Our new Leica D-LUX 4 just arrived!

[SurferStitch]

After much research, and waiting, and research, and waiting....DH finally ordered a Leica D-LUX 4 for our new point and shoot digital camera. It just showed up, and I'm LOVING IT!!! :thumbsup:

If anyone out there has one, let me know what you think of it. The price dropped by $300, and the sister camera Panasonic has been out of stock everywhere since last December, so it was time to strike. Good thing, too, since it appears to be out of stock again all over the place.

I love that it takes HD video, so on days we don't want to take our HD video camera along to the parks or DTD, we can cover both bases with the Leica.

DH also ordered the special custom leather case for it, so it will be well protected, which is very important when it comes to my DH. He's murder on electronics!

[Ian]

Huh ... I'm in the market for a new digital camera and this seems like it would be a good option for me.

Amazon has them in stock. Although the price is kinda hefty for a non-SLR? What am I missing that justifies a nearly $800 tag?

[Ed]

I'm not familiar with that particular model, but I am a definite convert to the Leica fold. I've got a Leica V-Lux 1 DSLR that is absolutely wonderful! :cloud9:

Good luck with yours! :thumbsup:

[SurferStitch]

We paid $699 from B&H in NYC (we get all of our photography gear there), no tax, free shipping, and our orders show up next day. I see Amazon is advertising it for $799.

The D-LUX 4 is one of, if not THE best point and shoot on the market. Some specs:

* 10.1 Megapixel
* 2.5x Wide-angle Zoom Lens (24-60mm)
* 3" Color LCD Display (Very big)
* Extremely Wide Aperture (f/2.0-2.8)
* MEGA O.I.S. Image Stabilization
* High Sensitivity (ISO 3200)
* Face Recognition AF/AE
* HD Video Recording & Output
* Full-manual Capability (NICE)
* Built-in Hot Shoe

The wide aperture lens is a big plus for us. That costs money, and you won't find it on just any p&s camera. Also, it shoots HD video, and you can choose a wide screen (16:9) option to fill HD television screens. You can also choose more standard ratios.

You can record images in RAW mode, which we always like to do. I also like the various film modes you can choose.

The Leica does very well in lower light situations (due to the wide aperture). That's the biggest gripe I have with most point and shoots....they are pretty lousy in low/medium light (as our Canon S80 is).

Just check out all of the specs at B&H. We also looked at a lot of review sites, and the D-LUX 4 always seemed to come out on top. I did notice that B&H is out of stock of the black one again, and the titanium is discontinued. There is a new safari edition, but I definitely don't think it warrants the extra $300.

The D-LUX 4 is also very, very well made. It's very compact, but has some heft to it. The body is metal, not the ****** metal finish plastic you get anymore.

It also comes with Capture One software. I'm still learning it, but it's more than just an editor. DH said it also helps set the white balance on the camera, among other things. Again, I have to learn more about this.

[Ian]

Interesting ... I guess I'd have to see the difference in the pics between the Leica, a regular P&S, and a digital SLR, because that price tag seems very, very hefty to me.

I mean at $699, it's a little more appealing than at $799 I guess, but you can get a pretty good SLR (one that also shoots HD video) for around the same price. And 10.1mp isn't that high a resolution anymore (although I'll freely admit it's more than anyone really needs).

And I can buy a regular 10.1 P&S camera for like $200 tops!

[SurferStitch]

The very wide aperture is what sold me. Also, if you've used Leica, you'd understand. You get addicted quite easily.

And yes, 10.1 mp is more than necessary. I doubt I'll print anything larger than a 16x20, so I'm good.

Plus, we don't need another SLR. We were only interested in a new point and shoot. We wanted something small, compact, with excellent image quality. And, Leica is a truly excellent product.

I want to say we payed somewhere around $450ish (can't remember anymore) for our Canon S80 a few years ago. No DH video, narrower aperture, poor low/medium light quality, etc....so to me, $699 is a decent bargain considering the high end P&S you're getting. This camera can't really be compared apples to apples with many P&S cameras.

When it comes to DSLR, we're looking at the Canon 50D (around $1150 at B&H - body only). We'd love a Hasselblad, but they're out of our price range right now. We thought about the Nikon D300 ($1600 body only), but our Canon DSLR has been a real work horse, and is fantastic.