lcaldero Posted August 4, 2012 Share #1 Posted August 4, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I just received my new (to me) Digilux 2. I have taken about 10 photos, and can see the strengths and weaknesses of the camera. It's a beauty and feels good in the hands. It is slow writing to the card, even in JPG mode (haven't tried raw yet). BTW, I followed the recommendation to use a Kingston 2GB SD card, and no problems at all with the card. I am having some trouble with manual focus -- any tips? Some of it is me -- I have a cataract in my dominant eye and have been trying to use my non-dominant --much slower than writing to the card!. (The opthalmalogist advised me to wait a bit before surgery... Might be time for a second opinion.) I also keep wanting to adjust the outer ring which of course is the zoom! I may need to use autofocus while I am learning the feel of the camera. What type of shooting do you think the Digilux is best suited for? Are there shooting tips summarized anywhere? (I have seen the "major" sites and some of the posts here, tho' I confess I have not read all 90+ pages on the 'distinctive look' thread) Is the f stop relative to the focal length of the lens? At 90mm, I am able to go to f 2.4, and once f 2.2, not 2.0 (-- realize I didn't try at other FLs). thanks! Laura Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 4, 2012 Posted August 4, 2012 Hi lcaldero, Take a look here Digilux 2 -- Shooting Tips for newbie?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pop Posted August 4, 2012 Share #2 Posted August 4, 2012 Hi Laura Welcome to the club. Enjoy your Digilux. We all think it's a marvel. One of the settings of the camera is called MF Assist (which, of course stands for Manual Focus assist). You can set it to "off", "MF1" and "MF2". I have mine set to MF2. Just try it and see if it helps. Manually focusing without the "MF Assist" can be daunting. Usually, I do not bother but let the camera focus. Just make sure there is a vertical edge within the little green brackets in the center of the viewfinder and release the shutter only when it displays the steady green dot. The f stop is indeed relative to the focal length. As to shooting tips: give the camera time. When on autofocus, point it at the place you want in focus, press the shutter partway down, compose your picture, then press the shutter very gently completely down. Always press the shutter gently and slowly, even when not in autofocus mode. It is no speed demon and I tend to miss shots where things are moving briskly. However, you can shoot hand held with fairly long exposure times. It is extremely quiet. The camera goes to sleep after some time of inactivity. Before raising the camera to my eye I always press the shutter very gently. That way, it's always awake by the time I have it in shooting position. Several people here confirm that shooting in RAW is not a priority with the Digilux 2 as it produces JPEG pictures which are very hard to beat in quality. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted August 4, 2012 Share #3 Posted August 4, 2012 I confirm that the jpegs are so good I no longer shoot raw with my D2. Regarding manual focus: Always zoom all the way in, focus using the focus helper, zoom out, reframe and shoot. Thorsten Overgaard (a member here and a D2 master) advises using just the autofocus. Except for extreem close-up, I agree completely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lcaldero Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share #4 Posted August 4, 2012 Thanks for the replies -- very, very helpful. Laura Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted August 4, 2012 Share #5 Posted August 4, 2012 Hi,.... What type of shooting do you think the Digilux is best suited for? .... Laura Laura, welcome to the forum! Answering this specific question: thoughtful considered photographs. It might be slow by modern standards, but a thoughtful considered approach will put you in command. You have a stunning lens and effective autofocus which is more accurate when zoomed to the 90mm equivalent setting. Then readjust to your desired framing. However I rarely do this nowadays because with care my shots are in focus. I have a few Digilux 2 pictures of various subjects on my website (link below) Cataracts are not uncommon when one reaches a certain age. Only when your general vision is suffering should you become worried and take action. I just try a little harder and seldom miss a shot. Good luck with your Digilux 2 and may you have great success with it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
farnz Posted August 5, 2012 Share #6 Posted August 5, 2012 Laura, Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your new D2. In case you haven't found it yet, the Digilux 2 Field Guide contains a lot of very useful information. Just click on the link to download it. Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucisPictor Posted August 5, 2012 Share #7 Posted August 5, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Congratulations! The D2 is still on of my favourite cams! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeleng Posted August 5, 2012 Share #8 Posted August 5, 2012 Hi Laura Using the cameras auto focus in this scene, I picked a spot about 12 metres away (Mum with little boy ), and set the aperture to F4, its sweet spot. Look at the girl in the foreground, and the building in the background, tremendous depth of field. No need to use manual focus. Regards Mike Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/185011-digilux-2-shooting-tips-for-newbie/?do=findComment&comment=2080294'>More sharing options...
stuny Posted August 6, 2012 Share #9 Posted August 6, 2012 Laura - Actually, wide open is exceptionally sweet, too. You don't necessarilly have to stop down. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrethorst Posted August 8, 2012 Share #10 Posted August 8, 2012 The Digilux Field Guide has been mentioned. The other great resource is Thorsten Overgaard's several pages on this camera, at leica.overgaard.dk. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blindjock Posted August 8, 2012 Share #11 Posted August 8, 2012 I rarely use manual focus. The auto works well but you need some detail or contrast in the centre spot (a blank sky will not lock). If the is a mixture of focus points near the centre, switch to spot focus to ensure you lock onto the right place. Below "70mm" focal length the max aperture is F2.0, from "70mm" it is F2.2 and at "90mm" it is F2.4. I usually stick between f2 and f4 depending on light levels and leave the shutter on auto. If the shutter speed is getting a bit long, you can switch on the 2 sec delay to reduce shake. Although the camera suits most subjects that a 90mm focal length limit can capture, it really glows when you get close to the details. Try some head'n'shoulders portraits with good natural light and pick the focal length to suit the background treatment you desire. Be careful with the wide end of the lens. At 28mm there is a noticeable amount of distortion so straight lines near the frame edges will be bent. Sometimes this is a distraction, other times it works with the subject but keep it in mind regardless. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim 2012 Posted August 9, 2012 Share #12 Posted August 9, 2012 The Digilux Field Guide has been mentioned. The other great resource is Thorsten Overgaard's several pages on this camera, at leica.overgaard.dk. Does anyone know if Thorsten has written any more recent articles on using the D2? The latest date I noticed in the link mentioned above is 2009. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted August 12, 2012 Share #13 Posted August 12, 2012 Jim, for some time Thorsten's priorities have been with more modern equipment. I doubt he has time to revisit old postings. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim 2012 Posted August 12, 2012 Share #14 Posted August 12, 2012 Yes, I imagine that's the reason David. Good point. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted August 15, 2012 Share #15 Posted August 15, 2012 Where are you Laura? Some useful advice in reply to your question. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Me Leica! Posted September 11, 2012 Share #16 Posted September 11, 2012 Hello, glad you have got Digilux 2. It is a fine camera. Mine is all beat up and scratched with pieces falling off, but still works nice. I would not bother with manual focus. The autofocus is slower than a tortoise but I've never seen it miss, even once, once it is locked on the subject. Manual focus with such a dark evf is tough, even with magnification. I suppose you could use rear screen though, that is better than evf. For general shooting: in good weather conditions with lots of light, the Digilux 2 still takes very nice pictures. I would keep it at ISO 100 personally. You can try shooting in darker places, but put the camera down and use timer. Do not try to hand hold. Like someone said you can handhold slow speeds with this camera (I've done a quarter of second, no problem) but if it is dark and you use ISO 100 it will be impossible. I just got Fuji X-Pro 1 (now I hear the calls of traitor!), but I will keep Digilux 2. Firstly it is not so easy to get hold of them, and secondly it is so quiet that it is perfect for stealthy photography or shooting in place where any loud sound is bad. X-Pro 1 shutter sound is very good, and fairly quiet, but definitely louder than Digilux 2. I can shoot Digilux 2 at a person from a few feet away and they do not hear anything. While I know the JPEGs are good, I always shoot RAW for two reasons. First I like to have lots of freedom to post process, and second I can get many shots on even a 2gig card, plus the battery never lasts long enough to get that many shots anyway:) Hope you enjoy your time with this camera! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted September 11, 2012 Share #17 Posted September 11, 2012 The battery will actually last quite some time when you're not using flash. It's still a good idea to have a second battery. When shooting street (or other) portraits, even within four or five feet of my subjects they never hear the shutter, though some see the action in the lens. I'm able to catch action shots using autofocus if I pre-autofocus to the expected location of the action, and hold that setting with the shutter button held half-way down. Here's an example: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/185011-digilux-2-shooting-tips-for-newbie/?do=findComment&comment=2110285'>More sharing options...
IanC Posted September 18, 2012 Share #18 Posted September 18, 2012 Welcome to Laura. You've been given some good advice above. I use the manual focus only to lock on to the infinity setting in cases where the autofocus would struggle. Otherwise the autofocus is fine. Have a look at Thorsten Overgaard's web pages on the Digilux 2. It's what convinced me to buy one in 2009. While ISO 200 is useable, I think 400 is only for those moments when there is no alternative if you want to get a shot. I use 100 ISO nearly all the time, and the f2.0 lens and great DOF wide open at the low end of the zoom range mean that this is feasible. JPEGs are so outstanding that I never use RAW. Try the monochrome mode - the D2 is an excellent camera for black-and-white pictures. Enjoy the D2 and best wishes IANC Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tietje Posted September 19, 2012 Share #19 Posted September 19, 2012 I've never had any problem with the auto-focus but it does work by finding an area of contrast usually an edge of some sort. I do use manual focus, especially on close ups but it doesn't "snap in" and if the eyesight isn't so good (I wear vari-focal glasses) auto-focus can be a boon! I've never used raw, can't really see the point, as the quality of the jpegs are so good. I think you have to remember it is an 8 year old camera, it has its limitations and requires a bit more user input than say more modern, feature full devices. Good luck anyway! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim 2012 Posted September 19, 2012 Share #20 Posted September 19, 2012 The battery will actually last quite some time when you're not using flash. It's still a good idea to have a second battery. When shooting street (or other) portraits, even within four or five feet of my subjects they never hear the shutter, though some see the action in the lens. I'm able to catch action shots using autofocus if I pre-autofocus to the expected location of the action, and hold that setting with the shutter button held half-way down. Here's an example: [ATTACH]334519[/ATTACH] Nice stop-action shot with the D2, Stuart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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