- Conclusion Get the lowdown
- Features How they compare
- Performance Real world benchmarks
- Differences Technical showdown
- Reviews Word on the street
- Competition Others to consider
- Discussion Answers and opinions
Compare with...
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III
- Fujifilm Finepix X10
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
- Canon EOS M
- Fujifilm FinePix X100
Rated 80% by by P.-Laird (Feb, 2012)The zoom is incredible, the basic operations are simple (most of them - I'll get to that in a moment), the photos are wonderful, the battery holds a charge for a long time.
Conclusion Which is better for you?
Features Key features of the Leica D-LUX V-Lux 3 compared to the 4
MP10
1/1.8"
Rated 100% by by Madena-Bennett (Mar, 2013)The zoom capabilities on it are literally dizzying :) And the close up or macro is gorgeous!
10 MP
1/1.7"
Rated 100% by by Jeffrey-A.-Lindh--Bofo (Nov, 2006)The screen is beautiful, with the font large and so easy to read.
megapixels
| 0 MP | 10 MP   | 20 MP |
D-LUX V-Lux 3 by Jay (Jan, 2013)Picture processing firmware (Panny uses its own Venus engine) for both have large differences as do the CCD qualities and manufacturing tolerances.
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).
sensor size
D-LUX V-Lux 3 by Jay (Jan, 2013)The CCD's are made by different manufacturers, the ones for the Leica brand are all tested but the Panny ones are only spot checked, differences in lens quality and coatings and firmware make for better colours and fewer aberrations at wide apertures.
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 V-Lux 3 by Gone-Bananas--GoneBananas (Jan, 2013)As of now, this is working fine and I love the camera which is perfect for a traveler like me who would miss countless pictures if I had to switch lenses constantly.
D-LUX 4 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.
aperture size
D-LUX V-Lux 3 by doctim11 (Aug, 2012)She is doing close up / macro nature pics and this camera WILL focus down to 1cm away from the subject.
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.
zoom range
| 0x | 4x | 4x |
D-LUX V-Lux 3 by doctim11 (Aug, 2012)We have had super-zoom single lens SLR's in the past and then got rid of them because they did everything mediocre, not this camera, it does everything well.
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.
body size
106 x 56 x 26 mm
109 x 56 x 27 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 V-Lux 3 vs 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!
Differences What are the advantages of each
Advantages compared to the 4
| Marginally more recently announced | Dec, 2011 | vs | Sep, 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Announced date over 3 years later | |||
| Larger zoom range | 4x | vs | 2.5x |
| 60% larger zoom; Great for sports or nature when your subject is further away | |||
Advantages compared to the V-Lux 3
| Significantly faster lens | f/2.0 | vs | f/2.8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Around 30% faster aperture; Better in low light | |||
| Much larger screen | 3" | vs | 2.8" |
| More than 5% larger screen | |||
| Higher resolution screen | 460 k dots | vs | 207 k dots |
| Around 2.2x higher resolution screen | |||
| Shoots video in 24p | Yes | vs | No |
| Somewhat common; For that film look | |||
| Wider lens | 24 mm | vs | 28 mm |
| Around 15% wider focal length | |||
| Significantly more highly reviewed by consumers | 89.06% | vs | 82.29% |
| Around 10% more highly reviewed by consumers | |||
Reviews Word on the street
Leica D-LUX V-Lux 3 | Leica D-LUX 4 | ||
 |   Rated by 18 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by herman-burnett (Jun, 2012) Rated 20% by by Silesian Rated 100% by by mrskbg--mrskbg (Mar, 2012) |  Rated by 106 users at amazon.com Rated 100% by by Scott-Mcgredy--srelay (May, 2007) Rated 100% by by R.-Malik (Oct, 2008) Rated 100% by by Andrew-Kirschner--The-Fix (Dec, 2006) | |
|---|---|---|---|
lens
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by salvia06 (Dec, 2009)it's perhaps the hardest camera to supersede in this crowded market, and if you want to take pictures, street, architecture, scenics, macro with a pocket-size camera, you don't really have a choice: leica d-lux 4 is it.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)While some might find the limited zoom range to be restrictive, the fast maximum aperture gives the camera outstanding low light ability at all zoom settings, while the sheer optical quality gives the D-Lux 4 serious photographic credentials.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by salvia06 (Dec, 2009)I've had my Leica D-Lux 4 for a year and a half and traveled half-way around the world with it, leaving my canon dslr with its very nice and very expensive 17-40 mm, f4, zoom (costs more than panasonic's new GF1 with its f1.7 aspherical) at home.
viewfinder
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by salvia06 (Dec, 2009)Among the compact rangefinders, I know canon G10 has more pixels at lower ASA but this Leica D-Lux 4 beats it at the higher ASA (really noticeable at 200ASA), and besides, G10 is so bulky and heavy that one might as well get an SLR!
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by John-Kwok (Nov, 2006)Although the Leica D-Lux 3 is available in a superb black finish, I am more than a bit partial to chrome, since the chrome version reminds me more of such classic Leica M-mount 35mm rangefinder cameras like the M3 and M4.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 80% by by Ashley-G--Ashley-G (May, 2009)When the D Lux 4 first came out it looked so similar to the D Lux 3 I already had that I did not consider buying it, but then I read about two things that sold it to me: 1) the faster, wider lens and 2) availability of the external optical viewfinder.
sensor
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)Like the LX3 the D-Lux 4 has a large 11.3MP sensor, but different areas of the sensor are used in different aspect ratio settings giving it greater than usual image resolution at non-standard settings.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Francis-D.-Magalona--The-Man (Dec, 2006)I got the Powershot G7, and even though they are both 10 megapixels, lens wise, the D-LUX 3 is in a class of it's own.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 80% by by Ashley-G--Ashley-G (May, 2009)I was also very pleased with the lens performance - combined with the new (larger) sensor, it too represents a big improvement over the D Lux 3, which is also a very good performer.
image quality
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 80% by by Howie (Jan, 2010)I took many A/B/C comparison shots and I've concluded the following:Picture quality on the D-Lux 4 is better than the TX1, excellent for a point and shoot and very very sharp, but overall picture quality is not in the same league as my Sony DSLR and micro four thirds Olympus.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by H.-Dinh--shooter (Apr, 2009)Then I decided to take the plunge, went to the dark side and ordered the D-Lux 4.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)The D-Lux 4 is the Leica version of the Panasonic LX3, and I was keen to see if there was any significant difference in performance or picture quality between the two cameras.
type
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 90% by by TrustedReviews (Feb, 2011)Modern Leica film and digital cameras look very similar to their 90-year-old forebears, and the D-Lux 4 also has a distinctly retro look and feel.
Leica D-LUX 4 | Rated 100% by by Gregg-A.-Dickerson--J.R. (Nov, 2006)That was it, I started looking for the ultimate digital camera and came across the Leica D-LUX 3, it was delivered las week and I haven't put it down since.
Competition What else you should consider
 | 2 | Fujifilm Finepix X10 Fastest rapid fire mode |
 | 3 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Rated the best by consumers |
 | 4 | Canon EOS M Most detailed video recording mode |
 | 5 | Fujifilm FinePix X100 2-way tie: More contrast-detection focus points |
 | 6 | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 Best image quality as rated by DXOMark |
 | 7 | Canon PowerShot G12 Has a flip out screen |
Discussions Get involved, ask your question about the Leica D-LUX V-Lux 3 and 4
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