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Digilux 2 is the most talked about and loved camera here - but is it justified?


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I own a Digilux 2, I bought it from new because it had a fast lens (at the time) and I did not want an interchangeable lens because I foreshore problems with dust on sensors (there was no ultra-sound when the Digilux 2 was launched).

 

Today that 5mp camera is techniaclly outclassed by the D-Lux 5 in every way, everyone here says how good the lens of the Digilux 2 is compared to the competition but I don't see this can be measured since the 5mp sensor has to be the limiting factor. The camera is only really usable at 100ASA go any higher and you get lots of grain as you do in a lot of, but not all low light conditions.

 

Don't get me wrong I love this camera and the reason I have not upgraded is because I want a zoom and the X1 is not a zoom camera. I want a viewfinder and the D-Lux 5 does not have a built in viewfinder, So why don't I buy a V-Lux 3?

 

I can only think of one reason... snob value, the V-Lux does not look or feel like a Leica and I suspect that many here will not buy the V-Lux 3 for the same reason. Its lens whilst not as fast will not be a disadvantage at low light because modern sensors are better. DOF will be a problem, but in most circumstances you can decrease the dof by increasing the focal length.

 

So have I answered my own question, I don't think so I can justify holding on to my Digilux 2, but I think it is a case of the emperors new clothes were we are all deluding ourselves as to how good it is. I think the allure of the Digilux 2 is that we don't always need the quality that most modern cameras are capable of consequently we are are free to use a camera that we are really comfortable using and as a result produce better compositions.

 

Am I talking rubbish?

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Part of the issue is the mega pixel race, much like the audio amploifier watt race of three or four decades back -- If the design is executed well enough watts or mega pixels are only part of the story.

 

Some of the charm and magic of the D2 is its having all classinc controls, rather than having to go in and out of menues. It certainly is far from perfect, but I for one have learned to live with its limitations and carry it with me every day.

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Part of the issue is the mega pixel race, much like the audio amploifier watt race of three or four decades back -- If the design is executed well enough watts or mega pixels are only part of the story.

 

Some of the charm and magic of the D2 is its having all classinc controls, rather than having to go in and out of menues. It certainly is far from perfect, but I for one have learned to live with its limitations and carry it with me every day.

 

I could not agree more. Once one drop out the Mega Pixel race, the pixel peeping paranoia and starts paying attention to the basics of photography, the Digilux 2 becomes an incredible companion. There is more to a camera than IQ alone and several people realized that a D2 might deliver enough for most of their photographic needs, despite of its old and noisy 5MP sensor.

 

I own several cameras but I keep coming back to my D2. Every time I use it, it brings a smile to my face. It just feels right in my hand, has plenty of manual controls and makes me enjoy the photographic process in a way other cameras can't. And because photography is just a hobby of mine, having fun with my camera is a key aspect of my overall experience.

 

I like this camera so much that I have recently set a 365 challenge to myself: use only my D2 and LC1 for one year. I just want to see if it is enough camera for ALL my photographic and printing needs.

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Going pragmatic, as long as you keep your printing plans around 8x11, D2 is unparalleled. The sensor uses only the central part of an already superior lens and that means getting the lens's region of top performance, the overall design is M-like and, frankly, 100 ASA has been most Leica enthusiasts' slide film of preference.

 

Elaborating printing, there is a practical discussion in this forum (http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m9-forum/130720-m9-faqs-frequently-asked-questions-answers-2.html) on how to estimate the best print size. For D2, that gives, for viewing distances of 12, 24, and 48, printing size of about 6x9, 12x20, and 24x36, respectively.

 

Paul

Edited by atournas
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The "MegaPixel"-race has turned into a "MegaPixel"-madness!

1/2.3" sensors with 16 MPix?? Crazy!

My NEX-7 with 24 MPix! Even that is mad. (But not as bad as with the small sensors. ;))

 

Anyway, from a certain level on, it is no longer important how many additional MPix there are, it's much more important what a cam feels like in your hands. And when it comes to "haptics" the Digilux 2 is fantastic. I would even say on par with my NEX-7 and almost with an M9!

 

A "Digilux 2.2" with a 2/3" 8 MPix sensor and modern anti-noise algorithms would be something like my dream camera!

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I regret selling my LC-1. Nothing digital I have had before or since fitted the hand quite so well, offered instinctive analogue controls and a superlative piece of glass in a light and compact package.

 

However I now have a GXR and find it with the M-Mount A12 the closest of the current crop to the LC-1 in shooting experience and results - glass dependent of course ;)

 

More here: Rangefound: Replacement therapy

 

This is what I am getting:

 

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Bill

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The Digilux 2 has a remarkable lens, but the camera is frustratingly slow when shooting and writing RAW. I just sold mine, I had one for almost two years, and while I loved the image quality, it's lack of responsiveness made me curse that camera everytime I used it. I'm not a machine gunner by any stretch of the imagination, but it's still way too slow. Tripodded up at 100 ISO, wow. Used with a flash or radio flash...slow, but again, image quality, unreal.

 

An amazing camera in 2005, one sadly replaced by the disappointing and abandoned

4/3rd Digilux 3 (The D Series...we hardly knew ya).

 

I'd buy a Digilux 4, if it had the same kind of design as a Digilux 2, with an attached 28-90 f2 lens and a modern sensor, in heartbeat.

 

Jay

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Yes, Digilux 2 (D2) is very slow when shooting RAW. But speaking about everything else, especially ISO, it is quite good machine if we compare it to much more modern DSLR or mirorless.

 

What I mean is the exampe:

take sony nex and 50mm (75mm on FF) prime lens and shoot it handheld. You can get max shutter speed about ~1/60- 1/80sec, before it get blurry because of vibration. More or less the same with dslr cameras.If You take D2, you can get sharp image @90mm with 1/8sec. shutter speed (because it has no moving parts in front of sensor). You just don't need high iso, to get sharp image HANDHELD. If I use my nex with 50mm summicron-R@f2, I need to boost ISO up to 800-1600 in dark places, but with D2 it can be at ISO 100/200 everytime.

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yes, justified.

 

going out the door into an unknown shooting environment, some single or group of digilux 2 features will almost certainly enable you to bring back a usable/interesting/high IQ image (yes, 5mp) with f2 summicron quality, somewhere between 28-90 fov, maybe close up with macro, maybe with a bit of bounce or direct flash, and a bit of auto-focus to help catch fast moving kids, bikes, cars or animals, for an investment today below €500.

 

the weak points are well known but, to concentrate on the positives, look at the range of images you can get with the camera as is. :)

 

JMHO

 

gruesse

 

rick

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I'd buy a Digilux 4, if it had the same kind of design as a Digilux 2, with an attached 28-90 f2 lens and a modern sensor, in heartbeat.

 

Thinking a little more about it, I'd buy a Digilux 4 if it had the SAME sensor, just faster processing, so you could do the burst mode with RAW files.

 

I can also attest that there is NO vibration from the shutter and it is just this side of completely silent.

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I enjoy and appreciate my Digilux 2 camera for all the reasons already advanced. So my comment is mainly to do with its relevance to one's personal photography. I argue that if the camera met your needs when you bought it, given sustained good working condition, it will still perform as well today.

 

Mine is mainly used for personal family pictures, preferably shooting Raw format. For sequence or quick fire photography, I change to Jpeg format. So I optimise its use to give me optimum results.

 

A final word on the somewhat critical views of its 5mp sensor. In its day, the results outclassed all other comparable sensor-equipped cameras. The pixel count set the practical upper limit on print sizes (truly excellent 10x8 or 12x10 prints with skilled processing). Only if you need much larger output does the smaller sensor show its limitations. For personal use, most pictures are delivered digitally and my personal prints are up to A4 size giving complete satisfaction.

 

I own and use more current Leica cameras. But I never fail to smile at the pleasure of the Digilux 2's analogue controls, so smooth and effective. So, accept it for its unquestioned strengths and move on if your needs are greater.

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There's no particular reason why Panasonic can't upgrade the LC1/D2 with a more modern sensor, viewfinder and electronics. The lens and the controls should remain the same, as they had it right. And I ought to get off my backside and get the sensor repaired in mine!

 

Chris

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Provided you stick to ISO 100 - and using the lens wide open, you can do this in a lot of situations - the D2 provides remarkable quality. I don't make huge prints and at a normal enlargement scale the D2's images are tremendous. The JPEGs are excellent and seem to me to have a genuinely film-like character. I'd prefer a 40mm-equivalent prime lens but the D2 zoom is one of the best lenses I have come across in 4 decades of photography. The camera is very quick in use, and I put that down to the analogue dials and intuitive handling. I know pixel counts and feature lists have grown exponentially since the D2 was introduced, but design and handling qualities have declined in the camera business. The D2 is elegant, simple and - like the Epson R-D1 - can be used more or less like a film camera that 'gets out of the way' and helps you see good pictures. I wish Leica would update it. A 40mm prime option would be great alongside the 28-90 zoom; plus a better EVF and maybe 10Mp. Otherwise I wouldn't change a thing.

 

All the best to everyone

IanC

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100% cropping from an unprocessed 3.7-MB jpeg with D2 at 50mm, 1/200, f/5.0, ISO 100.

 

Paul

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Edited by atournas
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