So what can a D-Lux 4 really do?....

[cobbslane]

Admit it, if you are like me, a Leica fan, then having done the usual search of the LX3 tests and been frustrated at the lack of true D-Lux 4 images, you simply placed your faith in the brand and took the plunge. Of course, the outline spec was already satisfactory to you but it was difficult to see just what the D-Lux 4 (or LX3) was truly capable of in the hands of a competent photographer. Flickr only goes so far...
In my search though I came across the following blog:

Laurence Kim Photography Blog

It is run by pro photographer Laurence Kim. He has two sites - one of which is this blog. He is a very capable wedding and social photographer working out of Seattle and he takes an open minded and honest view of the LX3 using some of the techniques available to him from his pro experience. The resultant images are quite stunning in my opinion as an ex- social photographer myself. See for yourself.

The review is in three parts so start at the foot of the page and work up. Each makes for a very entertaining read. It sort of justifies our decision don't you think!

Gerry

[jimbo035]

If you want to see what a D-Lux 4 can really do try this URL
Leica D-Lux 4 Photography by Jim Radcliffe

I am so glad I chose the D-Lux 4 over the LX3 !

[kalina]

Originally Posted by cobbslane

Admit it, if you are like me, a Leica fan, then having done the usual search of the LX3 tests and been frustrated at the lack of true D-Lux 4 images, you simply placed your faith in the brand and took the plunge. Of course, the outline spec was already satisfactory to you but it was difficult to see just what the D-Lux 4 (or LX3) was truly capable of in the hands of a competent photographer. Flickr only goes so far...
In my search though I came across the following blog:

Laurence Kim Photography Blog

It is run by pro photographer Laurence Kim. He has two sites - one of which is this blog. He is a very capable wedding and social photographer working out of Seattle and he takes an open minded and honest view of the LX3 using some of the techniques available to him from his pro experience. The resultant images are quite stunning in my opinion as an ex- social photographer myself. See for yourself.

The review is in three parts so start at the foot of the page and work up. Each makes for a very entertaining read. It sort of justifies our decision don't you think!

Gerry

I've read a number of pages of Laurence's blog, which is great. It convinced me to buy an LX3, which I owned for a few months before I sold it and got my D-Lux 4. Keep in mind, though, that he is a pro, so he knows how to coax the best possible images out of any camera. My guess is he could probably take great pics with much less powerful cameras than the LX3/D-Lux 4. I have to wonder, though, how many pics he takes in order to arrive at each photo in his blog.

Some points to consider

[roberts2424]

Be sure to concentrate on the firmware. It's different between the D-Lux 4 and the LX3. The differences are mostly subtle. But, they were enough for me to go with the D-Lux 4. Plus, if you don't have anything for Raw Leica includes Phase One's Capture One.

The LX3 comes with a built-in grip where as the DL4 does not unless you buy one. Also, check out the menu systems. The DL4 is more intuitive and photographic.

[earleygallery]

I've seen images from both cameras and I really cannot see any difference between them. Where does it say officially anything about firmware differences? It's heresay.

[jimbo035]

Originally Posted by earleygallery

I've seen images from both cameras and I really cannot see any difference between them. Where does it say officially anything about firmware differences? It's heresay.

If you care to look here :
Leica D-Lux 4 Reviews

and have patience to read all that's written there, you will find this :

"Regarding color matching, contrast and picture definition, Leica Camera AG has developed its own profile. This is consistent with the picture characteristics that are well known to Leica System Camera customers from their use in combination with professional film materials and specialist development laboratories."

[kalina]

I'm surprised some smart engineer hasn't already reverse-engineered the LX3 and D-Lux 4 by now to see what the differences really are. If I take pictures from each camera side by side and study them in photoshop, maybe there is some way of creating a template or set of actions that take you from an LX3 picture (with all its color, contrast, etc settings) to a D-Lux 4 picture.

[rob_x2004]

Floggin a dead horse. Press releases and heresay. "If" there are any differences they are so close to be well and truly overlapped by teh effect of conditions you find on the day and digital workflow.

[rob_x2004]

One thing people do tend to gloss over, if you use the earlier versions of the camera in inclement and changing conditions it is really susceptible to lens fog, or more so than other cameras I have toted. I doubt that will change with the new one. This construction quality myth is a bit of a giggle.

[jimbo035]

Originally Posted by rob_x2004

Floggin a dead horse. Press releases and heresay. "If" there are any differences they are so close to be well and truly overlapped by teh effect of conditions you find on the day and digital workflow.

The D-lux4 vs Panasonic LX3 photos on this URL may not affect your opinion, but take a look anyway. (Im sure others in the same dilemma will have checked them out)

Life is Good!: Panasonic LX3 vs Leica DLux4, Part 1

[Essemmlee]

As a D-Lux 4 owner, with a good friend who has a LX3, I can say categorically that I can not tell the photos from each camera apart no matter how much I deconstruct them in Photoshop. I'd love to sing the praises of the Leica in IQ terms but I can't.

However, the sheer joy of working with this camera is worth the extra few pounds/euros/dollars, to me anyway.

[rob_x2004]

Jim I'll give you a heads up. Type ianho in the search function a little underneath the buy and sell button. Open one of Ians threads, then click on ianho_, view public profile, show all statisics, find all posts by ian ho. That should bring you up to speed.

If I recall Ian put some not so comparable images together from both cameras then set about in a more controlled fashion and loaded them onto that URL you found.

Have fun
Rgds

[kalina]

How a camera feels in your hand is very important. My hand is 7" from the first crease of my wrist to the tip of my middle finger. This makes the small, sleek D-Lux 4 perfect for me. I found the LX3 with the built-in grip to be easier to hold when taking self-portraits, but bulkier in my hand. I think for most D-Lux 4 users a grip might be a worthwhile accessory since I have a few friends with bigger hands than mine complain that they could easily see themselves dropping the D-Lux 4 because it's thin and small.

[bill]

Originally Posted by kalina

How a camera feels in your hand is very important...

This is a much-overlooked aspect of the overall experience. I have large hands, and as a result have an Abrahamsson Rapidgrip on my M7, Luigi half-cases on my M2 and II and the grip on my D-Lux 4. One of the deciding factors for me between the D2 and the LC-1 was the built in grip on the LC-1. If a camera doesn't handle right for you, it does have an effect on the end result. I bought my D-Lux 4 - having handled an LX-3 - because I liked the idea of having a separate, larger grip and it certainly transformed the handling. My first outing with the camera - before the grip was available - was to Brighton Pier on a freezing cold day and I did not feel either safe or comfortable using it au naturel.

As to whether or not there is a difference in the firmware between the Panasonic and Leica variants of the same camera, I neither know nor really care - my eyeballs are not sensitive enough to tell the difference, and I suspect, as Rob suggests, there are too many other variables in play to really allow any minor tweaks to make a significant (or even measurable) difference to the final outputs.

"A difference that makes no difference is no difference." - You pays yer money and you takes yer choice. Whichever you have, use it in good health and don't worry about it.

Regards,

Bill

[kalina]

I will admit that I got sucked into "the Leica magic" concept just a little (okay, more than a little), but this was based on my experience that it's always best to have the best tools available to do a job than something that's almost-there.

When I was producing music, I had this crazy notion that I could use all of these hardware and software synths to simulate getting a certain instrument sound (the Roland TB-303 bassline sound) so I've spent thousands of dollars on alternate gear to try to get that sound when the solution was right in front of me all along... plop down a little more money than usual and just buy the damn thing. The best way to produce the sound I wanted was to just go to the source of the sound. It's the same way with me and cameras. That's why I have a Nikon F100, D300, Hasselblad 501, and Leica D-Lux 4. All represent the best or pretty much the best in their class, in my opinion. If you can afford the best, why not just get the best?

[ianho_]

Originally Posted by rob_x2004

Jim I'll give you a heads up. Type ianho in the search function a little underneath the buy and sell button. Open one of Ians threads, then click on ianho_, view public profile, show all statisics, find all posts by ian ho. That should bring you up to speed.

If I recall Ian put some not so comparable images together from both cameras then set about in a more controlled fashion and loaded them onto that URL you found.

Have fun
Rgds

?????? I never posted any "not so comparable images". It was some other fella who posted some pics which were taken with different cam settings on both LX3 n DL4. My comparison pics of LX3 n DL4 are done with the same exact settings, jpegs straight out of SD card without editing or tweaks.

[luxius]

I have a d lux 4 since saturday. I'm having problem with the focus.
It is posible that this camera does not have a good definition of the object?
Otherwise, the range of the manual focus is very bad. from to meters to infinity there is nothing. I have an older compact from sony that have more options for the manual operation of the focus. I'm very disappointed with this function.
In macro every compact camera works well. The important range starts in between 2 meters to 10, and there I have no choices. If anybody can tell me something about this, I will be grateful. Regards, Luigi