Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2004/01/27

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Subject: RE: [Leica] More Digilux 2 images
From: "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net>
Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:47:30 -0500

Yes, Peter - If I had a camera with the image quality of the E20 that
was lighter, faster, and more handy I would indeed consider it. BUT -
The E-20 was/is an honest to God SLR - albeit with fixed lens - but it
is a WYSIWG...sort of. From everything I'm reading, the DigiII is not -
yes, it's got a reasonably decent viewfinder, but not a real rangefinder
viewfinder, which means that the best way to use it is as a little tv
held up to your face...and given that, I'm back to comparing it to
cameras that cost much much less....

As to the controls...Where the controls are really means nothing to me,
as long as they're easy to use...I shoot with the Nikon F100s, with
their front and rear fstop and shutter speed dials; I shoot with the
C5060, with top and rear dials; I shoot with the E-1, with front and
rear dials; and I shoot with the Ms....and as astounding as some may
find it, I don't have any problems, nor do I get confused when going
from camera to camera....Frankly, the little shutter speed dial on the M
is a pain in the ass....classic, yes, but so is the original VW Beetle,
with it's top speed of 70 downhill in a tail wind and a gas tank in the
front that guarantees you'll be a car bomb if  you hit a bale of
hay...;-)...Frankly, I like the front and rear dials on the F100 and
E-1... ;-)

Again, if Leica or someone else figured out how to give me a rangefinder
body that would be a real rangefinder, and take my M lenses - hopefully
full-frame - I'd love it...But that is probably not going to
happen....So meanwhile I want the best bang for my buck, not a 'look
alike' at double the price and no more function....



- -----Original Message-----
From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
[mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Peter
Klein
Sent: Tuesday, January 27, 2004 1:10 AM
To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
Subject: RE: [Leica] More Digilux 2 images


B. D., you're certainly correct that the Digilux 2 price is sublimely 
ridiculous.

BUT. . .  let's say the Panasonic LC1 version ends up priced about where

the Sony 717 is now--$800-ish. Let's say it gives similar image quality
to 
the 717, has a fast autofocus and little shutter lag, and the EVF is 
usable.  Then it may be worth that price.  It may even be worth a bit
more, 
because the film-camera-like controls make it faster and easier to use.

You were very happy with your E-20, which is, like the D2 and LC1, a 5
mp 
2/3 sensor camera.  You've often demonstrated that the E-20 was
perfectly 
acceptable for many situations.  If you could have a camera with similar

image quality, but that was lighter, faster and more handy, and had the 
controls where God and Oscar Barnack intended--wouldn't you consider
such a 
camera for yourself?  I certainly will.

No, it isn't a real Leica, any more than any digicam is.  It isn't worth

2-3x the price of comparable digicams.  But, it might be useful for
someone 
who wants the convenience of digital with some of the operational
qualities 
of an M.  I think we need to separate the camera from the marketing.  If

you do that, you realize that the D2 is a grossly overpriced useful
hybrid 
camera, but the LC1 may turn out to be a reasonably priced useful 
hybrid.  Leica will try to make us believe that the D2 is truly
different 
and better.  And I predict that just like the LC5/D1, they will be 
identical except for the shell and perhaps a couple of parameter
defaults.

And besides, the LC1's lens still says "Leica," even if it doesn't have
the 
red dot.  :-)

- --Peter Klein
Seattle

At 05:45 PM 1/26/04 -0800, "B. D. Colen" <bdcolen@earthlink.net> wrote:
>Images look 'okay' - They do NOT look as though they were produced by a

>5 mgp fixed lens camera that sells for more than TWICE the price of its

>competitors - because they sure are not twice as good - in fact, they 
>don't look any better. But, hey, you get a red dot with the damn thing,

>so go for it...:-)


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