If anyone of my friends or family came up to me and asked me, “What is the best small digital camera under $1000?” I would say, “D-Lux 4.” Under $500? Panasonic LX-3, as they are virtually the same camera. My wife, who has used her share of cameras over the years, LOVES the D-lux 4. She has never gotten so many keepers and the D-lux makes it easy to do so. Your images will be colorful, sharp, and in-focus, which helps, believe me.

Low-light shooting is a joy with this camera. It will snap into focus and its built in optical image stabilization will keep the hand shake at bay.

It has many shooting modes including black & white, portrait, night, and even a PET mode that tracks your dog! Turn on the AF FACE MODE and the AF will automatically find the face and focus. It is jam packed with features and yes, even shoots HD video. The lens on the D-Lux 4 is amazing for its small size. Click the image below for a full size, out of camera JPEG so you can see the quality of this camera.

I love this little guy and while he does not compare to my M8 (the shooting experience counts here too, and I love the M8 experience), it is just as useful and has the ability to create images that are just as memorable. Once you really start to use the D-Lux 4, I am sure you will want to bring it with you everywhere. It’s an addictive little camera...One of those that you will have no regret buying and will never want to sell.

I purchased my Leica D-Lux 4 from B&H photo. I bought it online on a Tuesday and it arrived the very next day. B&H usually has this camera in stock. The cool part is that their web site tells you if it is IN STOCK or OUT OF STOCK. Also, it’s updated in real time, so if it says it is in stock, it is. If not, I recommend checking Amazon (see link below).

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE D-LUX 4 PAGE AT B&H PHOTO!

This will open a new window and you can read more about it, check pricing, or even order it. Also, the D-Lux 4 GRIP is very, very nice as well and makes the camera feel better in the hand. The camera and grip can be hard to find in stock at times, as they usually sell out quickly! They also sell the Panasonic version, the LX3 in silver or black.

Also, I just bought the brown leather case for this camera and its beautiful! Well worth it!

10/01/09 - LEICA DEALER KEN HANSEN HAS ONE D-LUX 4 SAFARI SPECIAL EDITION IN STOCK!

If you do order a D-Lux 4, let me know how you like it! Thanks for reading this write-up. I hope it has provided you with a little more info for your digital camera quest!

CHECK OUT MY D-LUX 4 CRUISE VACATION REPORT! I used the D-Lux 4 on my vacation and it did amazingly well! It’s all I needed for the trip!

March 23rd 2009 - Leica has released a new firmware update for the D-Lux 4. This update will improve Auto White Balance and Auto Focus Performance

CLICK HERE TO GET THE D-LUX 4 FIRMWARE UPDATE 1.20

THE LEICA D-LUX 4, SHOWN HERE WITH GRIP AND VIEWFINDER ACCESSORIES

UPDATE - I received the D-Lux 4 grip and it is a superb addition to the camera. It attaches securely to the D-Lux 4 and gives that added grip for more comfort while shooting, plus helps give a steady hand. I highly recommend it!

D-LUX 4 VS M8 OR DSLR

I have already had e-mails from people asking if the D-Lux 4 compares to the M8. The quick answer to that is a big fat NO. The M8 and D-Lux 4, while related, are totally different cameras. The M8 is a larger sensor camera with a 1.3 crop. It is hand-crafted in Germany to exact specifications and each camera is tested by an individual. It is a piece of art that happens to be one of the best-performing digital cameras I have ever used. You have total control and can become one with the camera. It can use any of the incredible M lenses. Also, its beautiful files can take a lot of abuse in photoshop before breaking up.

The D-Lux 4 is a take everywhere camera. Perfect for just about any situation: Snapshots, portraits, landscapes. It can do it all, but its files are not as crisp or detailed at 100%, like the M8 or a good DSLR. The M8 images will be richer and when blown-up in print, will look better. The D-Lux 4, while putting out a superb file for a small sensor camera, does not hold up as well as the M8 when huge prints are needed. For example, a 20X30 with an M8 file will look better than a 20X30 with a D-Lux 4 file. Remember, the D-Lux 4 is a $699 camera and the M8 is a $4000 camera. With that being said, I love this D-Lux 4’s color and tone. Also, the D-Lux 4 can do Macro, the M8 is not really made for Macro.

Below is a quick snap I took of my wife, along with a 100% crop. You can see the the crop is not 100% crisp, clean, or smooth but it is not far off from the M8 file. Basically, it is a sensor limitation, but even with this limitation, the D-Lux 4 is as good as it gets in this class of camera. Sharpness and detail is not what makes a camera great. More important, to me at least, is the color and “personality” of the image quality.

100% CROP OF ABOVE IMAGE

And now an M8 shot with the 50 Lux ASPh at F2

100% CROP OF ABOVE M8 IMAGE

And finally, the same shot with the D-Lux 4. Note the background, even at F2 of the Dlux at full zoom is not anywhere near as shallow as the M8 with the 50 at F2.

While the D-Lux 4 is more than adequate for 95% of photography, a big plus for the M8 or larger sensor cameras is that you can use fast lenses to throw the background out of focus, thus making a more pleasing portrait. With an M8, you have easy control over aperture, focus, and exposure. So while you can get images that are just as powerful out of the D-Lux 4, the M8, with it’s better build, feel, quality, and lens choices, will be the choice for some.

Still, The D-Lux 4 is PERFECT for any Amateur or Hobbyist who wants a light, pocketable camera that will provide the best image quality you can get in a small sensor camera (well, next to a DP1). It is fun to use, easy to control, has super-fast AF, and looks super cool to boot. The color is wonderful, many times right out of the camera.

CONTROL - LEICA D-LUX 4 - F2

SOME COOL FEATURES and FILM MODES

One cool feature of the D-lux 4 is its film modes. One favorite of mine is the “DYNAMIC B&W” mode. Set the camera to DYNAMIC B&W, and shoot in some good evening light and WOW, you can get some killer B&W tones. This little guy puts out better in camera B&W than my M8. Really, I like the B&W output of this camera quite a bit.

THIS IS AN OUT OF CAMERA JPEG IN DYNAMIC B&W, JUST RESIZED!

Another cool feature built right in to the D-Lux 4 is its Macro mode. Turn it to Macro mode via the switch on the lens barrel and get up close and personal. The two shots of the leaves below were shot in Dynamic B&W and macro mode. Nothing special as I am not a macro whiz, but he lens was almost touching the leaves at 24mm.

The D2 sold for $1599 and I bought one, then a 2nd, and a third. I LOVED that freaking camera. The look of an M, the feel, the manual aperture controls, the color, and quality had something about it. Leica had a hit with the Digilux 2, though “M” diehards were still waiting for the real digital M.

After that success, Leica made a new line of digital compacts, the C-lux and D-lux line. The D-lux line soon evolved from the D-lux 2 to the 3 and today the D-lux 4, a small, compact, black beauty of a camera with a super-fast F2 - F2.8, 24-60 Zoom lens. I never did buy the D-lux 2 or 3, as I found the noise generated by previous generations to be excessive. BUT, when I started seeing the D-Lux 4 images posted on various photography forums, I took notice. The files seemed rich and colorful, with minimal noise at ISO 400.

What pulled me into the D-Lux line in the first place was seeing the fine images created by Jim Radcliffe. Jim, who frequents the Leica Forum on DPREVIEW.COM, was pushing these little small sensor cameras to the extreme. With his talent, vision, and know-how, he created images with his Dlux-3 and 4 that simply blew me and many others away... Proof again that it’s the photographer and not the gear.

BUT, having a good camera does help someone realize their vision and bring it to life. A good camera makes it easier and makes it fun. If you shoot with a camera that you enjoy shooting, your images will be better for it. The D-Lux 4 is a VERY fun camera.

In case you did not know, the D-lux 4 is made by Panasonic in the same factory where the Panosonic Lumix LX-3 is made, which happens to be the D-Lux 4’s twin brother. Many say they are the same exact camera and provide the same quality, while others say the Leica gives slightly better color along with a certain “magic”. I was now sucked in and so was my wife. With me getting the M8, she wanted a new Leica as well. How could I refuse?

This new D-Lux 4 will be her camera, while the M8 will stick with me. But MAN OH MAN, DO THEY MAKE A GREAT PAIR! See my M8 review here.

THE D-LUX 4, THE SON OF THE M8

Let’s look at the stats of the camera. Pretty sweet!

1. ★ 10 MP Oversized 1/1.63” sensor. Larger than most compact cameras for better IQ.
   

2. ★ Three formats - 4/3, 3/2 or 16:9 widescreen shooting.
   

3. ★ 3” LCD display
   

4. ★ Fast LEICA VARIO SUMMICRON F2-F2.8 ASPH 24-60 Lens - 8 element, 4 Aspherical.
   

5. ★ ISO 80 - 3200
   

6. ★ Leica “tweaked” color and contrast to match M film shooting
   

7. ★ Expandable with various add-on’s like veiwfinder, grip, etc.
   

8. ★ Macro mode, scene modes, B&W modes, and long battery life
   

9. ★ YES, this baby can even shoot HD video in .mov quicktime format. SWEET! 1280X720
   

10. ★ Oh, yea. OPTICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION!
    

Leica, on their own website, calls the D-Lux 4 “The Son of The M8”. I have been shooting daily with both an M8 and this D-lux 4 and can say that yes, this camera is like an infant son of an M8. INFANT SON? Yep, this guy is so light, so small, and so sleek, it has to be a BABY. But what a baby it is! It’s like I pulled open the bottom plate of the M8 and it gave birth to the Dlux-4. It’s also a baby price at $699 compared to $3995 of the M8, which is a good thing!

CLEAN UP - LEICA D-LUX 4 - ISO 400 - LEVELS/COLORS ADJUSTED

Even though the D-Lux is a smaller sensor camera, it does have tremendous quality and very good “Leica” color. It makes me wonder how the Panasonic LX-3 compares. One thing is for sure, these little cameras have come a LONG way in the last 4-5 years. A LONG way. I remember using some old Sony Cyber Shots that were awful. Bright colors, flat-looking images, and high noise at even ISO 100! Today’s smaller Digital cameras in this price range are like the 1st early DSLR’s as far as quality goes. Makes me wonder what is to come in 10 more years?

SO WHAT DOES IT COME WITH?

One thing we know for certain is what comes included in the box with the D-Lux 4 vs the Panasonic LX-3. This is what swayed me in the direction of the D-Lux 4 over the LX-3.

The D-Lux 4 comes with a 3-year Leica warranty (this is good).

Panasonic comes with 1 year warranty (not as good).

D-lux 4 comes with Capture One 4 software for processing RAW files (this is good).

The Panny comes with Silkypix (to me, not as good).

D-Lux 4 Resale Value will be MUCH better in 2-3 years (I won’t lose so much $$ when I upgrade to the D-Lux 5).

Both cameras come with lens cap, battery, charger, strap, and of course manual.

Let’s talk about the resale value: In 2-3 years, when I go to sell this camera, I will get closer to what I paid for it than if I was trying to sell the Panasonic. Leica cameras hold their value pretty well. As of this writing (2/28/09), the Leica D-Lux 4 is $699. The Panasonic is $470. A difference of $229. So ask yourself, is an extra 2 year warranty, better software, and better resale worth $229? I would say YES it is.

One thing I have not mentioned yet is how much sexier the D-Lux 4 is over the Panasonic. Yes, to me the Leica is worth the extra $229 just for this!

THE OLD FACTORY - LEICA D-LUX 4 - ISO 250 - F2.5 - LEVELS ADJUSTED

OK, SO WHAT ABOUT THE QUALITY?

As I have stated earlier, I have been shooting this camera every day for the past 2 weeks. I shoot it along side my M8 and it has proven to be a GREAT companion to the M8. I also have a Sigma SD-1 (just sold it) that I will make some comparisons to, if that is even possible.

The Sigma SD-1 is much like the D-Lux 4. It is almost the same size, just a little thicker, with the same style and feel. The Sigma has a sensor much like a DSLR that provides great dynamic range and a smooth look, but the Sigma has to be one of the most frustrating cameras I have EVER used in my life. The Sigma is dog slow, misfocuses constantly, refuses to focus in low light, and honestly, I could never bond with the SD-1. I have owned it for 6 months.

The Sigma was my wife’s camera and she used it 2-3 times, as she hated it. She gave it to me and I also disliked it. It does provide a pretty nice file, but the D-Lux 4 just destroys it with the “USABILITY FACTOR” and the D-Lux IQ is also SUPERB, especially for a small format camera.

I have used many small digi cams from Nikon, Sony, Canon, Sigma, Olympus and Fuji. This D-Lux 4 is the BEST small format camera I have ever used. When I say small format, I mean small sensor. Usually, small sensor cameras have horrible noise, low dynamic range and just have that cruddy, cheap look to the images. Not the D-Lux 4.

This camera has what is called “scene modes” and one of them is “PINHOLE” which basically adds a vignette to the image, giving a classic look to the image. I did not find it replicated a real pinhole camera, but it did give a nice look. The image below “OFF” was taken in this mode. The Summicron lens in the D-lux 4 is sharp, just as a summicron should be.

“OFF” - D-LUX 4 - F2 - ISO 320 - STRAIGHT FROM CAMERA

This write-up is not about the Sigma DP1 or any other small sensor camera. It is about the D-Lux 4, so let’s get to it!  At F2, images are pretty sharp and detailed. I CAN PROVE IT! Here is a shot, taken at F2, followed by the 100% crop of the image...Amazing for a pocket small sensor cam at F2!

100% CROP FROM FULL THE ABOVE IMAGE.

Yes, this is freaking high-quality and *almost* matches my M8 test shot of the same subject taken at F2.8 with my 28 Elmarit. This camera is sharper than any compact digicam I have ever seen. BUT, we all know that a quality photo is not always about sharpness. Does the D-Lux 4 have character? What are its flaws? Here is a list of positives and negatives of the D-Lux 4:

D-LUX 4 STRENGTHS

1. ★ Nice, compact size with large LCD and lightweight.
   

2. ★ The lens. Yes, its a Summicron-branded lens. May be made by Panasonic, but it’s Leica’s design and therefore, a stellar lens. Fast F2 Aperture for great lower light shooting.
   

3. ★ FOCUS IS FAST! So much faster than the Sigma DP1, it’s not even funny. Focus is also good in lower light due to its focus assist lamp.
   

4. ★ Writes to the SD card fast.Much faster than my M8 does.
   

5. ★ Can shoot in one of three formats: 4/3, 3/2 or 16:9.
   

6. ★ Battery life is superb. Never ran out even after shooting all day.
   

7. ★ Out of camera JPEGS are decent and color is very, very good. Minimal tweaking needed.
   

8. ★ Sexy looks, great warranty.
   

9. ★ Optical Image Stabilization. Hand-holdable at 1/8 second? Sure! Go for it!
   

10. ★ Shoot HD movies in Quicktime .mov format. Cool feature.
    

11. ★ Macro capability is pretty good.
    

D-LUX 4 WEAKNESSES

1. ★ ISO 80-400 is good. Above 400 it starts to get a little noisy and mushy, but I would use it at 800 if need be. Better than most smaller sensor cameras I have used.
   

2. ★ Where is the ISO dial on the outside of the camera? I hate menu-driven ISO. Give me a dial!
   

3. ★ My wife will be sure to lose this lens cap. Wish it was connected or even built in.
   

4. ★ I wish it came with the optional grip. Yea, you can buy it, but it would have been cool to have one come with it. Gives those with larger hands something to grab onto.
   

5. ★ Not really a weakness as it should be obvious, but I still get e-mails about this. The D-Lux 4 will not put out a file as smooth or clean as a DSLR or M8. It is a small sensor camera.
   

6. ★ No optical Viewfinder. You can buy one for a cool $339 though, which seems a bit high to me. Many prefer an optical VF but personally, I feel if one was included it would take away from the look of the camera. Also, the large screen works very well. But a big BOO to charging so much for an add on VF. Also, the LCD can get a little washed out in direct sun.
   

I CAN SHOOT HD MOVIES?

Yep! This camera, just like the Panny LX-3, can shoot video. High-Def video. The sweet part is that it is shot in .mov format. Perfect for MAC ADDICTS! I have never been one to shoot video with a still camera, but this D-Lux 4 is so easy to use and switch to movie mode, it begs to be used. I take my video, then drag the file to my desktop, and there it is! BUT even a short 13 second clip is 38MB so I was not able to put one up here as a sample. The video quality is not as clean and crisp as a dedicated video camera, or a Canon 5DMkII but it does provide a good way to get video of those special moments.

The D-Lux 4 puts out some nice tones. The shot below was taken on a gloomy day, but the colors and deep-grey sky still came through in the image.

HOW IS THE HIGHER ISO IMAGE QUALITY?

One thing I have not yet talked about is the HIGH ISO capability of this camera. ISO is selectable from 80 to 3200, which is remarkable for a pocket camera. I remember when DSLR’s only went to 1600 and it was awful at 1600. I have found using the D-Lux 4, I can comfortably shoot at up to ISO 800 without a problem. After that, it gets a bit noisy, but usable if absolutely necessary. Still, my M8 is better than the D-Lux 4 at high ISO and the M8 is considered mediocre these days in the ISO Dept.

The 1st shot below was taken of my wife and son inside a Cracker Barrel restaurant at ISO 400. Click for larger version.

Below is a series of three 100% crops. ISO 800, 1600 and then 3200