The photo printer has made some big strides in the last few years, and Michael Reichman at Luminous Landscape offers his thoughts about the new upcoming Epson Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9880 Photo printers, as well as the next generation Epson Stylus Pro 11880. I’ll summarize the high points of the article here and then provide some color commentary on making prints at home.

The new “880 series” brings:

• Wider gamut in blue/purple through new “vivid magenta” ink
• AMC Print Heads which are intended to reduce clogs
• New screening technology which is intended to result in even smoother ink distribution (but as Reichman duly notes, it remains to be seen how this improves print viewing at normal distances)
• Ethernet connectivity and Mac OS X Leopard 16-bit print drivers

And the cost: MSRP for the 4880 will be US $1,995, the 7880 will be $2,995, and the 9880 will be $4,995. Available Fall 2007.

Epson’s next generation printer is the Epson Stylus Pro 11880. At 64 inches wide and $15,000, it’s like the printing equivalent of a concept car, but one you may actually be able to test drive or own. Along with the technologies mentioned above, new higher-density print heads, media bar coding, and auto-cleaning are on the cutting edge. And that’s about all we know so far (thanks again to Mr. Reichman). Availability is also unknown.

So, what does this mean for the average photographer and printer?

I’d say it means business as usual. Most people still view their images primarily on their monitors. In fact manufacturers are doing all they can to make printing a photo–any print size–a more convenient task that can be accomplished while you’re out, say, shopping for groceries.

For those who do print and print big, what we have today is extremely good. Sure it could be easier and faster (especially easier) but quality digital printing is now within the reach of the average hobbyist. Anyone who spends the time and effort to master their printing skills can produce dramatically good prints from today’s tools. And I think this has improved from even just a few years ago, when I got fed-up with the print-making struggle and sold my printers.

Earlier this year I needed to update some prints in my portfolio. I didn’t want to buy a new machine, so I plugged my iBook laptop into my cousin’s Epson R1800, downloaded drivers, and prepared myself to lose some hair. Given those expectations, you can imagine how pleasantly surprised I was when portfolio prints rolled out of the machine on the second or third iteration. i.e., It took me only two or three test prints to get the color and contrast I wanted, and I’m fairly picky. Printers, and print drivers, have come a long way.

Still, I think it could be even easier. The experience got me scouring the blogosphere for the easiest printer with “high-enough” quality. And to be honest, now I want to print big–17 inches wide, minimum. That would really justify the effort for me (but it still has to be affordable and easy).

Well, 17 inch requirement notwithstanding, HP has a contender that some claim is in fact number one in quality. Canon too has its fans, but Epson seemingly continues to rule the roost despite complaints about clogging and wasted ink. Last March I walked the floor at PMA 2007 looking only at prints. To my eye the Epson prints were the most consistent across glossy and matte media, and across a variety of photographic subject matter. But, practically all the prints from the three manufacturers were “high-enough” quality and it’s difficult to compare machines without direct experience printing with them yourself.

Remember too that prints optimized for a trade show exhibit are one thing, your own images are another and here is where the practical matters of ease and speed and cost are just as critical as quality. There’s a good balance between these factors when a product is mature enough, and it seems close for the 13-inch wide printers (more ease, please).

As for me printing 17s, I’m still waiting…

by Laurence Chen | buythebestcamera.com

The act of capturing a photo, be it on film or digitally, is just the beginning of a series of steps that lead up to a final goal, either display or print. In the digital realm, one of those steps is sharpening.

Digital images are inherently somewhat soft. This is due to the fact that the sensors have a low-pass filter (anti-aliasing filter) to help cut down on moire patterns and to keep angles and curves from becoming jagged. These AA filters, however, tend to soften up the important details that we expect from a sharp lens/sensor combo. And that’s before any resizing in post production.

There are millions (OK, maybe not) of different approaches to sharpening, as well as nearly as many pieces of software that claim to be the ultimate. Fact is, if you have a basic understanding of the Unsharp Mask filter in any mid to high-end photo editor you can get very excellent results.

For my examples, I will use Photoshop. The same mechanics apply to unsharp mask in almost all other pieces of software. (Please, don’t get caught up in the hype, unless you’re doing high-end production work, you simply don’t need Photoshop, something simpler and cheaper will work just as well.)

First, you need to understand how digital sharpening works. It tries to find differences between neighboring pixels and exaggerate them. So if you have groups of grey and black pixels next to each other, it will try to increase the apparent difference between them by adding pixels along the border that add contrast between the two, as can be seen in the screenshot below.

Because of this, there are some rules of thumb:

1) Sharpening should be the last filter applied.

2) Always sharpen for the intended FINAL OUTPUT of the image.

Why? Because of different output sizes, viewing distances and output media different settings will look, well, different. What works for the web will likely do nothing for a 12 inch print. For each intended output size you will need different settings. For example, settings for a web post will be very subtle, and the contrast added to amplify the edges might be in the vicinity of 1 pixel wide. If you try to use these same settings on an 8×10 print at 300 dpi, you will likely find that the sharpening gets lost in the tiny details of the image, rendering it effectively useless. Stronger settings would be used for that latter situation.

The reason the filter should be the last thing applied is because unsharp mask is an inherently destructive filter. It changes the pixels of the image to trick our eyes into perceiving more detail, but those changes don’t go away and are affected by any further changes made. If later on you apply more changes, the new sharpening pass will not only sharpen image detail, but it will also sharpen the new pixels created by the previous sharpening pass. In effect, you’re sharpening the sharpening.

The trick with sharpening is to keep it subtle enough to not be noticeable, while noticeably bringing out the details in the image. The pixels added during the process, when applied to strongly, create “halos” around details. Bringing out detail while minimizing halos means understanding the different controls of the unsharp mask filter.

Amount - This is the strength of the newly created pixels. The higher this percentage or number, the more contrast the filter tries to generate between the target pixels.

Radius - This is the actual thickness of the newly created pixels. For a web post this might be tiny, in the 0.3-1.0 pixel range. For a print, this might be several pixels.

Threshold - Think of this as a cutoff. As the filter compares pixels to sharpen, it checks how different they are against this value. If it’s at zero, all pixels that are different from each other are sharpened. This can be a problem if for example a sky has dark blue and medium blue pixels next to each other. If the threshold is low, those pixels will be sharpened and the sky will appear noisy. If this is intended, then fine, but often it might be desirable to have a smooth sky, so by turning up the threshold to maybe 5, we’re telling the filter to ignore any pixels that are 5 RGB values or less apart in value. So the higher the number, the bigger the difference has to be between pixels for them to be sharpened. Careful adjustment of this value helps keep noise out of smooth areas and keep sharpening contained to those areas that need it.

Those are the basics of the unsharp mask filter. By understanding that every output will have different settings and by taking the time to experiment you can quickly master this filter and add that certain dimensional quality that images straight out of a camera sometimes lack.

Tips:

Turn down the sharpening inside your camera if you can. Usually the default settings make the image look good on screen, but can hurt the results as you process the image. See the explanation above about sharpening existing sharpening.

If you find yourself outputting the same format often, record the settings. Either write them down, or create an action. I always post images to the web at the same resolution, so I saved an action that applies the settings I like best.

Experiment! You can use huge radius values on an image to create interesting contrast effects. Just because it’s called unsharp mask doesn’t mean it can only be used for sharpening.

Some images showing different settings:

To launch three new digital still cameras, Panasonic had a novel idea - put on a show in New York, invite the press, and let them take photos with the new LUMIX cameras.  The show, titled Women of Broadway, spotlighted  musical and dance performances by  prominent Broadway performers with numbers from shows as diverse as Cabaret, Les Miserables, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, and Movin’ Out. Each new Lumix camera features Panasonic’s new Intelligent Auto Mode, designed to take some of the guess work out of taking good pictures. For the tech-savvy person, a digital point-and-shoot is no problem. But for many people, digital photography is a completely new mindset and still difficult to grasp. There are too many features and options, it seems, to figure out at all at once. And what used to be common knowledge now requires inch-thick manuals. Panasonic is making it easier to take good digital photos with the new Lumix DMC-FZ18, DMC-FX55 and DMC-FX33.

PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-FZ18

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Press Release >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Specs >>

Before the floor show began, we took out our 1GB Panasonic SD cards and picked out the camera we wanted to start with. I went right for the gray LUMIX DMC-FZ18 compact camera with the 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC lens. Larger than the pocket-sized  cameras, I figured the FZ18 would be the best camera to ease me from my DSLR to a point-and-shoot mindset. The FZ18 is surprisingly light and easy to handle. This model comes with a traditional TTL viewfinder as well as LCD view screen and employs a button to toggle between the two. I played with the 18x optical zoom quite a bit. The toggle switch for the zoom felt a little inexact to hands that are used to a manual zoom ring. Panasonic’s new Intelligent Auto Mode includes Intelligent Scene Selector, Face Detection System, and Continuous Auto Focus. The latter feature keeps you from having to keep your finger on the shutter button to lock focus, though out of habit, I kept doing it.  Continuous Auto Focus is also supposed to decrease shutter delay; perhaps because I wasn’t using it correctly, I didn’t notice a decrease. I couldn’t get the shot I wanted of the drummer drumming - it just didn’t take the shot when I wanted it. I tested the Face Detection System when shooting Kate Shindle (the woman in orange.) Again, I’m used to manually focusing on the eyes, and it was a bit strange to see the Face Detection box bouncing around the LCD. I was able to get a decent, in-focus shot with a little effort and squinting.

At 8.1 megapixels, the Lumix FZ18 images are close to what I get with my digital SLR, but with a little more noise due to the smaller, compact digital image sensor.  Shooting people on stage, and especially the musical equipment, I expected to get blown highlights from the spotlight and contrast, but the Intelligent Contrast feature handled this better than I expected. There’s a little-to-no hot spots in the shots that I did take. I’m impressed enough with the 18x Leica zoom lens and final picture quality that I could actually fall in love with the FZ18 for a vacation camera.  It’s powerful and compact and would be much easier than lugging around my DSLRs. The 8.1-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 comes in silver and black and will be available in September 2007, for $399.99.

 PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-FX55 and LUMIX DMC-FX33

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 and DMC-FX33 Press Release >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 Specs >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33 Specs >>

I’ve only used pocket cameras when tourists asked me to take their picture. So I felt a little awkward when I first handled Panasonic’s new Lumix DMC-FX55 and DMC-FX33 digital cameras. Both cameras have 8.1-megapixel sesnors and come in a range of colors; the DMC-FX55 in silver, black and pink, and the FX33 in silver, black, blue and brown. In addition, a marine case for underwater shooting is available for the the DMC-FX33. The new pocket digital cameras also feature Panasonic’s new Intelligent Auto Mode, as well as a 3.6x LEICA DC optical zoom lens with real wide-angle. There is no traditional optical viewfinder; all viewing is done via the LCD screen. The Lumix DMC-FX55 has a 3-inch LCD, while the FX33 has a 2.5-inch display.  I preferred the FX55’s big, 3-inch LCD. The optical perfection of the Leica lens is easy to see in the photo of the cigarette girl I took with the FX33. (What photo geek can resist a cigarette girl bearing cameras?) I tested Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization on both cameras. I was most successful with the DMC-FX55,  zooming in on the dancer, Elizabeth Parkinson, from a balcony. My hands were nice and shaky from two cups of coffee I gulped down before the event so I was able to give the Intelligent Image Stabilization feature a good workout - and with positive results. Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization compensates for shaky hands while Intelligent Image Stabilization adjusts the sensitivity to help keep moving subjects sharp. It would have been nice to have an optical viewfinder when shooting in the zoom mode. But with the larger LCD displays, something has to go. The photo of Rona Figueroa in the balcony is a good example of what the FX33’s Intelligent Contrast feature can do. Some of the features I didn’t get a chance to test include a High Sensitivity mode which goes up to ISO 6400, a clipboard function, Category Playback (which sorts images into categories in camera), and Title Edit. I finished off the show with the Lumix DMC-FX55, and some nice, clear medium-range shots of the cast. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 and Lumix DMC-FX33 will be available in September of 2007 for $349.95 and $299.95, respectively.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Press Release >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 Specs >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 and DMC-FX33 Press Release >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX55 Specs >>
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX33 Specs >>
Panasonic Digital Camera Reviews >>
All Panasonic Digital Camera News >>
Digital Cameras Forum >>

Panasonic’s new 7.2-megapixel Lumix DMC-TZ3 point-and-shoot digital camera is heavy on the features with a large 3-inch LCD display and a 10x Leica DC Vario-Elmar optical zoom lens with MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization. The 10x optical zoom lens puts the TZ3 in the superzoom category and it’s a bit larger than most pocket point-and-shoots. However, in spite of the big zoom, it’s still small enough to fit into your pocket.

Want to buy a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3?
Shop For Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 >>

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Studio Test Images
	ISO 100 Sample >> ISO 200 Sample >> ISO 400 Sample >> ISO 800 Sample >> ISO 1250 Sample >>

Pros 10x 28-280mm (35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens Quiet on / off and zoom operation Large, crisp, 3-inch LCD screen Good user manual Impressive 3 frames-per-second capture rate Minimal shutter-lag	Cons Not really a pocket camera Confusing menus Memory card goes in opposite than you’d think Cheap feeling battery door Too many buttons

Introduction
The most impressive element of the Panasonic Lumix TZ3 digital camera is the 10x 28-280mm (35mm equivalent) Leica zoom lens. At 28mm on the wide end, it actually has a wide-angle aspect, something that isn’t common among compact digital cameras.. No one will be referring to the TZ3 as “cool” or “swanky” - this is a working-persons camera. But it does work well. I appreciated it during a newspaper work trip to Beijing, China where I needed a camera stealthier than the big digital SLR I usually use.

next page - Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Features >>

page 1 page 2 page 3 page 4

By Laurence Chen, July 21, 2007

Manfrotto is one of the established names in tripods. Their commitment to quality and functionality marches on and the 190XPROB model is yet another example of their ongoing efforts to redefine what it means to use a tripod. The aluminum Manfrotto 190XPROB has a center column that, with a push of a button, releases from the vertical plane and pivots in the unique leg/head assembly to a horizontal position.

This feature makes shooting down much easier, especially when the tripod is used next to a table. If you’ve ever tried to do copy work with a traditional tripod and ball head, you know this can be tricky.

Tripod users tend to have a strong preference for one of the two leg-locking mechanisms. The 190XPROB, like all Manfrotto tripods, uses flip locks. I happen to like flip locks and these feature large tabs that are very easy to open and close which makes adjusting them fast and simple. My older Manfrotto tripod uses twist-knob clamps and I must say these newer tabs work far better.

The 190XPROB is 48 in/122 cm tall with legs fully extended, and your choice of head will also add a bit (my Manfrotto 3-way 804RC2 adds about five inches). It’s the shortest tripod I’d be comfortable with owning. The 190XPROB’s center column gives you another 9.5 in/24 cm for a maximum height of 57.5 in/146cm inches if you need it. For vertical use, I generally recommend you avoid extending the center column or extend it as little as possible since the extension can compromise structural stability, torsional (twisting) rigidity, and vibration dampening.

Recently I have photographed a lot of food. Since I’m not a studio guy I don’t have the specialized equipment to regularly shoot food or other small things on a table. But this is exactly the kind of work where the Manfrotto 190XPROB can make life a lot easier. Of course, the subject could be flowers or macro stuff or any other work that requires getting above the subject for an overhead view, in or out of a studio.

By extending the center column and locking it in horizontal, you can position your camera about 12 in/30.5 cm away from the center of the legs. Of course, you have to be careful about the stability of your setup since the weight of the camera is now off-axis and could cause the tripod to tip over. Nonetheless, this back and neck-saving feature gives you much more flexibility when working above your subject.

Once you’re in position, use a remote release or the self-timer found on most modern cameras. Not only is the horizontal stability more delicate, but the 190XPROB’s center column tends to vibrate when it’s set to horizontal, particularly if your tripod head and camera are heavy. Unfortunately during my testing I did not have a remote. Thus I found that the gentlest touch was necessary to prevent the camera from vibrating. Fortunately the combination of the camera’s mirror lock up and two-second timer worked well. When shooting outdoors or doing macro work, I’d highly recommend using a remote as it would make life easier all around.

An added benefit to using a tripod when working with others is that they can see the shot and provide immediate feedback. During my food assignments I would step back from the camera while the editor or chef viewed the image displayed on the camera. We could then make small refinements to the composition or lighting together. This would have been much more difficult shooting without the tripod holding the camera position above the food.

In addition to going horizontal, the same center column release can fully invert for using your camera upside down, close to the ground. I wish I had brought this tripod along with me recently on a day hike. Since our trip occurred midday, I thought there were no serious landscape photo opportunities. As usual, something else presented itself: a swarm of orange butterflies in a field of purple flowers. I wasn’t keen on laying down on the dusty trail, but it’s a dirty job and someone’s gotta do it. The tripod could’ve done it instead.

If there is a drawback to the design of the 190XPROB, it’s that the horizontal extension is limited to 90 degrees from the axis of the legs. This is easily worked around by using the head or leg extensions to change the camera angle, but it’s not always very fast or precise. Slightly better ease-of-use and more angular variety may be found in the Gitzo Explorer series of tripods. Manfrotto also offers a horizontal accessory arm (3059B) that mounts atop your existing tripod legset but it also limits you to 90 degrees.

The Manfrotto 190XPROB delivers traditional tripod stability along with a uniquely designed neck and back-saving horizontal clamp for fast downward camerawork. If you’re looking for an affordable all-in-one tripod for broad photographic use, I recommend you include the 190XPROB on your list of candidates.

Full Disclosure: The tripod reviewed here was received as a gift from Manfrotto during a sponsored factory tour in May 2007. At the time I received the tripod, I owned (and still own) another Manfrotto tripod along with a half dozen Manfrotto light stands and several other miscellaneous supports, clamps, etc.

By Laurence Chen www.lchenphoto.com | www.buythebestcamera.com

The shift from film to digital photography fundamentally changed the way we work. Many things changed but one the the key things that stayed the same is the need for organization and management of the multitude of images we capture.

One of the corner stones of a DAM (Digital Asset Management) system is the file name. Having a good naming convention facilitates being able to gather much information about an image without even having to open it. There are certain conventions that are recommended as a start for certain situations, but ultimately the convention a photographer chooses will be unique to what their system requires. The biggest problem to overcome once a system is decided on is the efficient renaming of hundreds if not many thousands of images. This is why utilities such as A Better Finder Rename (ABFR) exist.

ABFR simplifies the renaming of huge amounts of files by simply setting up a set of rules that the new names have to follow, and the applying those rules to a specified set of files. A lot of programs integrate file renaming systems into their workflow, but are often limited. ABFR it sets itself apart from other solutions is with the sheer number of ways it can modify the names, the way it integrates into the OS and the way it can string multiple sets of rules together to allow really complex name changes.

One of ABFR’s strengths is speed.

You simply start with a selection,

activate the optional hot-key combo and the program quickly loads with your files loaded and ready to be renamed. Upon opening the program you are presented with the main window. This is where the renaming rules and options are defined.

There is also a preview window that shows exactly what will happen to the names after the operation completes.

The portions of the interface that will get the most use are more than likely going to be the “Change” and “Action” drop-down.

The “Change” drop-down lets you specify the part of the name that is changed.

While the “Action” drop-down lets you choose how to modify the selected portion.

As you can see, the list is extensive. The attention to specifics doesn’t end there, as this screenshot of the options for “Rename to date/time” demonstrates.

ABFR is advertised as being made with the input of photographers and content creators in mind, and the options in the above dialog alone tend to show that commitment. I won’t show the drop-down individually, but suffice to say that each option is extensive and allows for a huge amount of customizability, and that’s only for renaming to dates.

Underneath the options section is a third area of the screen that has several options that once set, won’t often be switched. One of particular interest is “Activate multi-step interface.” This opens a drawer on the side of the window and makes it possible to set rules to follow other rules, in case the built-in functions are not usable for the naming convention.

For example, let’s say your naming convention uses a month’s name instead of just its number. The default “Rename to date/time” options don’t allow for names. Getting around this is not very complicated. I just click the little plus sign at the bottom of the multi-step drawer to add a second renaming function to run after the first.

In this function, I want to replace the month number with its name. In my selection, the images were taken in July, and the first naming rule formats them as MM-DD-YYYY. So if I tell it to replace the text 07 with the text July the files names will change, but there’s a slight problem. When the time starts hitting the seventh minute of the hour the text also matches 07 and is replaced. This puts “July” in odd places in some file names.

There is a simple fix. In the “Action” drop-down I change “Replace text” to “Replace Text at beginning.” Now once the first change is made, the rest of the name is ignored.

If I wanted to get even fancier, I could define regular expressions as rules, or I could use external files to define lists, as ABFR imports Excel among other formats. Speaking of lists, it can even save the names out as a list, if for some reason you need to keep a record of what the files used to be named, or for other even more esoteric requirements.

Other notable features include the ability to read embedded AAC/MP3 info and use it to rename the files and a way to save frequently used renaming rules out as droplets for easy drag and drop operation.

In my experience ABFR has been fast and stable, with the exception of a strange bug I discovered that can possibly crash the app on both PPC and Intel machines. When resizing the preview window when not attached to the main window as a drawer, the windows start stacking oddly, and repeated movement can under some circumstances cause a crash. This is not something that can damage files, at most it can wipe out any setup time you spent on making rules. Frank very quickly responded to my communication about this issue and continued until it was narrowed down. Support like this is rare these days, and is one reason why often I find myself spending relatively small amounts of cash at small developers that respond to my concerns and suggestions rather than large corporations that can’t feasibly do so. As of this writing the issue is still unresolved, but does not cause crashes unless I try to make them happen. In that time I have used ABFR for renaming everything from the screengrabs for this post to over 7000 still images used in sequences for broadcast compositing without issue.

A Better Finder Rename is written by Frank Reiff and can be downloaded here: http://publicspace.net/ABetterFinderRename/
The cost is $19.95 and the license is tied to the user, meaning that you can install it on as many machines as you want, as long as you are the only one using the software.
It is a Universal Binary, and weighs in at a relatively svelte 5MB when installed.
The demo period is not time limited, but does limit the amount of files you can rename at once to ten.

Discuss this in our forums >>

You know if you need a tripod. You just know. Candid shooters know their work generally doesn’t benefit from using one while macro, architecture, and landscape folks wouldn’t be caught dead without one. Anyone who makes huge enlargements likes to use them. So if you don’t normally use a tripod, a fun challenge might be to consider: how does a tripod enable you to make pictures you wouldn’t otherwise bother or be able to make?

I started scribbling down some situations where I’d want a tripod and the length of the list surprised me. It also reminded me about something I once heard from Sam Abell of National Geographic Magazine. He said that by slowing down and using a tripod, you think more about your photo–the light, the composition, and the meaning. I don’t think he meant that you must always use a tripod, but rather that the act of using one forces you out of the moment and into a place where you must reflect on how you photograph and the reasons behind your photography. Those reasons and techniques are too broad and personal to cover here, but we’ll come back to technique in a moment. First, let’s look at the practical things tripods enable us to do with a camera:

* Use maximum or minimum depth of field
* Capture motion blur or other time-based effects
* Maintain the camera position and angle consistently
* Get into low, high, or odd angles not otherwise possible
* Get out from behind the camera and interact with the subject, set, lighting, etc.
* Shoot tethered to a computer
* Hold big telephoto lenses

There’s probably something I’ve left out, but this list may inspire you to think of some new photographic opportunities. The tripod is after all just a tool in service to your ideas!

Using a tripod doesn’t get as much ink as the number of carbon fiber layers used in leg construction, and that’s because using a tripod is obvious, right? Well, I propose that although how to use a tripod is fairly obvious, why to use one may not be so clear. That brings us back to technique—mental technique, not just physical.

One fundamental principle I teach my students (that I also learned from Sam Abell) is to start my composition from the background and then work my way back towards the foreground subject. In this way of thinking and working, the photographer builds her image from the edges of the frame in toward the visual center(s) rather than the other way around. Using a tripod slows the photographer down in a way that helps her consider everything captured in the frame and its relationship to other elements in the frame. Got a tree growing out of your subject’s head? Move yourself or the subject a few inches left or right. Is the subject the same size as everything else? Move closer or use a longer focal length. And by the way, you don’t need a tripod to benefit from this principle!

When using a tripod, something to be aware of is the tendency to extend the legs of your tripod and only shoot from that height. I see people with extended tripods slung over their shoulder, always shooting from about the same height. Bad dog!

Instead, find your camera angle first by starting from the background. Once the subject has caught your eye, look around it for the best background. It might be from a camera position low to the ground, underneath the subject looking up, or it might be up on a nearby ledge or bench. In other words, find the background first then determine if/where/how to setup a tripod for the subject. What lens will you use? What depth of field (and hence shutter speed) do you desire? Therefore, hand-hold or use a tripod?

Villa Malcontenta, Venice, Italy. Image ©2007, Laurence Chen, All rights reserved.

For example, I enjoy finding compositions that employ foreground objects as frames for the main subject. Working this way, I see a subject and make it my “background.” I then look for other things to put in front of it. In the shot above, I walked around the building looking for a classic view-through-the-trees camera angle. Given the yard’s landscaping and height of the building, a wide angle lens equivalent of about 35mm was needed to capture the full view and provide a sense of space.

The very small wooden bridge is a nice foreground detail so to include it in the frame with the top of the building the camera needs to be low to the ground and close to the bridge. First I frame this shot hand held to see about where I need to be. Once I find that position, then the tripod is attached to the camera. Holding the camera at the desired height, I open the legs and loosen the leg sections so they drop into place, the last sections hitting the ground where I lock them in place. When doing this, leave yourself a little on the high side. It’s easier to fine tune height by going down rather than up. If you really need to move up and your legs are fully extended, you can use the center column (depending on the lens and total weight being supported) but avoid this as much as possible.

At this point, I know I’ve just completely lost the respect of those who think the center column defeats the whole purpose of a tripod. I’m just going to say that generally speaking, it’s always better to avoid using the center column or to extend it as little as possible. Personally, I will compromise by using the center column if it means the difference between no shot and getting the shot. (In this image, I obviously didn’t use it.)

This scene probably could have been hand-held, but using a tripod just ensured that the horizon was level and it enabled me to stop down to f/13 which is the sweet spot for this particular lens. Finally, using a tripod gave me the time to make a few test shots to nitpick the relationships between the tree branches, the bridge, the building, and the edges of the image frame itself. Incidentally, I also thought about how I would filter it for black and white since the time of day wasn’t providing me with dramatic color.

Finally, when a shot is “in the can” (as they used to say) I flip the ‘pod upside down and let gravity drop the legs back into each other. I do this every time to avoid the standing-height-bias I warned about earlier. This is just one way to work and I hope others might share some of their favorite techniques in the comments.

Tripods certainly require more commitment and effort than say, a new lens. In fact it’s probably safe to say tripods require a different way of working, seeing, and feeling your photography. My mentors and instructors always encouraged me push beyond the literal “first shot” and to keep trying new things to “make the photo [my] own.” They said to use every lens (or focal length) and every tool in the bag to capture the essence of the subject, and a tripod is certainly one of those tools that can open new doors for your image-making.

by Laurence Chen, www.lchenphoto.com, www.buythebestcamera.com

A pocket-sized, 7-megapixel digital camera, the Casio Exilim EX-V7 distinguishes itself with a non-telescoping 7x optical zoom lens, sensor-shift image stabilization, and a full range of exposure controls.

Want to buy a Casio Exilim EX-V7?
Compare prices and shop for a Casio Exilim EX-V7 digital camera >>

Casio Exilim EX-V7 Studio Test Images
	ISO 64 Sample >> ISO 100 Sample >> ISO 200 Sample >> ISO 400 Sample >> ISO 800 Sample >>

Pros 7x optical zoom Sensor Shift Anti Shake system Manual exposure modes, including full manual Pocket-sized! Very good Auto ISO Good high sensitivity image quality Very quick response	Cons Tends to blow highlights Cradle battery charger No optical viewfinder Minimal aperture settings

Introduction
I’ve had good experiences with Casio compact digital cameras and I looked forward to testing the Exilim EX-V7. I’m always looking for a good, pocket-sized digital camera that can deliver good image quality in all kinds of conditions. With sensor-shift image stabilization and a 7x optical zoom lens, this camera has a lot of promise - especially since it fits in your pocket so you can keep it with you all the time.

I’ve had the Casio Exilim EX-V7 for about a month now. I took it on a mountain bike trip to Italy, a bunch of local hikes and mountain bike rides, and to a couple of family get-togethers. I think I’ve given it a pretty complete workout.

Features
Casio has a range of compact digital cameras. I’m partial to their higher-end Exilim cameras because they offer full manual exposure controls as well as auto, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and scene modes. The EX-V7 is one of those cameras as you can see from the options on the mode dial (photo of dial). The options are aperture priority, shutter priority, metered manual, Best Shot, Easy Mode, Snapshot, and two video modes. Best Shot is Casio’s term for scene modes, of which the EX-V7 has 34. It’s got all the usual scene modes like Portrait, Scenery, and Sports, as well as some more interesting ones like Soft Flowing Water, Splashing Water, ebay, Whiteboard, Old Photo, and Register User Scene, which you can program yourself. Each Scene Mode has an explanation that can be accessed by using the zoom control.

Casio Exilim EX-V7 scene mode menu and Portrait scene mode description

The Exilim EX-V7’s standard movie mode uses the H.264/AVC MOV format and can be played back on a computer using QuickTime 7. It captures 30 frames-per-second and records sound in stereo. There are ten Movie Best Shot modes, including Portrait, High Sensitivity, Backlight, Night Scene, and more. The mechanical Anti Shake system also works when shooting movies. Movie file sizes are limited to 4GB, or about 9 minutes of video at normal resolution and highest quality.

The most important features on the EX-V7, in my opinion, are the sensor-shift image stabilization and the 7x f/3.4-5.3 zoom lens. The 7x optical zoom is equivalent to a 38-266mm zoom on a 35mm camera and is non-telescoping. In other words, when you turn on the camera and use the zoom, the lens doesn’t open up and protrude from the camera. This means the lens is more protected and won’t open in your pocket. The sensor-shift image stabilization system makes it easier to take pictures in low light and helps keep photos sharp when you’re using the full, 266mm equivalent, telephoto end of the zoom lens. Long focal lengths magnify any hand movement so the image stabilization is critical with a long zoom lens like the EX-V7 has.

Camera sensitivity is very impressive with a maximum sensitivity of ISO 1600. And image processing has been much improved as you’ll see from ISO 1600 samples in the Image Quality portion of this review.

The 2.5-inch LCD has an optional live histogram and composition grid displays. There is no optical viewfinder.

Camera Menus

Casio Exilim EX-V7 capture mode with image info, histogram, and composition grid displayed		Casio Exilim EX-V7 playback with all info and histogram
Casio Exilim EX-V7 menu display

Design
The 7x non-telescoping lens is as much a design element as an important feature of the Casio Exilim EX-V7. That’s because the internal lens design allowed Casio to keep this camera pocket-sized even with a very powerful 38-266mm zoom range. The body is a variation on a clamshell design with a sliding lens cover that turns the camera on and off. Since the lens doesn’t protrude when the camera is on, if you accidentally open and turn on the camera when it’s in your pocket, you aren’t going to damage the lens.

The all-metal body feels substantial and solid and makes for a good-looking camera. Controls are simple with many settings accessed via menus. Besides the shutter release button, there are very few external controls. The large 2.5-inch LCD means there’s no room for an optical viewfinder. I found the zoom control, a two-way sliding control on the back of the camera, a little hard to locate sometimes. But placing it where they did helped Casio keep the camera slim, clean, and compact. And that’s what the Exilim EX-V7 camera design is all about.

Camera Experience
I enjoyed using the Casio Exilim EX-V7. I love having a 7-megapixel, manual exposure camera, with a 7x zoom lens, and image stabilization, that I can carry in my pocket. It’s a lot of camera in a very small package and I took it with me everywhere. It was available on the plane to take pictures out the window, it was in a small case mounted on the shoulder strap of my backpack when I went hiking or biking, and it was in my pocket most all of the time. And a camera that’s with you all the time gets a lot of pictures.

I am a manual exposure kind of guy. I like to choose the aperture and shutter speed myself so I have complete control over my exposure. With compact cameras I usually compromise for speed and use aperture priority or shutter priority. The Exilim EX-V7 offers all kinds of exposure options for all kinds of photographers. They’re easy to access and the only problem I had was the mode dial is easy to move. So sometimes when I took the camera out of my pocket it wasn’t on the exposure mode I’d left it on. Besides the manual exposure modes, I also used the High Sensitivity, flower, and food scene modes (Casio’s calls their scene modes Best Shot). The V7’s highest selectable sensitivity setting is ISO 800, but the High Sensitivity Best Shot mode will go as high as ISO 1600. And I was generally pleased with the results at ISO 1600. Sure, there’s some digital noise. But it’s not too bad and I got photos without using flash where otherwise I would have had nothing.

With almost every digital camera I’ve ever used I immediately bypassed the auto ISO setting. But I gave it a chance with Casio EX-V7 and I have no regrets. Normally, auto ISO programming will default to a higher ISO in order to freeze action. The result is more digital noise and compromised image quality. Not so with the V7. The V7’s auto ISO thinks just like I do - it tries to keep the ISO low in order to deliver the most detail and best possible image quality. There may be others, but this is the first digital camera that I allowed to choose the sensitivity and wasn’t let down. Good job, Casio!

Although it’s becoming the standard, I was disappointed that the Exilim EX-V7 has no optical viewfinder. Big LCDs are nice. But you can’t pan accurately with them. I like to take a point-and-shoot digital along on my mountain bike rides and an optical viewfinder makes it a lot easier to pan for good action shots. I might have to give up the fight on this because it seems like I’m one of the few people who still actually wants an optical viewfinder. I did get a couple of decent panning mountain bike photos with the V7. But it would have been much easier to do so with an optical viewfinder. I’d be happy to trade a little bit of LCD area for an optical viewfinder.

Casio Exilim zoom range samples. Red box in left image indicates maximum zoom area as seen in the right image taken at full zoom (Click on photos to see larger versions).

The Casio Exilim EX-V7’s most interesting feature is the completely internal 7x optical zoom lens. The lens doesn’t telescope out from the camera body when you turn it on. This isn’t a normal lens design and it’s one of the reasons the camera is so compact. With a lens design like this, I am concerned that there will be optical flaws. And I’ve seen problems with cameras that have much shorter internal zoom lenses. But I didn’t notice any problems with my Exilim EX-V7 photos. And when I took a hard look at all my EX-V7 images on the computer, I couldn’t find any vignetting, soft corners, or anything else that I might attribute to lens design compromises. I think Casio really outdid themselves on the V7’s lens. The only problem is that the combination of such a small, light camera and long zoom range means it can be very hard to handhold at full telephoto without getting some camera shake – even in bright sunlight. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re taking telephoto pictures and either brace yourself against something, breathe carefully, and take a few photos just to be sure you get a sharp one.

Image Quality
Contrast, color, and saturation are pretty standard with the new Casio. I’ve never thought Casio had the best image quality and I don’t think that’s changed. The biggest issue is a normal digital one - highlights tend to blow out. It’s hard to hold sky, cloud, snow, and white flower detail. This isn’t uncommon with digital cameras and I generally shoot a little dark to hold those details. It’s easy enough to lighten up the shadow areas later. The EX-V7 provides plenty of tools to help you make sure your exposure is good and you have the information you want in your images files. I almost always use exposure compensation and I check the histogram display regularly to make sure I’m not losing shadow or highlight detail.

A couple of problems I noticed, besides the tendency to lose highlight detail, are obvious purple fringing, and some tendency towards banding in high contrast, tonal blends. This image of a lake high in the Wasatch Mountains is a good example of both problems. You can see the purple fringing in the silhouetted trees at the top right, and there’s obvious cyan banding in the lake reflections.

There has been real and obvious improvement in high ISO performance. In the past, most experienced photographers would draw the line at ISO 200 with compact digital cameras. At ISO 400 and above, images would get positively chunky with digital noise. That isn’t the case anymore. The sensitivity range of the Exilim EX-V7 is ISO 64 to 1600 and I think the image quality is usable through the whole range. See the photo below of Lela at ISO 1600 or my Heathrow self-portrait for examples of the V7’s usability at its maximum sensitivity setting. Of course, image quality will be better if you keep the ISO settings low. But I don’t think we need to be afraid of ISO 800 or 1600 with Casio’s Exilim V7.

Click on thumbnails to view sample photos.

Conclusion
I like Casio digital cameras. I don’t think they have the best image quality but I think they more than make up for it by designing super compact, wonderfully usable digital cameras with a great feature set. This camera lives up to that with a ton of exposure options, a really powerful 7x optical zoom lens, and sensor-shift image stabilization to ensure sharp photos in all kinds of conditions. And the much-improved high ISO performance combined with image stabilization means you can take much better pictures in low light – even without the flash. Put it all together and the Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a wonderfully powerful and usable camera that you can put in your pocket and take everywhere.

Who Should Buy It
The Casio Exilim EX-V7 is a good digital camera for almost anyone. It makes a great pocket digital camera for a serious photographer or pro that knows and appreciates the manual controls. And beginners will like the compact size, big LCD, and simple, dependable auto exposure. It also makes a good all-purpose camera for those times when you want a camera that can do it all but you don’t want to pack an SLR and camera bag. The 7x optical zoom and wide sensitivity range make it a super flexible camera that is great for travel, family events, or taking out on the town.

- end -

Contents of the Casio Exilim EX-V7 Box Casio Exilim EX-V7 Digital Camera LI-42B Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger USB cable, Audio/Video cable Wrist strap Manual CD-ROM (OLYMPUS Master 2.0 Software) Warranty card

Other Resources:
Shop For Casio Exilim EX-V7 >>
Casio Exilim EX-V7 User Reviews >>
Write a Casio Exilim EX-V7 Review >>
Casio Exilim EX-V7 Camera Specs >>
Casio Exilim EX-V7 Sample Gallery >>
All Casio Digital Camera Reviews >>
Casio Web site >>
All Digital Camera Pro Reviews >>
Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide >>
All Digital Camera Sample Images >>
Photo-John Profile >>

Leica introduced the 10.2-megapixel D-LUX 3 compact digital camera as the successor to its popular D-LUX 2. The D-LUX 3 retains the D-LUX 2’s sharp 4x optical zoom lens (28-112mm 35mm film camera equivalent), with improved digital noise at low ISO settings and a new maximum sensitivity of ISO 1600. The D-LUX 3 is SDHC memory compatible and the LCD screen size has been increased to 2.8 inches.

Want to buy a Leica D-Lux 3?
Compare prices and shop for a Leica D-Lux 3 digital camera >>

Leica D-Lux 3 Studio Test Images
	ISO 100 Sample >> ISO 200 Sample >> ISO 400 Sample >> ISO 800 Sample >> ISO 1600 Sample >>

Pros 10.2-megapixel sensor 2.8-inch, 16:9 aspect ratio LCD monitor ISO 100-1600 sensitivity range Program shift option Lower noise than D-LUX 2 Wide viewing angle for LCD monitor screen MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization $225 less that D-LUX 2 Good button layout and control access Sharp Leica Vario-Elmarit f/2.8-4.9 ASPH lens Selectable, 3:2, 4:3, and 16:9 aspect ratios Live histogram SDHC memory card compatibility 13 MB internal memory Wide, 8- 1/2000 second shutter speed range Nifty, compact battery charger Long battery life

Cons $195 more expensive than the Panasonic version (Lumix DMC LX-2) Red-eye problems with built-in flash Poor max. aperture (f/4.9) and aperture range (f/4.9-8.0) at maximum telephoto length (112mm) Poor action photography performance Too large to fit in shirt pocket

Introduction
Leica’s D-LUX 3 is an improved, less expensive version of the D-LUX 2 compact digital camera. It offers reduced digital noise, expanded ISO range, a larger rear panel LCD monitor, compatibility with high capacity SDHC memory cards, and an increase in resolution from 8.5 to 10 megapixels.

This is the third PhotographyREVIEW.com critique of the Panasonic / Leica compact digital camera platform. Laurence Chen praised the D-LUX 2, while Photo-John wrote positively about Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX2, basically the same camera as Leica’s more expensive D-LUX 3. The extra $125 you pay for the Leica gets you a 2-year parts and service warranty (Panasonic’s warranty is only 90 days for service, and one year for parts) and Leica’s proprietary JPEG image processing firmware. Leica also bundles Photoshop Elements 4.0 whereas the Panasonic Lumix LX2 ships with ArcSoft’s simpler and less expensive RAW conversion software.

Features
It’s impossible to tell the Leica D-LUX 3 from the D-LUX 2 unless you look at the rear panel, where the D-LUX 3’s larger LCD - 2.8-inch versus 2.5-inch - stands out. The bigger display allows full 16:9 aspect ratio images to be viewed intact. The lens, controls, weight, and shape are exactly the same. Internally, the D-LUX 3’s maximum resolution has been increased from 8.5 megapixels to 10.2 megapixels, the processor has improved low-noise performance, and the sensitivity range is quadrupled from ISO 100-1600, increasing the D-LUX 3’s ability to capture images in low light.

Both D-LUX cameras offer all the advantages of the compact point-and-shoot digital camera platform: portability and automatic exposure control, white balance adjustment, auto focus, easy ISO adjustment, video capture, and a full range of exposure modes including full manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and 18 scene modes. The LCD display offers a live histogram and a composition grid. As for size, both Leica D-LUX digitals are slightly larger than a shirt pocket camera but smaller than a full-featured prosumer compact digital like the Canon PowerShot G-Series or Kodak, Panasonic, and Sony superzoom digital cameras.

Design
The Leica D-LUX 3’s small size and myriad automatic functions make it ideal for traveling and hiking. For more creative work, it can be switched to manual operation for full exposure and white balance control, flash compensation, and RAW file capture.

My black D-LUX 3 has the clean lines of a classic 35mm Leica M rangefinder camera. Controls are laid out very nicely and work extremely well. The dedicated AE Lock button on the rear panel allows you to lock the exposure and recompose, preserving carefully determined exposure and focus settings. I love the unique joystick on the rear of the camera. Pressing it once brings all the key exposure controls up on the LCD screen without having to scroll through multiple menus or press lots of buttons. It also offers easy access to the D-LUX 3’s Program shift mode. Press the shutter release for 3 seconds, the camera beeps and displays the current aperture and shutter speed in a small box on the LCD screen. Then each tug up or down on the joystick shifts the aperture setting up or down, and the shutter speed changes automatically to preserve the original exposure. Physically, the D-LUX 3’s external design has been well thought out. Even though the Leica D-LUX cameras don’t have the plastic grip that’s on the right side of the corresponding Panasonic Lumix LX2, the D-LUX 3 is still easy to hold. The lens cap can be secured to the camera body with the provided lanyard to prevent loss. Button controls are easy to use, even though the camera is small and space limited. The aspect ratio and auto focus switches on the side and top of the lens work well. The lens actually offers real wide-angle capability with a 28mm (equivalent) focal length at the wide end of the zoom - but only if you’re using the 16:9 aspect ratio. Also, the full 10.2-megapixel resolution is only available at the 16:9 aspect ratio. If you don’t want to shoot at 16:9, the D-LUX 3’s resolution is reduced to 8-megapixels.

Left: Leica D-Lux 3 Lens Right: Leica D-Lux 3 aspect ratio switch

On the downside, the D-LUX 3’s diminutive size limits it for more serious or professional work. The camera’s 10.2-megapixel sensor is physically smaller than digital SLR sensors, limiting dynamic range and delivering more noise than a digital SLR with the same number of pixels. The lens is not interchangeable so extreme wide angle and long telephoto shots aren’t possible. The tiny body rules out an optical viewfinder, restricting the photographer’s interaction with the scene and making panning shots very difficult. The pop-up flash is very close to the lens, making red-eye problems inevitable. Finally, the tiny amount of camera surface means that some essential camera control functions are buried in on-screen menus.

Camera Experience
I’ve used the Leica D-LUX 3 in a wide variety of situations and lighting conditions. I made extensive use of the scene modes, including the food mode for deserts at restaurants, baby mode for capturing flash pictures of my granddaughter, scenery mode for pictures in Germany, and night scenery mode for a photo of the Marienberg Fortress in Wurzburg, Germany. For comparison purposes, I shot the same images with my older Leica D-LUX 2.

At first, I had difficulties telling the two D-LUX cameras apart. After several days of shooting, I began to appreciate the D-LUX 3’s larger LCD display. -Unlike the D-LUX 2, the D-LUX 3’s LCD can display a full 16:9 image. The D-LUX-3s Program shift mode makes it easy to quickly change the aperture and shutter speed while still benefiting from pure auto exposure. Taking landscape pictures from the top of the Marienberg Fortress in Wurzburg, Germany, I found that Program shift also made it easy to switch from high ISO settings for indoor museum photos to the low sensitivity settings required by the intense sunlight outdoors. The D-LUX 3’s live histogram also proved helpful for accurately evaluating extreme shifts in light I encountered while traveling. And the D-LUX 3 generates much less noise then the D-LUX 2 when capturing images in low light at high ISO settings.

The D-LUX 3 minimal shutter lag makes it great for candid shots. However, the shutter is noisy - much noisier than my Leica M7 35mm film rangefinder camera. The shutter sound is actually electronic and can be turned off in the Setup menu. But that wasn’t something I had considered when I was trying to take some covert shots of ceiling murals at the Residenz - a sumptuous 18th century residence for the wealthy Prince bishops in Wurzberg, Germany. Also, the LCD screen blacks out when the picture is taken, so I had to anticipate the action, something not necessary with the Leica M7 film and M8 digital rangefinder models or any other camera with a rangefinder viewfinder.

In daylight, the D-LUX 3’s MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization worked well for me. I found that I could handhold and get sharp pictures at 1/15 second. It also allowed me to use the D-LUX 3’s lowest ISO settings - 100 and 200 — in order to minimize digital noise and ensure the best image quality. An often-overlooked benefit of mechanical image stabilization, like Panasonic’s MEGA O.I.S. system, is improved image quality because the photographer can use lower ISO settings made possible by slower shutter speeds. In the reduced light of dusk, the MEGA O.I.S. stabilization system hits its limits. Sometimes I needed to shoot as slow as 1/5 second for a good exposure. Unfortunately, shooting that slow resulted in blurred photos.

As I mentioned in the Camera Features portion of the review, I love the joystick on the back of the camera. It provides quick access to important camera controls and allowed me to take pictures quickly without fussing with too many buttons or menus. Program shift offered me creative control of my photos while still being able to use auto exposure. I could use a large aperture to blur the background of a portrait or a small aperture for maximum depth-of-field in landscape photos.

Unfortunately, even with its many improvements, the D-LUX 3 still can’t capture action scenes any better than the D-LUX 2 did. The limited maximum aperture settings and mild anti-shake technology made it a challenge to freeze action. And the lack of an optical viewfinder makes it nearly impossible to pan accurately. Even at ISO 400, the largest telephoto aperture (f/4.9) wouldn’t allow me to increase the shutter speed enough to freeze cars on the track during a Porsche Club of America event at Lime Rock Park. While some of the images had very good color, resolution, and dynamic range, I couldn’t pan well enough to freeze the action.

No, this relatively tiny compact digital camera can’t match a digital SLR with a 300mm telephoto lens for motorsports action photos. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise. I agree with the recommendation Lawrence Chen made in his Leica D-LUX 2 review: set the camera for burst mode and take a bunch of shots with the hope that the action will be centered and the MEGA O.I.S. anti-shake system will help you get a couple of good, sharp images.

Although the D-LUX 3 body is a bit too large for a shirt pocket, I didn’t mind the size because I carried it in a Cordura nylon Leica belt case. The case allowed me to effortlessly carry the camera all day, something I can’t claim for my Leica M8 digital rangefinder or Canon EOS 5D digital SLR. Walking miles through German cities, or hanging out at Lime Rock on track days was a breeze. I’m confident that most users will find the D-LUX 3 an ideal camera for travel and hiking.

Camera Menus

Leica D-Lux 3 playback mode with image info and histogram displayed		Leica D-Lux 3 during capture with image info and histogram on
Leica D-Lux 3 Exposure compensation		Leica D-Lux 3 Playback main menu
Leica D-Lux 3 Scene modes main menu		Leica D-Lux 3 Image Stabilizer function

Image Quality
The D-LUX 3’s digital noise levels are much lower than the D-LUX 2’s. I took pictures of my wife at ISO 400 in a dark restaurant with both the D-LUX 2 and D-LUX 3. The D-LUX 2 image shows considerable noise in the shadows. But there is no noticeable noise in a photo taken at the same time with the D-LUX 3. Good work, Panasonic and Leica!

The D-LUX 3 produced the best results shooting landscapes, candids, and macro photos in RAW mode. The sharp, contrasty, Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens allows for some cropping, which helps for landscapes when you need more magnification. The combination of 16:9 aspect ratio and 28mm-equivalent wide-angle produced pleasing and natural landscapes. It also allowed for cropping with enough detail to read a German hotel sign in a photo taken from quite a distance. However, the 119mm (35mm equivalent) maximum telephoto focal length proved inadequate for capturing action or performers on a stage at a distance from the camera, as I found out when I tried to photograph my daughter receiving her MBA degree at Berkeley.

The D-LUX 3’s color rendition and white balance accuracy are excellent. Only the slightest presence of purple fringing is noticeable when viewing backlit objects at 100% on the computer. 8×10 prints made from well-focused photos are tack-sharp and have real color depth.

Click on thumbnails to view sample photos.

Conclusion
The D-LUX 3 one of the best- point-and-shoot digital cameras I’ve used. The large LCD monitor, rich feature set, and uncanny ability to secure good candid, landscape, reportage images under a wide variety of lighting conditions make it a pleasure to take pictures with. However, the D-LUX 3 does not do so well with action shots. This should be no surprise from a small camera without an optical viewfinder and a limited aperture range. Its built-in flash is prone to red-eye in portraits. It outperforms the D-LUX 2 with greatly improved digital noise control, a lower asking price, increased resolution, extended ISO range, and larger rear panel LCD. The new Venus 3 digital imaging engine can capture images in lower light without generating excessive digital noise. Even so, ISO 100 and 200 will still deliver the best image quality.

Anyone who uses the Leica D-LUX 3 must be willing to study the manual. The nifty Program shift mode is difficult to learn by simply picking up the camera and clicking through the on-screen menus. Reading the manual will reward D-LUX 3 users with stunning, richly detailed, saturated, high contrast images not possible from most compact digital cameras.

Who Should Buy It
The D-LUX 3 is a good choice for amateur photographers learning to use manual controls but not ready to invest in a digital SLR system. The DLUX-3 will also make a good, compact backup camera for travel, or even more serious photography.

- end -

Contents of the Leica D-LUX 3 Box Leica D-Lux 3 Digital Camera Compact Battery Charger with built in AC plug Battery Pack (BP-DC4-E/U/J) AV Cable USB Connection Cable Hand-loop strap Battery Carrying Case Lens cap with Lens cap string SD Memory Card (64 MB) Built-in Memory CD-ROM with Adobe Photoshop 4.0 (PC) / 3.0 (Mac), Quicktime Movie Viewer

Other Resources:
Shop For Leica D-Lux 3 >>
Leica D-Lux 3 User Reviews >>
Write a Leica D-Lux 3 Review >>
Leica D-Lux 3 Camera Specs >>
Leica D-Lux 3 Camera Manual >>
Leica D-Lux 3 Sample Gallery >>
All Leica Digital Camera Reviews >>
Leica Web site >>
Leica D-Lux 3 Camera Manual >>
All Digital Camera Pro Reviews >>
Digital Camera Buyer’s Guide >>
All Digital Camera Sample Images >>
larrylgreenhill Profile >>