MPJMP Posted January 20, 2011 Share #1 Posted January 20, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) On 1/6/11 my wife gave birth to our second child, Brendan. As always, these are the special life moments when you want to have a good camera (or two or three) handy. When my daughter was born two and a half years ago I carried my MP with 50mm Summicron and Ilford XP2 film, plus a Canon digicam and a Canon HD camcorder. This time, I brought the MP with 35mm 'Cron (still with XP2) and the D-LUX 5. I have been impressed enough with the HD video of the D-LUX 5 that I did not feel the need to juggle a separate camcorder. I'm posting this here because it is really a mini-review of the D-LUX 5. While I would never dream of leaving my MP at home for an event of this magnitude, it was the little D-LUX 5 that completely stole the show. I took upwards of 200 photos and a dozen or so short video clips during the 4 days we were in the hospital (wife had a C section so they had to keep her longer). The pictures are superb! On the first day I took RAW + high quality JPEGs, but after that I switched to just JPEG capture. I avoided flash wherever possible and the low-light results were much better than I expected. I used the camera almost exclusively in "P" mode, switching to the "A" (fully automatic) mode any time I handed the DL5 to a non-photographer third party to take a snapshot of me and the family. Having that "A" option was a real bonus. I call it the "dummy mode" and it pretty much ensured that no matter how inept the selected handler might have been, I ended up with a decent looking photograph. Since the extended family was not allowed in the OR or recovery room immediately after delivery, I was able to show everyone a quick slide show of their new grandson/nephew on the camera's screen while they waited to see the new arrival in person. I love my MP, but alas, it can't do that. Once we got back home and settled in, I was able to plug the DL5 directly into the analog RCA input on the front of our TV and show everyone a proper slide show with video. Having the ability to immediately display my photos and videos to a roomful of people was a real thrill. The video of the DL5 is every bit as good as my Canon camcorder and I have no regrets about leaving it behind (in fact, I just listed it on eBay!). My pet peeve with the DL4 was the terrible audio. This apears to have been corrected with the DL5, and while it may not be stereo it is of clear and realistic quality. A few side notes: more than one of those "non-photographer third parties" I handed the camera to to snap a shot of me + family commented on how "nice" and "solid" the camera felt. I'm pretty sure these were people who knew nothing about cameras or the Red Dot. Also, while I had a spare battery in my bag, I only dropped one "bar" on the battery's power level indicator during the entire 4 days of heavy use. All said, this is happiest I have ever been with a compact digital camera. I owned the D-LUX 4 before this and can say without reservation that the D-LUX 5 is an improvement in every way. For the moment, at least, it satisfies all of my digital photography needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 20, 2011 Posted January 20, 2011 Hi MPJMP, Take a look here Wife had a baby! Leica cameras used! (D-LUX 5 review). I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
srivastava Posted January 23, 2011 Share #2 Posted January 23, 2011 nice to read the review. could you post some samples please? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycamco Posted February 8, 2011 Share #3 Posted February 8, 2011 your mp hates you !!!! film will be around long then your pics digital. years from now your childern will like the mp more. then digital . brendan would like the mp better!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamiji Posted February 9, 2011 Share #4 Posted February 9, 2011 Better yet, give Brendan your MP. It will be supported long after your D-Lux 5 will have been forgotten, and thrown in the dust bin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBL Posted February 16, 2011 Share #5 Posted February 16, 2011 Hmm. I took my little boy as an excuse to get myself a contax, 19 years ago... but i hope that you are "the happiest i have ever been " because of the kid Congratulations ! (some time left for a review/impression of your baby?????) Reg On 1/6/11 my wife gave birth to our second child, Brendan. As always, these are the special life moments when you want to have a good camera (or two or three) handy. ... snip...All said, this is happiest I have ever been with a compact digital camera. I owned the D-LUX 4 before this and can say without reservation that the D-LUX 5 is an improvement in every way. For the moment, at least, it satisfies all of my digital photography needs. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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