JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Share #1 Posted August 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hey Guy and Gals! I am in the desperate need of a new camera... I actually bought a Canon SD990 IS (14.7 mp) and I took it to africa with me for 3 weeks... Anyways, I'm not impressed at all with it... and I want to sell it and get a quality camera... I've been floating around between a Nikon D90 or a Canon Rebel T1i (both are dSLR)... However, I will mostly be using this camera for touring countries and such, and I'm curious now if the better choice isn't a Leica... so I wanted to ask you guys and gals honest opinions... should I get the D90 or the Rebel, or maybe should I invest my money in a nice leica? I have around 1500 to spend... so if you could recommend something, that would be so great! thanks so much! Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted August 29, 2009 Posted August 29, 2009 Hi JackTheRipper, Take a look here please please help me!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
jaapv Posted August 29, 2009 Share #2 Posted August 29, 2009 Spend a bit more and get an M8 used with some CV lens - or else save yourself some money and get a D-Lux 4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #3 Posted August 29, 2009 okay I did a little research so far and the d-lux 4 takes GREAT pictures (and I love the brown leather case!) but it only has 2.5x zoom? any opinions on the v-lux? hmmm I am really liking Leica right now, pricey but beautiful! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #4 Posted August 29, 2009 or maybe Leica will be releasing a new affordable camera on Sept 9th? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
antistatic Posted August 29, 2009 Share #5 Posted August 29, 2009 With Leica, new is never affordable Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #6 Posted August 29, 2009 well is there something in between say the D-lux 4 and the M8? I'm wanting to spend about 1,500-2000 usd on a new camera... could someone give me some great recommendations? thanks again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #7 Posted August 29, 2009 Advertisement (gone after registration) also what about the zoom? how is it on the d-lux 4? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chf Posted August 29, 2009 Share #8 Posted August 29, 2009 There is nothing inbetween right now, you could go for a used Digilux 3, but then it would make more sense to get a new Olympus and just the Leica lens. I use a D-Lux4 when travelling, but I also carry around an Olympus DSLR with a (Leica R) zoom lense. That combination works really well for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
poynterama Posted August 29, 2009 Share #9 Posted August 29, 2009 If 'new' isn't a requirement, a digilux 2 would be a good buy, just opt for one that's already had the sensor replaced. You can spend the change on a D-lux 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #10 Posted August 29, 2009 so if I buy the d-lux 4, I'd be pretty happy right? I just read the zoom is pretty much non-existent... I don't think I'd like a cam without a zoom darnit...other than that it's perfect... is it worth waiting for a d-lux 5? is it a possibility it can be released on Sept 9th? thanks Jack PS how much can I get an M8 for? about how much zoom would it have? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chf Posted August 29, 2009 Share #11 Posted August 29, 2009 If you are not happy without zoom, don't get a D-Lux4. Also from what I read here, I don't think you would be happy with an M8. (and it is far outside your price range, if you don't own any M lenses) I would recommend going for a Nikon or Olympus DSLR or a used Digilux. (Or maybe a Canon G11, if you want to stay in the D-Lux class) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted August 29, 2009 Share #12 Posted August 29, 2009 about how much zoom would it have? There are no zoom lenses available for M cameras. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuny Posted August 29, 2009 Share #13 Posted August 29, 2009 Jack - You were just in Africa and you traveled with a DLSR, implying that you had a fairly powerful zoon to capture the wildlife. You probably also like the reach of a long zoom, based on your Africa trip and on your comments about the D-Lux-4 zoom being too weak. Some have suggested the Olympus 4/3 or the D3 with Leica lenses. If the Leica lens is not one designed for 4/3 you'd have to do stop-down metering, which I suspect you would not like. The D2 is a terrific camera but the zoom would probably not be powerful enough for you – It’s the equivalent of 28-90 MM. To my mind, within your budget, there are two choices at this moment: 1. A used or new and unsold V-Lux-1 which has the equivalent of a 35 – 420 MM lens. Like the D2, the D3, the D-Lux series it is made by Panasonic for Leica. It sold new for $850, and as they were ridding themselves of the last stock Leica had a $250 rebate program. Yes, it is discontinued. If you try to buy it through some of Amazon’s partners you’ll see adverts saying that the list price was about $2500, and they have a deal now at about $2000. I’ve got to write Amazon about that lying. There is also a discontinued Lumix (Panasonic) version of that camera, though I forget it’s model designation. 2. Wait until September 9th. Leica will be announcing some new products on that day. Perhaps the follow-up to the D3 or to the V-Lux will be among the announcements. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
medved Posted August 29, 2009 Share #14 Posted August 29, 2009 Stu's advice is very good. You don't need much zoom even for animals in Africa as many on the trip we just took to Tanzania found out. The ones with the big Nikon 400's were frustrated at how close we were, while others banged away with nice Leica zoom lenses. The Panasonics are light, Leica lensed and very convenient. Even take a few blows without too much harm. The D Lux 4 is a great street camera esp. with a viewfinder, so if you had it and a Panasonic dslr type zoom lensed camera of your choice you could do everything from street life to elephants or the distant leopard. Depends very much on your style and use. Within your budget you could buy a new D Lux and a new Panasonic and have probably enough for a tourist ticket to someplace nice; or buy a used Panasonic from a reliable reseller like B&H or KEH and fly back to Africa with your new netbook. I plan to take a D Lux 4, the infrared Panasonic and a regular Panasonic on a trip to Ghana and Mali and figure the first two will do 98% of the shots, while the FZ28 will do the barbershop sign series if zooming is needed. In Tanzania the infrared did most of the landscape work and some good animal shots too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #15 Posted August 29, 2009 hmmm I've been looking over my pictures, and a lot of them are taken without a zoom... The only time I really used a zoom was on the safari, or during a show (like tropicana in Cuba)... my fiance has a little samsung 7 mp camera, with a zoom... I wonder if I handle all of the close pictures and she handles all of the far off shots, if that would compensate for having a non-zoom camera... but thanks for the advice from all, I believe I will wait and pray that Leica introduces a new product on Sept 9th! thanks again! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share #16 Posted August 29, 2009 and I admit, I'm a total noob with cameras, so when I say zoom, I just mean like the camera I have now and took to africa was a Canon SD990 IS, which is 3.7x zoom...which isn't much more than a 2.5x right? hmmmm so maybe I would be happy? I am completely happy with the 3.7x zoom for everything except for far off safari pics... so yes I'd be happy if it was comparable to a 2.5x... It just sucks because I don't have any leica dealers in my area, the closest one is like 3 hours away :-(.... I'm planning a trip to Egypt and Petra in October and would love to take a new camera with me... thanks again Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreddington Posted August 29, 2009 Share #17 Posted August 29, 2009 No problem with being a noob. We were all there once! I think you need to stop thinking only in terms of the zoom and learn about focal lengths. In the world of 35mm film, which is usually taken as a way of comparing all the different lens sizes out there, a 50mm lens approximates to the field of view you normally see (although some are more likely to consider 35mm to be "normal", especially in the Leica M world). Anything lower than 50mm is considered wide-angle, more than 50mm is telephoto. Your Canon SD990 IS has a 35mm film equivalent range of 36-133mm, i.e. from a mild wide angle to a not very extreme tele (85 or 100mm are considered good as portrait lenses). The DLux4 has a range from 24mm (an excellent wide angle) to only 60mm, which is not much more than normal field of view. So the zoom factor is meaningless if you want to compare these cameras. You need to think of what kind of photography you want to do and what focal lengths you need. The Dlux is a wonderful camera if you don't need telephoto. If you want to go on safari and photograph animals from a distance you should be thinking of 300mm - 400mm. If you want a good quality camera with flexible lenses you might want to consider a DSLR or micro4/3. But I would certainly wait until Leica announces their next cameras on the 9th before buying anything. EDIT: I think you might be confusing "zoom" with"telephoto". A zoom lens is one with variable focal length. I also wonder if you were using your Canon completely on automatic. If so, you might want to read up on the relationships between aperture, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity, as well as doing a bit more research on available focal lengths Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackTheRipper Posted August 30, 2009 Author Share #18 Posted August 30, 2009 thanks so much! you've been very helpful! I will definitely wait for leica and see if they announce more cameras on sept 9th! thanks sooo much! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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