THE LEICA C-LUX 3 REVIEW

The coolest looking point & shoot on the market. The Leica C-Lux 3!

In order to bring some entry-level cameras to the masses, Leica teamed up with Panasonic to bring us the Leica C-Lux 3 and Leica D-Lux 4 (see review here).

These two cameras are actually made by Panasonic side-by-side with the Panasonic equivalents, but in my opinion, the Leica versions look much cooler with their smooth sleek designs. Also, the cameras do have different firmware, with the Leicas having SLIGHTLY different out of camera color.

The Leica C-Lux 3 Panasonic equivalent is the FX37, but that camera was replaced with the Panasonic FX48. For only $249, you can grab a very cool pocketable point & shoot camera. For a little bit more, you can have the Leica version, the C-Lux 3, with its super-sweet looks, and of course, that famous red dot!

The overplayed shadow shot with the The C-Lux 3 at 25mm

The Leica C-Lux 3 sells for about $425 at B&H Photo, so this will cost you about $175 more than the Panasonic version. If the looks, color, and red dot are worth the extra cost--only you can decide. Me, I would choose the Leica, as I find it looks so damn sexy! I can see the white version being a favorite of wives, girlfriends, and daughters. So, if you are looking for a great gift for the wife, the white C-Lux 3 is a fantastic choice.

THE FEATURES OF THE LEICA  C-LUX 3

So what do you get for that $425? If you watch my video above, you can see what is in the box, but here is the full list:

10.1 Megapixel Resolution

With a resolution of 10.1 Megapixels, you'll be able to produce high resolution images that can yield photo quality 30 x 40" prints. Together with the advanced electronics and in-camera software, the C-LUX 3 produces images with natural color rendering, excellent definition, and high brilliance.

• Leica Wide-angle DC Vario-Elmarit Lens

The powerful Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens consists of seven elements (four of which are aspherical) in six groups. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a wide focal length range of 25 to 125mm in 35mm format, the C-LUX 3 is well-suited to shooting all kinds of subjects, such as interior shots or group photos.

• Optical Image Stabilizer

The C-LUX 3 produces exquisitely sharp photos, even when shooting under candlelight or when shooting moving objects, thanks to the built-in optical image stabilizer and the high-sensitivity setting equivalent to ISO 3200.

• Face Recognition System

The automatic face recognition system automatically adjusts focus and exposure to the faces in the scene, making it easy to get perfect portraits and group photos.

• Superb Performance

Thanks to its extremely short shutter delay and precise autofocus, The C-LUX 2 can be relied upon to capture spur-of-the-moment snapshots; and the powerful battery provides power for over 300 photos on a charge for carefree photography.

• Three Picture Formats

Choose from three picture formats - 16:9, 3:2, or 4:3 - of which the 16:9 format is ready for viewing on an HDTV Display.

• Extensive Scene Modes

The C-LUX 3 has all of the automatic scene modes one would expect from a top notch digital camera including Portrait, Landscape, Fireworks, Beach, and more. Plus, it includes some unique and creative modes, such as the Baby Modes, Film Grain settings, and even a Pinhole setting to emulate the classic look of a pinhole camera.

• Striking Compact Design

The striking design, and clearly arranged controls gives the camera the timeless elegance typical of a Leica camera, and makes operation simple and intuitive. Furthermore, the ultra compact dimensions of the C-LUX 3 means that it easily fits into any bag or pocket and is therefore the ideal companion for everyday use, leisure pursuits, travel, or any other occasion.

• Durable and Ergonomic Construction

The all-metal body, with slightly rounded sides, along with great attention to small details ensures a reliable and intuitive camera to use that is also comfortable to handle.

• 2.5" Color LCD Display

The 2.5" High resolution LCD display features a resolution of 230,000 pixels, and gives a brilliant preview of the photograph, allowing accurate assessment before and after it is taken. The large monitor also enables several people to look at the image together, and the view of the display is just as good from just about any angle thanks to the wide-angle viewing capability of the display.

• Record and Play in HD

Record video clips in HD Video format and record images in the 16:9 ratio for use in HD slide shows. Users can purchase an optional HD component cable, so photos and films can be played in HD quality directly from the C-LUX 3 on HD Display screens, projectors, or other HD devices. 1280 X 720 HD video resolution.

• Direct Print Capable

Print directly to any PictBridge Capable Printer without a computer and the on-camera image editing features assure that you be able to make just the right picture easily and quickly.

THE LEICA C-LUX 3 - FIRST IMPRESSIONS

When the C-Lux 3 arrived from B&H Photo, I opened  up the box and immediately my wife said, “Oooohhhhh, thats nice!” In person, the little white C-Lux 3 is gorgeous to look at, but I was skeptical. I have never been a fan of small sensor cameras like this until the Leica D-Lux 4, which is so good, we bought one for ourselves. My opinion is that the D-Lux 4 is THE BEST compact camera on the market (as of this writing).

I wondered if this smaller, cheaper Leica could compete with the D-Lux 4 in regards to image quality and function. It is $300 cheaper, so I assumed it would have a little bit less of that “WOW” factor. I charged the battery, read some of the manual, and tested it out over a few days. My son liked the size and feel of the camera, so even he took some shots for this review which I thought was very cool.

LET’S GET TO SHOOTING!

In my reviews I like to provide plenty of real world samples. I feel this is the best way to judge a camera. Instead of test charts, graphs, and scenes setup in a studio setting, I prefer to shoot REAL pictures! This is how we will all be using the cameras, is it not? I mean, when I get a camera, I do not go out and shoot resolution charts.

The Leica C-Lux 3 is a simple point and shoot. It is almost like a stripped down D-Lux 4: Minimal menu choices, minimal settings. The camera even powers up in SNAPSHOT mode. In this mode, you can just POINT & SHOOT! You can also put it in to program mode and choose your ISO and other settings. Then you have the SCENE Modes to play with. Simplicity and sophistication at its finest:

PORTRAIT - This is the scene mode you would want for portraits. Use maximum Telephoto for best results.

SOFT SKIN - Be kinder to those wrinkles and set it in SOFT SKIN mode!

TRANSFORM - Makes your overweight subjects appear thinner. Yep, you can transform your subjects!

SELF PORTRAIT - Sets up a 2 second timer to give you time to position camera and smile!

SCENERY - Punches up the colors a bit for landscape and scenic images.

SPORTS - Captures fast action by upping the shutter speed.

NIGHT PORTRAIT - Sets the camera up for shooting a portrait at night.

NIGHT SCENERY - Same as above.

FOOD - Brings out the color in food products.

PARTY - Sets up white balance for indoor flash use.

CANDLELIGHT - To give you that low light atmosphere “look” - Requires tripod.

BABY - Stamps your baby’s age and name to the photo.

PET - Turns on the AF tracking so you do not miss those shots!

SUNSET - For the best colors when shooting the sunset.

HI SENSITIVITY - High ISO for low light.

HIGH SPEED BURST - Fires off 6 frames per second!

FLASH BURST - Up to 5 FPS with flash.

STARRY SKY - For night sky shooting. Enhances the stars.

FIREWORKS - Self explanatory.

BEACH - Makes sure the camera exposes well, with the bright sand and water.

SNOW - Same as above but with SNOW.

ARIEL PHOTO - Hey, if you are up in a plane, you can set this camera to Ariel mode for added detail.

PINHOLE - Mimics the old pinhole cameras with vignetting around the edges.

FILM GRAIN - Mimics ISO 1600 Black and White film.

So with all of these Scene modes, this camera is SIMPLE to use in any situation. No need to know anything about apertures, ISO, or shutter speed. The camera does all of the work. Now, I must admit. I did not try all of these modes, but my son did mess with a couple, and the results were great.

Here he tried the grainy B&W film mode. I was pleasantly surprised that ISO 1600 was so clean.

I found the grainy B&W film mode so cool that I could see using the C-Lux 3 strictly for these kind of B&W shots. Almost like having a film camera loaded with TriX or something. The image above is a straight from camera JPEG, as this camera does not even shoot in RAW mode. As I have stated, it is meant for simplicity and it IS indeed simple!

I tried the PORTRAIT scene mode for this shot. I had some window light coming in and got this shot of My son and his Parakeet “Flip”.

As I used the camera, I was thinking to myself...man, this isn't so bad! See, I used to HATE point and shoot cameras. The reason I did was due to the fact that they are usually ugly, and usually have a sort of crappy image quality. They usually always blow out highlights, have generic color, and are not very sharp. The only compact that I have ever shot with that had AMAZING quality was/is the Leica D-Lux 4. I was finding that while the quality of this little C-Lux was not in the same league as the D-Lux 4, it was not too far behind in image quality.

Also note that all of the images in this review are STRAIGHT from camera JPEGS, just resized. For this review, I did not do any processing of the images. That is another thing I find cool about these newer breed of small compacts. They are optimized so that the images come out saturated and look good! No photoshop is needed. Again, simplicity is the name of the game with the C-Lux 3.

After shooting a few images, I realized that this was no D-Lux 4, but for $400 or so it was a DAMN good camera with great color, some cool scene mode options, and the size and looks that give it an A+. Beautiful. I found the Leica D-Lux 4 files to be a little richer. With the faster and somewhat better lens on the D-Lux 4, it produces files that are a step up from the C-Lux 3. With that said, the D-Lux 4 is NOT a point & shoot. It requires some knowledge of photography to get the most out of it. With the Leica C-Lux 3, ANYONE can get great results just aiming and shooting it.

I can say that the out of camera results are great and the color does not disappoint. How about sharpness? Here is an image I shot in macro mode with the C-Lux 3. If you click on it, you can download the full size 10MP original.

In regards to sharpness, at ISO 100, the detail is decent. But, you do see some grain which is due to the tiny sensor in the camera. All small sensor cameras like this will have somewhat noisy results IF YOU VIEW THE IMAGE AT 100% on your PC screen. But that is pixel peeping and really has no place in real photography. A great picture can still be a great picture if it is not technically perfect.

But, when shooting at say F5.6, this camera can be razor sharp if that is what you are after.

and a 100% crop

I have to say I am impressed by this performance from such a small sensor camera. To have this color and sharpness in a tiny camera like this is very cool. 

As for the lens on the Leica C-Lux 3, it is very good, but do not expect legendary Leica quality. It is somewhat soft in the corners at the widest angle at 2.8 but again, nothing to get worried about. This camera is up there with the best in its class, and you get the look, feel, and Leica name as a bonus. I have not been able to shoot the Panasonic equivalent, but I am sure it would have just about the same quality all the way around.

With as much fun as I had taking pictures with this little Leica, I almost forgot that it also shoots HD video at 1280X720 resolution! I did not have the camera long enough to get any video worthy of posting in this review, but I can say that it will make a GREAT all-in-one camera. Imagine taking one little camera on vacation that can take lovely images AND HD video. I use the HD video on my D-Lux 4 quite often and it works great. I no longer use a separate camcorder for this reason so to me, the $425 price on this camera is well worth it. If you go for the panasonic version, you save even more and get one hell of a camera for the money.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE LEICA C-LUX 3

With the new breed of Leica cameras being released now, I was not even sure If the C-Lux 3 would remain in their lineup, but it does seem that they are keeping the D-Lux 4 and the C-Lux 3. They may get rid of the C-Lux 3 when stock runs out and maybe that is why they have a $75 rebate going on with the camera right now. I really do not know. I think it is a great camera that should be kept in their lineup to provide an “affordable” Leica.

When I was told I was being sent a C-Lux 3 for review, I was excited as the D-Lux 4 is my favorite compact camera EVER. I am a photographer, not really a tech-head reviewer, and I like to shoot cameras that I enjoy using. I really did not think I would like the C-Lux 3 as much as I did. The camera ended up surprising me. Not only is it one of the coolest looking compact cameras I have ever shot with, the quality from this little dynamo is superb. The color is vibrant, some of the scene modes, such as the B&W Film mode are terrific, and its ISO performance is good for this size of camera.

I have seen nothing from Sony or Nikon in this class that can beat the C-Lux 3. If it is simplicity you are after, then this is your camera. No lenses to swap out, no settings to worry about, and small enough to slide into a pocket or purse.

Also, If you are looking for a great gift for the wife, she would probably LOVE this white version of the camera. If you have a daughter who is into photography, this would make for a superb first camera, and seeing that it is a Leica she would be the envy of all of her friends. Ha ha... It is really THAT cool. Add the white or black case and you have a camera set that will last for many, many years.

Yea, you can get this quality for less with Panasonic, but with this little guy, you get the pleasure of owning a Leica-branded camera with the cool looks and better 3-YEAR Leica warranty. Panasonic only gives a one-year warranty. Either one will take great images and will be super easy to use, even for the novice photographer.

If you are interested in buying this camera, I can HIGHLY recommend B&H photo. Their service is superb, the return policy is great, and they have real time stock status on their web site. If you buy yours through B&H, it will help me to continue this web site, as that is how I pay for all of the expenses of running it. If you enjoyed this small review AND you are planning on buying the camera, you can click the links below to visit B&H Photo or Amazon.

Leica C-Lux 3 at B&H Photo - White Version - Black Version

I thank you for reading this mini review! Be sure and come back weekly for something new!

I will leave you with a few more images from the Leica C-Lux 3!

FYI - I write these reviews because I enjoy it and because I have a passion for photography. I really do not make any money from this site! The little that does come in from ads helps to pay for web hosting, gas money, and other expenses to keep this going full time. Anytime you click an ad or buy from one of my sponsors, like B&H Photo or Amazon (after clicking through to them from an ad on this site), I get a tiny percentage of those sales. This is what helps me keep this site going. Believe me, it takes up ALL of my free time! I thank you again for taking the time to read the review! Also feel free to join me on FACEBOOK & now TWITTER! Any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail!