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How's the photo quality at ISO 1600 for Leica Digilux3/Panasonic L1?


edtpm

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The Matsuiya Store price for the Vario-Elmarit is probably somewhat below the "official" price. I see from monitoring their website that they have been selling the L-1 fairly consistently for around £770 (new), and they currently have 2 x LC-1 (2nd hand) for just over £400 each.

Has anyone here dealt with them?

 

Oh and they have 6 RD1s on offer, and a wide converter for the LC-1 (£251) - just thought I'd mention it!

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I agree, spylaw4. Dugby, could you post your optimization of the L1/D3 settings for reference ? As I am expecting my D3 in the next couple of days it would be interesting.

 

Thomas, one thing I have learnt about the D3/L1, compared to my D2 - D3/L1 has many variable settings that can change the image captured.

 

This has pluses / minuses..... the biggest negative is that the standard default settings out of the box allows the capture of quite mediocre images, which could be resulting in many of the Internet's poor reports on this camera's ability. The default settings-

a) 3x zone autofocus .... this really confuses the focussing, and slows it down whilst the camera goes back and forth across the 3x zones (Left - Center - Right)

B) Auto WhiteBalance,

c) Auto Aperature Control

d) Standard Film . <<< This one deserves lots of testing by the user.

 

 

 

I have changed my mind 3x over the last 3 months, as I'm optimising this Camera.Now I am using the following settings:

 

a) "Central Zone only" Autofocus..... and this is VERY fast for autofocus.

 

B) Manual Whitebalance, there are the usual pre-sets, plus also a really nice Variable setting by Colour Temperature.

 

c) Manual Aperature, I find F5.6 (+/- half to one stop) is a nice sweet spot

 

d) ISO 200 is as good as ISO100..........99% of the time

ISO 400 is as good as ISO100........97% of the time

ISO 800-1600 is very good considering the circumstance you would use it

 

e) Film 1 setting based on Dynamic Colour with minimum Noise Reduction

I'm also using also using Dynamic Colour sometimes.

 

f) for B&W I have been using ISO400 and Dynamic B&W and manual aperature control.

 

g) OIS set to Mode 2 only.

 

I've got to say, anyone who has played with these settings will see how awesome this camera really is. Leica and Panasonic have really taken the D2, and turned it inside out by providing the flexability of these settings to really tweak this High-Performance Camera.

 

Any reviewer, who doesn't document these parameters has not really understood the product.

 

As a final point on the D3/L1... If you chose "Auto everything" it produces photos which do not represent it's true capability......which interesting is unlike the D2. (the D2 with auto everything can capture some very good photos).

 

The D3/L1 takes the best photos when used as a semi-automatic. Be prepared to work the settings and it will reward you.

 

If you treat it as an fully automatic camera, then a D-Lux2 will be more useful...( I have a D-lux2 also, so this I know....as fact).

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thanks dugby

this is quite like Olympus gear too

you seem to need to work up an exposure

at which point they can produce excellent results

the photographer is all the better after this process

but it is a nerve racking time getting it all together

 

most reviews miss this possibility (Sean are you listening)

 

the files no doubt are more robust than from D2

and can take more of a hammering in PP

natively noise is a lot less than D2, a lot less

but no it doesnt meet the standards of say D80

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