Leica D-LUX 3 Digital Camera

Product Details: Leica D-LUX 3

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Product Description: Leica D-LUX 3

User Reviews: Leica D-LUX 3

1. A great camera to bring along all the time

   , March 20, 2007
   Reviewer: ernestodequesada - See all ernestodequesada's reviews

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   23 of 23 Yahoo! Users found this Leica D-LUX 3 review helpful

   Pros: Image quality, big LCD, Manual expossure, 3 formats, RAW, movies, great design

   Cons: No viewfinder, price, availability

   I got the Leica D-Lux 3 after I decided to upgrade from my Canon Powershot SD300, and that was no small feat. The Canon is tiny, it doesn't need a lens-cap and it has a separate viewfinder. These are all things that the D-Lux 3 does not include. On the other hand, I was looking for a few more pixels and I was attracted to the 16:9 aspect ratio for movies, and many features like ability to shoot RAW, shoot in black-and-white, and a way to easily switch to fully manual exposure. Not to say anything that this was a Leica (even if only by lens design).
   The D-Lux 3 is about 1/5 wider than the Canon and easily twice as deep (the lens doesn't retract fully into the camera.) Even at this larger size the Leica is still what I would call a pocketable camera, something important to me, as I like to have a camera with me at all times. The D-Lux 3 has already been with me to Spain and twice to Mexico. I have used it in Summer and Winter with no problem.
   The camera is very easy to use. You can just turn it on, set the shooting-mode wheel at the top of the camera to "P" and fire away. As soon as you turn the camera on you get a nice bright image on the very large (2.8") LCD display on the back. However, if you want to play around, this camera offers a lot of versatility. Right on the lens-ring you have a lever to choose the format (4:3, 3:2, or the panoramic 16:9). On the side of the lens-ring is another lever to choose macro, auto-focus, or manual-focus. The top of the camera includes the on-off switch, a button to control the image stabilizer (O.I.S.), the zoom lever, a switch to release the pop-up flash, and a wheel to select shooting or playing modes. This includes the usual "P" for program, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, movie mode, and scene mode, but it also includes a full manual mode --yes, you can select shutter speed and aperture- via a four-position knob on the back of the camera.
   The Vario-Elmarit f2.8-4.9 6.3mm -25.2mm (equivalent to a 28mm to 112mm on a 35mm camera) is superb. I am always amazed by the quality of the pictures it takes. In addition, you can shoot RAW with this camera, as well as black-and-white. The camera uses an SD card for storage (This was important for me as it is the same card I use on my other Leicas).
   I guess that my biggest complaint is the lack of a viewfinder. I have had to devise a way to block the large bright LCD when I am taking pictures in a theater or other darker venue where the bright LCD screen would be an annoyance to other people.
   However, having said that, I would totally recommend this camera. The camera by the way is available in black or chrome. ...

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2. Best in class

   , June 3, 2007
   Reviewer: kristipalmer - See all kristipalmer's reviews

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   5 of 6 Yahoo! Users found this Leica D-LUX 3 review helpful

   Pros: Very small, very fast, very flexible, & great optics

   Cons: slower speeds are noisy; digital still not as good as film

   Panasonic makes a twin to this camera that runs 25% cheaper, but isn't as lovely to hold or look at. I haven't tested the Panasonic; it has the same lens, and the exterior controls are the same. Many users may be happy with the Panasonic.
   
   
   I've read a lot of reviews of this camera complaining about noisy images. One of the beauties of shooting RAW is the control that the photographer has when processing the image; I have yet to be bothered by noise. The slower the speed at which you shoot, the more noisy or "grainy" the image is - very similar to film.
   
   
   The CCD is of good size and the features are amazing for a camera in this price range. The manual controls and the options for methods of shooting are better than most. The menus are easy to read and intuitive. Some users may find the exterior controls too small to use easily (the joystick used for manual focus, for example). The tiny overall size of this camera makes it possible to carry it in-hand for much of the day.
   
   
   To improve much on what this camera offers, you will probably need to spend 3x or 4x the money, and you will have a much larger camera. I'm betting that this will be at the top of its class for a few more years, until CCDs improve. I look forward to the day when a small camera with an excellent lens can capture a 30 megapixel image. :-) ...

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Pro Reviews: Leica D-LUX 3

•   CNET     
  Leica D-Lux 3 (black)
  if you're looking for a compact camera that fits more comfortably in your jacket pocket than the smallest digital SLR will, it's an attractive alternative. more...
• No Rating The Imaging Resource     
  Leica D-LUX 3
  A successor to the existing D-LUX 2 model, the Leica D-LUX 3 is based on Panasonic's Lumix DMC-LX2 digital camera. The D-LUX 3 couples a ten megapixel imager with the same Leica-branded 4x optical zoom lens with MEGA O.I.S. image stabilisation used in the original camera. The lens yields effective... more...

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