Evaluation:  
Conclusion: Poor reliability and poor service
Review: I was excited when I first saw this camera and had to have it. When I got I found it was easy to use and took great pictures. But then after a few months it stopped working. I contacted service in NJ and sent it into then. They said I would have an answer back in "2-3" days. That turned into two weeks. My emails to then asking for status were deleted and not read (I asked for a read receipt). I finally got a letter from them to authorize the service (under warranty). Time estimate for the repair was 4-5 weeks. Nearly eight weeks later I am still waiting for it. I always considered Leica to be the Rolls Royce on cameras but unfortunately, in retrospect I wish I had bought a Canon or a Nikon.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Great Pictures, Indoors & Out
Review: I wanted a camera with a huge, non-telescoping optical zoom, excellent macro range, and the ability to take photos in low light. I work in dusty, sandy environments a lot, so I decided against an SLR--the Nikon I was replacing broke down because of excessive grit in the zoom mechanism despite daily cleaning, so I hate to think what would happen to a mirror-flipping mechanism. I read the reviews for this camera, here and elsewhere, and debated the Panasonic equivalent, but decided on the Leica both on sentimental grounds (I learned photographyon my mom's 1940s Leica) and the fact that Leica tweaked the settings, and they know more about photography than Panasonic. I've now had the camera for about seven months and I've taken thousands and thousands of photographs. (A lot of reviews seem to me to be based on the first 24 hours.) I am very, very happy with it.
Outdoor photographs are wonderful, and the 16:9 ratio is great for landscapes. But that's the easy part. The indoor photographs are great. (Most of these have been taken in museums and churches.) At first I noticed a lot of noise in low light situations, but after playing around with the settings for a while, I don't seem to get it any more. Most important: Be sure to use Mode 2 Stabilization. Mode 1 only stabilizes a little, all the time; Mode 2 stabilizes only when the shutter is pressed. Using the self-timer also helps. In a pinch, you can use exposure compensation to take an underexposed photograph and then push it using Photoshop.
I like many things about this camera. The exposure compensation works beautifully, once you get the hang of it. It's also fairly easy to switch formats (16:9, 3:2, 4:3). I've set up my own preferred profiles for various conditions, which makes it easy to switch a lot of settings at once (a church/museum setting without beeps, so people don't glare at me). The viewfinder grid has saved me hours of straightening shots with Photoshop. And the manual is compact, well organized, indexed, and clear; it fits in my camera case. And the pictures I take with this camera just seem to glow.
The disadvantages are quite managable. I thought I'd lose the lens cap, but I haven't; sticking it in my pocket means it doesn't accidentally get in my shots. It's sometimes hard to get the auto-focus to work at a high zoom, particularly in dim light, which can be quite frustrating. But with resolution like this, you can afford to back off a little. And it is big and heavy, but that will make me strong.
One always has a vested interest in liking a camera that one has paid a lot of money for, but I find I don't even window shop for the newest cameras any more. I expect to use this one for another three or four years, at least.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Sorry for just 1 star, but this is the fact, it's disappointing.
Review: I bought this camera based on the reviews that Amazon provides, they are all good, plus the shortage of it, I'm so convinced that this was going to be my new toy. I took some indoor photos, they are so great. I went out for some night shootings, with tripod (maximum exposure time is only 8 seconds), they came out either too dark or outfocused. Next day I took some outdoor photos, bright sunny day, the pictures were not as good as my old camera (Sony 828).
The camera design is bad; the lens cap does not have a string, the strap that holds the camera is very awkward and it is too long, the battery runs out fast.
I simply returned it after my dream popped. I wasted about $60 in s/h and some accessories which I opened. It's still better than to collect dust.
By the way the Leica person was quite unfriendly on the phone (I called for some technically questions).
So folks, if you want to shell out $1,000 just because you love the red dot, it's your call. Leica has bought Panasonic and V-Lux 1 is based on Panasonic's technology. Panasoni actually has an identical model which costs $500 less.
I'm so confused about this marketing thing.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: mediocre
Review: First, the zoom lens needs to be a little wider angle capability. Close-in shots are difficult to make because one cannot zoom out enough. Secondly, the camera is not compatible with the operating system that I use on my computer. It is not designed to be used with the new Microsoft VISTA. Currently there is not even a work arounnd, although Leica has been promising some sort of software repair, for more than a month, but to date nothing has developed. Taking photos and not being able to process them is not acceptable.
Evaluation:
Conclusion: Quite Possibly The Best Digital "Bridge" Camera Currently Available
Review: If you are seeking the finest in optical quality for a multiple purpose, noninterchangeable lens digital camera - what is commonly known as a "bridge camera" for combining some of the best features of digital SLRs with digital compacts - then look no further than the Leica V-Lux 1. True you are paying more by acquiring this version over its cheaper Panasonic sibling, but the advantages are obtaining a far more generous camera warranty and additional software improvements made by Leica. I've handled this camera several times at camera stores and digital imaging trade shows, and each time I have been quite impressed with how well it handles. Indeed, anyone who has handled a film or digital SLR camera before will be pleased with the relative ease in which one can use the Leica V-Lux 1, without having to refer frequently to its lengthy camera instruction manual. I am especially impressed with the optical image stabilizer (MEGA O. I. S.), which has allowed me to take photos hand held at shutter speeds as low as 1/10 a second (If my hands were steadier, then maybe I could get as low as 1/5 a second, which another reviewer has claimed.). I also appreciate the swivel 2.0" TFT display, which offers the user complete freedom with regards to image framing and perspective. This looks like the perfect camera for travel, sports, and maybe, some landscape photography too. My only major disappointment with the Leica V-Lux 1 is that this camera seems noiser at ISO speeds higher than 200, with some noticeable loss in image quality, especially at the highest ISO speeds of 1600 and 3200. However, I think most users will be more impressed with the possibility of using ISO speeds as low as 80 and 100, in a camera that has a shutter speed range from 1 to 1/2000 seconds in most of its modes, and an aperture range of f2.8 to 11 (at its widest wide angle setting) and f3.7 to 11 (at its telephoto setting). The superb Leica-designed, Panasonic-built Leica CD Vario-Elmarit 7.4-88.8mm f2.8 - f3.7 ASPH zoom lens (equivalent to 35 - 420mm in 35mm film format) is truly an optical jewel, offering superb performance that is on par with the best Zeiss zoom Sony Cybershot lenses.
|
