CalArts 99 Posted September 10, 2013 Share #61 Posted September 10, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Leica C = Panasonic LF1 The Panasonic is designed by Volkswagen. The Leica is designed by Audi. Both are built by the same company: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted September 10, 2013 Posted September 10, 2013 Hi CalArts 99, Take a look here Leica C Type 112. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
johnbuckley Posted September 11, 2013 Share #62 Posted September 11, 2013 I went to the Leica Store in DC today, and after spending two minutes with the camera, placed an order for one. It perfectly fits a need -- I don't like taking iPhone pictures, but do need something that fits in my pocket sometimes. My D-Lux3 is too big. My X1 is way too big. You can't carry an M with you everywhere... This is virtually the same size as an iPhone. The pictures they had displayed looked pretty good (it is a compact...) The EVF was good enough. Did I mention it fits in my pocket? So, I look forward to its arrival in October. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjans Posted September 27, 2013 Share #63 Posted September 27, 2013 There is a review in the latest LFI magazine. I have a Fuji X10. I'm thinking of selling it and replace it by the C. I also have a need for a small camera equiped with a viewfinder. Best Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 27, 2013 Share #64 Posted September 27, 2013 Lost me as a customer with NO BLACK body ! Welcome! I handled the black one in Leica Mayfair this week. I was convinced it was black but it is listed as 'Red'. Look very very closely in a certain light and the top plate band takes on a quite dark maroon look. When compared with the neighbouring red dot, the band looks black. Maybe that is close enough to satisfy you. Most would think it is black! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 27, 2013 Share #65 Posted September 27, 2013 What does the knurled ring do or is it just decoration? I was hoping it would be a zoom control but I see there is a W-T control in the usual Panasonic position on the top deck. As a "manual" camera user, I much prefer mechanical or mechanical analogue controls to electronic ones. I wish I could lock the 12-50 lens on my Olympus EP-5 into manual zoom only. We are travelling through Doha in February but the delay between our planes will not I think provide enough time to hit their very attractively priced duty free. I am surprised Leica has not done a deal with any of the shops in Heathrow T3/4/5. Maybe one of the watch sellers, Horrids or the Mont Blanc shop. Missed opportunity IMHO (but not Dixons!). I might mention it to D.S. in Wetzlar next month. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 27, 2013 Share #66 Posted September 27, 2013 Wilson, the annular ring around the lens barrel, close to the body, gives useful control over context sensitive settings. For example, in Av mode it sets the lens aperture; a fact which puzzled me during my brief trial session until I stumbled upon it. I searched in vain for traditional aperture controls on tiny compact cameras. In other modes I guess it sets ISO or shutter speeds; possibly other functions. Leica had no stock, just a couple of samples for us to see and try. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 27, 2013 Share #67 Posted September 27, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Wilson, the annular ring around the lens barrel, close to the body, gives useful control over context sensitive settings. For example, in Av mode it sets the lens aperture; a fact which puzzled me during my brief trial session until I stumbled upon it. I searched in vain for traditional aperture controls on tiny compact cameras. In other modes I guess it sets ISO or shutter speeds; possibly other functions. Leica had no stock, just a couple of samples for us to see and try. This is a potential camera for my wife. Zoom she understands. Aperture is something at the top of a jam pot. Wilson 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 27, 2013 Share #68 Posted September 27, 2013 (edited) The ring zooms in Ai mode. Very practical as the exact focal length is displayed prominently when zooming by the ring (only a bar when using the top control in other modes). The display in general is exceedingly well-designed and self-explanatory. Image quality is very good for the type of camera. Just don't look at pixel level next to a digital M file...The smaller sensor will smear a bit, as they all do. Prints up to A4 are fine. I bought one as a pocket camera and last-resort backup. I got the Panasonic. I could not see the sense of paying two thirds as much again for an identical camera, just for the red dot. Build quality is quite good. I cannot imagine the Leica to be better. Edited September 28, 2013 by jaapv 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest badbob Posted September 28, 2013 Share #69 Posted September 28, 2013 My LF1 is sure a lot lower quality than the D-Lux6 - not just the smearing the LF1 does that the D-Lux6 does not do. My LF1 lens has a prominent small hair or tin whisker under the surface. I'm also in the habit of lightly blowing on the lens surface before using a microfiber cloth on it, but lightly blowing on the LF1 lens causes it to fog up inside! None of my other cameras do that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 28, 2013 Share #70 Posted September 28, 2013 The ring zooms in Ai mode. Very practical as the exact focal length is displayed prominently when zooming by the ring (only a bar when using the top control in other modes). The display in general is exceedingly well-designed and self-explanatory.Image quality is very good for the type of camera. Just don't look at pixel level next to a digital M file...The smaller sensor will smear a bit, as they all do. Prints up to A4 are fine. I bought one as a pocket camera and last-resort backup. I got the Panasonic. I could not see the sense of paying two thirds as much again for an identical camera, just for the red dot. Build quality is quite good. I cannot imagine the Leica to be better. Jaap, I too would probably buy the Panasonic for myself but the last time I did that for Mrs. L, when I replaced her dead C-Lux with the Pansonic equivalent of a C-Lux 2 or 3, I was accused of being a cheapskate and questioning ensued about the cost of my M equipment. She has a V-Lux 20 at the moment which is 4 years old or more and I reckon that is close to the life of these small cameras. It always seems to be the lens extension/zoom mechanism which fails on the Panaleicas and inevitably at the time of maximum inconvenience, when you are 500 km from the nearest camera shop. The Zoom ring is good news. I will check to see if there is someone who sells Leicas at Doha airport. At Dubai airport (or maybe Abu Dhabi - I forget which), you can order/pay from a number of the shops online and they will deliver to your plane on the tarmac, if you have a tight transfer like we do. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaapv Posted September 28, 2013 Share #71 Posted September 28, 2013 Panasonic was better for me. Just an old compact that I hadn't been using for ages... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 28, 2013 Share #72 Posted September 28, 2013 The one slightly disappointing omission from the C is GPS (or it is not mentioned in the blurb I have read). Most compact Panasonics now have this and my wife's older V-Lux 20 has it. It integrates very well with iPhoto and is a useful informational tool. My wife did not realise how much she would miss it until a trip to China earlier this year, where GPS is disabled for Panasonic cameras. It avoids the "now where did I take that photo" scenario, when you download from your card some weeks later. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted September 28, 2013 Share #73 Posted September 28, 2013 The C-112 has wifi connection to a laptop or tablet. Can't remember GPS. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
masjah Posted September 28, 2013 Share #74 Posted September 28, 2013 On the Panasonic website, the specification of the LF-1 explicitly says "no GPS". One would therefore presume that it would be highly unlikely that the Leica clone would have it. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richam Posted September 30, 2013 Share #75 Posted September 30, 2013 If you download the tech specifications from the Leica website, there is no mention of GPS; and I'm sure they would mention it there if it were a feature. But the spec is a bit confusing, listing 8 different versions: "Light-gold: 18 484 (E-version), 18 485 (U-version), 18 486 (TK-version), 18 487 (CN-version). Dark-red: 18 488 (E-version), 18 489 (U-version), 18 490 (TK-version), 18 491 (CN-version)." There's no explanation as to the meaning of E, U, TK, or CN. Anyone know how to break this code? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted September 30, 2013 Share #76 Posted September 30, 2013 Could it be to do with whether the video ouput is PAL or NTSC and the frame rate 24, 25 or 30 fps? Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted October 1, 2013 Share #77 Posted October 1, 2013 On 27th September at the Leica boutique in Raffles, Singapore, they said they expected it in one month. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wda Posted October 1, 2013 Share #78 Posted October 1, 2013 A friend who shared our visit to Leica Mayfair last week said he is collecting his new C today. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wlaidlaw Posted October 1, 2013 Share #79 Posted October 1, 2013 I spoke to the duty free outlet in Doha (Qatar) airport yesterday (owned and run by Qatar A/W) about getting a C there, when I have a plane change on my way through to Bangalore. They said they are having difficulty getting any Leica products from their supplier (they would not tell me who it was), so no guarantee they would have one in stock by end of January. They commented that it was a great pity, as the Leica compact and X series were what a considerable number of customers were asking for, when they came into the outlet. I will try and buttonhole someone at the Wetzlar meeting next week to see if something can be done about this situation. It is in all our interests for Leica to be a continuing commercial success. Wilson Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnbuckley Posted October 6, 2013 Share #80 Posted October 6, 2013 I picked mine up at the Leica Store DC on Friday and quite like it. As stated above, it fits a specific need -- a good camera I can fit in my pocket. The images out of the camera thus far are more than adequate. It is well designed from a UI/ergonomic perspective. I still have a few things to figure out, but I particularly like the fact that you can have a few Custom settings, as one of the reasons I bought it was to have a camera that I can use for concert photography, and I'd rather not spend too much time fiddling in the dark. Anyway, nice useful addition to the camera arsenal. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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