- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How it compares
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Leica D-LUX 4
- 10 MP
- 2.5x f/2.0
- 1/1.7" CCD
- 3" LCD
Released September, 2008
Conclusion Check out the Leica D-LUX 4
First reviewed December, 2011
Features Key features of the Leica D-LUX 4
10 MP
1/1.7"
Rated 100% by by Ellie--Eilean-Siar (Dec, 2008)I bought it for the f2.0 fast lens, the wide angle, the build quality, the Leica processing software in the camera itself (it is better than my Panasonic DMC-LZ50 - less chunky and exagerated color at extreme magnification), the accessories like even more wide angle with an accessory lens or the 24mm optical finder.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 17.9 MP    | 20 MP |
D-LUX 4 by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)In 4:3 aspect ratio the full 10-megapixel resolution is used, but it only drops half a megapixel to 9.5MP when switched to the 3:2 setting (the same ratio as 35mm film).
D-LUX 4 by Jason-D.-Boltz--psijason (Aug, 2010)He really opened my mind to the idea of the lens being much more important than the number of megapixels you have.
sensor size
D-LUX 4 by Howie (Jan, 2010)For people looking to replace their DSLRs for something smaller and lighter, I would suggest looking at the Olympus E-P1 or Panasonic GF1, these micro-four thirds cameras come close to DSLR quality and are only marginally bigger than the D-Lux 4 if you go with a prime lense.
D-LUX 4 by But-I-m-feeling-much-better-now... (Nov, 2009)The only things I can think of are the ability to change lenses and a smaller sensor size.
wide angle lens
D-LUX 4 by J.-Davies--shadowportland (Jan, 2008)the wide angle alone is worth the price of admission, and the 16:9 format (selectable) is outstanding.
aperture size
D-LUX 4 by Diavolino (Jul, 2007)One of the strengths of this camera is its large glass and fairly fast lens (for this camera class), and its ability to capture really nice images indoors in available light, though you need a steady subject and either tripod or to rest it on a solid surface to get the most out of it.
D-LUX 4 by aabgoosht (Nov, 2006)Already I am getting more comfortable estimating what a particular lighting will need in terms of aperture and shutter speed.
zoom range
| 0x | 20x   | 20x |
D-LUX 4 by salvia06 (Dec, 2009)In the end, I decided against it - because of leica's versatility and compactness: its 24-60mm f2-f2.8 zoom, with a great macro, wins over the GF1 which becomes as unwieldy as a DSLR, once it is equipped with its own zoom lens.
D-LUX 4 by R.-Malik (Oct, 2008)It costs around $900 (price is a little high) but its Leica and a head turner, and does what it is supposed to do....take breathtaking point and shoot pictures at an amazing 24-60mm zoom range.
body size
109 x 56 x 27 mm
117 x 81 x 65 mm
127 x 75 x 54 mm
D-LUX 4 by nostatic (Feb, 2008)This beast is a very good compromise between portability and performance.
Performance Real world tests of Leica D-LUX 4
max continuous shooting
D-LUX 4 by Philip-Mark-Powel--Cameraman (Nov, 2006)I used to Continuous shooting mode for the pit stop action sequences and it worked great!
Our analysis How does it stack up against its top 10 competitors
pros
-
HD video -
Generic -
24 mm -
89.04% -
For that film look -
27 mm -
109 x 56 x 27 mm -
248 g
cons
-
Sep, 2008 -
1/1.7" -
HD video -
460 k dots -
3,200 ISO -
2.5 fps -
10 MP -
The screen is fixed in place -
No automatic HDR -
No automatic stitching -
1/2000 s
Reviews Word on the street
 |  
|
|---|---|
 | Rated by 106 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Scott-Mcgredy--srelay (May, 2007) Rated 100% by by John-Kwok (Nov, 2006) Rated 100% by by Andrew-Kirschner--The-Fix (Dec, 2006) |
Lens
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Ellie--Eilean-Siar (Dec, 2008)I've seen minimal barrel distortion, maximum sharpness and contrast, easy menus, abundant automatic as well as full manual features.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Richard-M.-Ketai--tevorick (Apr, 2010)This little camera has everything I want except the optical zoom is only 1.5X. But the trade off is superb wide angle with no distortion.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 80% by by Diavolino (Jul, 2007)Images taken in the near macro to about 30 ft. range are very sharp, clear, contrasty, and beautiful.
Photography
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Geir-Friis (Jan, 2011)It is very easy to use for an amateur and I've handed it to some children friends and when I get the DL4 back it always has some nice photos.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by emkIt is best if you have some knowledge of photography before hand, however the manual is great and you can learn with this camera if you are a beginner.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Richard-M.-Ketai--tevorick (Apr, 2010)I do a lot of street photography for which this camera is great; unobtrusive and stealthy unlike a full sized camera.
Sensor
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by hellfire (Dec, 2009)changing exposure on the G10 is downright easy & fun - there's a dial for EV, a dial for ISO, and a dial for aperture (my usual setup) or shutter.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)When shooting in the Raw mode it can maintain a shot-to-shot time of 1.8 seconds, and even in the Raw + Fine JPEG setting it can manage a shot every 2.3 seconds, which is very fast performance by compact camera standards.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)More noise is visible at 800 ISO, but it is well handled.
Image quality
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Jiri-Novak--Jiri (Dec, 2009)If you don't necessary care about contrast and great color balance, but want to still have sharp pictures without life, then get C . . . . (I don't want to drop a bomb, ha, ha).
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by John-Kwok (Nov, 2006)I had the chance to use this camera briefly twice recently, and was extremely impressed with both its easy handling and superior image quality.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Gregg-A.-Dickerson--J.R. (Nov, 2006)I definitely recommend it if you're after great picture quality from a conveniently sized camera.
Screen
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Sean-J.-Gray (Aug, 2009)A large and bright LCD makes taking pictures very easy.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by R.-Malik (Oct, 2008)Its F2.0 lens does the trick and is bright, sharp and precise, and the 24-60mm LEICA lens (the only point and shoot in the world to have 24mm range along with Panasonic) is fantastic.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 40% by by TokiLX (Oct, 2007)The color is amazing, and the huge display makes a real difference when viewing images.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 2 | Canon EOS M Highest resolution screen Canon EOS M vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
 | 3 | Fujifilm Finepix X10 2-way tie: Fastest rapid fire mode Fujifilm Finepix X10 vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
 | 4 | Canon PowerShot G1X Fastest to start up Canon PowerShot G1X vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
 | 5 | Fujifilm FinePix X100 Largest sensor Fujifilm FinePix X100 vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
 | 6 | Fujifilm X-E1 OK benchmarked shot to shot times Fujifilm X-E1 vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
 | 7 | Leica D-LUX 5 3-way tie: Wide angle lens 5 vs 4 |
 | 8 | Canon ELPH 510 HS Largest screen Canon ELPH 510 HS vs Leica D-LUX 4 |
New duel?
Let the battle continue or dare to compare.
Popular Questions
April 19, 2012
I am planning on traveling and using this camera casually.
I'm not planning on using all the fancy features. I just want a very high quality build and consistently clear, sharp, and color-true pictures. Overall, I'm looking for image quality, great and...
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