britrover Posted July 17, 2011 Share #1 Posted July 17, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hello Forum Members - This is my first post here. I am newbie to Leica and am considering getting a compact digital Leica. My only two major considerations are getting a units that clicks good pictures in lower light settings (our digital Nikon is horrible when the light is low) and something that has a high refresh rate (the Nikon takes a lot of time to refresh and be ready for the next click). I am have started my search today and am reading up on the D-Lux 4 and V Lux 20. Please share your opinions on these two Leica's or any other ones I need to seriously review before making my purchase. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 17, 2011 Posted July 17, 2011 Hi britrover, Take a look here Beginner - Looking for advice on compact Leica digital cameras. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
NZDavid Posted July 17, 2011 Share #2 Posted July 17, 2011 I can recommend the D-Lux 5. Fast AF, very versatile fast f2-3.3/ 24-90 equiv. lens is suitable for travel, scenics, people, and low light. Image quality is excellent up to medium ISO. The V-Lux 20 has a longer zoom reach (25-300) which might be useful for wildlife, sports, etc, but I suspect quality will be better on the D-Lux. However I haven't tried the V-Lux. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jankap Posted July 17, 2011 Share #3 Posted July 17, 2011 I am quite happy with the Dlux-4. The new Dlux-5 is still better now. The zoom range is not very wide. The refresh rate is ok. The electronic view finder, for the Dlux-4 not available, is an advantage. The Summicron (f/2 lens) is very useful. The macro function works fine. Both cameras suffer from too many functions, in my opinion. Therefore, I would spend a look at the X1 (no zoom!, no macro!). The Vlux-20 does not interest me. An important question is, if you often want to make large (A4, A3) prints. If not, the Vlux´s and Dlux´s are ok. If yes, you should look in the direction of the X1. The size of the sensor plays a role. Jan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted July 17, 2011 Share #4 Posted July 17, 2011 britrover, Welcome to the Forum! I agree with the advice given by Jan (above). I own both D-Lux 5 and the X1 so can speak from experience. If ultimate image quality is paramount, the X1 should be your first priority, despite its lack of a zoom lens. (The 36mm equivalent lens is close to the highly respected 35mm beloved by so many Leica-users. I use my D-Lux 5 primarily for personal candid portraiture for which it is ideal; compact and versatile. But for serious results and potential stock photography, the X1 is the only contender in my opinion. Only you can decide your priorities! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted July 17, 2011 Share #5 Posted July 17, 2011 I just did a family reunion with a D40, 6 MP. It was an accident as there was to be a pro there, but there was an accident. I did a thirty person group and the camera was mistakenly set to 800 ISO. The 8x10 looked fine. The D40 is an old camera, but was right for me for the occasion. The more modern consumer grade SLR from Nikon are all easily better. I have a D7000 which is simply selling like hot cakes. At base ISO, reviewers say it is only exceeded by the $7500 D3X. I have no idea what Nikon you have, but I can testify they are terrific. The Leicas do put out a nice image, infact outstanding image. But to get something better than Nikon you need to spend money on a M9. The small sensor cameras will not get what you want. In fact, the CCD sensor they use for various reasons in the M series is not known for being noise free at high ISO. CMOS are much better in that respect. The name Leica does not guarantee noise free images. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted July 17, 2011 Share #6 Posted July 17, 2011 Welcome to the forum, Britrover! All of the above is excellent information imho. I traded my D-Lux 4 on my D-Lux 5 and have never looked back. Both are excellent cameras and ahead of others in their class but the D-Lux 5 offers enough over the D-Lux 4 to justify itself. An extra stop better low light performance (although I rarely use it beyond ISO800 because in-camera noise reduction kicks in after that) extra zoom and the Electronic Viewfinder. For me the EVF is the main advantage because I can hold the camera to my eye instead of holding it at arms length to frame a shot. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted July 17, 2011 Share #7 Posted July 17, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Although the larger APS sensor of the X1 will produce better results, especially at high ISOs, that does not mean the smaller sensor of the D-Lux is no good. Far from it. A lot of the improvements in recent years in digital cameras have been in the sensor's ability to capture more information and better dynamic range. The faster AF speed is also signifiant, while the zoom lens is very versatile. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenPatterson Posted July 18, 2011 Share #8 Posted July 18, 2011 +1 David knows what he's talking about...the D-Lux 5 is a stunningly good camera. Of course if money is no object just pop for a M9-P (silver chrome version) and a 35 Summicron...but you might want to work into that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dickgrafixstop Posted September 16, 2011 Share #9 Posted September 16, 2011 If you're a Nikon DSLR user, you may want to consider the V-Lux 2 (or wait sixty days or so for the V-Lux 3). Fantastic zoom range in a smaller package than your Nikon, not too outrageously priced, good image quality and the famous red dot, all in one easy to carry package. Not sure why this camera tends to get short shrift on this forum, but the V-Lux (and it's Panasonic cousins) are a terrific choice for some folks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shade Posted September 26, 2011 Share #10 Posted September 26, 2011 I'm not sure if the Leica compacts are the good way to go at the moment. The ones available are great, but currently for the same price, there are better offerings. Of course, they would be non Leicas. However, if you insist in having Leica for whatever reasons, I'd go for the D-Lux line. The V-Lux lines have never stole an impression on me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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