Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/09/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]For those of us who have not decided to buy the M8, is Leica Digilux 3 system a good alternative? It is being billed as Leica's third system: M, R and now D. The new system allows interchangeable AF lenses. The first lens to be available for this FourThirds system is a Leica Vario-Elmar 14-50 (35mm equivalence of 28-100) f2.8-3.5 ASPH. Future Leica lenses will include a super-wide, macro and telephoto zoom. The camera ("made in Germany," but made with Panasonic) has anti-shake and anti-dust features. It should be available as soon as or a little later than the M8. Aside from the convenience of digital, the M8 seems to offer no great advantages over the M-line in general. Both lack AF which is crucial for some applications. Both are unable to go longer than 100-135. Both have limited macro. With the new Leica Four Thirds system, all these limitations are overcome AND you can still use Leica glass in a fairly compact system. Why buy an M8 when you can get a SYSTEM with very different capabilities for about the same price. Use the M3-7 when your picture shooting requires deliberate study. Use the Leica Digilux 3 system when you're shooting fast ("fast" both in terms of the subject and your schedule). What wrong with my logic? Is a FourThirds system too limiting in terms of resolution and noise? (The reviews, to be out soon, might indicate otherwise.) I understand that the M8 allows us to use our beloved M-lenses, but is it not possible that the Leica D ASPH lenses will be as good -- or better, as they are designed for digital? I'm not sure what I'm going to do, but I put my thoughts out for discussion as a kind of devil's advocate for waiting a while longer before ordering the M8. (The worst that can happen if you do wind up getting an M8 is that you'll get a later model with all the kinks ironed out.) Tom Pastorello Follow this link for details about the D system: http://www.cameratown.com/cameras/detail_page_sql.cfm?productid=Digilux3 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com