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
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