Leica V LUX 1 or Leica Digilux 2

I want to get one of these 2 cameras. I shoot mainly portraits and I use flash a lot

of the time. I rarely would need a high ISO so thats not so important to me. I want

Leica Quality images. Not sure which one to get. Need your help, thanks rollsman

if the red dot is not important to you and TIFF is an acceptable image format for post processing, do consider the panasonic alternative as well. since you are interested in portraiture, a good flash would come in handy and the pana would certainly leave you funds to buy one.

Let me just add that the Panasonic also has Leica glass (a Vario Elmarit). Because

that's why you go for a Leica, right?

To be perfectly honest, the only way to get true "Leica Quality images" is to buy an R* or an M* and get a handful of Summicrons, Elmarits, or Summiluxes.

 

Pick up a cheap dSLR (like a Nikon D80 or a Canon 450D), a good flash (SB600 for the Nikon, 430EX for the Canon), and a quality short-tele (like a 50/1.4 or an 85/1.8). This will give you a wealth of flexibility in the way of upgrades, high-quality glass, and image IQ that trounces what the (very dated) fixed-lens cameras you mentioned can produce.

 

Though there certainly exists an elusive 'je ne sais pas' about true Leica glass, it comes at the cost of an extremely high price tag.

 

(disclaimer: I've got an M2 and a handful of vintage Leica lenses. Nothing to sneeze at, but certainly nothing I would use for serious portraiture. I leave that to my 20D+85/1.8)

The Panasonic lenses are reasonably good, but they are designed and manufactured by Panasonic, not by Leica. Anyone who thinks that they have imaging qualities that compare with Leica M and R lenses is probably blinded by reflections from the bright red dot on the Leica-badged versions of these 100% Panasonic cameras.

 

Having said that, I use a Panasonic DMC LX-2 which is also sold with some insignificant changes as the Leica D-Lux 3. It is a very good digital p+s camera with useful 16:9 widescreen ability. However, it isn't in any way a real Leica - despite the name on the lens - so don't be fooled.

I have the Digilux II and the D-Lux3. I'm quite pleased with both. The Digilux II really does handle as close as possible to a film camera, making the transition as smooth as possible. Image quality is very good to excellent. I print at 7.5" by 10" at 256 dpi and I find nothing to be unhappy about.

For the best quality you need the Digilux 2 because of its Summicron lens. This is a superb lens not matched by any of the Panasonic Leica lenses. The only restriction is the number of pixels but unless you are intendng to print larger than A3 then it is academic. Digilux 2 pictures are the best you can get for the price without any question. Nikons and Canons don't come near even with many more pixels. It took me quite some time to realise this. The only trouble with the Digilux 2 for an M photographer like me is that it is a bit bulky.