Uber posh compact/ Micro 4/3 etc

AndyWest

AndyWest

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Seeing as i no longer need a new lens i was thinking of upgrading my Panasonic TZ6. Now i do love my TZ6, it produces some great shots and has a fantastic IS system. My boss at work has the TZ7 which has HD video and this would be nice however they don't have AV or TV manual modes.

I have seen some images from the Panasonic Lumix Micro 4/3 and they are pretty stunning! It would also be ideal for street photography as you wouldn't be in peoples faces. Easy to carry round too if you don't want to take the DSLR!

I have also seen images from Leica, i think it was the M8 from this forum and the images from that were amazing but they are probably way way out my price budget to £500ish.

So what else would you recommend.

Also whats the beef with Panasonic and Leieca? I know Lieca make the lenses for the Panasonic Lumix [apparently!] and i have heard Panasonic make he Lieca body? Anyone know whats the truth?
 
must admit I love my TZ-7, but I really mis the Tv & Av modes :)
 
I have just noticed some lieca cameras that are affordable! I'm liking the D-Lux 4 but it is a little out my price range at £534 at Amazon. It does have AV and TV [manual] modes though!!

The C-Lux 3 is very similar to my TZ6 so i wouldn't gain anything!
 
With bigger DSLR-size sensors -
Leica X1
Pano GF1
Olympus F-P1
Sigma DP2

With tiny 'compact' sensors -
Pano LX3/Leica D-Lux 4 (same camera)
Canon G11

Leica and Panasonic have a tie up where they license their name and cop a royalty, Panasonic does the manufacturing. The only cameras Leica actually make are the M9 and lenses, plus the new X1. And the new S2, when they get around to it.
 
ano LX3/Leica D-Lux 4 (same camera)
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So why is the Leica nearly twice as expensive??? is it cos you are paying for the name?
 
AndyWest said:
So why is the Leica nearly twice as expensive??? is it cos you are paying for the name?
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There's a thread discussing this somewhere... I think AliB has one and was one of the main contributors in the thread, and mentioned that the in-camera software is different?
 
A good friend has just bought a Panasonic DMC-LX3. Some of the shots he's posted of Flickr are great. Check out my friend, c4pnb.
 
definitely different from the norm which makes it cool in my book :thumbs:
 
AndyWest said:
So why is the Leica nearly twice as expensive??? is it cos you are paying for the name?
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It's just the name. And it obviously costs a fortune to remove the finger grip ;)

Yet despite all this branding nonsense, I still prefer the Leica version and so do loads of others. I think it's been a smash hit for both Leica and Panasonic.
 
I'm a bit of a Panasonic LX3 fan. Super little camera with full manual control, and quite small.

I think you'll find that the micro-four-thirds cameras are a bit large when they've got the standard zoom lens fitted. That's why the ads all show them with the pancake lens.
 
I've recently bought the GF1 with the 20mm f1.7 lens which is a lovely piece of glass, sharp at full bore and lovely defocussed backgrounds. I'd recommend adding the small metal very pricey Voigtlander viewfinder for streeet shooting.
 
Got to be a D-Lux 4... :love:

It produces superb results and has pretty much everything you could ask for in an "Uber-posh Compact"... :D

Oh and forget Amazon... :suspect: ...Harrisons are doing it for £499 squids right now... :eek: ...HERE ... :naughty:

Go on... :thinking: ...you know you want/need/must get one... :lol:






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Leica m8, m9 are the dslrs. At around 3000-4000 per body and 1000 for lenses(ish).

Love to try em as the portraits from their film were used by top pros in 60s and 70s.

Not sure of the c lux but the d lux was their compact version. Was mentioned somewhere on a post ages ago elsewhere that the leicas had tweaked the in camera processing to give nice images over panasonics version. Possibly true as the tz3 I have had harsh processing and wasn't customisable to turn off/give raw.

Don't suppose your local photo store has them for you to handle?
 
ecniv said:
Leica m8, m9 are the dslrs. At around 3000-4000 per body and 1000 for lenses(ish).

Love to try em as the portraits from their film were used by top pros in 60s and 70s.

Not sure of the c lux but the d lux was their compact version. Was mentioned somewhere on a post ages ago elsewhere that the leicas had tweaked the in camera processing to give nice images over panasonics version. Possibly true as the tz3 I have had harsh processing and wasn't customisable to turn off/give raw.

Don't suppose your local photo store has them for you to handle?
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M8 and M9 are digital rangefinder cameras. Leica recently stopped production of the R9 film SLR.
 
ecniv said:
Leica m8, m9 are the dslrs. At around 3000-4000 per body and 1000 for lenses(ish).

Love to try em as the portraits from their film were used by top pros in 60s and 70s.

Not sure of the c lux but the d lux was their compact version. Was mentioned somewhere on a post ages ago elsewhere that the leicas had tweaked the in camera processing to give nice images over panasonics version. Possibly true as the tz3 I have had harsh processing and wasn't customisable to turn off/give raw.

Don't suppose your local photo store has them for you to handle?
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There may be a shop in Croydon. They mostly sell 2nd hand stuff but have Leica stickers all over the windows and cameras on display. I don't know what cameras they are though, whether they are new or not.

I think in my heart i want the D-Lux 4, as far as i can see it's the only one that i could possibly edit the raw file straight from Lightroom 2.3 using DNG format. I need to look into that as it would be really handy.

EDIT: : Lightroom 2.3 reads the RWL [Raw] file from the Leica D-Lux 4 no problem!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!
 
AndyWest said:
I think in my heart i want the D-Lux 4, as far as i can see it's the only one that i could possibly edit the raw file straight from Lightroom 2.3 using DNG format. I need to look into that as it would be really handy.
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If it is in your heart you will NOT be happy with second best... :shrug: ...believe me... :naughty: ...AND it's within your budget too... :D


Go for it... ;)






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Venomator said:


If it is in your heart you will NOT be happy with second best... :shrug: ...believe me... :naughty: ...AND it's within your budget too... :D


Go for it... ;)
Click to expand...

Yer but no but yer but no but....

I have now looked at the Canon G11 and, well it stacks up very very well against the Leica. It has bigger focal range than the Leica and the image quality is up there with the best of them from what i have seen. It also saves Raw files in CR2 file format which i can open directly in Lightroom, as can the Leica!

I still LOUUURV the Leica though. I'm going to have to compare A LOT of images over the weekend!! :thumbs:
 
AT LAST!! i have ordered my new Camera!

I went for the Leica in the end as it's a very posh version of my Lumix TZ6 and one thing i wanted was my TZ6 only better. The Leica has amazing image quality with it's own 'feel' just like my manual lenses on my old DSLR so this should suit me perfectly.

Bought from Warehouse Express for £499 :)

Yum Yum
leica-D-lux-4.jpg
 
I did but i can't repeat what the guy said!!!!!!!!! I didn't know you were into 'that' kind of thing!!!hmmm

:D :D :D :D
 
When i got my LX3 i really wanted the Leica, but just could not justify the additional cost, so plumped for the Panasonic, and i :love::love::love: it, possibly more than my DSLR :eek: (it certainly gets more use)

Just a few of my favourite images from mine ;)

3863371556_40c64ffee3_o.jpg


3829962081_a46fc8fdc2_o.jpg


3829951911_9156bc617c_o.jpg


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Enjoy it - its a gem of a camera :thumbs:
 
Some nice shots there chillimonster.

I am having to send my Leica back as it has a bright white dead pixel on the Raw setting?!?!?!? and to be honest the pics i have taken are not great so i may look at the Lumix GF1 or the Canon G11 again. The Lumix has a larger sensor so may be better?

This pic is really nice that you took:
3829962081_a46fc8fdc2_o.jpg
 
Thanks Andy.

Bummer about the dead pixel :(

The LX3 and the D-Lux 4 are really nice camera, with some major limitations (sensor size / DOF being the main one), but once you get used to working within these limitations they are a fantastic bit of kit.
 
I'm sending the Leica back tomorrow and going to get a 3/4 size camera. The choice really is between the Lumix GF1 (Girlfriend1) and the Richo GRlll which is supposed to have superb image quality. I have 2 old Olympus Zuiko OM lenses that i can use on the Lumix which will be cool!
 
I looked at replacing the LX3 with the GF1, but it kinda defeats the purpose for me as i wanted a high quality short zoom silent small camera that could go anywhere.

The fact that the GF1 has interchangeable lenses and still has a 'mechanical' shutter (bit too loud for me!) ruled it out, for now.
 
I must admit the images i have seen from the LX3 on flickr look very very good! i may have to look a bit closer but i do really want the best IQ for a compact and i think the larger 3/4 sensors are the ones to go for.

The Ricoh GRlll is supposed to be up there with the best but has a fixed 28mm f1.9 lens, not a bad size to be stuck with but i don't know if i would be happy with a fixed length.
 
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