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Leica C-LUX 2 (Black) Digital Camera | 
 enlarge | Brand: Leica
Category: Photography
Buy New: £249.95
New (5) from £249.95
Rating:  3 reviews
Sales Rank: 270
Media: Electronics
MPN: 18320
Model: C-LUX 2
EAN: 4022243183209
ASIN: B000QY2OFO
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 8 Million Pixels | | • | 3.6x Optical Zoom f2.8~5.6 Aspherical lens |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Leica Digital Camera
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent Camera! Leica vs. Panasonic July 20, 2008
MW (Denmark)
21 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have had the Leica C-Lux 2 for a while and I am VERY pleased. This is an excellent and very handy sized camera, which takes excellent photos and videos, even in very low light situations and is easy to use. I have had many other digital cameras in the past 5-6 years and this is the best I have had.
7.2 Megapixels is absolutely adequete unless you are making posters - it is the quality of the image produced which is the ultimate criteria and not just a lot of megapixels, and it is here that this camera excels.
There is a lot of talk about Panasonic and this Leica camera. Leica is reported to have admitted that it is a camera based on a Panasonic body. Opinions differ as to whether this body is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 or a Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FX07. However, the case is not exactly the same nor is the lens or the camera's internal software.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 is (wxhxd): 94 x 51 x 24 mm
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 is (wxhxd): 95 x 52 x 22 mm
The Leica C-Lux 2 is (wxhxd): 94.9 x 51.9 x 22 mm
While most Panasonic Lumic cameras have "Leica" lenses, Panasonic's website comments that "Panasonic decided to form a partnership with the legendary and most prestigious camera and lens maker on the planet: LEICA of Germany.....LEICA DC lenses unique construction effectively suppress the type of distortion that crops up so often in wide-shots. Straight lines are actually depicted as straight.
Leica is a registered trademark of Leica Microsystems IR GmbH. Leica DC lenses are manufactured using measurement instruments and quality assurance systems that have been certified by Leica Camera AG based on the company's quality standards. "
i.e. While Leica has designed the lens system and has delivered quality assurance systems to Panasonic, Leica does not actually make the lenses used in Panasonic cameras.
Comparing the Leica C-Lux 2 with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX07 camera http://www.photoreview.com.au/reviews/slimline/leica-clux-2.aspx comments:
"Almost identical in specifications to Panasonic's substantially cheaper DMC-FX07 model (which we reviewed last year), the new Leica C-Lux 2 has the same 7.2-megapixel imager and a similar Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 3.6x optical zoom lens, but its focal length range is marginally shorter (28-100mm vs 28-102mm). Focusing distances are the same for both cameras, as is body weight, although the C-Lux 2 is a tad longer, higher and slimmer.
Sensitivity settings are the same in both cameras but white balance settings differ slightly. The C-Lux 2 provides an auto mode plus pre-sets for daylight, overcast sky and halogen light, along with two manual settings. In contrast, the FX07 has an auto mode plus pre-sets for daylight, cloudy, shade, halogen and a single 'white set' manual mode.....
Performance
Pictures from the test camera were sharp, with natural-looking colours and a wider than average dynamic range. Unlike the Panasonic FX07 camera we reviewed last year, the C-Lux 2 did not produce colour shifts with high ISO settings in dim lighting or with flash."
The focal length range differnce may actually mean that the lens is a Leica manufactured lens and not a Panasonic manufactured lens?
This article found these results http://photo.blorge.com/2007/07/09/the-leica-c-lux-2a-glorified-panasonic/ and differences:
"Anyone who knows their cameras would point to the Panasonic DMC-FX07 and accuse it of being the same camera. That Leica and Panasonic are working together is no secret, and the specifications between the cameras are almost identical.
So why buy the Leica? There is very good reason, the most important being that which is important to you - the image quality. All Leica digital cameras have proprietary firmware settings within the camera that suit the more educated and advanced photographer, making this an automatic benefit for even your family photographs.
The colour and contrast performance is more biased toward a "European" standard, which has always been more subtle than Japanese colour and contrast standards. This is true certainly of the Panasonic and the Leica and side by side image comparisons bear this out. It is the same as using professional film for your family snaps. This firmware cannot be installed on the Panasonic versions.
Also, unlike the Panasonic, the Leica C-Lux-2 does not automatically choose 800 ISO under low light conditions. This means that the Leica maintains less noise in your available light photography, remembering that the camera has an excellent image stabiliser to compensate for those slow shutter speeds. Also, the Leica digital cameras keep your "Flash Off" settings even after the camera is switched off and on again. The Panasonic defaults to "Auto Flash" when under the same conditions and always has to be reset if you prefer to shoot without flash.
In keeping with Leica's commitment to quality, the C-Lux 2 has a full two year warranty, as against the Panasonic which is limited to twelve months."
There is a "flaw" with the camera and it's Leica made leather case that is very important to be aware of:
It is very easy to activate the camera simply by putting it back in its leather case, as the on/off button is located on the top of the camera in a way that makes it very easy to accidentally activate if the button comes even slightly into contact with the side of its carrying case. This can result in the lens servo-motor breaking down in it's attempt to open the lens with the camera is in the case. To solve this problem, always turn the camera in the playback possition before i put it back in its case - as in playback position the lens remains does not open. When the camera is turned on with the dial in reviewpossition the lens is NOT extracted. It will stay inside the camera. To avoid running down the battery, if the camera should turn on while in the case, set the camera to Powersafe 5 min, and it will shut down after five minutes if accidentally turned on while in the case.
 Compare closely to the Panasonic Lumix half-brother July 29, 2007
Cheshire Dave (UK)
34 out of 41 found this review helpful
I would highly advise potential buyers to do some close research on Panasonic Lumix cameras, before buying. Leica makes lenses for Lumix. Lumix makes cameras for Leica. (This is becoming a riddle.) Lumix is a third or quarter of the price of the Leica. But you don't get the Leica badge / branding / cachet! Magazine / online reviews have all mentioned this fact - I don't have an axe to grind with Leica, and the classic black design looks more retro and cuter to my eyes! I do not actually own the Leica, so have rated as the previous person. I hope this saves someone some money!
Quality over Quantity June 1, 2007
R. Hankinson (Oxford, England)
44 out of 45 found this review helpful
You might not get a docking station and 10MP, but I can't fault the quality of the lens or the overall feel of the camera, the latter helped no end by the metal body. The controls are logical, the screen clear, but it is the quality of the lens that should be your reason to buy this over regular compacts.
I have been using a Casio Exilim 5MP for a couple of years as a happy-snappy camera, and while on the surface the cameras are very similar, the C-Lux 2 lens is streets ahead - and not far short of my Nikon SLR digitals.
Why not 5 stars then? Only a couple of gripes keep this from a perfect rating:
1) battery life is not as good as the Casio (C-Lux 2 gives around 100 shots on one charge) and you have to remove the battery to charge it;
2) multiple shooting modes include 'portrait' and 'baby', but these force flash onto red-eye reduction, which means a delay from shutter pressing to the shot taking. This is not ideal for shooting kids where a rapid shutter response is needed to capture the moment. You can get round it by using other modes, but skin tones are not as good as in these modes.
As I said, minor gripes in reality, but 4 stars it is, and while it's not the cheapest camera on the market, you get what you pay for.
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