Re DL 4: Questions

[andalus]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I am looking at the DL 4 as a possible buy. What is the diff between the A and P modes? Don't they do exactly the same thing?

 

And, for the owners out there what settings do you prefer the most and why, given your assessment of the camera's capabilities?

 

Thanks in advance.

[jimbo035]

I am looking at the DL 4 as a possible buy. What is the diff between the A and P modes? Don't they do exactly the same thing?

 

And, for the owners out there what settings do you prefer the most and why, given your assessment of the camera's capabilities?

 

Thanks in advance.

"A" selects the Snapshot Mode so basically the camera sets everything... In "P" (Program Mode), many more menu items are available for greater freedom of composition. Which is why I prefer P the most.

 

The D-Lux 4 Instructions are available as a pdf download at Leica Camera AG - Downloads

 

A (snapshot mode) is described on pages 18 and 19. Program Mode follows on pages 20 and 21.

[roberts2424]

There are two "A" modes. One is AI where it goes into snapshot mode choosing everything for you. You cannot shoot Raw in this mode.

 

The "A" above this other "A" is for aperture priority. You select the f/stop (aperture) and the DL4 choose the appropriate shutter speed setting. Raw is available.

 

The "P" or Program Mode gives you more flexibility in your settings. (I'm not sure if Raw is available here.)

[farnz]

You confused me for a moment there, Jim, because the "A" on my DL4 stands for Aperture Priority, not snapshot. Then I noticed the 'A' in the camera icon that is the 'snapshot' mode. I'd never noticed it before ...

 

 

Andalus,

 

Essentially, Snapshot mode seeks out the lowest ISO, smallest aperture and longest shutter speed that it can for the shooting situation (within set parameters) to make the camera as 'auto-everything' as it can to take the variables away and let you get on and shoot but will default to the maximum values most of the time. In Snapshot mode you will only be able to change the size of file recorded and the brightness of the LCD. This means of course that the camera is choosing the other settings, not you, so you can't control, for example, shallowness of focus (dof), long exposures for low light, or off-centre focussing.

 

Otoh Program mode gives you full flexibility but 'guides' your choice of aperture or shutter speed by automatically adjusting the other to suit the exposure value. So, for example if Program mode sets the shutter speed to 1/250 and aperture to f/2 but you choose to stop down to, say, f/5.6 then Program mode will change the shutter speed to 1/60 to compensate.

 

So, no, Program and Snapshot mode don't do quite the same thing and Program mode offers much more flexibility but not as much as Manual, Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority modes.

 

Pete.