Pfefferminze

July 4, 2008 10:39 AM | Related Categories: Cafe Life

A nice refreshing glass of peppermint tea in Tibits this morning, and a new camera to play with. I got rid of my old Panasonic super compact, and not long after realised I needed another one for lightweight traveling. I love the M8 but it's quite heavy and like all M cameras it doesn't do close-ups. It also tends to be a bit of a precision tool for a particular job, and for travel you need a kind of Swiss army knife camera.

So this is the Leica D Lux 3. Someone is going to tell me it's just a Panasonic with a price premium, but don't bother because I know that already. I would dearly have liked a compact with a viewfinder, but these are now so unsatisfactory that I decided I was better without one.

What made me pick this one.

  • Shutter/aperture priority modes and manual like a real camera
  • A reasonable set of AF AE modes (spot, matrix etc)
  • Selectable AE/AF lock - yipee!
  • RAW files
  • A true 28mm wide angle (Leica)
  • Manual focus(!) - not sure if I'm ever going to use this but I like the idea...
  • Good closeup performance

Sure the sensor is noisy above 200ISO, but it has a very effective IS system so maybe you don't need 400ISO

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I looked at the Panasonic version of this and I'm very curious to see some of your photos with it. The wide-angle feature is something I'd like. Any chance of some close-up/macro shots of things to which I can relate, so I can judge? Your other blog is probably the place for this. And while we're talking of wide-angle, I'm keen to see some summer photos of the MFO-park in Neue-Oerlikon (you know, the huge metal frame with the plants). I've browsed the Flickr set, but would like to see your interpretation. Thanks!
# Posted By z | 7/4/08 9:51 AM
Happy shooting with the new arrival, for me a flip & twist screen is top of the requirements, and I'm not too sure about the benefits of RAW on a sensor that size - be interested to see what you think after a while. But why are we limited to such small sensors? After all, my Olympus Trip has a _full_frame_ sensor and it's smaller than my A650. And I know that the zoom has a lot to do with it, but all the same.....
# Posted By Ham | 7/4/08 10:09 AM
z - your wish is my command. However you seem to be more clued-up about Neue Oerlikon than I am - need to find out what this MFO thingy is first.
# Posted By richard | 7/4/08 10:19 AM
Ham - I'm hoping to get some photos with lasting potential from this camera, not just shots for the blog, so RAW is important for me. It's not pixel quality really, more the WB/exposure/sharpening which I'd rather do on the computer than trust to capture time settings and in-camera JPEG conversion. And RAW is where my workflow starts nowadays - I'm starting some posts about the why's and wherefore's over on the photo blog
# Posted By richard | 7/4/08 10:23 AM
As I "bed in" on the E3 and the mighty 14-35 f2.0 I'm already clear on where the "little" C7070 fits into my bag. It does RAW and macro....PLUS it has the tilting "live view" screen, and can be operated on Manual whilst wearing leather protective gloves. Pity that Olympus dropped it so soon.
Or rather, good that I came upon it at a slight discount. ;-)

Your Odyssey with the new Leica will be keenly followed.
# Posted By Chuckeroon | 7/4/08 2:23 PM
Richard, you should have Peter over more often. He's obviously doing you a lot of good. How fresh and lively this photo is!

(I won't discuss the details, I'm hopeless at technicalities unless someone actually shows me the camera as they speak)
# Posted By nathalie | 7/4/08 5:58 PM
Nathalie - ooooh - you mean it was in colour! Actually I'm not sure where Peter was - I couldn't recognise it at all.....
# Posted By richard | 7/4/08 6:04 PM
... meant in the most mischievous way, of course.... ;)
# Posted By richard | 7/4/08 6:05 PM
Chucker - yes, it's a pity you can't put it in your pocket tho'

Nothing has really changed since analogue - there are no silver bullet cameras that fit all situations. So - do you pick your situation, or your camera?
# Posted By richard | 7/4/08 6:07 PM
Do you pick your situation or your camera ?
Interesting question. The latter means you have them all ready at hand... not the lightweight option.
# Posted By nathalie | 7/5/08 5:39 PM
nathalie - going back, I'm not even sure what I meant! Maybe it boils down to this. Do you go out with the intention of taking photos, or do you go out, and take photos that present themselves.
# Posted By richard | 7/5/08 7:12 PM
What, no new photo? Has colour killed you or are you taking a compacent weekend off?

Whenever you return, come on over to Avignon if you have the time: we're discussing the Tour de France and theatre. I think you'll enjoy both subjects.
# Posted By nathalie | 7/6/08 3:31 PM
Nice camera, I'm told; enjoy it. I too looked long and hard for a compact with a decent viewfinder rather than just an awful lcd screen on the back, but I couldn't find one. Shame.
# Posted By Nick | 7/8/08 10:17 AM
This looks a really neat camera, one you can put in your pocket. I know Chuckeroon would approve the Leica lens. I think he's got shares in Leica! I'm now going over to your photoblog to read more.
# Posted By Jilly | 7/9/08 4:27 PM
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