Leica Digilux 1

Opinion: Picked up the Digilux as I was tired of hauling around the D100 whenever I am in NYC for a day or on short business trips. I like the "retro" box but it should be a bit smaller....controls are simple, easy and ergonomic. However, it's the picture quality that makes this camera a smart buy. I experienced the same amazement as I did when I developed my 1st roll from my M7. I never leave home without it.

Opinion: Well, this camera was one of the great disappointments in my photographic life. Admittedly, this camera is several years old now and can't be compared to any recent product, but some of the issues here are inexcusable. What really makes it worse is that I have a Canon S300 from the same years that had all of these issues sorted out already, so there is no excuse for a manufacturer of Leica's caliber to have released a product like this.

I am a very active hobbyist, and own several late-model DLRs, both digital and film, as well as several smaller automated family cameras. I do a lot of digital photography, and consider myself pretty knowledgable. I always wanted a Leica, and the opportunity to take control of a digital Leica belonging to a friend was a great way to get to know this brand in a medium I know quite well.

I'm sorry to report that this camera is really pretty useless.

The Leica seems virtually incapable of auto-focusing, and only every third shot has the subject nailed. Often it is the wall in background that is sharp, and I tried various AF settings.

In single shot mode it takes a staggering 10+ seconds between shots while the camera writes the data to the card. RAW is not available, so you can either shoot JPEG or TIFF.

The coloration is WAY off. I calibrate my monitor weekly, and the shots coming off this camera are all slightly greenish in hue. It's subtle, but to a trained eye it is impossible to miss.

The various controls are reasonably accessible via digital menus (aperture, shutter speed) but not well-coordinated with the brains of the system. The worst part is that the buttons and toggles on the camera are so flimsy that every time you take the camera out of the bag, chances are that you just switched it to Manual Focus or Macro, or that you are burst mode. Or you hit the shutter release and find yourself recording video.

The little monitor on the back is nice and large, though never big enough to confirm whether the shot was in focus. There is no histogram. The various menus are reasonably easy to get to, but neither intuitive for an experienced photographer, nor someone familiar with digital gadgets.

This camera is really unacceptably bad, and should have been declared poor at the time it came out. Leica would be well advised to give current owners a $100 toward a new camera, and ask for the old ones back as brand management.

Opinion: I own / have used Leica M body cameras for many years.
They have been my choice mainly for their optics. I
purchased the Digilux 1 two months ago and have found the
image quality "Leica" in every way. The clarity and color
saturation give my M3 and M5 a real digital "run for their
money ! " After using M body Leicas for so long, I didn't find
the Digilux large in hand. The controls are smooth and
logically placed. It has the solid Leica feel without the
weight. I have found the camera a joy to use !

Opinion: Still deciding whether to go down the Digilux route. Anyone know of a really good online digilux gallery? Maybe you can help me make up my mind? Smallish jpg's to nick.young@bbc.co.uk thanks!

Nick Young