Leica DIGILUX 3 is the company’s first digital SLR offering, compatible with Olympus’ Four Thirds lens mount standard. The Leica DIGILUX 3 is an interesting SLR with a traditional – perhaps retro – styling aesthetic that the company says is the work of Berlin designer Professor Achim Heine. It is based around the same 7.5 effective megapixel Live MOS image sensor, along with the mirror box unit from that camera. Olympus’ Supersonic Wave Filter is also included, making the Leica DIGILUX 3 the second non-Olympus branded camera to include the feature which ensures dust will not be bothering L1 users.
It is like the Nikon D300s in terms of built. Compared to Leica DIGILUX 3, Nikon D300s can capture clips as long as five minutes. At a reduced resolution of either 640 x 424 or 320 x 216 pixels, the clip length is limited to a maximum of twenty minutes. Maximum movie file size is 2GB, but may be limited by recording time. The D300s offers the ability to connect an external microphone, courtesy of a 3.5mm stereo input jack located under the rubber flap on the camera’s left side. The Nikon D300s microphone amplifier has adjustable sensitivity (3 levels), along with Auto and Off settings. Nikon D300s movies are captured as Motion JPEG compressed AVI files, with a frame rate of 24 frames per second. At the full movie-mode resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels. The D300s uses the same EN-EL3e battery. It is CIPA rated at 950 shots on a single charge. The optional MB-D10 Multi-Power Battery Pack adds about one frame per second. It takes Nikon D300s to 8 fps. It also allows a battery to be kept in the camera body to supplement the battery grip’s input. Click here to get more of Nikon D300s.
The Leica DIGILUX 3 has a shutter speed dial on the top of the body, and a bundled Leica 14-50mm lens offers rings to control aperture, focus and lens zoom. Leica DIGILUX 3 offers a Live View function that allows images to be framed using the LCD display, regardless of whether you’re focusing automatically or manually. In addition, you can use the LCD display as a handy confirmation of focus via an enlarged view when focusing manually. The Leica DIGILUX 3 offers a 2.5″ LCD display with 207,000 pixels, at the high end of what’s available on digital SLRs at the current time. Click here to get this exciting features of Leica DIGILUX 3.
Here is a summary of Leica DIGILUX 3 review from a satisfied customer:
An outstanding camera for serious photographers
I bought the Leica version of this camera after getting Leica’s offer of a $[...] rebate, making it closer in price to the Panasonic version. I use Leica rangefinders and will perhaps benefit from the JPG tweaks that are special the the Leica version. Most of my remarks would probably apply to the Panasonic edition, though. This camera and lens replaced a Canon 20D kit with a similar IS zoom lens. In other words, the Leica replaced an excellent SLR with roughly the same resolution (8.x megapixels, versus 7.5 megapixels on the Leica).
One other feature worthy of note is that the Leica DIGILUX 3 offers a Secure Digital card slot, and is compatible with the FAT32 file system – meaning that Secure Digital cards larger than 2GB will be able to be supported. In addition, the Leica DIGILUX 3 supports the new SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) standard, which extends the maximum capacity to a theoretical 32GB, with sustained transfer rates of up to six megabytes per second. The Leica DIGILUX 3 has a shooting speed of three frames per second for 6 Raw or unlimited JPEG frames. Focusing uses 3-point phase difference detection, and ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 – 1600. Shutter speeds range from 60 – 1/4000 second, plus bulb exposures to eight minutes. Leica DIGILUX 3 metering choices are multi, center-weighted or spot, with the multi mode offering 49 segments when using the optical viewfinder, and 256 segments in live view mode. Connectivity includes both USB 2.0 High Speed plus NTSC / PAL video.
Leica DIGILUX 3 has the following features and specifications:
- Resolution: 7.50 Megapixels
- Kit Lens: 3.57x zoom 14-50mm (28-100mm eq.)
- Viewfinder: Optical / LCD LCD
- Size: 2.5 inch
- ISO: 100-1600
- Shutter: 60-1/4000
- Max Aperture: 2.8
- Dimensions: 5.7 x 3.4 x 3.1 in. (146 x 87 x 80 mm)
- Weight: 18.7 oz (530 g)
- First Digilux camera with an interchangeable lens for the Leica D system
- Leica D Vario-Elmarit f2.8-3.5/14-50 aspherical lens
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Leica DIGILUX 3 has the following Pros and cons:
Pros:
- Leica lens quality and sharpness
- LiveMOS sensor
- Manual controls right there by your fingertips
- Leica build quality and retro design that makes it a stand out.
- Four Thirds Mount that will help you build your lens library
- Manual flash button rather than automatic pop up.
cons:
- Boxy, clunky body
- Weight coupled with the boxy body
- LiveView mode definitely is version 1.0.
Conclusion:
The Leica DIGILUX 3 is the first Digilux camera with an interchangeable lens and therefore forms the basis for the Leica D system, a completely independent digital SLR system. The clear design of the camera housing and the operating concept of the Digilux are in keeping with the best Leica tradition. The Leica DIGILUX 3 shutter speed, focal length, aperture and focus can be set by hand on the camera and the lens–a fast, precise and creative solution in comparison with conventional SLR cameras. To get this exciting features of Leica DIGILUX 3, click here.
