Digilux 2 : RAW or JPEG?

[Me Leica!]

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I just got lucky and found a Panasonic DMC-LC1 in superb, full working condition for an absolute steal and couldn't resist it, having used and really enjoyed the Digilux 2 in the past. 

For Digilux 2 shooters, do you tend to shoot RAW, or do you find the JPEGs to be good out of camera? (Or can you shoot both at once, I don't recall?) I think I may have read somewhere that the two cameras actually have somewhat different JPEG rendition, whereas the RAWs are presumably the same.

 

[wda]

If you are comfortable with processing RAW, as I am sure you are, then take advantage of the potential superior quality. I always shoot RAW and regret that I did not do so when the camera was first launched. At the same time, do all you can to shoot at ISO 100. Grain can be become troublesome at ISO 400 which I always avoid if possible.

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[Me Leica!]

21 minutes ago, wda said:

If you are comfortable with processing RAW, as I am sure you are, then take advantage of the potential superior quality. I always shoot RAW and regret that I did not do so when the camera was first launched. At the same time, do all you can to shoot at ISO 100. Grain can be become troublesome at ISO 400 which I always avoid if possible.

I know what you mean about the ISO 100, and it's not a problem (one of my other favourite camera companies is Sigma and many of their cameras are similar; everything, including high ISO performance, is sacrificed for utterly insane low ISO image quality). 

Just wondering though, is there really that much extra potential / latitude in a Digilux 2 RAW file? We're talking really old sensor technology here. Even with RAW I'd imagine you have to get the exposure pretty much right in camera, not like these modern gadgets which let you shoot nine stops under or over and just pull everything back in photoshop...

[wda]

The determining factor is your planned destiny for your pictures. RAW is wasted on social media. Modest changes to white balance is a useful tool to have, enough to justify use of RAW as general practice. It is a personal. 

[farnz]

For the DMC-LC1 and the Digilux 2, the major determining factor in whether to shoot raw or jpeg is how dreadfully slow they are at writing raw files to the card.  On the other hand, the in-camera jpegs are simply superb (and the best I have seen from any camera) so I shoot jpeg only with my two D2's unless there's a particular shot that I decide I might want to process in a different way when I'll go through the pain of shooting raw - wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait - until I can shoot the next picture.  With raw files, both of my D2's lock up for about 7 seconds between shots, which is interminable if you want to reshoot a changing scene.  With jpegs it's as fast as you'd expect.

Pete.

[rjans]

On 5/22/2019 at 2:10 PM, Me Leica! said:

I just got lucky and found a Panasonic DMC-LC1 in superb, full working condition for an absolute steal and couldn't resist it, having used and really enjoyed the Digilux 2 in the past. 

For Digilux 2 shooters, do you tend to shoot RAW, or do you find the JPEGs to be good out of camera? (Or can you shoot both at once, I don't recall?) I think I may have read somewhere that the two cameras actually have somewhat different JPEG rendition, whereas the RAWs are presumably the same.

 

There is good information from Thorsten von Overgaard's Leica Sites, https://www.overgaard.dk/leica_digilux2.html and his vision on jpeg vs RAW.

Enjoy your camera, it's digital but it feels like handling an analog camera. 

On 5/30/2019 at 11:55 PM, farnz said:

For the DMC-LC1 and the Digilux 2, the major determining factor in whether to shoot raw or jpeg is how dreadfully slow they are at writing raw files to the card.  On the other hand, the in-camera jpegs are simply superb (and the best I have seen from any camera) so I shoot jpeg only with my two D2's unless there's a particular shot that I decide I might want to process in a different way when I'll go through the pain of shooting raw - wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait - until I can shoot the next picture.  With raw files, both of my D2's lock up for about 7 seconds between shots, which is interminable if you want to reshoot a changing scene.  With jpegs it's as fast as you'd expect.

Pete.

 

+1

When I use the D2 it's almost all time jpeg. Only in tricky situations and there's no rush, I use RAW with the D2. Not so long ago I compared the jpegs of the D2 with the jpegs of the C Typ112 both set 100 ISO, f 2.0 at 28 mm indoor with enough light passing through the windows. As far as I could see on my monitor, the jpegs of the D2 look different, indeed better. Another point I observed was that the D2 picture showed a little less distortion compared to the little C at that focal length. That's to be expected due to the different lens design.

Roger