X Vario or Dlux 109 for kids

[goatsby]

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I know the topic of the XV versus the D'Lux 109 has been discussed here many times already, but I'm curious about one specific aspect between the two cameras. I recently sold my Q which was my go to camera for family shots and have been using my trusty XV since. The autofocus is a bit slow for grabbing shots of the children with consistency. I have had the XV for many years as my primary landscape camera, but am thinking of grabbing a D'Lux 109 for family and general purpose use.

 

My questions are; is the DLux's autofocus faster than the XV, and will going to the DLux bring a massive (or slight) downgrade in image quality? Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

Thank everyone,

 

Adam

[ropo54]

Adam,

 

I had a D Lux 109 for a short period of time before selling it. I never liked the user interface with the menu it uses, which is very unlike the X menus.  It will focus fairly quickly, will do better in low light, but I never printed to be able to comment on its final output compared to the X Vario.

 

Rob

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[Jethro]

Hi Adam,

 

I also recently owned both the X Vario and the D Lux 109, liking each immensely for what they could deliver. Like you, I found the X Vario impressive for landscapes (I used it last year in the Dolomites and the images were so crisp). I recently bought the D Lux 109 for a study trip to Italy, in which I was teaching thirty students in Florence, Padua and Venice. I need something much lighter and all-purpose than my M system, no time to change lenses when you are climbing and explaining great buildings!

 

I have to say I was mightily impressed by the D Lux 109. Yes it's a Panasonic collaboration, but great in low light, fast focus (I found) and a seriously sharp and bright lens at all focal lengths, 24-75mm (equivalent). I took numerous photos of my students moving around in situ (which I think relevant to your enquiry about kid photos), as well as works of art and architectural vistas and details and the vast majority of images were keepers. I attach one hasty handheld photo taken across Florence near dusk to give you a sense of its natural reading of things. Obviously this massively compressed for the post.

 

postscript: I traded in the XV last year towards an updated M, and the camera store ascertained it had dust on the sensor which Leica agreed to clean for free, a little embarrassed I imagine about this design fault. That is the one caveat for both cameras, that these zoom lenses with time can or are likely (it would seem from wide comments on the web) to draw in dust, necessitating a Leica cleaning (which for the 109 would be done for free for its first three guaranteed years). My worry about the dust sensor issue means that I have since traded in my 109 towards an X 113. Do I miss the 109? Yes definitely, it's so much more than a compact and the image quality is scarily good.

 

Hope that helps.

 

all best, Jethro

[goatsby]

Thanks Rob (hello by the way!) and Jethro, I appreciate your thoughts on this!