Leica C-LUX 1

Opinion: Elegant camera with excellent finish and built quality. LCD display is bright and the
controls are intuitive and easy to use. The 28-102 mm zoom lens is quite versatile and
photos are sharp, especially outdoor shots. The OIS image stabilizer also works well.
Very pleased with this camera. Purchased the optional Leica stainless steel strap and
the C-Lux now looks even more stunning!

Opinion: Having read everyone's comments here I went ahead and purchased a C-Lux 1 this
week. I've been disappointed with the image-quality of a succession of digital
cameras recently - both P&S and super-zoom compacts - but not this little beauty.
As others have said, this lens is excellent, producing much sharper images than
most. I've only had the opportunity to fire a few test shots but it seems intuitive
and I'm sure I'm going to grow to love the camera. So thanks for guiding me in
the right direction everyone.
Incidentally, I bought mine (a black one) from www.swoptics.com in the UK.
Really fast and professional service, superb packaging and they are currently
including a FREE 512mb SD card.

Opinion: Purchased this camera after considering many others. The small size takes getting
used to when one is accustomed to using a D2x. (The D2x battery is almost as big
as this camera.) The 64mb SD card that comes with it is definitely not large
enough. Good for approx. 20 images at full resolution. I found an Ultra II 2gb
card for $40 this past weekend, offers me over 600 images when empty.
The LCD screen provides excellent quality with the added bonus of being able to set
its level for shooting while holding the camera above your head. Holding in the
display button for more than one second allows one to choose this option. (listed
as 'high angle')
There are more easy to use features that lets the camera make the decisions for you
depending on what your shooting situation is. While others might feel having more
control is necessary regardless of type of camera, I feel this should be used as a
point and shoot and the added features enhance the results.
If I want more control, I'll grab one of my dslr's.

Opinion: My first Leica but definitely not my last.
Excellent construction, features and ease of use. Sharp, detailed pictures.
Intuitive interface makes it easy to squeeze every last drop of potential from this excellent, tiny point and shoot.
No regrets at all with buying this one.
Already i am daydreaming about the next Leica step up.
Totally recommended.

Thanks to Steve at 'Swoptics' for giving me decent, impartial advice/service.

Opinion: Having decided that an ultra-compact with a 28mm or less lens was a necessity, I finally decided on the Leica C-Lux 1 camera. Yes, I heard about the poor low-light performance, yes I heard that it was just a re-badged Panasonic, and yes, I heard about the noise. But guess what? You can learn to work around all of those. Noise is not a problem at ISO 200 and below and besides, how hard is it to click your mouse three times with Noise Ninja to get rid of any noise you deem objectionable? I guess that since I was brought up with my father's Nikon SLRs and Leica rangefinders using high speed films I do not go crazy over supposed noise issues. In my opinion it's a non-issue.
Things I like about the C-Lux:
1. Great styling and the RED DOT!
2. The image stabilization on this model can not be beat. With a little care you can shoot sharp pics at amazingly low shutter speeds.
3. I love the "Leica colors" and yes, there IS a difference!
4. This is a true pocket-size, go anywhere camera. Very nice!
5. Near zero shutter lag and lightning fast startup.
6. Extremely intuitive menus and easy to use buttons.
7. Lens completely retracts into the camera with no lens caps to deal with or lose. A must have in this size camera.
8. Wide angle lens is a must for scenics, and this one is tac sharp!
9. Did I mention the RED DOT?!
All in all this is a great little point & shoot that you can carry with you everywhere. Does it have some shortcomings? Show me a camera that doesn't. I highly recommend this camera.

Opinion: I have a lot of experiences with most of Canon compact cameras from Pro S1, A620, S400, 450,500, 550, 700IS, and 800IS.
Then I decided to go with Leica because of its legacy on film and tried it with its first line compact digital camera. I have no regret for it at all. I truly love this Leica C-Lux 1 camera because of its image quality, ease of use, and really really small piece of art. I strongly recommend to go with this camera to all.

Opinion: A great little camera with outstanding image quality and it has the red dot. Photos taken with the F100 and 28-70 AFS compared to the c-lux - I cannot tell the difference in a 4X6 print. Photos taken with the F100 compared to the 7900 cool-pix - Yes I can see a difference.

Opinion: First of all, this thing is SMALL, which is great. The photos you see all over the net
don't do its size justice. Photographic historians can say with great veracity that
Leica literally set the standard in photography for camera miniaturization nearly 100
years ago. It is really great to see Leica enter the digital world with some real winner
cameras.

I would make the argument that the cameras that are manufactured by Panasonic
with a Leica badge are in reality perceived the wrong way by many people. Instead
of the Leicas being viewed as a rebadged Panasonic, the Panasonics should be
viewed as a rebadged Leica. I think a lot of people do in fact view the Panasonic
cameras with Leica lenses like this already, its just that nobody really talks about
them from this point of view.

The C-Lux 1:
1. Very small, smaller than most, so you can literally slip in your shirt pocket and it'll
be unobtrusive.

2. Fast and easy to use. There is hardly any shutter lag, and the flash is fast and
powerful for the little wink light type in a P&S. It has mostly auto functions, but does
go into moderately advanced mode fast and easy. One of my favorite functions is the
manual exposure compensation that you don't have to dig around for. There it is
when you push ONE menu button. This is great for when you want to underexpsose
a bright image quickly, on the fly and don't want to stop and dink around with the
camera. Because after all, we're photographers right?

3. As such, it is not designed like a DSLR with all of the manual functions that we
love (Raw, apperture & shuter settings), but is instead designed like the point shoot
that it is. Other P&S cameras do have these functions, but are larger, slower and
more complex to navigate. If you want a P&S that is FAST, and you don't have to
mess around with, this is the one for you. When you want to leave that hulking DSLR
at home like I do, this is the one to take along if you want to shoot fast and have
great prints at the end. I do have a different P&S from 3 years ago that shoots raw,
you can set the aperture and shutter speed independently, and does true Infrared,
but what seemed tiny a few years ago, is now hulkingly huge too compared to this.

4. The image stabilization is wicked, there is no other word for it. It makes really
sharp images fast. The ISO sucks at anything over 100, so the easy solution was to
image stabilize the slower ISO so that you effectively have the benefits of a higher
ISO with none of the overbearing noise that goes with it in P&S cameras.

5. At 6MP, the imags are superb, which is a really breathtaking combination of teeny
sensor and impeccable lens. You can see why the Panasonic Leicas are so
popular, you can't argue with the printed photos, they speak eloquently for
themselves, and is why they've been best sellers to discriminating photographers
who do a lot of research prior to their purchases.

6. Come on, there IS a snot factor. The aristocrat in me is a bit shy to be seen in
public with a Panasonic, but the coolness factor of this Leica appeals to the
perception of professionalism that I like to project (not everyone knows its a
Panasonic, so don't spoil the snot factor for the rest of us, please). What the heck,
which camera do you think would get you laid if you were young and single?
Pansonic or Leica? Case closed. This is really about perpetuation of the species
right? Go forth and multiply and all that?

7. If you're not a photographer and like my mother-in law and totally confused by
anyhting more complex than a toaster, this will be a sweet camera (she is a gourmet
cook and I'm the moron in a kitchen, but can take great photos of her cooking, so we
get along great). She could put the settings on auto and this camera would be even
more foolproof than most P&S cameras, because the reality is, even most P&S
cameras are becoming overly sophisticated, and therefore difficult to use. If a P&S is
difficult to use, it looses its most basic appeal to the masses who just want to point
and press the button and have some fairly nice photos. Leica really took this to heart
and went out of their way to design it to be remarkably easy to use for non-
photographers.

Opinion: I would not add to what others have already said. It is a great little camera and I love it. When my DMR or D200 systems seem to bulky and heavy, the c-lux will save the day.
I think the low light noise problems have been greatly exaggerated. Here http://www.leica-camera-user.com/digital-forum/4484-panasonic-fx01-2.html a few examples (ISO=80 - f/2.8 - approx 1.3 sec - pocket tripod):