Leica DIGILUX 3 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with Leica D 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5 ASPH Lens with Optical Image Stabilization | 
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| Brand: Leica
Category: Photography
List Price: $2,800.00
Buy Used: $1,785.00
You Save: $1015.00 (36%)
New (3) Used (1) Refurbished (1) from $1,785.00
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 18469
Media: Electronics
Optical Zoom: 3.6
Display Size: 2.5
Maximum Focal Length: 50
Minimum Focal Length: 14
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 5.7 x 3.4 x 3.1
MPN: 18284
Model: 18284
UPC: 799429182847
EAN: 0799429182847
Release Date: November 15, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | First Digilux camera with an interchangeable lens for the Leica D system | | • | 7.5-megapixel LiveMos sensor for magnificent standard of imaging | | • | Leica D Vario-Elmarit f2.8-3.5/14-50 aspherical lens | | • | Shutter speed, focal length, aperture, and focus can be set by hand on the camera and the lens | | • | High-quality materials and precision craftsmanship ensure reliability under tough conditions of reportage photography |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Leica D system gives ambitious amateurs and professional photographers a whole new range of possibilities. The Leica Digilux3 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 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. The interplay of Leica's legendary performance and the latest technology is almost revolutionary: the newly designed lens Leica D Vario-Elmarit f2.8-3.5/14-50 Asph combined with state-of-the-art optical image stabilization and a 7.5-megapixel LiveMos sensor result in a magnificent standard of imaging. High-quality materials and precision craftsmanship ensure that the Leica Digilux3 will work reliably for many years, even under the tough conditions of reportage photography. The Leica D system is a valuable companion made to last.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 It's not a Leica.... October 7, 2008
JOHN A. STOVALL (Dublin, TX United States)
It's not a Leica and don't buy it you think you are getting Leica quality you aren't. It's just a Panosonic with a faux red dot on it.
Forty year Leica shooter and not fooled by this.
 Leica Digilux3 review August 22, 2008
Freebird
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Recently purchased my first Leica. As I am a great Nikon fan, this is quite a change, but this time I wanted something different.
The Leica deliver excellence. It is easy to use, and deliver fantastic picture quality right out of the box. As I'm used to manual photography, I also like the "oldfashioned" but very effecient way of using the Leica just as an old SLR. A bit pricy, but the kit lens is probably the best normal zoom you can get anywhere.
An outstanding camera for serious photographers October 12, 2007
Thomas R. Diaz (Lexington, Massachusetts)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
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).
I have been pleased in every way with the Vario-Elmarit lens, which is as sharp as I would expect for a Leica-branded lens. The controls (both on the lens and the top-mounted shutter speed dial) are very nice and familiar for an RF user like me.
The body is larger and "blockier" than a Leica rangefinder, as are all SLRs. However, I am excited that this 4/3 mount camera not only comes with an excellent lens (I think better than the Canon 17-85mm it replaced) but also gives me access to quite a few fine 4/3 lenses, such as the Olympus macro and telephoto lenses.
A couple of camera body features that I like a great deal and, in my opinion, are better than the Canon:
1. Nicely designed built-in flash that first comes up in "bounce" position and then on a second button-press moves into "straight-ahead" position. It fits flush into the body when not in use.
2. VERY accessible and easy to use control for adjusting flash power for fill flash and similar applications.
3. Equally accessible and easy to use back-panel control for exposure compensation--important on any digital camera, since you will want to dial back in sunlit and other contrasty scenes to avoid blown-out highlights!
4. Top-mounted MECHANICAL switches for shutter speed, sequence/single shooting, and metering mode, plus two preset buttons, are always there, always visible--no waiting for or squinting at an LCD display.
5. Lately I have not done much macro shooting, but I do like it. I expect to use the live view feature with all its strangeness. (The camera does two mirror-blips per exposure in this mode.) It beats hunching down on the ground photographing insects with a right-angle viewfinder.
As much as I liked the Canon 20D and 30D I used to use, I think this camera is better designed for easy and fast shooting.
I was going to say this is a camera for photographers at all levels. However, I will still likely use my Leica rangefinders for professional work. That's not a slam on the Digilux 3. The Canon 20D and 30D occupied about the same position in my mind--if I were using a DSLR for professional work I might want a higher end camera for more ruggedness, better dirt sealing, and so on.
 Leica Digilux 3, Digital SLR September 11, 2007
Raymond S. Iorio
12 out of 28 found this review helpful
I sent the Leica Digilux 3 back to Amazon because of missing parts. I did however get to examine the camera and my conclusion is that while the lens is superb as all Leica Lens are, the camera body had a cheap plastic feel. With 7.5 megapixels (I recommend at least 8 mg) and a price of $2,499, a bit overpriced I went back to the drawing board.
My suggestion for anyone really desiring this camera is to buy the Panasonic model which comes with the same Leica lens and a metal body (actually just about the same camera) for less than 1/2 the price.
Reviewing Popular Photography Magazine and JD Powers for the best Digital SLR Cameras I discovered that the Nikon D300 and Olympus E-3 digital slr cameras released in Nov. 2007 are the top rated new cameras along with a Canon model.
After examining the D300 and the Olympus E-3 in person, I decided to purchase the E-3 with the cost just about what the Leica Digilux 3 is. However, the Olympus has 10 megapixels, a metal frame body, and the lens is also metal and not plastic. The Olympus is almost a carbon copy of the familiar 35mm SLR cameras with less weight and bulk and a lot more features. Ditto for the Nikon D300.
Anyway I digress, for those of you who can afford the Leica Digilux 3 I recommend examining the Olympus E-3, or for diehard Nikon fans the D300. Either camera is great and, you can use the Leica 4/3 lens on the Olympus if you happen to have one.
For further information on the Olympus or the Nikon just type in the Amazon search "Olympus E-3" or "Nikon D300". Read the company and Amazon information on both cameras. Then more importantly, read the comments of the people who actually bought and use the product.....their comments are what you want.
Hope this has helped you in deciding which camera to buy.
Happy Shooting!
-Ray
Leica retro camera with 21st Century electronics. August 12, 2007
R. Ocampo (Los Angeles, CA)
33 out of 34 found this review helpful
First things first, Leica and Panasonic have been a team in the digital camera world in terms of Leica lens know-how coupled with Panasonic technology (just like Carl Zeiss lens is with Sony as well as Schneider Optics is with Samsung). Take note I said Leica lens "know-how" because Leica is not really the lens manufacturer here, but Panasonic is - being a licensed manufacturer of Leica lens. So to Leica purists, this isn't a Leica-assembled product. Despite all this, it's still sold exclusively by Leica and manufactured by Panasonic for a limited batch run alongside the sister model of Panasonic, the DMC-L1. Everything about how the Digilux 3 and DMC-L1 operate and function are the same EXCEPT for a few minor adjustments. The most talked about and only difference is how it processes JPG pictures.
Most notable option:
- If you're going to shoot using RAW in order to tweak your own photos, then buying the Panasonic won't make a difference with the more expensive counterpart. Panasonic will save you a lot of money and help you get more accessories with it.
- If you grew up with the Leica brand and are familiar with the characteristics of how Leica photographs come out, Leica has especially tweaked the JPG (not RAW, for obvious reasons being RAW) photos to look the same way analog Leica photographs come out looking.
Of course it's not all that simple. Without going into a debate as to why buy Leica over Panasonic and vice-versa, I'll talk about the general controls.
MEMORY CARD:
The camera uses SD or MMC cards. It will take SDHC cards which come with minimum 4GB. As for MMC cards, they are slow and I would suggest not even thinking of using it.
The supplied 1GB memory should be enough for one day of fun. But a 4GB SDHC or higher is recommended when shooting RAW.
BATTERY:
Good for 450 pictures per CIPA standards.
LENS:
The supplied 14-50mm lens is what makes this camera purchase worthwhile. It's very sharp and beats any 7-8MP digital SLR cameras out there as well is arguably at par with 10MP digital SLR cameras.
It patronizes the "Fourt Thirds Mount" set by Olympus. So camera and body built on this standard make them interchangeable.
- It has a zoom ring, an aperture ring and a focus ring in a grooved rubber application.
- O.I.S. - Optical Image Stabilization to help decrease blur when doing handheld shots with a slower shutter speed.
BODY:
All the necessary settings a pro may need is right there by their finger tips and individually labeled - aperture, shutter, metering mode, multiple shots, auto/manual focus, flash mode, ISO speed and white balance. Plus there are two more programmable buttons for quick access to special camera features.
INTERNALS:
- LiveMOS technology is the reason to get this camera from other cameras. They say it has the best of both worlds for the quality of the CCD, but with the power-saving of a CMOS.
- Dust Reduction Function - a staple in higher end SLR cameras to shake off any dust sitting on the image sensor and useful when changing lens.
- Live View mode which effectively helps you focus in real-time the subject via the LCD monitor rather than the viewfinder. A good idea on paper, but with an actual clunky application.
WARRANTY:
For the first six months your camera and lens (not accessories) is protected by accident. If something happens to it for any reason no questions asked, they will repair or replace it.
After the six months accident protection, you are warranted for three years from any defect of the camera. No one can claim the same. Not even it's sister model, the Panasonic DMC-L1.
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PROS:
1. Leica lens quality and sharpness.
2. LiveMOS sensor.
3. Manual controls right there by your fingertips.
4. Leica build quality and retro design that makes it a stand out.
5. Four Thirds Mount that will help you build your lens library.
6. Manual flash button rather than automatic pop up.
CONS:
1. Boxy, clunky body that may turn off a lot of users.
2. Weight coupled with the boxy body will cause more stress in gripping the camera.
3. LiveView mode definitely is version 1.0.
4. O.I.S. is definitely not perfect. It helps, but it doesn't lead you to believe that you can take better pictures with less blur. An expensive technique rather than building the image stabilization into the body.
5. Manual focus ring is typical of any digital SLR lens. It just turns around and around without telling you have reached the end.
6. Expensive camera slapped on with a red Leica logo, but actually produced in a Panasonic plant alongside a sister camera that depreciates almost monthly.
7. The strap placement may be an issue with hand placement.
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In summary, this is first and foremost for Leica customers who know and appreciate the quality that Leica brings. The warranty is second to none. They will stand behind this 100%.
The design is extreme. If you don't fall in love with it, you are better off looking elsewhere. But if you spend a day with it, you will know why they have designed it that way. The controls are very intuitive.
If you have the money to splurge. Offer no apologies to anyone as they can only salivate to patronize a Leica. If you are the sensible kind, you know where to go as this isn't for the faint of heart in the ever-changing, fast depreciating digital world of electronics and gadgets.
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