Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/11/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Here's my 6 month belated reply to Phil's email. The DLux4 can indeed take filters. The front decorative ring at the front of the lens screws off to reveal a 45mm thread. From ebay I got a cheapie kit which contained adapter, filters, fisheye and telephoto accessory lenses, and shade. I don't really use it much, except for the fisheye (which they call wide angle) for fun. anyway, this is how it mounts: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/shino/techie/xL8665432.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/shino/techie/xL8665433.jpg.html -rei Philip Clarke wrote 4/19/2009: > The DLUX 4 is sharp, seems flare tolerant, doesn't have an accessory for > putting on filters though. It does macro down to 1 cm which is insane. > The image stabilaisation is great although I can imagine the > "discussions" over the choice of words because Panasonic call it > Mega-O-I-S Leica has dropped the "Mega" but I reckon they'd have been a > lot happier with "anti-shake". I have the accessory viewfinder for it so > that I can hold the camera to my eye and maintain eye contact with the > subject, but I don't like it, I've just bought a GR-V1 Ricoh accessory > viewfinder and that feels better. I find the leica one is just too > tailored for the 24mm end of the zoom with no markings for other focal > lengths, the Ricoh one has markings for 21 and 28mm but is "wrong" > possibly because of sensor size differences or formats, but inside the > 28mm brightline is much nearer to 35mm which at least I can "imagine" > the angle. The trouble with digi-compacts is you end up holding them at > arms length and your subject is looking at your "eyes" while the photos > being taken two foot downwards. > > A major flaw with the DLUX is that the zoom is "stepless" between 24mm > f2 - 60mm f2.8 (pretty much every else is f2.2 in between), I find this > irritating because I want to knock the zoom to telephoto once and have > it hop to the next focal length unless I ask it to otherwise (already > put in comments to Leica about this), because my wife's Ricoh does this > so I'd like the option in the next firmware update. Also it does not > retain focal length settings when you turn the camera on and off, I > prefer 28mm about 80% of the time and it hops back to 24mm, it has > multiple options for custom settings which is great but it still zooms > back to wide all the time, i'd like setting one to have 28mm stored > etc... The lens cap is okay, it takes me longer to drop my walking > stick than take off the cap, it'd be useful if it has a lens hood, I > never had caps on any of my lenses except the Canadian 90mm f2 (with > tripod mount superbly sharp as well as the clumsiest lens ever made > IMHO), the built in hood on that lens would slide down if placed in a > Domke, I had the square hooded 28mm and the 35mm f1.4 with the cuts out, > some kind of clip on on the 50mm. Anyway, it would be better if the > D-Lux could have a hood. I have the handgrip on order as I used to use > the M6's with them, one with a grip machined in america before Leica > started making them. > > If you haven't seen it, it is tiny, which is good for me as I can't > carry an M6 any more, it 294 grams with the external viewfinder and > battery. The buttons aren't that fiddly to use, there's program shift > which I have biased towards f5.6, aperture priority, it has "intelligent > iso" that biases the iso selected towards reducing camera shake and "ISO > Auto" that seems to bias it towards quality. It's got spot metering and > 9 ? segment AF but I have it jammed on the centre high speed AF and > multi-zone metering, I trust it to set the exposure and trust myself to > override it. A good thing is the shutter dial has a big difference in > indentation between SCN (scene mode) and custom mode, so it can be used > in total darkness and set to whatever settings are needed. Might sound > stupid to some people but I am learning the camera by touch in the dark, > which is exactly what I did with the M6's and comes in useful at the > theatre or stuck in a gloomy Moroccan toilet with a load of marijuana > and some jittery armed Tauregs. > > Because of the external viewfinder it is Leica "like", colour rendition > certainly is, at the end of the day it's a small compact with a sharp > fast wide lens and macro facility so it ticks all the boxes unless you > like long telephoto shots. > > > Philippe AMARD wrote: > >> Well, better change the title, or even better would be to start a new >> thread if we don't want to get confused between two monarchies ;-) >> >> I agree with George. >> The other shots are more of the classic framing, even though their >> compositions are very clean and appeal to me. >> The D-4 sems to perform well in your hands too. Rather sharp, and >> excellent colour rendition on my PC at least. >> I was surprised to see that it can shoot as low as ISO 80. >> >> Oh yes, the blur on blooms - like it too. >> But I must be biased to Fuzzysomethings. :-D >> >> I'd be happy to see more of these when you can. >> Take good care of yourself. >> Bien cordialement de Metz >> Phili^^e >> >> >> >> George Lottermoser wrote: >> >> >>> Hi Philip, >>> >>> Thank you for showing additional photographs, >>> and for contributing more images to the "assignment." >>> >>> "Insolvent business, Pinner UK, 18th" >>> struck me as the strongest of the group; >>> for it's asymmetry and strong lines, >>> as well as for the "different" quality of the subject. >>> >>> Regards, >>> George Lottermoser >>> george at imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com >>> http://www.imagist.com/blog >>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist >>> >>> On Apr 18, 2009, at 7:47 AM, Philip Clarke wrote: >>> >>> >>>> So here's the funny thing, my wife's working and I'm not normally out >>>> alone, so on the way to pick up some medication from Tesco Pharmacy >>>> (British supermarket chain) I see the glassworks, feel the DLUX in my >>>> pocket and reckon I feel well enough to take some images. (the images >>>> are backwards in the portfolio and moving seems limited to between >>>> albums). >>>> >>>> >>>> Walking out of the Pharmacy and bearing in mind Daniel Ridings >>>> portfolio, I find this on the postbox advertising. Lucky Yes, but if I >>>> weren't looking... >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010241.jpg.html >>>> >>>> This was taken with the camera above my head as it's quite high on the >>>> wall, note the focal length is not to the full extent either way, I >>>> found the image moved into position and then chose the focal length. >>>> It's gracious that nervous people are always welcome but good to >>>> have a >>>> safety net. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I walk along to the Glassworks, it's not really suitable, because >>>> it is >>>> a rare and beautiful sunny day in the UK, Really I need a polarising >>>> filter in front of the lens to reduce the distractions in the windows, >>>> but it's passable, and I'm slapbang in front of the door to stop my >>>> reflection being there. I'm using a 24mm equivalent and pointing the >>>> camera dead centre to avoid perspective shift (some of the floor and >>>> flat windows above have been cropped) although not 100% successful as >>>> can be seen by the slight divergent parallel line to the top right. >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010243.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>>> As I walk back along Pinner Green (you can do a google maps search), I >>>> shoot the advertising sign for window blinds on a wall without windows >>>> that I saw when walking to the glasworks. The camera is above my head >>>> this time to avoid divergent bricks. This is at the 60mm setting >>>> standing on someone's lawn and has been cropped slighty to reduce >>>> the to >>>> the sign and wall, any different composition leads to the guttering >>>> above the sign being shown. >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010245.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>>> Walking back towards the pharmacy I now shoot another insolvent >>>> business, this one has a big sign by the bailiffs in the window but >>>> that's too obvious. The piled up letters is a better picture, I use >>>> the >>>> diagonals and the cameras on 4:3, I'm continually having to use >>>> program >>>> shift because the camera wants a wider aperture. The reason the >>>> opening >>>> times sign stands out so much is because of an internal shadow in the >>>> shop, that was intentional it doesn't show from the other side. I did >>>> consider cropping this but then it doesn't show the emptiness of the >>>> shop. You'll notice the word closed appears distinct, I've joined >>>> it to >>>> an envelope but used the shadow and blank space on the floor to >>>> make it >>>> more apparent. None of these pictures have been "printed" btw, they >>>> have >>>> been adjusted for contrast and color balance slightly and had some >>>> reduction in saturation levels. >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010246.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>>> The next one is just outside the Tesco and my back would have been >>>> to it >>>> when I walked out. I like the irony. This "new way" to shop on a old >>>> sign with an advert for "nearly new" clothes beneath, on an old wall >>>> with the shadow of a barbed fence (thereby making it impossible to >>>> shop), is just my subtle sense of humour. The image was taken from a >>>> bush that I had to climb into. I have three different shots, one of >>>> just >>>> the signs, one taken from over the barbed wire after this one (I >>>> gained >>>> access through the car park) and this one. The exposure is correct but >>>> looks wrong because the wall isn't white, this has had some burning in >>>> to reduce the patchiness of the paint. The tree framing the top and >>>> the >>>> bush at the bottom are deliberate to keep the eye in the frame. >>>> Viewing >>>> the EXIF data, you'll note that I'm not going to the extremes of the >>>> telephoto end (nor the wide), any further right and the tree trunk >>>> bisects the sign, any further left and edge of the spiked fence goes, >>>> there are some divergent lines, I could have tried holding the >>>> camera up >>>> a little higher if my arms were working after this walk. >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010251.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>>> I got myself home and thought bugger it, I haven't done a flower >>>> photo. >>>> And about 50 metres from the house is a cherry blossom tree. It rained >>>> last night and the blossoms on the ground are past their prime, >>>> shooting >>>> the tree would have a view of a road and quite probably an H12 bus. We >>>> already know it's blue skies and 1/250 at f5.6 ISO 80 so I find the >>>> blossoms in the shade, hoping that I'm going to get a slow enough >>>> speed >>>> to let the wind add some movement and I fail to get a slow enough >>>> speed >>>> it's got even brighter and is now 1/250 at f8 ISO 80 in the shade >>>> and I >>>> have to underexpose by a stop to keep the picture dark as it's an >>>> entirely shaded area and start shaking the camera and you can see from >>>> the frame numbers that something's gone wrong because I've skipped >>>> from >>>> 10251 to 10263 for the last picture, I am shaking the camera at the >>>> longest telephoto setting and I'm not getting enough blur and then I >>>> work out that I've left the Image stabilisation on and I'm only moving >>>> the camera in one plane. Lots of fiddling with the menu and it gets >>>> turned off and I get the shot I want. The picture gets colour balanced >>>> in photoshop and then flipped horizontally because upwards moving >>>> lines >>>> are move attractive. >>>> >>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Philip+Clarke/18th_April_2009/ >>>> L1010263.jpg.html >>>> >>>> >>>> I have Chronic Pain Syndrome level 8 complication by Complex Referred >>>> Pain Syndrome, so I feel the pain from my legs in my left arm and >>>> my arm >>>> in my tongue, which is something you really don't want to have. I >>>> can't >>>> lift my elbows up now from that little jaunt and my left shoulder will >>>> dislocate inside the next 24 hours. I'll be partially paralysed for 3 >>>> days now which makes me pretty useless as a professional. That area is >>>> one that I have never walked along, I visit the pharmacy every >>>> month so >>>> that's ten times maximum. We (as in me and some other professionals) >>>> used to play a game when we were young when we met up off-assignment, >>>> about going to an unknown place and fulfilling a brief, it kept the >>>> competition between us fierce and kept us sharp. Could I go to a >>>> bar in >>>> Barcelona and practice what I preach. I believe so. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> George Lottermoser wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> May we see some examples of your waiting and moving, Philip? >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> George Lottermoser >>>>> george at imagist.com >>>>> http://www.imagist.com >>>>> http://www.imagist.com/blog >>>>> http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist >>>>> >>>>> On Apr 17, 2009, at 7:54 PM, Philip Clarke wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> All of these pictures could be improve by waiting or moving. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> Leica Users Group. >>>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Leica Users Group. >>>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >>> >>> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >