User reviews for Leica V-LUX 1: Digital Photography Review

Opinion: I am the lucky few who are the last to own this wonderful camera, and although I knew it would be a great machine, I couldn't have expected that much.
1) The zoom/focus rings are great, have nice feel and precision. Once I forgot the focus mode on AF and tried to twist the focus barrel, but no problem! AF doesn't rotate the ring itself and just disengages the manual focus ring-no problem of damaging gears(still, don't try this at home though)
2) The auto-focus is in a smooth manner I haven't seen in the other cams I had(mostly Canon).
3) The menus are a bit on the slow side, but I never looked up the manual, and the function button works awesome, just press it and then choose which functions to change with the arrow keys!
4) Solid construction, yet very light for my hands.
5) Image quality is phenomenal. Sure I DID get noisy pictures, then I adjusted NR, saturation, etc as well as exposure, and voila! Honestly, I don't understand how someone can expect to shoot better photos with ANY camera if they cannot adjust shutter, aperture and ISO. Trust me buddy, it IS the man, not the machine. Photos that turned up bad? No machine can save them, not M9, not Hasselblad, not Nikon 3X or Canon 1ds MIII. Once you learn how to use it, it's a gem.
6) If you still don't have one, apart from the exception of starving your family, go get one now!

Problems: 1) I had some issues with the charger, but the retailer took care of it, and at that point I realized the importance of accepting regular batteries(like my Canon SX10).
2) The swivel screen is fragile, use with care, and avoid using if you can to save battery life. Know the degrees of freedom(i.e. how it can and CANNOT move) and never force it. The small screen yields much better view, however it's more prone to tricking you into thinking you have a tack-sharp. Always review magnified.
3) Pricey, truth be told.
4) I can't help myself away from using it all the time.

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Opinion: I have used the V-Lux 1 for one year now - and I enjoy it very much. The reasons why so are not purely related to its sharpness or image noise level (which are quite good, but, to be honest, DSLRs are simply better), or to its great all-in-one-compactness and versatility, but to several advantages that are very important for me:
- it is silent, especially if compared to DSLRs
- it allows for a very concentrated way of taking photos
- an excellent dynamic range regarding the sensor size
- discreet design
- unobtrusive reduction of image noise
- and last but not least: great Leica-like color rendition.
(As for dynamic range, pleasing color rendition, and cautious noise reduction algorithm, the V-Lux 1 is ahead of its Panasonic sister. These very important properties justify the price difference between these two cameras.)
I think this camera concept is indeed quite close to totally digital rangefinder photography. The next step for Leica could be to fuse the best features of the M8 and the V-Lux 1...

Problems: It is not really a problem, but adding a sliding switch allowing to enter the display mode without having to turn the program dial might have been a good idea.

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Opinion: Sharp and more sharp. Yes there may better "other stuff" (features) on other cameras,
including the so-called "Pro Models" that Nikon, Cannon etc. profess to have that
makes them grrreat. However, there is still one feature that supersedes all the rest -
LENS QUALITY. Having owned Nikon, Pentax and Cannon cameras (all very good) and
doing the same standardized test to check lens sharpness, Leica is a walk away winner.
Yes, great metering, sensors, live views, blah blah blah are all good things and
necessary but if the design, architecture and quality control of the lens is not there,
why bother...

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Opinion: Very nice build and feel with logical control arrangement in most cases. The zoom range gives the "potential" for a one-size-fits-all, do-everything traveller's camera. When the V-Lux 1 hits the exposure correctly, the photos are superb with very natural colour. The flash ouput, within range, produced generally accurate renditions.

Problems: I wanted to love this camera and certainly think it is a reasonable value since I bought it used for less than $450, but there are many disappointments as mentioned by a few others:
1. Exposures, even when zeroing in with spot metering, are wildly inaccurate. The system tends to fight for the proper exposure in both brightly lighted and shaded scenes compared to even the entry-level DSLRS.
2. Excessive shutter lag and very slow card writing for a camera in this price bracket, certainly much slower overall than the latest DSLRs.
3. Even at ISO 100 with a RAW file, the camera produces considerable grain in the shadows and can blow out highlights in a heartbeat. I shoot elements to incorporate images into large digital artwork. This camera can't be relied upon for anything over 8x10 or 11x14. In any RAW shot that must be pushed or pulled after shooting, grain will almost certainly be a negative issue.
4. 12x lens but no 28mm !! Do--It-All, travel-type lenses are often used to capture pics of cities, landscapes and buildings where a wide angle is essential. The V-Lux 1 goes only to 35mm, the lack of at least 28mm becomes obvious in any old town or city with narrow streets. You'll be pulling your hair out with the number of partially clipped scenes you'll be left with.
5. The last 100 to 150mm of the telephoto range are virtually useless for serious photography. Yes, you'll be able to zoom right in for a close crop on objects that wouldn't be possible with anything less than a super tele . . . but even with O.I.S. the images are decidely soft, hazy, desaturated and poorly exposed.
6. Very small, grainy screen that is virtually impossible to view in daylight. In the year 2008, there are bigger, better options.

The pros and cons of the V-Lux 1 relate directly to the user's expectations and necessities. For snapping pics for the internet or travel shots of up to 8x10, many will love the ease of use and massive zoom range. For pro or semi-pro work in a pinch, forget it. I've had this camera for less than a month and have already purchased a second-hand D-LUX-3 solely for wide angle and have a D300 set-up on order for real work.

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Opinion: Great megazoom camera. It performs wonderfully and the image quality is razor sharp.
Fast lens and full manual controls provide great RAW captures. Ergonomically well
designed and nice built quality even though the body is plastic. Menu interface is
intuitive and easy to use.

My other camera, a Canon 20D (a great camera too with wonderful features) seldomly
gets used these days as the V-Lux is my camera of choice for most situations,
especially when traveling. A total joy to use!

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Opinion: I am a teacher of visual literacy and use the V-Lux-1 to make examples for my
teaching galleries on the internet. (I also use the D-Lux-3 for wideangle images.).
This camera is an ideal tool for travel photography with superb zoom-range, flip out
viewfinder, image stabilization and much lighter in weight than any DSLR. As for
image quality, much depends upon how you will use the pictures made by this
camera. If you are making large prints, the image quality may leave much to be
desired, since noise becomes visible at full file sizes. However I use my own images
to teach photographic expression on the internet, and when I post the image at a
maximum screen size of 1,000 pixels wide or tall, noise is not a problem at all.
For internet use, I do not have to shoot RAW, either -- which saves a lot of
time in post processing work. I find the much-criticized "watercolor" effect
created by its image processor to be an asset -- it gives a painterly quality to
many of my images that I find quite pleasing. The Leica software delivers a
color palette that perfectly suits my own style of photographic expression. It is
a perfect camera for those who no longer can tolerate carrying a DSLR and its
lenses for longer periods of time while traveling. The 35mm-420mm focal
length is spectacular. I keep the tiny D-Lux-3 on my belt at all times, so I
make 28mm wideangle images as needed without much additional weight. If
your own images will be mostly viewed on the internet or as email attachments,
I urge you to check out the photographs I have made with the V-Lux-1 that are
posted in my galleries. I would be happy to respond to any questions you
might have about this remarkable tool for travel photography.

(Apparently this software for this review siite no longer permits us to list either our
website URL or our email addresses. If you would like to see examples of V-Lux-1
images I've posted on my website, run a search for Phil Douglis on the Leica Talk
Discussion Forum here on dpreview and you will find my homepage website listed
under my profile. Thanks.)

Problems: None

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Opinion: I have used this camera for a couple of months and am very pleased with it's performance. I have shot a variety of subjects under various lighting conditions and am completely satisfied with it's performance. I find I carry it more than my Olympus E-330.

Problems: None

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Opinion: Firstly I wholeheartedly agree with the comments made by Veroman about this camera. I bouhgt one last November (2006) and could not wait to get my hands on it. I was sadly disappointed with the picture quality in both jpeg and in RAW mode.
On the + side the features, lens, ergonomics were all to my liking. However, a cameras job is to take pictures and it just cannot cut the mustard there. I fealt that no matter what settings I tried, and believe me in the three months before selling the camera on I tried them all, I just could not get satisfactory quality, detail etc.
The pictures at 100% and we all want to look close up or crop etc were smeary, or pastel like lacking detail and still too noisey.
It is true to say that in reality you just cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear and I am refering to the sensor size here. The plain fact is that sensors of this size when you start to cram on more pixels become more noisy, FACT, and the only way to compensate is clever jiggery pokery noise reductiony logritms etc etc. Most camera sites or magazines are in agreement that the max pixels for such small sensors was 5 to 6 million and going beyond this makes for noisy or noise surpressed pictures.
Bottom line if its for pictures up to 10X8 you may be happy or if you only view pics to screen size and not at 75 to 100% you may be really pleased with the camera.
If you want more then its gonna have to be an SLR.
As I said the camera is now gone and replaced with a G7 for everyday carry around (i know it too has some ergonomic, lack or RAW faults) and a 400D for the more serious stuff.

Problems: Poor picute quality in detail, sharpness and noise levels.

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Opinion: I recently tried the Leica V-Lux 1 before deciding whether or not to purchase one. I
took an SD card to my local camera shop, an authorized Leica dealer, and shot RAW
at ISO 100, 200 and 400 and shot JPEG tests at 200, 400 and 800. I shot for
about 45 minutes, both indoors and out. I used auto-focus as well as manual
focus, and I shot in aperture priority most of the time.

I was very disappointed and quite surprised at the results when I got home. I had
expected significantly better image quality from a Leica, especially for a camera
priced in the DSLR range.

The noise levels, to me, are simply unaccceptable, even at ISO 100...even when
shooting RAW. ISO 400, to me, is unusable for anything over 5" X 7." ISO 800 is
unusable, period. Although the files have the appearance of sharpness and detail
when first opened, even viewing at 50% shows that sharpness is seriously lacking
and that detail is smeared to non-existent. Fine edges and fine borders between
objects, hair detail, typography, etc., are all smeared. Not even a minimal amount
of unsharp mask or other sharpening technique can sharpen the details without
generating noticeable halos and other artifacts. Any brightening of an image leaves
one gasping at how much noise is revealed in the shadows.

And that's at 50%. Viewing the files at 100% showed that even under the best
conditions, the Leica V-Lux 1 smears detail and "paints" its captures with what I
guess is over-aggressive noise reduction.

My Canon G7 performs MUCH better than this Leica V-Lux 1 at any ISO up to and
including ISO 800. It's a shame, because in so many other ways it's such a nice
camera. The focal range is ideal, the handling is excellent, the overall "feel" is one
of quality. It's also very easy to use and quite intuitive in many ways.

But, IQ-wise, I don't think it's a very good camera, and I don't think it's at all
competitive with cameras like the Olympus E-510. Aside from the extended focal
range the Leica provides, an 8MP Canon 350D with a reasonably good lens should
outperform this Leica every time. I think my old Canon D60 is better, too.

Really...I don't understand what people are raving about when they praise the Leica
V-Lux 1.

Problems: • Serious noise issues
• Somewhat slow auto-focus

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