P & S camera

[Cal]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a new P & S camera and I'm considering either the Leica D Lux 5 or the new Fujifilm X10. I know there are cheaper options out there but I'm attracted to the retro design, size and build quality of both. Does anyone here have first hand experience with either one?

Thanks

[John Z Goriup]

Jeff,

I've been using a D-Lux-4 for a couple of years now and have been completely satisfied with it.............except for one thing: its lens is "only" a 24-60mm optical only zoom, (no electronic zoom ) and for a large portion of automotive shots I like to take, well, that just wasn't sufficient. Mind you though, the image quality that little camera delivers is quite astounding. Bought a D-Lux 5 a few months ago to get the benefit of the new and improved ( how I despise that phrase ) 24-90 zoom and was very happy with it. Sharp images, excellent color fidelity, good ISO performance up to about 800, very intuitive to use & handle.........but, at the end of the day, still a D-4 essentially, with a bit more reach. If the D-Lux-5 is the one that rings your bell, ( the D-Lux-4 has been discontinued ) I suggest that you will want to equip the D5 with the optional Leica grip and the Panasonic electronic viewfinder. It makes the whole arrangement that much more flexible and easier to compose & use. Unlike the cameras, where there are other, significant differences, the viewfinder merely has the red Leica logo on it and is much more than the absolutely identical Panasonic part.

All that having been said, last weekend I picked up the latest Leica P & S, the newly released V-Lux-3. It's still under a thousand bucks, it's a little bigger, BUT, you get 12.2 MP, an astonishingly good and sharp Leica f2.8 to f5.2 24mm-600mm optical zoom ( yes, a 24 : 1 zoom ratio ) a very comfortably shaped body which requires no external auxiliary grip, a built-in electric viewfinder with adjustable diopter, a swiveling LCD screen and a lens shade. It won't fit in your shirt pocket, but if that's an important criteria in your decision, I respectfully suggest the newest Iphone, since its on-board camera is probably as good as the great bulk of P&S cameras available except the above mentioned Leicas.

For me, the 24mm to 600mm fully optical, coated zoom lens was a revelation. To help visualize the incredible range and to demonstrate the image quality of this quite extra-ordinary lens, I have attached four completely unaltered shots I took yesterday, while playing with my new V-Lux-3:

1. Through the window my favorite breakfast place at 24mm. Note the silver gray Mercedes in the dead center of the photo, and especially the redwood, roofed mailbox and parking meter by the front wheel / fender.

2. Identical shot, without moving the camera, but at the fully extended 600mm. That's the mailbox, the parking meter & front wheel / fender........you can tell there's 40 minutes left on the meter.

3. Please note the brown metallic Subaru Forester, dead center in the photo, in the large parking lot, shot at 24mm.

4. Again, with out changing camera position, an uncropped photo of a part of my Subaru, this time taken at the 600mm max.

5. For comparison's sake, a D-Lux-5 photo of a Bizzarini GT at Fantasy Junction.

Shots 1 through 4 and more like them were enough to convince me to go with the V-Lux-3, if for no other reason of the huge advantage of not having to schlepp my big & heavy DSLR for anything but serious shootjng.

There is a lot of skeptical discussion out there about the price difference between the Leicas ( D-4, D-5 and the V-Lux-3 ) vs. the Panasonics these Leicas are based upon, but I feel the Leica software, which makes for demonstrably better image quality, and the included Lightroom 3 and or Elements 8 included with the V-3 is worth going with the Leicas. For casual shooting, you can now have a camera in the form of the V-3 which comes very close to being a legitimate substitute for an entry level DSLR at lower cost, with much more flexibility, virtually equivalent image quality to DSLRs, all in one package.

The choice is yours of course, depending on your needs, but based on my personal experinces, I highly recommend the Leica D-Lux-5 or the V-Lux-3.

[Daniel Klajmic]

D-Lux 5!!!
I have one and it works great...I also have a X100 but never used a x10.
I think the D-Lux is a great PS ,it will do very well everything its supposed to...
Cheers!!!

[Reza]

i bot a canon g12 and was not impressed. shutter delay amd the feel of the shutter button is flimsy. also slow.

i think a new fuji was released last week?

[Cal]

Thanks for the advise guys. I've always admired your photos and keen eye John.....top notch stuff.

I ended up saving a couple of bucks and bought a second hand Leica d'lux 4 in mint/new condition at a great price. Looking forward to using it this spring/summer at some of the local P gatherings.