Leica D-LUX 4

Opinion: Purchased a D-LUX 4 two years ago, I love this camera, the quality the feel and the way it looks. Have added a hot shoe cover and an aluminum finger grip for a bit of extra comfort. Results from this camera are very good, not the best and it can be a bit slow prosessing images, but its still my preferred choice of camera.

Opinion: Excellent IQ, even in low light thanks to the powerful f2.0
lens. Fabulous in macro
mode, it just blows me away. Grainy at relatively low ISOs,
but then again I'm
spoiled with the stellar Nikon D700. Without graininess I
would have rated it full 5 for
IQ. Construction gets a 0.5 deduction due to the flimsy
command wheel; otherwise
fantastic to be such a small piece. Features get the full 5
points; it has
more of them than any other small P&S around. Average
ease of use due to small
buttons, but then again it's a P&S. Value for money;
expensive due to the tiny red dot. Still, occasional offers
such as case for free may make the price just right.

Opinion: From the incredible finish(limited edition titanium) to the heft, the silent action, the fabulous color, detail and wide perspective setting, this is a great great classic camera. Images have been blown up to beyond 20x30 and look great.

Opinion: This is the best compact digital camera I have used. Excelent IQ, with very good contrast and excelent colors. The "vivid" colors and the "Dynamic B&W" are really good. Easy to use and very good image up to 400ASA.

Opinion: I have had this camera for over a year now and the secret to taking the best images possible is to ONLY shoot RAW and process your white balance and post adjustments in Lightroom or Aperture. I have blown up several large prints and everyone that looks at them thinks they must have been taken with a DSLR. Yes, they are that good. The wide angle (24mm) is awesome and fun to play with. The image stabilization is also really good and I rarely get a blurry image from camera shake even in low light. The only downside to this camera is the low light performance but it's really a non issue as it still performs quite well at night and very well in low natural light such as evening shots and golden hour shots and it also has an anti noise option for these situations. When traveling around the world I used to carry a photo backpack with 3 or 4 lenses, a DSLR body, flash, filters, tripod, etc. but now I just carry this one camera and I have never regretted it! I still use my DSLR when at home and in studio shoots but I'll never break my back on the road again!

Opinion: I've been using this camera for about a year and a half now, and it is very much my
camera of choice. I've been an SLR and DSLR user for longer than I care to
remember, and still like the feel and solidity of an SLR (and the sound the shutter);
but the reality is that I don't carry one of those around all the time. So the D-Lux 4
has been the camera to take to various parts of the world, and various climate
conditions, and it's held up very well.

I concede that the red dot was one factor - all those years of looking at the Leica
photos of the photographic heroes (Cartier-Bresson etc) were an influence. The
Panasonic was clearly a sensible option; but I have no a moment's regret in going
the Leica way: it's the only Leica I see myself being able or willing to afford.

What I like:
• despite the size of my hands. it's a comfortable and accessible camera to use;
• the settings are comprehensive, and going into manual mode is easy;
• colour management is superb;
• the framing shift possible through the lens switch is great, and i make a lot of use
of the 4:3 option;
• screen is sharp and clear in most light - but as with most cameras, it's challenged
in really bright light;

I don't use the video mode much; but in what I have used, I've been reasonably
happy with the results.

Mainly what I like: it's the camera I'll carry with me on most occasions, and it does
pretty much what I hope for in such a camera.

Opinion: I must say, that I am really dissapointed with this camera.

I was looking for a handy compact as back-up for my dSLR. The IQ is generally good, but the noise is overwhelming. I tried to have some prints developed, and these look fine, though.

Colours are great. Sharpness is also above average.

Opinion: I chose this over the Panasonic LX-3 which are basically the same as cameras. I chose it for it's aesthetic look. I know Image quality will be great. No-I did not buy it for the red dot.

although if I did not have the extra money, I think I would have bought the LX3 instead..and at the time I bought it... the LX3 was selling for premium price. The LX3 was selling as much as this Leica version--i think only about $100 more and I could have this.
Nowadays this D-LUX4's retail price had gone up $100 more(now $799)! the LX3 went down $100-200 (now just $395.95 on black and $369.95 on silver version)..

and yes Image quality is great for a point and shoots..it is pocketable..and all the stuff you will read from others' review..

Opinion: This is an excellent subcompact digital camera with a modest 2.5x zoom, which my wife likes so much that she has taken it away from me. The large aperature lens permits very versatle available light pictures. I learned while troubleshooting a problem with my Panasonic digital camera that the D-Lux4 is actually made totally by Panasonic under a marketing arrangement.