sgilder Posted December 5, 2009 Share #1 Posted December 5, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Title says it all. My purchase of a D-lux 4 has been postponed a week or so thanks to the fine folks at paypal. In the meantime I just found the Digilux 2. It looks like I can get a 2nd hand digilux for around the same cost as a D-lux 4. I like them both, but I don't really know much about the Digilux 2. Anyone with experience with either or both please let me know what you think. Thanks, Sean Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted December 5, 2009 Posted December 5, 2009 Hi sgilder, Take a look here Help me decide! New D-lux4 or used Digilux2?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
bill Posted December 6, 2009 Share #2 Posted December 6, 2009 Title says it all. My purchase of a D-lux 4 has been postponed a week or so thanks to the fine folks at paypal. In the meantime I just found the Digilux 2. It looks like I can get a 2nd hand digilux for around the same cost as a D-lux 4. I like them both, but I don't really know much about the Digilux 2. Anyone with experience with either or both please let me know what you think. Thanks, Sean Sean, welcome. I have a D-Lux 4 and a Panasonic LC-1 which is basically the "stealth" version of the Digilux 2. The D-Lux is by far the more advanced camera, being 2 or 3 generations younger than the venerable Digilux. The sensor on the Digilux is only 5mp, and the AF is pedestrian. It predates SDHC cards, and has a fairly rudimentary EVF. It also has a small RAW buffer. BUT... It is the most intuitive, photographer-friendly digital camera I have ever come across. It's analogue controls are instinctive to use, and the lens is superlative. It is probably the first "classic" digital camera. Ultimately, they are both exceptional cameras; I would not want to give either up. ...not sure I am helping here... Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjans Posted December 6, 2009 Share #3 Posted December 6, 2009 Title says it all. My purchase of a D-lux 4 has been postponed a week or so thanks to the fine folks at paypal. In the meantime I just found the Digilux 2. It looks like I can get a 2nd hand digilux for around the same cost as a D-lux 4. I like them both, but I don't really know much about the Digilux 2. Anyone with experience with either or both please let me know what you think. Thanks, Sean I had the same question last year. Price was about the same. Finally decided to go for the Digilux 2. No regrets. A great camera with some limitations but I can live with that. This summer I took my D2 on holidays to Spain instead of my M8. Best Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Douglasco Posted December 6, 2009 Share #4 Posted December 6, 2009 I have both cameras I take the D-Lux4 for with me to most of the time , but my digilux 2 is a dream to use and to me a better all round camera with nice image quality. I hope I will always be able to have it repaired if one day it decides to stop working. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveleo Posted December 6, 2009 Share #5 Posted December 6, 2009 i have a D2 and the panasonic LX3. the LX3 is small, convenient, capable and loaded with menu options. the D2 is simply wonderful to use and produces glorious images, but is notably larger. i could only repeat what Bill said, but if i had to save only one of my (many) cameras, it would be the D2. you won't go wrong either way. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2manytoys Posted December 6, 2009 Share #6 Posted December 6, 2009 New member here. Reason why? Just bought the Panasonic LC1 (Digilux 2). Read all the reviews, weighed the pros and cons and it ended up coming down to the feel of the camera in hand, the F2.0, full manual control with rings and knobs instead of push buttons and menus. Even though it's been one day since I bought it, I think I'm more excited about this purchase than with my Canon 40D!! Got a great deal on mine I think... $350 Canadian and it came with all the original stuff plus a 2gb card, 3 batteries, a heliopan filter, car charger and a custom strap and half case made by Luigi Crescenzi. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brunop Posted December 7, 2009 Share #7 Posted December 7, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) d-lux 4. thank me later. for the color alone. but as always--it's not the arrow, it's the indian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgilder Posted December 7, 2009 Author Share #8 Posted December 7, 2009 Well, after some research and the opinions posted here I'm really digging the Digilux 2. I'm looking at a couple and have some questions: 1.Will Leica fix the sensor on a d2 if I'm not the original owner and it goes bad? 2. I'm in the US. Are there any compatibility issues that I need to be aware of if I buy one from another country, say the UK? I'm pretty sure I'll need a different battery charger, right? Thanks again for all the help. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
integrale Posted December 7, 2009 Share #9 Posted December 7, 2009 #1 I think I can answer since I had the sensor replaced this summer by Leica is detailed here: http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-forum/91126-oh-no.html. Whether the situation is the same in the US (as well as any issues under your question #2) I do not know. I have both the Digilux and the D-Lux 4, and they're quite different cameras; I think Bill has nailed it in his post above. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted December 7, 2009 Share #10 Posted December 7, 2009 If cost is not an issue, buy both! 2manytoys, welcome to the forum. I see its your first post. Nothing will cause me to abandon my Digilux 2 for all the reasons voiced in this forum; it is use most days, around the house and family. sgilder, enjoy your D2, but do spend time searching this forum for Digilux 2 threads. It is imperative that you visit Thorsten Overgaard's website, the one dedicated to that camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted December 7, 2009 Share #11 Posted December 7, 2009 If you worry about the sensor, get one that has a replaced sensor. Leica has made a commitment to replace sensors on the D2 until 2011, so I am somewhat reassured. My first D2 still has the original sensor. The thought of having to miss my favorite camera for a few weeks was one of the reasons I picked up a second one with a replaced sensor. So now after buying the first one in August, I am the happy owner of two D2's! IMO a d-lux4 would always be a secondary camera if I had one. The only advantage I see is that it is smaller and lighter, so it makes a better camera that can be always with you. This is only a small advantage to me because a D2 is not that heavy. The balance is perfect when hanging on the straps, much better than my old Nikon D70. Carrying it all day on a city trip is no trouble at all. After reading much about D2 and alternatives, I came to the conclusion here is nothing (yet) on the market at any price to replace the D2 on its major strengths (in random order): - small P&S are not in the same league of IQ. And if they do, they have a fixed length lens. - DSLRs, even in 3/4 format are bulkier and often not as intuitive to operate. You would have to buy a prime lens costing many times the price of a D2 to match the quality of the F2.0 Summicron on the D2. - Digital M8 en M9 share the same intuitive operation (i guess, because I never owned one) and they can yield better quality. But there are no zoom lenses available and a set of lenses matching the D2 zoom quality would cost a fortune. Even if you would own such a set it would not be a full replacement for the zoom on the D2. This is a big issue to me on a digital camera because experience with my D70 made me reluctant to change lenses in open air. No matter how careful you do it, there is a good chance your sensor will have collected some dust if you change a lens in windy conditions. It is great having a camera now that has a sensor as clean as the day it left the factory. - If you want large DOF, like for street photography, you can do that on F2.8 to F4. AFAIK There is no camera in the same quality range offering the same DOF this fast. It is a mystery to me why no manufacturer has seen the strength of this package and made a worthy successor to the D2. My whish list would be all the strengths mentioned above with: 1. 10 or 12 MP 2. usable ISO 400 or even 1200 3. Larger memory buffer for RAW 4. high resolution, fast EVF, much more important to me than the LCD on the back Strangely enough I would probably not want to give up any of the strengths of the D2 for one of those nice to haves. It will not be easy. For example the X1 fails to deliver on the zoom... So it looks like I will be shooting 5MP photo's with my D2 for a while.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bill Posted December 7, 2009 Share #12 Posted December 7, 2009 Leica has made a commitment to replace sensors on the D2 until 2011, so I am somewhat reassured. ...that's the first I have heard of a deadline... can you quote your source for that? IMO a d-lux4 would always be a secondary camera if I had one. The only advantage I see is that it is smaller and lighter, so it makes a better camera that can be always with you. If you did have one, you would understand The advantages go far beyond compactness. It is a mystery to me why no manufacturer has seen the strength of this package and made a worthy successor to the D2. My wish list would be all the strengths mentioned above with: 1. 10 or 12 MP 2. usable ISO 400 or even 1200 3. Larger memory buffer for RAW 4. high resolution, fast EVF, much more important to me than the LCD on the back Couldn't agree more Regards, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Thawley Posted December 8, 2009 Share #13 Posted December 8, 2009 Digilux 2. A picture is worth a thousand words. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpitt Posted December 8, 2009 Share #14 Posted December 8, 2009 ...that's the first I have heard of a deadline... can you quote your source for that? Sorry Bill as usual when you search for something on the web you won't find it! I think I saw it on this forum somewhere. And it seems logical to me that there will be a limit to the extended repair program because supply of the sensors used in the Digilux 2 must be limited too. If you did have one, you would understand The advantages go far beyond compactness. Hey, I did not mean to be disrespectful. What I wanted to say was that if I had both of them with me I would probably use the Digilux2. But because of its size the D-lux4 will have a greater chance of being with me Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlosecpf Posted December 8, 2009 Share #15 Posted December 8, 2009 Hi John, the image you posted here is amazing. AMAZING! Really. If I didn't have a D2 as well, I would think you have mistakenly uploaded a photo captured by your 5D MII! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Thawley Posted December 8, 2009 Share #16 Posted December 8, 2009 Hi John, the image you posted here is amazing. AMAZING! Really. If I didn't have a D2 as well, I would think you have mistakenly uploaded a photo captured by your 5D MII! Thanks, Carlos. If it weren't for the struggle of liking different images for different reasons, this is probably my favorite racing image of 2009. And I'll be honest with you, the 5D MK11 can not top the IQ of this photo... not in this or the next lifetime. Not going to happen. Every time I come across this photo I stop and shake my head. And, I'll tell you... I don't feel bad admiring it... the composition is not "all that." Beyond the opportunity, it's the image quality that makes this photo what it is. Though I do get a kick out of overcoming the extra challenge doing this stuff with a Digilux 2 presents. Thanks, JT Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveleo Posted December 9, 2009 Share #17 Posted December 9, 2009 hey John T .... i also have a D2 .... but i don't have ANY images like that one .... nice piece of work. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgilder Posted December 10, 2009 Author Share #18 Posted December 10, 2009 All right, enough! You guys have convinced me. Heck, I'm surprised Thorsten and John aren't on the Leica payroll! Now I just have to find one of the darn things. Looking at a couple, but if I wait much longer I'm afraid I'll lose all sense of perspective and place a ridiculous bid and end up paying M prices for a 5 year old 5MP compact camera! (not that it wouldn't be worth it, right;) If anyone's looking for a good home for a D2, please let me know. I really am running out of time to find one. I'm leaving at the end of the month for a 4 month business trip and would really like to have my digilux 2 before I go, not to mention having it in time for the holidays! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stelyn Posted December 10, 2009 Share #19 Posted December 10, 2009 Digilux 2. A picture is worth a thousand words. The driver seems so focused, framed by exotic materials, beautifully utilitarian engineering, air ducts and black blacks, it totally evokes the sport. Such a good picture. High-stakes motor sport done justice. Thanks for posting it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
prk60091 Posted December 11, 2009 Share #20 Posted December 11, 2009 i sold my D2 to buy the Dlux4 about a year ago. the D2 definitely took better photos - that lens was superb. However I often left the D2 home because it was too heavy for me and that was the motivating factor in buying the dlux4. the Dlux4 is small and takes outstanding photos. as the saying goes.. the best camera is the one you have on you. i find i have the dlux4 on me more than i ever had the d2. be aware the d2 takes forever to save a photo (if shooting in raw) i am now selling some stuff to finance the purchase of an x1 and will be selling the dlux4 soon you will enjoy both Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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