Nikon Leica Carl Zeiss Cameras and Video

Review by WildCardPix:

I have been a pro shooter for 15 years now, and have always used Canon gear. Today, my kit includes the 1Ds Mark III and over a dozen L-series, or special purpose lenses. I can honestly say that this little Leica gives my pro system a run for its money, at a fraction of the cost, and weight. It also allows me to keep a very low profile if needed, even though this camera is gorgeous.

The lens produces astounding sharpness, the color and contrast of the JPEGs are amazing right out of the camera, and yes, the dynamic black and white mode does produce that magical “Leica feel” right out of the camera. I was skeptical at first, however, even after one sunset test shoot, I would also agree with other users on this point. At 460k, the LCD screen has ultra high resolution, while all camera operations are quite fast. It’s simply an incredible camera.

As for the cons that other users mention…in my opinion, no, the mode dial is NOT that easy to accidentally turn. Once you pick up the camera you’ll see that your index finger, once poised over the shutter button, simply won’t be close enough to the mode dial for an accidental spin. Also, the autofocus for spontaneous shooting, even in low-light is also plenty fast enough, and does not unnecessarily go hunting for subjects, in my opinion.

CONS: (1) Do not waste your money on the optional 24mm viewfinder. The optics, even at 0, do not zoom to match whatever focal length the lens happens to be at, which forces you to shoot at 24mm each and every time, which sort of defeats the purpose of having a zoom lens capability. Additionally, it does not even offer shoot information in the display, unlike a DSLR which does this and makes traditional viewfinder shooting possible.

(2) Don’t waste your money on the Leica battery. Instead, buy the one for the Panasonic LX3, which is identical, only it doesn’t say Leica and costs about half as much. The principle of Leica charging more without giving you any additional battery capacity simply irritates me.

OPTIONAL: I did splurge for the brown leather Leica case. It’s a little overpriced to be sure, but if you’ve read this far, then you’re someone willing to pay 0 for a point and shoot anyway, so you might as well just complete the package. It’s pure class all the way around. If your goal was also to bask in Leica social cachet, then this case completes the package. If you’re a pro shooter, then it also provides instant reassurance to your clients that yes, “this guy is actually pulling out a point and shoot camera on this shoot, but oh wait, it looks like a serious machine. It’s all good.”

In the end, I promise you will NOT be disappointed. This little gem is worth the money, and has definitely earned the following it has already attained.

Happy shooting…

~WC

Review by Ellie:

Even with the 0 rebate (until end of 2008) I paid 0 for the red dot. Mind you, I’m not complaining. It is an estimable camera at the top of the heap in its class. I bought it for the f2.0 fast lens, the wide angle, the build quality, the Leica processing software in the camera itself (it is better than my Panasonic DMC-LZ50 – less chunky and exagerated color at extreme magnification), the accessories like even more wide angle with an accessory lens or the 24mm optical finder. I have done some photojournalism in my life and this is what I wish I had back then.

I have gone through at least four digital cameras since I decided to leave my Nikon film SLR on the shelf a few years ago. I have never looked back. But this beauty allows me to do the photography I like best, to be inconspicuous, to be quick, to feel like taking it along because of its relatively light weight and size, to not spook people who are shy when an SLR is around. It looks (other than that wonderful red dot) like any P&S, but I’m thankful it isn’t.

I’ve seen minimal barrel distortion, maximum sharpness and contrast, easy menus, abundant automatic as well as full manual features.

Unless you have a fetish about Leica, go with the much less costly extra batteries (under .00) and other items. A tip about non-Leica brand batteries: remove the stick-on label because it is just thick enough to make it difficult to remove these after market batteries. When I did this, they fit just as well as the Leica (.00) batteries. Get the S005 battery that the Panasonic twin uses. These aftermarket are just as good as maker branded batteries. Get a few of them. They charge up in just 45 minutes or so.

I have used the 720P HD video (use the wide 16:9 format at the right side of the lens barrel selector switch) and am impressed at the quality. Certainly a dedicated 1080P HD videocam would do better, but being able to use a 24mm wide angle lens is a real plus. On my digital TV and on my computer monitor the results were satisfying. My computer played it with a little stutter the first time but playing it again it was smooth on succeeding times. Go figure. I have a low end graphics card so that may be the cause. My HD videos have been less than one minute so far – I understand there may be a limit of five minutes or so (per file). Don’t buy another still camera without HD video!

A tip about what some pros and advanced amateurs do with a quality new camera to preserve its resale value is to cover as much surface on the camera as possible with adhesive plastic (such as the PDA screen protector materiel) to minimise wear (and actually, it gives you a better grip than the stock exterior). This is for a user camera. If, like some Leica owners, you just want to show it off rarely for the feeling that you know enough about cameras to choose a Leica you can skip this tip.

Oh, one thing. Do not trust the Leica neck strap. It almost came loose at the camera end while on its first use. Use a sailor’s knot there – don’t trust the tiny plastic sleive to hold. We don’t need any Leicas hitting the concrete.

Review by Mediahound:

I really like this case a lot. It’s very high quality and almost feels like Coach leather or something of that caliber.

It fits both the Panasonic LX3 and the Leica D-LUX 4, which are essentially the same cameras.

My black camera looks great in this case and the case allows me to wear it on my belt or over my shoulder with the included strap diagonally across my chest.

It looks very classy and seems sturdy and well-made. True Leica quality!

Review by Doodles:

If you want to keep with the minimalist attitude of this camera, go for this perfect case. Its very retro, made extremely well, and completely protects the camera. There is not room for anything other than the camera and wrist strap, but allows me to carry it almost everywhere at any time. I have a 1951 Model IIIc with the original brown leather molded case. I suspect this new one will last 50 years as well.

Review by Pseudorandom Person:

In the last 6 years I’ve used a couple of compacts which I’ve since got rid of after upgrading to DSLRs (Canon XT and then 40D). For a while I was waiting for a compact that I could carry with me anywhere I want, and particularly to parties and other social occasions where bringing a DSLR is really not an option.

When this camera was announced it really looked like a dream compact for me. Fast, wide and optically stabilized lens is ideal for low-light indoor shots. The design is stylish and beautiful, the camera is quite compact and it has all the controls an advanced amateur would need.

Further the sensor is essentially as big as they get in compact cameras and with almost reasonable 10mp (still about 5mp too many but not as bad as 12-15mp you would get in any other compact with a comparable sensor).

I’ve had the camera for a couple of weeks now (and shame on Amazon for not having it in stock a month after it appeared in some other big stores). I like it a lot and the camera delivers on most of Panny’s promises. Here are some of the experiences.

1. The image quality is certainly and noticeably better than the ulracompact cameras (like Panny’s own FX series). It is however still a compact camera … meaning there is visible noise even at ISO 80 and lots of noise at ISO 400. However noise reduction algorithms seem to be doing quite a good job and ISO 80 pics look very nice … sometimes almost like a DSLR. And even at ISO 400 most shots are good enough to keep. In general the output from this camera is comparable to my 40D at 8 times the ISO (that is 80 on LX3 is about 640 on 40D and 400 LX3 is a bit better than 3200 on 40D). Fortunately, with fast lens and image stabilization I almost never need to use ISO above 400.

2. The camera is very responsive and the autofocus is fast and seems accurate.

3. Changing ISO through the menus is a bit of a pain but a variety of useful ISO regimes are provided. In general controlling all the options is not very easy … but I guess that’s the compromise you get with such a small camera with a large LCD.

Update: it is possible to simplify ISO changing by reassigning a button for this purpose. The drawback of this is that now reviewing pictures becomes more cumbersome.

4. Aspect ratio switch on the lens is more useful than I thought … saves quite a lot of cropping.

5. Shooting in RAW+jpeg is fast enough to be usable.

6. The camera is quite a bit bulkier than it might seem (and the given dimensions are misleading since they do not include the lens and other protrusions from the main part of the body). It is not shirt-pocketable both because of its size and weight … but fits fine in a jacket pocket or purse.

7. The macro capability of the camera is really excellent.

8. Having user customizable preset regimes on the dial is very useful and quite a luxury not present even on Canon XSi DSLR (shame on Canon!)

Overall it’s a great compact camera: in my opinion certainly the best on the market by a margin (I’ve studied the market very thoroughly). It is in the same league as Canon G-series (which I owned back when they were the best and liked a lot) but fits my current needs much more than a Canon Gx. I also think it’s a real bargain at around 0.

But it is still a compact camera with a sensor 1/8 area of most DSLRs and 1/20 of full frame (mostly pro) DSLR. So those expecting miracles like close-to-DSLR quality or usable ISO 800+ might be disappointed.

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A quick update in response to a comment:

1. At widest setting of the zoom there is quite significant distortion especially noticeable in 16:9 regime. There is also noticeable loss of sharpness in the corners. This might not look good in some shots (like if a straight like or someones face is close to the border) but nothing too bad for most of the shots.

2. HD video is very good for a compact. There is no zooming, no auto focus and sometimes exposure adjustments are not very smooth. So I’d not recommend to treat it as a camcorder. But overall it gives detailed and reasonably smooth video (well not quite 30fps smooth). I’ve just made a quick comparison with Canon HF10 dedicated compact camcorder (which is as good as they get these days). In bright light LX3 cannot quite match the 1080p detail of Canon. But in relatively dim light it is about as good. Also LX3 has a huge advantage in wide angle. All dedicated consumer camcorders have widest angle around 40mm which is much worse than 24mm of LX3.

Another impression which I have with LX3 and certainly did not have with other compacts is that it is a tool worth learning and investing some time and experimentation. My pics with this camera keep improving even the first ones were already decent.

For anyone interested in sharpness and noise level comparisons with some cameras you can check out

http://www.dkamera.de/testberichte/panasonic/lumix-dmc-lx3/bildqualitaet

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Update Dec 17: Finally Photoshop and Lightroom started to recognize LX3 raws. The quality of my pictures is now even higher: colors much more pleasing and noise reduction less “blotchy”. Overall this camera gives results well beyond what I thought to be possible for a compact camera. So it still has my highest recommendation.

Update Jan 27, 2009.

The single most annoying thing about this camera is its lens cap. Having to remove it slows you down. Attaching via a string leaves it dangling … which detracts from the aesthetics of the camera and can add a bit of extra shake. Without the string it’s likely to get lost … and I have not seen any replacements on sale. Anyway, fortunately, creative peoples found out that Ricoh LC-1 lens adapter can be easily modified to be used on this camera. I’ve did this and it works much better than the original cap. I’ve uploaded some pictures of the result to the product images. Use google to find the modification instructions.

Review by William V. Mcclung:

First let me establish some credentials. I have been making photographs for 57 years, for personal satisfaction and for work. For 24 of those years, I also ran a part-time wedding photography business. I have been using digital cameras since 2001 and have owned many Nikon digital SLRs (D100, D200, D300) and a number of compact digital cameras.

With that out of the way, let me simply say, “the Panasonic LX3 is the BEST compact digital camera I have ever owned and, in my opinion, there is nothing else currently in its class that even comes close.” I feel so strongly about the merits of the LX3, I am purchasing another one to put up for future use. It’s THAT good!

Yes, its a bit pricey ….. no, it will not replace a DSLR for some things ….. no, it is not for everyone. Because of the limited zoom range (35mm equivalent of 24mm to 60mm), I would not recommend the camera to those who might need more zoom for outdoor sports, etc. But, if you can live within the zoom limitations, you will find the 24mm wide angle, amazing low-light capability and VERY effective stabilization system to be priceless.

The “iA” setting (puts the camera on “fully automatic”) is the best I have ever seen, allowing anyone to routinely make outstanding images. For experienced photographers, the LX3 opens up a whole new world for compact cameras, used when it is not possible or convenient to carry a DSLR or used as a back-up or companion camera for your DSLR.

I purchased my LX3 in September 2008. Since then, my D300 and other cameras have likely felt very neglected! I have posted some sample images on this page.