[Leica] Digital Leica - entry level approach

[philippe.orlent at pandora.be (Philippe Orlent)]

Looking forward to your first shots with it.
Thanks for showing,
Philippe



Op 23-okt-06, om 05:47 heeft Norm Aubin het volgende geschreven:

> Greetings all,
>
> I made the step into digital last week by purchasing a Leica branded
> Panasonic - the D-Lux 3.  B+H photo notified me when they got their  
> first
> set in and I ordered the next day - and one day before they sold out.
>
> I figured it was about time to find out if the convenience of  
> digital was
> worth the quality loss - at least for snap shot use and such - I  
> doubt it
> will replace the film cameras that I already have (at a reasonable  
> cost) for
> some time yet.  What I want to know is if the work flow and the  
> rapidity of
> turn around is worth it - the instant gratification of seeing the  
> shots in
> hours instead of days and weeks.
>
> Some initial observations (pix to follow next week when I return from
> business travel) - The camera is a small critter - about the size of a
> regular deck of playing cards - with a small bulge up front for the  
> lens to
> protrude.  Once uncapped and powered up the lens extends a tad bit  
> more -
> and further yet when zooming.  The display has two power levels - a  
> good
> thing outside as the low level is too dim in sunlight - the full power
> display is great though.
>
> It has raw capture, as well as two levels of ,jpg, and the 1 gig  
> cards at
> 133 MHz take a good two seconds to store a raw capture - fractions  
> of a
> second for .jpgs.  According to the manual it can write to  
> (address) a 16
> gig card - once those are less pricy we'll see - for now four Lexar  
> 1 gig /
> 133 MHz cards are working fine.  Batteries are the same as the earlier
> versions - they sell for 49.00 USD, although USBATTERY has them for  
> 15.00
> USD.  The charge is supposed to last for 150 - 250 images - time  
> will tell.
>
> Kinesthetics - the damn thing is small!  It hardly fits my hand -  
> and I'm
> all over it as a result!  It also take a lot of getting used to NOT  
> having a
> viewfinder - the M6 has trained me how to see through a camera -  
> the TV
> screen is alien and a little irritating - I want a viewfinder!   
> I'll adjust
> - it's no worse than ground glass - but it's different than what I  
> use every
> day.  It weighs next to nothing - so when you're used to the robust  
> feel of
> an M6 this thing is a will 'O the wisp.  That brings it's own  
> problems, but
> it fits in the shirt pocket - and it's always there when I probably  
> wouldn't
> bring the M6 - so I will adjust!
>
> The few images I have made with it are fine - they have vibrant  
> color and
> good sharp rendering - the Raw converter is a P.O.S. - but needs  
> must - it
> came with the camera and until I get P.S. CS2 vice P.S. 7  - I'll  
> live with
> it.
>
> The menu is not too bad to sort out - but not using electric  
> cameras has me
> wondering why people need all that many options - I've done well  
> with the M6
> for a decade now - why do we need so many dang options?  I've  
> sorted out the
> things that I needed - enough to have basic control and take  
> pictures - that
> took about 45 minutes and two slow readings of the manual - one  
> while the
> battery charged - another after I could turn on the camera and try  
> things
> out as I read them.  It makes sense - if you're into all that  
> electrical
> stuff to start with, I guess it helps some that I used to use a  
> Canon A1 and
> AE1 at one time - a long, long time ago!
>
> So far I like it - it gives me hope that someday I'll eventually  
> settle into
> the digital flow altogether - and then the M6 will be a down  
> payment on an
> M8.
>
> I'll post some pictures next weekend.  All things considered though  
> - I like
> this little critter - and it gives me hope that the eventual  
> conversion to
> digital for 35mm type work won't be a bad thing - at least once I  
> get past
> the technological gaps in my education!
>
> Best of light,
> Norm
>
>
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