Leica D-LUX3

[alfarmer]

Hi, all.

 

I finally decided to try the D-LUX3 and wow, what a complicated camera! It's

got more options than any other P&S I've seen.

 

One of the things that's confusing to me is the EZ (extended zoom) modes. I

read the manual and still don't get it. Somehow they achieve up to 6x OPTICAL

zoom by reducing the Megapixel count of the snapped image. Anyone here able to

explain how they do that a bit better?

 

Also, the manual mentions extending on the long end, but does it affect the wide

end too? I'm thinking it sacrifices the 28mm equivalent as well, shifting the

whole range long -- true?

 

The other question I have is regarding RAW. I have what is supposed to be a

FAST SD card, but those RAW files still take quite a while to write. Is there a

camera bottleneck or is it totally dependent on the SD card?

 

Lastly, what do you other D-LUX3 owners think of the camera after having used it

for a while? Presumably the corresponding Lumix has all the same features, so

I'd be interested in hearing from those owners as well.

 

Cheers,

ALF

[dg1]

On a G7 extended zoom would be called a "digital tele converter", on Sony R1 it is called "smart digital zoom", and essentially it is one of the methods that super zoom cameras use (i.e. small sensors). It's like most digital zoom (a crop), except that the ten meg resolution leaves quite a few pixels even on the smaller area of the frame used. Also rather than just engaging at the limit of the optical zoom, these methods apply the conversion across the entire zoom range. This is nice if you want to simulate, say a normal lens but retain the wide aperture of the wide angle setting. I'm just assuming the D-lux3 works like these others, because I've never used one. The G7 seems to interpolate the crop back up to the 10 meg size, whereas the Sony says, NO, you've got a 3, 5, or 7 meg image now.. a bit more truthful, but both are very useful.

[jcuknz]

EZ --- If you look at the file size of the resultant pictures it is a 'automatic crop' done by the camera. I have never bothered to use it becuase it involves going into the menu and I prefer to work with the controls available to me on the body. It would be a useful feature, like digital zoom, for people who print straight out of the camera without going through a computer to post process their photos.

 

You can get the wide view back by going back to full quality mode so you are not sacrificing anything, just using different options.

 

All cameras are slow to write RAW files, one reason why I don't use it. I see no need for it for most shooting where one is not pushing the process in low light or extreme contrast situations. I have the FZ50 after owning the 20 and 30.

[ksargent]

Hi Anthony,

 

I've had my D-Lux 3 for several months and I have been quite happy with it. I use it more

often than I use my DSLR - as a matter of convenience. I shoot RAW exclusively because I

believe that I get better results (using Lightroom as my RAW converter). There is a bit of

of a delay as the files are being written to the card - the D-Lux is not a high speed

camera. You can speed things up by zone focusing (the small sensor's enhanced depth of

field offers a lot of latitude) in manual mode - but that only affects the shot and not the

write time. It is true that the D-Lux is an advanced camera and offers a wide array of

options, but as you become acquainted with it, you will likely only use a rather small

subset of those options. In fact, it is really incorrect to call it a "point and shoot;" I think

that "small sensor camera" is a more accurate description.

 

Any camera can be a P&S really. I would argue that if one takes a DSLR and uses

autofocus and autoexposure then that is nothing more than P&S. P&S is a technique; any

camera which offers the amount of manual control that the D-Lux does cannot be called

merely a P&S camera.

 

Have fun and give it some time. The camera will become second nature to you with a little

practice.

 

Ken