First Impressions of Digilux 3

[sean_reid]

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I've just today started working casually with the Digilux 3 at ISO 100. Quick impressions:

 

While it's true that the finder is not as good as what we see on some other DSLRs, it's not bad and is *much* better than the EVF on the D2.

 

Quickly reviewing ISO 100 files on a laptop, file quality seems to be excellent at that ISO. The lens seems to be very good.

 

Controls design seems good. Direct access to ISO, etc. just as the M8 should have.

 

RAW buffer is 6 frames with a Sandisk Ultra II (1 GB) and flushes for another file in what seems to be just less than 2 seconds.

 

Interested to read observations from D3 owners.

 

Cheers,

 

Sean

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[Riley]

thats good news Sean

since it is at heart an Oly processor

will you be taking the time to implement usual +2 sharp, & maybe back off the contrast etc

or will this be a RAW experience ?

[MP3]

As I remember, D3 sports a Panasonic Venus Engine III rather than an Oly processor. In fact , it is Oly using the Panasonic Live-view 4/3 sensor in their E330 with their own DSP.

 

Sean, let's keep posting on your D3 findings. I keep considering Oly's 11-22 and 35-70 F2 on a D3 body... =)

 

Best

Matthew

[Riley]

yes my language was hopelessly imprecise

and yes image processing is from L1

but the mirrorbox gear is an Oly design

and it suffers somewhat from having the same base configuration

images look decided soft with the default settings and in most L1 reviews I see this is obvious

 

on the 11-22mm is a really lovely wide angle, with little distortion

there is the coming 12-60 though that may colour your choices a bit

[bohtho]

I agree with you. Coming from point&shoots the Digilux 3 leaves nothing to be desired for me. Only the ergonomics of the shutter release perhaps, but, hey, it wouldn't look that good without it in the center of the shutter control and it's always easy to find without looking.

 

I shoot JPEG when experimenting and learning and have increased sharpening and reduced NR as Riley said. And I have RAW on/off on FUNC 2, and EV Comp on FUNC 1 (which will turn to Aperture control when using other lenses).

[dugby]

Hey Sean, good to see you back again......

 

I've been playing hard for the last 3 months with an L1 whilst travelling,....and posted a a few shots and comments listed below,.....

 

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/13471-digilux-3-improvement.html?highlight=L1

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/13780-ois-d3-l1-superb.html?highlight=L1

 

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/17460-digilux2-vs-digilux3.html?highlight=L1

http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/13994-leica-digilux-3-a.html?highlight=L1

 

Dugby

[MP3]

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Wow, a 12-60 zuiko with, expect to be weather seal for the next gen pro E...... tempted again.

 

Cheers

Matthew

[jdlaing]

Before I got my Digilux 3 I had several email conversations with the Tech folks at Leica.

 

The Processing Engine in the Leica is quite a bit different than the Panasonic.

 

Leica has set theirs to the liking of Leica Engineers and not Panasonic.

 

That is what induced me to spend the extra money (and the warranty too) for the Leica.

 

I am not disappointed. I handled and tested the Panasonic with one of my memory cards and that is why I decided to approach Leica and asked them for some information first.

 

After receiving it I paid attention to the fine Forum Members here and tweaked the settings and set up a "My Film Mode 1" which I use mostly. It sets the sharpening up and noise reduction down. I left the contrast alone for now and will play with that more later.

 

On another note..........when I recently used an old OM lens the sharpening was too much and I had to reduce it significantly.

 

I am told the RAW processor is slightly different between the Leica and Panasonic too.

[audidudi]

I am told the RAW processor is slightly different between the Leica and Panasonic too.

 

This puzzles me. If "RAW" truly means raw -- i.e., unprocessed -- then how can there be any difference between the Leica and Panasonic versions? I suppose there could be some difference in the noise-reduction settings since this feature cannot be disabled, but otherwise ... ???

[audidudi]

Interested to read observations from D3 owners.

 

I'm not a D3 owner, but do check out my observations about the lens on my L1, as (so far as I know) it's identical to the lens shipped with the D3: http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/17371-digilux-3-lens-soft-least-soft.html

 

As I've documented in another thread, I have done quite a bit of shooting using adapters and various 35mm-format, MF TLR, and even LF view camera lenses, and overall, I have not been as positively impressed by the Leica lens as others, which makes me wonder if mine is a bad sample.

 

FYI, my latest lens-hacking venture is to make the Contax 17-35 and 24-85 N-series lenses work on my L1, initially with my view-camera setup (using the L1 as a poor-man's digital back, something for which it's uniquely well suited thanks to the "Live View" feature), but eventually, mounted directly on the L1 body. The mechanical aspects of this conversion are fairly straightforward, but getting the electronically-controlled aperture to work will prove more challenging...

[cnguyen]

Sean - I remember you had a Digilux 2 at one time. Let us know how you like the Digilux 3. I have the Olympus E-500 which is another 4/3rds format which I shhot once in a while. Not sure how viable is the 4/3rds format in the future. Care to comment ? Thanks:)

[jdlaing]

This puzzles me. If "RAW" truly means raw -- i.e., unprocessed -- then how can there be any difference between the Leica and Panasonic versions? I suppose there could be some difference in the noise-reduction settings since this feature cannot be disabled, but otherwise ... ???

 

From what I have garnered in conversations with others the RAW file is an analog file that is then converted to a digital file for processing further. It still has to be "processed" by a RAW file processor or out of the camera to a digital file. Somebody's fingerprints are still on it from the time it gets captured by the sensor.

 

I do know that the Panasonic colors and basic image properties were not up to Leica Engineers standards so they reworked the processing engines.

[jdlaing]

Sean - I remember you had a Digilux 2 at one time. Let us know how you like the Digilux 3. I have the Olympus E-500 which is another 4/3rds format which I shhot once in a while. Not sure how viable is the 4/3rds format in the future. Care to comment ? Thanks:)

 

I have been an Olympus DSLR shooter for quite some time.

 

There is a lot of consternation among the Oly users that Olympus has not come out with a new Pro body since the E-1 was released.

 

During the three or so short years since the 4:3 system began there have been a bunch of very very high quality lenses and some very good bodies released.

 

I am not going to go any deeper into Olympus philosophy here other than to say that it is now a consortium of Olympus, Kodak, Panasonic, Sigma and now that a company with the stature of Leica has signed on, it will be interesting.

[robbegibson]

snip...

There is a lot of consternation among the Oly users that Olympus has not come out with a new Pro body since the E-1 was released.

....snip

 

The official unveiling of the successor to the E-1 is supposed to happen on March 5, 2007.

 

Teaser here:

E-System Digital SLR

'Shoot anything, anywhere starting March 5, 2007'

 

I wish them success.

 

Take care,

 

Robbe Gibson

[John Maio]

Over time, I think you'll find that the DigiLux-3 does quite well beyond ISO 100. In fact, I've had reasonable results all the way to ISO 1600 (with some NoiseNija, to be sure). I find it to be an excellent all-around camera and indeed, the Vario-Elmarit 14-50 (28-100mm equivalent) is a fine lens.

 

I've had mine since early December. I've added an Olympic FL-50 flash unit to add more power when needed (after speaking with Leica), and the camera/flash integration is seamless in TTL mode.

 

Its a fine, trouble free camera with Leica design DNA all over it. It should receive more respect than it gets.

[Bo_Lorentzen]

John,

 

I second that, since I have started using my Digilux 3 I have very much come to like the layout and function of the camera, for me the most important part is that the camera do not get in betwen me and my pictures, it is intuitive to use and function as expected.. I would comfortably say that my overall satisfaction with this camera is higher than any other DSLR I have owned. That said, naturally there are things which could be different, but the over all experience is very high.!

 

Bo

 

My Leica scratch page - random thoughts , pictures and such.

[Riley]

FWIW

views and specs of two of the Olympus offerings due for release on the 5th have been leaked

 

Noticiaolympus

[biglouis]

One thing I would add, the L1 is being sold off at a significant discount by many mail order/online shops at present. You can now pick one up direct from Hong Kong off of e-Bay for around GBP 800. The Leica still has a significant premium, e.g. GBP 1800.

 

I was so surprised at the soft price for the L1 that I tried one again at a local outlet and again came away disappointed at the handling, although I was surprised at how light it felt with the kit lens (it definitely looks heavier than it is).

 

If, as I suspect, the L1 is being sold off and the prices fall further I might be tempted to get one.

 

LouisB

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[spylaw4]

One thing I would add, the L1 is being sold off at a significant discount by many mail order/online shops at present. You can now pick one up direct from Hong Kong off of e-Bay for around GBP 800. The Leica still has a significant premium, e.g. GBP 1800.

 

I was so surprised at the soft price for the L1 that I tried one again at a local outlet and again came away disappointed at the handling, although I was surprised at how light it felt with the kit lens (it definitely looks heavier than it is).

 

If, as I suspect, the L1 is being sold off and the prices fall further I might be tempted to get one.

 

LouisB

 

As I am currently about to purchase an L1 I have been assiduously investigating all these prices, and what you get for the low price..

 

One thing to be very aware of (and this applies to HK sales of the D3 also) is that in most (HK and UK online) cases you won't get a world-wide guarantee. You may only get a short supplier's guarantee - this is a question I have asked a number of potential sellers.

 

In addition be careful you are not getting a reconditioned unit - a number of on-line sales are of this and Panasonic will not cover repair costs of these.

 

Jaocb's currently have the L1 on offer @ £1100, and there is another online shop selling new at about £1000.

[biglouis]

Brian

 

It was at Jacobs that I demo'd the unit. It was in a glass case side by side with a D3 at the RRP of £1798. My heart said Leica but my head said I'd have to be nuts to part with a further £700 for the Leica badge. As I shoot in RAW I doubt I'd see any difference between the two machines.

 

I'm still tempted to go e-Bay but for a slightly different reason. I was about the go for a 17-55 DX for my Nikon D80 which is about £800. But if I can get a 28-100 Leicasonic lens with 2.8-3.5 coverage - attached to a camera as well - it sorta becomes quite tempting to get the L1. I mainly want the equivalent 28-55 range for portrait type work and I'd bet that the Leicasonic is better than the Nikon glass (I could be wrong here).

 

Anyway, I'll have to see how I feel after I've mulled it over for a few days.

 

LouisB