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Leica D-Lux (typ109) (Panasonic LX100)

jonoslack

Active member
HI There
Bob has just done a great job of adding my d-lux review to the front page.

Being as it's a 4/3 camera - it seems that it probably belongs here as well as in the Leica forum:

The Leica D-Lux (Typ109)

It's a great camera - whether you settle for the Leica version or the Panasonic.

all the best
 

peterb

Member
Hi Jonathan,

For some time now I'd been looking for a nice small(ish) camera in the digital age that I just could grab and go with.

I had an LX3 but yearned for something with a bit more capability in its sensor. Something with a fine optic and sufficient DR that could produce reasonably good quality prints (13 x 19 in a nice frame) in color through ISO 800 and BW as high as the sensor could muster (noise is grain in my book so even bad shots are as good as the best of the film era.)

The Sony RX100 I, II, & (now) III didn't do anything for me, even with the impressive EVF of the III. (Also, is it the tastes of the folks behind the RAW processing but why do the colors on the images that I've seen here, flickr and elswhere look so garish with those cameras?) I liked the Fuji X100 series but, despite its wonderfully conceived hybrid finder still fell short of a view I had with an M6. Viewing through some I had the opportunity to hold in person still seemed like peering into a peephole for me and despite having an EVF to confirm things, the focusing accuracy was always a concern when speed might be needed. The Ricoh, as fine as some of the shots I've seen here have been, also seemed to be lacking with it's lack of VF.

What I like so far: IQ, AF speed, optics, heft, optional grip, price, reasonable silence, UX (Replacing "P" with double "A's" has always been nothing short of brilliant in my book). 4K capability. And the ability to create images that could lead to quality prints as large and as well as the best of the 35mm film era.

Dislikes: None that I can tell at this time. (And maybe time will tell.)

I think I've found my first Leica since the Digilux 2!

Thank you for a terrific review.



P
 

mazor

New member
nice review and lovely pics captured with the new D-Lux. Love the clean body design. Do you know how much premium this new Dlux goes for compared to the LX100?
 

nostatic

New member
When I look back at the past 10 years or so, I find that probably my favorite photos were taken with a DLux4. Seems like this is that camera "all grown up." Great review as always.
 

jonoslack

Active member
When I look back at the past 10 years or so, I find that probably my favorite photos were taken with a DLux4. Seems like this is that camera "all grown up." Great review as always.
Hi Todd
That's certainly what I thought about it too.
 

lambert

New member
HI There
Bob has just done a great job of adding my d-lux review to the front page.

Being as it's a 4/3 camera - it seems that it probably belongs here as well as in the Leica forum:

The Leica D-Lux (Typ109)

It's a great camera - whether you settle for the Leica version or the Panasonic.

all the best
Hi Jono

Nice writeup. Is it possible Leica supplied you with a "super" sample?

Ming Thein has just posted his review and his assessment of the lens (based on 3 samples and using both the LX100 and DLUX9) is not quite as glowing as yours.

Vin
 

dhsimmonds

New member
I formed an opinion from his review that there is nothing to chose between them in either image quality or handling. It was exactly the same with the Leica D2 and Panasonic LC1 many years ago now (in digital camera terms!) each sharing the same lens, sensor and processor.

It boils down to price, availability and just how much the "red dot" is worth to the photographer!
 

drofnad

Member
I formed an opinion from his review that there is nothing to chose between them in either image quality or handling.
?? How can the lack of a GRIP not affect handling? (Seems enough to do so that IIRC Leica again offers an add-on grip --for an add-on further cost.) It continues to amuse me to hear folks lauding the appearance of the Leica version, as though it's at all important to look at the tool (let alone that it looks good)! (I don't recall seeing such praise for the RX100's looks, but it's even more spare --if that's the ticket to beauty-- than the Leica!)

Ming echoes my musing that it would've been nice to see how the Sony 1" sensor would've played, perhaps w/like down-sizing for the multi-aspect handling to about 17-16-15mpix for the framings, and then Pany-Leica wizardry in perfecting the fast zoom (could they hold to LX7 range & speed?), with good stabilization. --noting that the LX7's 24-90eq. lens was an improvement over the LX5's (with slightly smaller sensor), though.


-d.
 

UHDR

New member
I formed an opinion from his review that there is nothing to chose between them in either image quality or handling. It was exactly the same with the Leica D2 and Panasonic LC1 many years ago now (in digital camera terms!) each sharing the same lens, sensor and processor.

It boils down to price, availability and just how much the "red dot" is worth to the photographer!
i was always under the impression that the leica counterpart normally has some of their "leica secret sauce" in the jpeg output/processor. oh well.... :D
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Jono

I hope that you don't mind but here is another review of both cameras and as far as I know Ming Thein is not paid by either Panasonic or Leica. BTW I have the LX100! :lecture:
Opinion-review: the Panasonic LX100/ Leica D-Lux 109
Hi There David
Thank you for the link - I really like Ming's reviews, and this one is no exception. I'm certain that Ming isn't paid by either (nor am I by the way). I think there is a crucial difference of perspective between us, which is encapsulated in this quote of Ming's:

I realise my hesitation with the hardware has been one of expectation: approach it thinking it’s a compact and you’ll be pleasantly surprised; approach it with the expectations that it’s going to match the best of M4/3 and perhaps come close to a GR and you’re going to be slightly disappointed on the image quality front.

I quite agree with him, but of course, I was approaching the camera as a compact - I didn't expect it either to match the best of M4/3 (why should it, it costs less than most of the good M4/3 lenses?). I didn't expect it to match the image quality of the GR either (why should a 24-75 zoom on a smaller sensor match a fixed focal length lens on a larger one?).

As far as the lens is concerned - he talks about disappointment with ACR conversion of the RAW files (with the Leica by renaming the camera). I didn't have any kind of RAW support whilst I was using the camera - so I relied on the JPG results, which seem to me to be very good. I do have the RAW files, so that I can have another look when they're properly supported (perhaps it's too early to criticise RAW files until there IS proper support).

I think we just came from the camera from a different angle - Personally I can't see why one would compare it to a Ricoh GR (I have one and it's lovely) - if you want a zoom there are always compromises to be made.

As for the grip, and differences from the Panasonic - unlike Ming I didn't have a Panasonic to compare with (they weren't available) - I had no problem holding the camera without a grip - the thumb pad on the back seemed to be fine . . . but I'm the person who was happy with a Leica T with no strap for 3 months! Certainly I had no problem carrying the camera without a strap, and I had no issues shooting with it one handed either.

I'd love to know whether Leica change the colour processing - but I'm afraid I don't know (either way)
 

jonoslack

Active member
Hi Jono

Nice writeup. Is it possible Leica supplied you with a "super" sample?

Ming Thein has just posted his review and his assessment of the lens (based on 3 samples and using both the LX100 and DLUX9) is not quite as glowing as yours.

Vin
Hi There Vin
I had an early sample - but they certainly wouldn't have sent me a "super" sample (experience has taught me that nobody gets special treatment like that).

As for Ming's fine review - see above - I think we were coming to the camera from different angles; I was expecting a sterling successor to the excellent D-Lux 6 - it appears Ming was hoping for a replacement for his Ricoh GR.
 

anfrve

New member
Hello everybody!
many thanks of Jono for his review, very well done!
just one question to you, where is possible to download a pdf manual of the camera? (D Lux of course)
thanks in advance for the replies
 

Terry

New member
Hi There Vin


As for Ming's fine review - see above - I think we were coming to the camera from different angles; I was expecting a sterling successor to the excellent D-Lux 6 - it appears Ming was hoping for a replacement for his Ricoh GR.
Which seemed to be a doomed comparison from the start. A GR is for a particular shooter and in sincerity I really don't think that someone who loves the GR is the target audience for this camera.

I'm traveling with the LX100 and GM1 with 35-100 zooms as my two bodies. Works well but boy do I wish the GM1 had the controls of the LX100.
 
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