Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/11/07

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Subject: [Leica] Canon G7 a no-go: Better the Leica D-Lux (but which one??)
From: nathan at nathanfoto.com (Nathan Wajsman)
Date: Tue Nov 7 09:13:24 2006
References: <C175EFC0.A79%jackmclain@hughes.net>

Hi Jack,

I made the switch from analog to digital two years ago. Like many  
others, I still shoot the occasional roll of film. I think that if  
your frame of reference is Leica M and street photography, then you  
will not be happy with any point-and-shoot, especially if you also  
like to take pictures in low light.

Sure, some P&S's are better than others, but all of them feature a  
tiny sensor which will result in noisy images at anything over ISO  
400, especially if the manufacturer has crammed 8 or 10 megapixels  
onto this tiny sensor. You will also have to deal with shutter lag,  
the absence of a viewfinder or a viewfinder that is worse than even  
that on screw-mount Leicas, and a whole bunch of other compromises.

Obviously, the easy option is just to get the M8 now that it is out,  
but I understand that you don't have a spare $5K lying around--most  
of us don't. But if you want a digital camera that will give you a  
shooting experience close to a film camera, then I would suggest one  
of the Olympus SLRs. You will not pay much more than you would for a  
high-end P&S, and you will be getting much more of a camera than with  
a P&S in a size not much bigger than an M6.

Nathan

On 7-nov-2006, at 16:09, Jack McLain wrote:

> Thanks all for the thoughts and suggestions regarding the usability  
> of the
> G7 camera. With the lens being so-so and the other issues that have  
> been
> raised, it's off the list.
>
> I am suffering real camera purchase angst. I've been a very  
> traditional
> develop-and-print-your-own guy for a long time, and have always glibly
> dismissed the digital world off-hand.  Now I am paying the price for
> studiously ignoring the technology. I pick up one of these digital  
> point and
> shoots and have no clue even how to turn them on (or is the proper  
> term
> "power them up"?). I bought my wife a little Olympus P+S and could  
> offer her
> no advice; very frustrating for someone who considers himself a
> "photographer".
>
> I realize the disdain most serious enthusiasts have for the "what  
> camera
> should I buy" question when posed by the neophyte, but I beg your  
> indulgence
> for an old-fart guy who was shooting a Leica and printing TriX 35  
> years ago.
> I stand before y'all with head bowed and hat in hand, and hope for  
> some
> photo-wisdom.
>
> I've been surfing the camera sites, reviews, etc, and am now  
> leaning heavily
> in the direction of the Leica D lux. (I mean it IS a Leica of sorts...
> Right?)
>
> The new D lux 3 model seems to be selling over it's MSRP, even on  
> eBay. The
> comparable Panasonic model, which the Leica is based on, is  
> available and
> for significantly less money. I am not clear on what exactly (other  
> than a
> Photoshop-lite software package), makes the Leica a better choice  
> between
> the two.
>
> There are several near new or new D Lux 2 models in the  ~$400 - 
> $500 range
> on eBay and other venues. Is the D-Lux 2, while "only" sporting 8 Mega
> pixels, a good choice at that price point? Is the D Lux 3 so much more
> advanced, or a better user (in classic street candid photography)  
> that the
> premium price is a no-brainer?
>
>
> My best regards
> Jack
>
> Jack McLain
> http://jackmclain-photography.siteframe.org/
>
> In the desert near Maricopa, Arizona
> "But It's a Dry Heat!"
>
>
>
>
> On 11/5/06 10:01 AM, "Will von Dauster" <vondauster@earthlink.net>  
> wrote:
>
>> Jack, the G7 is a decent point and shoot camera. In my opinion, a
>> better choice might be the A640, which is 10 MP, has a better lens in
>> my experience, and offers the advantage that it uses AA batteries -
>> rechargables are best, of course, but off the shelf ones in an
>> emergency. The A series do not allow raw capture, but again in my
>> experience do a very good job of internal conversion to jpeg. The
>> A640 does not have the optical image stabilization that the G7 has,
>> but this may not matter to you.
>>
>> Having said that I just bought a D-Lux 3 yesterday, and my first few
>> snapshots with it are very impressive. Great lens! The 16:9 aspect
>> ratio may take a little getting used to, though...
>>
>> Will von Dauster
>>
>> On Nov 5, 2006, at 6:47 AM, Jack McLain wrote:
>>
>>> Can anyone offer opinion or comment on the Canon G7 as far as it's
>>> "user
>>> friendliness" from the perspective of a Leica M camera user? It  
>>> kinda
>>> "looks" like a camera.
>>>
>>> Are there other digital cameras that one could consider (other than
>>> the M8
>>> or Epson Rd-1 which I just cannot afford right now)? Is the
>>> Panasonic, even
>>> without a optical viewfinder, a choice to consider?
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>

Nathan Wajsman
nathan@nathanfoto.com
General photography: http://www.nathanfoto.com
http://www.greatpix.eu
Picture-A-Week: http://www.fotocycle.dk/paws
Blog: http://www.fotocycle.dk/blog



Replies: Reply from rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig) ([Leica] Canon G7 a no-go: Better the Leica D-Lux (but which one??))
Reply from raimo.m.korhonen at uusikaupunki.fi (Raimo K) ([Leica] Canon G7 a no-go: Better the Leica D-Lux(but which one??))
In reply to: Message from jackmclain at hughes.net (Jack McLain) ([Leica] Canon G7 a no-go: Better the Leica D-Lux (but which one??))