)- and the print was remarkable.
Nobody on the whole planet has the brown leather case. i want one and I want one bad.
Get this camera, be prepared to deal with the limitations of any camera using a small sensor, and you will be a happy clam. You will be able to leave your SLR home more often, and have a great camera with you always so you never miss a shot.
If you found this review useful, please send me the brown leather case.