Leica DIGILUX 3 Digital Camera

Having owned a Digilux 2 and enjoying using that I has stupidly thought the 3 would simply be a SLR on the same scale. How wrong. Its a monster! Also with the significant weight it lacks some of the ergonomic grip features other heavy SLRs use. I returned mine after a very short time - not recomended.

Just to dimension this a little further, my background is with using mainly Leica & Nikon cameras and others from Alpha to Zorki. My first published picture was with a Leica IIIa way back in 19... goodness knows when. I have a very postive memory of that Leica and the 20 or so i have owned and the majority I still do. Add this to the 100 or so other bag of real cameras I have around you may start to judge how dissapointed I was with the Digilux 3.

The general Leica public think the same - low sales and now a much lower price. Roll on the full frame M series and I can retire the M8.

But dont let my grumpy mood put you off - always handle a camera before you buy - the handling is critical to the bond and results you get. I made a mistake but heck lets move on.

The Digilux 3 is a very good camera that has had a lukewarm general review maybe because of its seemingly inflated price. I bought an excellent used version and use it both with the Leica 14-50mm lens it comes with and 'R' lenses that perform brilliantly using the special adapter.

Using the manual focus with these slows you down a bit but the results are wonderful. If you like the Leica 'look' and like using a DSLR try this camera.

I can't believe that dilliton2 could not see from the pictures of this camerea that it lacked some of the ergonomic grip features of the heavy digital SLRs. It has been designed in a retro style for serious amateurs who feel more comfortable with the layout of the classic SLRs of the 70s 80s and early 90s. It is not a monster. It's quality and build are second to none and it performs superbly. The only reason that I rate this camera as Good not Excellent is that it is very pricey especially compared to the Panasonic version but as a Leica it should hold its value better.