New Leica digicam adds hotshoe, improved sensor

Leica, so swish that it could saunter into digital photography years after everyone else and still get all the gush, is to upgrade its D-Lux series with a new sub-$1,000 model. The D-Lux 4 adds a hotshoe, comes with a new lens, and upgrades the lens and image sensor. Here's Charlie Sorrel at Wired's Gadget Lab:

The D-Lux 3 had a 28-112mm ƒ2.8 - 4.9 lens. The new camera has a wider and faster 24-60mm ƒ2-2.8 lens. Inside, the pixel count is actually slightly lower, at 10.1 MP (vs. 10.4) and the sensor size is almost identical, changing from 1/1.65" to 1/1.63". These last might just be counting differences between actual and effective pixels.

DPReview forum thread [DPreviews via Leica Rumors and Wired]

[#1 posted by themindfantastic , September 12, 2008 2:18 PM]

This camera reminds me of the old 1960's 1970's style 35mm cameras... not as complex as them but same kind of style... they had a weight to them, that made holding them feel like you were doing something important & worthwhile.. I don't mind the quality of the images from the plastic style digital cameras of today, but I always get the impression they are toys in comparison...

[#2 posted by Anonymous , September 12, 2008 7:59 PM]

Why not just get yourself a Lumix DMC-FZx series camera?

[#3 posted by Matthew Miller , September 13, 2008 6:51 PM]

Eh. Leica's point & shoot cameras are just rebadged Panasonics. This one is the Lumix DMC-LX3 in a prettier (and more expensive) shell.

It is pretty, but it's not a unique animal like the high-end Leica M8.