TEBnewyork Posted January 23, 2007 Share #21  Posted January 23, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Scott... I don't think your image stabilizer is broken...I don't think you arent pushing the shutter release correctly....I think its the camera...I had the exact same problem....I eventually sent my d-lux 3 back to Leica to evaluate it...They checked it out and wrote me that they set the camera to Factory specs....I tried the camera out and it still looked soft to me.... I found that up close ..it seems to take nice sharp images....as you move away...the pics seem soft....I felt this was somehow due to the noise reduction....I have found that using some posp sharpening improves the images.... I was dissapointed with this...but if you look on this website ..you will see good images....Shot at iso 100 close up and most with pp.... If that works for you great...if you want to be able to take pics on your camping trips with your family and have the pics look good with not much pp...then I would get another camera.. You will have people post pics here to show you how good the camera is...but they will probably be B&W....and fairly close up.. Id like to see some pics of people, family,in color....from about 6-7 feet not in bright sunlight...and not iso 100....and no pp... They will look soft... I don't want to bash the camera ....I like it..it is an interesting camera and can take some great images..but it isn't perfect and it isnt for everyone... Par 70 I've read some of your other posts about this camera and I am confused. In some posts you talk about the problems with the camera and in others you speak about really liking the camera but in the end sold it but will miss it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 23, 2007 Posted January 23, 2007 Hi TEBnewyork, Take a look here D-Lux 3 looks soft. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Par70 Posted January 23, 2007 Share #22 Â Posted January 23, 2007 Terry... Â Don't be confused...I do like a lot of features of the camera....and I did sell mine....on ebay...(for a nice profit)...but that was a bonus...because I would have sold it anyway... I decided to wait for the Dlux-4...and I am hoping that the next generation will address some of the problems with this one.. I would have loved to keep it and use it..but it didn't work for me in recreational photography...I dont want to carry two cameras with me on vacations...that would defeat the point of carying this small camera...When taking pictures of people I meet..or family pics on vacation the camera didnt perform well....The pics are watercolor like unless I get up close...and no one wants pics taken that close....and the flash is inadequate at small distances...taking a group picture from a distance looks soft.... So...don't be confused...I like the idea...it just isnt working for me..and when I see a post with someone having the exact same problems...I just would like them to know that they are not alone... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 23, 2007 Share #23 Â Posted January 23, 2007 Howard, I don't agree - the top photo has bits in focus, doesn't it? Could the problem be that the camera hasn't been focussed on the target? Peter-- I think you may be right. I need to get my eyes checked. Â Could be that Scott didn't choose a focus point--but then how did the camera focus where it seems to have done, on the dog's chain? Â Scott-- Are you possibly using spot focus? Are you locking focus with the AF-lock button? Â I think we can't really make valid comments without knowing more about how you are using it--RAW, JPG, ISO, AF, MF etc. Â Perhaps the best thing is to send it off and ask Leica to put it into factory spec. Maybe your results will be similar to Michael C's. Â My personal results from the D-Lux 2 have been exactly the opposite of what Michael C repeatedly says: I almost never do any postprocessing, and most of my pictures are at medium to far distances, not close. Â Michael C-- How can you say that most pics from the D-Lux 2 and D-Lux 3 are post processed? Â --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Par70 Posted January 23, 2007 Share #24 Â Posted January 23, 2007 Howard.. Â I'm going by what I've read and looked at on this and other BB....The best and sharpest images I've seen were pp.... Can you post some of your images...I'd like to see them....I look forward to getting another D-lux.....but I need to see some improvement first... Thats just me....like I said...some people seem perfectly happy...The camera suits their needs.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Par70 Posted January 23, 2007 Share #25 Â Posted January 23, 2007 Howard... Â Have you seen these..by Jim Radcliffe ? I think they are amazing... I am pretty sure that Jim does some pp.. Â Â http://www.boxedlight.com/Leicasonic/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 24, 2007 Share #26 Â Posted January 24, 2007 I'm going by what I've read and looked at on this and other BB....The best and sharpest images I've seen were pp....Can you post some of your images... Michael-- Thanks for the response. I've found that most of my Leica shots need minimal or no postprocessing, and was just wondering how you could find otherwise. But my camera is the D-Lux 2, not the D-Lux 3, so perhaps that should be taken into account. Â As you say, some of us are happy with the little camera and others aren't. Maybe it's a difference in quality control, maybe in your/my demands. Â I don't want to get into an argument; I only speak from my experience, which is different from yours. Â I don't feel my pictures are helpful in trying to solve Scott's problem. My only public postings currently are two pictures at Flickr: Photos from ho co. Tripod, ISO Auto, AF, AE; RAW, 8 sec @ ISO 80. The wider one was at full wide 6.3mm and f/2.8. The tighter one at 10.8 mm and f/3.6. Â ACR + CS2. In ACR I adjusted chromatic aberration. No processing after exiting ACR. Â --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Par70 Posted January 24, 2007 Share #27 Â Posted January 24, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) Howard... No argument here... I'm just writing what I've seen......I have no hidden agenda...just trying to help Scott get all sides to this question....My experiences are what they are... Â I thought you wrote that you take lots of images from a distance,,, thats where I had the most trouble... especially with faces... Thats why I wanted to see your images... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted January 24, 2007 Share #28 Â Posted January 24, 2007 I thought you wrote that you take lots of images from a distance,,,thats where I had the most trouble... especially with faces... Thats why I wanted to see your images... I'm satisfied with the sharpness in the two pics linked above. Â But again, I very seldom shoot people, so my experiences really don't help with this problem. Â --HC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share #29 Â Posted January 24, 2007 Well, after looking through a lot of photos, these are a good representation. 100 ISO. Â There seem to be a lot of auto focus options. Does anyone prefer one over the other? Â Metering? Â The photos were taken the middle auto focus option, the rectangle with the small recatngle inside. Â Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted January 24, 2007 Author Share #30 Â Posted January 24, 2007 As Peter just posted, I wonder if it is just a basic focus issue. The photos were taken using auto focus with the black rectangle in the center, no "H". Should I be using another selection? Should I use the one with the "H"? Â Also going to try lowering noise reduction, since some think the softness might be a result of that function. Â I read on an other bulletin board about this problem, some said the fix for this problem was "counter-intuitive". Â I'll report back. Scott Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ECliffordSmith Posted January 26, 2007 Share #31  Posted January 26, 2007 Hi Scott,  I would try the various focus modes if I were you. The 'H' mode should be for a higher speed focus.  I have the D-Lux 2 but have put some links to images below that show the soft and sharp results that can be obtained the exposure details are displayed each image. The other settings are all standard. These are all JPEGs with no PP.  In my opinion there is a stark contrast between the results but they are all taken with the same camera and all taken by myself. The common factor I believe is near inifniy focus not properly locking on anything and very small apertures. With the DOF these cameras produce I find a middle aperture and a closer properly locked focus point yield better results.  Please provide more of your exposure details and results.  These I consider to be sharp (please let me know if you disgree):  Close Up:  73044638 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  69585981 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  69644026 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  Distant:  65375754 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  65377455 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  65377445 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  65377440 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  65375691 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  And these are on the soft side:  66984900 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  66984901 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com  66934704 photo - ecliffordsmith photos at pbase.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mhanke Posted January 26, 2007 Share #32  Posted January 26, 2007 Especially after comparing my D-Lux 3's output with that of my Casio Exilim EX-P700, I only can sing highest praise for the Leica. Both, optically and ergonomically, it is the superior product, and delivers sharp and well-exposed pics.  Here are a few pics - together with 100% crops - that I had posted on the German forum:  Comparison of noise reduction settings  Crops of many details  Good contrast and sharpness, crop  I do not use the RAW mode, since the D-Lux is my point-and-shoot camera. For "real photography", I still use my analogue M's. Consequently, I set the camera to Jpeg, least compression, ASA 100, center-weighted measuring.  Regards, Marcus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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