Digilux 3 or M8

[fielden]

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I currently have a dlux2 which I am absolutely delighted with but I am considering upgrading to a digilux 3 or an M8.

 

Why should I go for the M8 rather than a Digilux3? Can anyone advise what the significant differences are?

 

cheers

 

graeme

[Peter41951]

Price!

One's a rangefinder, the other a DSLR.

Easier to take macro and long focal length shots with the D3.

 

It really depends how you want to use the camera.

 

PS Iron's answer below is better than mine. What sort of photography do you usually do?

 

Welcome to the forum, Graeme.

[Iron Flatline]

Well, there are substantial differences in how they operate, and what you're shooting. The Digilux has auto-focus and various lenses. The 14-50mm (equiv. of 28-100mm) that it comes with is handy when shooting toddlers and kids. It's also nice for shooting landscapes, although you could do that with an M8 as well.

 

The M8 is really nice for shooting candids of people, and other documentary-style photography (these days often refered to as "street photogrpahy", a phrase that makes me gag.) It is a manual focus camera with fixed length lenses (even the variable offer you three lengths, not the zoom seen in other cameras), and regardless of how good you get with it, you're going to miss some shots, no two ways around it.

 

I use both, and love both. Taking a big SLR out for a walk is not as much fun as taking the M8 is, but trying to capture a 4th b-day with the M8 can be an exercise in frustration.

[jdlaing]

The M8 is really nice for shooting candids of people, and other documentary-style photography (these days often refered to as "street photogrpahy", a phrase that makes me gag.)

 

Whew.............

I thought I was the only one.

[Riley]

I think both cameras are good to have

the D3 is a member of a common family, the dSLRs

it is a good dSLR, it will give good results

it will need to be driven to give you its best

 

the M8 on the other hand is a masters tool, there is at present no equal

although by having one, that by no means makes one a master

it will not tender for all photography, versatality is some other street

it requires a masters skill, but on receipt, gives a masters results

[philipotto]

Go to your dealer.

Hold both.

Look through the viewfinder.

[MJLogan]

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I didn't even consider the M8 because I didn't think it would suit my shooting style. I take a lot of shallow-focus architectural and landscape details, and thought I needed an SLR's through-the-lens view. Over the last few months I've seen quite a few breathtaking images, very much in my style, from M8 shooters here. So now I want one! It'll take a couple of years to justify the expense, so I'm glad that I have my wonderful Digilux 3 in the meantime.

[Half-Handed]

On a similar point, is the Digilux 3 better enough (if that expression makes any sense) than the Digilux 2 to be worth the extra cost? The cost of - used - Digilux 2s seems to be coming down quite a lot...

[Riley]

D2 was certainly affected by the sensor issue, prices began to collapse about the same time

D3 is definately more than a step up

interchangeable lenses

capitally higher iso with less noise

OVF instead of the EVF

better TTL flash options

no loss of Live View

no loss of image detail

 

did i miss something ?

[audidudi]

did i miss something ?

 

The L1/D3 is also bulkier and heavier -- much more so than its nominal specifications suggest -- and (IMO, anyway) it doesn't fall to hand quite as naturally as the LC1/D2.

[Riley]

The L1/D3 is also bulkier and heavier -- much more so than its nominal specifications suggest -- and (IMO, anyway) it doesn't fall to hand quite as naturally as the LC1/D2.

 

certainly heavier, the lens has most of the visual bulk due to OIS (forgot that!), that ofcourse can be exchanged

 

to my mind the grips are usefull, Ive just been looking at accessory grips for M8 (?!)

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[audidudi]

to my mind the grips are usefull, Ive just been looking at accessory grips for M8 (?!)

 

I agree the grip is useful but I prefer the smaller LC1 grip to the larger L1 grip. Of course, the L1 grip is necessary to make room for the flash capacitor hidden underneath, so it was either go with a larger grip or make the body even larger still.

 

As an aside, I wonder how many L1/D3 owners also have an LC1/D2 as well? Judging from your photo, there are at least two of us!

[Riley]

actually I dont have both, I do have an LC-1 and all the bits

 

that photo was sourced off the web around the time of the launch of L1, possibly hong kong

i have one of the single LC-1 prototype somewhere too

only visible difference was different lens lettering

[fotografr]

Certainly one consideration would be that with the M8, you will need to invest further in a few lenses and that could amount to a considerable sum. Many who are now purchasing the M8 already have a collection of M lenses and a large part of their decision involves the ability to use them on a high quality digital camera.

 

Aside from that, as others have said, the decision should be based on the kind of shooting you intend to do. Rangefinder photography is unique and is not for everyone.

[r.patzl]

i make a lot of architectural fotos for that from tripod liev veiw is fine with grid on

and i need it for work as an expert in building construction errors therfore the cam s more then fine to use

i changed from dynax d7d with a lot of yas well prim lenses and it was the right decision

thanks

René

[John Maio]

I have a DigiLux-3 and an M7 with a couple of lenses. I enjoy both, but the DL-3 is great for general photography and its lens is very good.

 

The only real downside to the Digi-Lux-3 is that it works. That means you won't be joining in on the endless M8 threads.

[Cruewell]

Graeme, the difference between them is quite big. A rangefinder is a totally different machine, IMHO. I shot plenty in the past with a small Minox 35 ML, a very simple rangefinder. I don't think I would have dared considering an M8 if I had not had that previous rangefinder experience, since for the last years I've shot SLRs almost 100% of the time.

 

My advice is read as much as you can about both cameras in this excellent forum, go to the closest store and handle the M8 as much as you can (I am assuming you can't actually borrow one and take some shots with it), see how it feels in your hand (usually awkward at first), how the focusing works, it's weight and balance... And do the same with the Digilux 3. Then think plenty... and start all over again. Soon you'll know what suits you best.

[fielden]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I think my mind is made up on the digilux 3, but I am scared that I might regret not getting the M8. Just to clarify I have also a Canon 20d and a few Canon Lenses which I use for general photography ( I love photographing anything) but mainly Portraits and 1 or 2 weddings per year. However, the 20d has hardly been used since getting the dlux2 which now use for available light portraits. I have been blown away with the little Leica. The images straight from camera are so much better than the 20d. So I look for something a bit more in the Digilux 3 whilst still having the dlux2 for my pocket.

 

Oh! and will the digilux shoot in Black and White like the dlux?

Cheers

 

Graeme

[dugby]

I have both a D2 and a D3 (actually L1) and can say the L1 is a much improved shooter over the D2, despite being heavier. I still like using my D2 but it's capabilities are very narrow compared with the L1. The 'sweet spot' for shooting with the D2 is very narrow, compared to that of the L1.

 

I've been a long term Olympus OM4 user and recently M-III and M6 user.

 

I was all set to buy an M8 but decided to hold off for a period to see what eventuates with the recent 'teething' issues.

 

I can say that the tactile feel of the L1 is very close to that of an M6, both have a particular heavy, metallic, mechanical precision feel to them. I know many will say.... how can this be, as the L1 is an electronic camera. It's just something you will feel in your hands when your touch both of them at the same time.

 

Many here talk about RF's being 'street cameras' whereas SLRs are not. I have a differring opinion about the L1. It is very suitable for capturing the images of locals in their native environment. Many will say that there is a mirror clunk with an SLR. I will say that this mirror "clunk-wizz" sound is not too different to that of the M6 and M8 shutter 'click' sound level, sure a different type of sound, but similar loudness.

 

OIS is a magnificent application of technology to Leica glass, and provide extreme low-light shooting capabilities, as seen in a few of my samples below.

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/13780-ois-d3-l1-superb.html

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/13471-digilux-3-improvement.html

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/landscape-travel/13969-my-daughter-said-quick-shoot-napoleon.html

 

 

I have no illusions that an M8 with prime lenses shoots better images than a D3/L1 at the moment, but we are comparing an M8-with multiple lenses (eg 21, 35, 50, 80) to get a similar range as the Vario-Elmar of the D3/L1, so we are comparing an M8 system costing probably ten times (10x) that of the D3, or 8x that of an L1.

It will be interesting to see the images from some prime lenses on a D3 / L1, a 25mm f1.4 is due this year from Leica.

 

One thing I can say, the L1 looks smaller than a D3, somehow the black colour makes it look more stealthy.

 

Finally in my above posts, I detailed how an L1 'out-of-the-box' shoots very average or poor photos. The default camera settings are a very big disappointment to new users. However once these settings are changed, you will be pleased with what you see.

 

My daughter was shooting an LX1 ie D-Lux-2, whilst I shot with my L1 for the above same photos, We had a "slide-night" recently and the L1's images were clearly chalk-n-cheese over the LX1, whereas on a computer screen they look similar, blown up they look so different.

 

If you like your D-Lux2 images, you will be blown away with a big smile with a D3 or L1.

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[audidudi]

The default camera settings are a very big disappointment to new users. However once these settings are changed, you will be pleased with what you see.

 

The above is certainly true if you shoot .jpgs but much less so -- in fact, perhaps not at all, although at this point, I can't say for certain -- if you shoot RAW and "develop" the images outside of the camera. However, because the camera automatically creates a .jpg image even when you shoot RAW, you might as well adjust the .jpg settings as suggested, just in case...