Lumix LX-3 vs Leica Dlux-4
- Thread starter Andrew Tan
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tomcat
Senior Member
Some more photo comparison between the 2 cameras here...
http://fotokrazy.com/cms/forums/index.php/topic,3183.0.html
http://fotokrazy.com/cms/forums/index.php/topic,3183.0.html
I noticed a few comments that color can be adjusted in photoshop. The LX3 I have provides a range of tonal options from standard, through to portrait, nature, vibrant and various black and white modes. All have different colour settings and in each individual setting the contrast, colour saturation, sharpness and noise reduction are all adjustable. It also has custom presets so you can use your own particular color preferences. It gives you huge control over the colour of your pix before you shoot. I'm sure adjusting these parameters could get you very close to the Leica.
Anson
Senior Member
It always make me wonder... if a user is shooting mostly RAW, why would he/she need a Dlux4 over a LX3? :dunno:
tomcat
Senior Member
Unfortunately, the D-Lux4/LX3 although capable of shooting in RAW actually performs best when shot in jpeg. The lens is actually not so good and a lot of the problems like purple fringing are corrected by the Venus Engine when used in jpeg mode. If shot in RAW, all these flaws becomes very visible to my disapointment. So nowadays I would only use it in jpeg mode... and this is where the default colours of the D-Lux4 which is fine-tuned to the Leica colour palette excels over the LX3.
Anson
Senior Member
One thing I like about Panasonic cameras is that the Out of the Box experience is generally quite good... I think the question is if I could fine-tune the LX3 color to Lux4... is spending the additional 40% more worth it?
Even though the Lux4 come with 3 years warranty... but from my experience... Panasonic camera are quite durable....
One thing I like about Panasonic cameras is that the Out of the Box experience is generally quite good... I think the question is if I could fine-tune the LX3 color to Lux4... is spending the additional 40% more worth it?
Even though the Lux4 come with 3 years warranty... but from my experience... Panasonic camera are quite durable....
worth is very subjective. to some it is worth it and to others it is not. anyway...i think should now be easier for you to decide, cos if i'm not wrong the 3-year warranty offer is over. check leica site to confirm. also i think time running out for you to get the free leather case also. so i think might as well just get the LX3. ;p
Anson
Senior Member
I have seen alot of shop (John, OP, etc) that is pushing to sell the DLux-4 over the LX3... each claiming that the Leica camera is much better... But when ask about the different when shooting RAW, they can't give me an accurate description on the differences...
I think quite a number of dslr owner bought the LX3 for it's IQ, they must be familiar with the workflow of processing a RAW image... I wonder is there a real different? :dunno:
tomcat
Senior Member
If you shoot RAW, the difference is in the software... SilkyPix SE for the LX3 and Capture One 4 for the D-Lux4. Capture One 4 is a better and more user-friendly software than SilkyPix SE.
If you shoot RAW, you will need to do more post-processing during RAW conversion if your images suffer from chromatic aberration and purple fringing because of shooting angle and light conditions whether you use the LX3 or D-Lux 4.
Also, you should refrain from looking at the images at 100% size or blow them up in print big, big or else you might not be very happy with what you see.
And.. all the user-adjustable photo settings that are available in the LX3 are also in the D-Lux 4 and none of them would help you to change the colour palette of the LX3 such that it resembles that of the D-Lux 4. To change the default colour palette to match that of the D-Lux 4, you would need to be able to edit the ICC profile used by the LX3 and this is not something that is easily done by the laymen photographer.
Anson
Senior Member
Thanks for the info... I typically adjust my RAW using PS, which could reduce the chromatic aberration and purple fringing issue. The ICC profile, reminded me of film days whereby you would ask the model to shoot with a grey/color chart at the beginning of the shoot to calibrate the WB, colour & exposure.... :bsmilie:
tribal.snake
Senior Member
correct me if i am wrong...
if i am shooting in raw, i can just convert it to dng format.
that way the raw converter from either camera brands does not really make a diff.
if i am shooting in raw, i can just convert it to dng format.
that way the raw converter from either camera brands does not really make a diff.
what kind of adjustments does the in-camera processing do for LX3 exactly? i'm concerned because i'm shooting only in RAW now ( 1 to save battery and 2 to save space ), and edit some of them using PS with mostly curve adjustments, and to fix the lens distortion also. am i missing out something that i should have edited? from what i see for RAW vs JPG, there isn't any significant difference.
Anson
Senior Member
If I am not wrong, shooting RAW may not save battery..... Shooting RAW would not save space... in contrast... it uses more space instead.
All camera do "adjustment" to their JPEG and sometime their RAW too...
tomcat
Senior Member
Besides the usual exposure correction and white balancing, the Venus 4 jpeg engine also reduces noise and correct for chromatic aberrations like purple fringing. All of these could be done during RAW conversion too if you make it a point to check and correct for them, that is. If when you say you 'fix the lens distortion', you meant you correct for chromatic aberrations, then you are doing it already. Only thing is that it is not done automatically and the results would depend wholly on your post-processing skills.
You should try setting the camera to RAW+Jpeg for a test and compare the RAW converted to jpeg and the accompanying incamera jpeg to see if there are any differences when viewed at 100% size.
Under shooting conditions that do not strain the sensor's and lens' capabilities, there may be little visible differences especially when viewed at 4R or 5R sizes. There may be subtle but visible differences when viewed at 100% size though especially insofar as noise reduction is concerned.
As an example, this is shot in RAW with the D-Lux 4 and converted to jpeg using Capture One.
Looks OK?
And this is the comparison of a 100% crop of one part of the image between the jpeg accompanying the RAW file and the jpeg converted from RAW. I didn't carry out any chromatic aberration correction during RAW conversion because I didn't expect there to be so much of it from such a 'highly reputed' zoom lens. In this respect, the Vario-Summicron lens of the Panasonic LC-1 is way better than the Vario Summicron lens of the LX 3/D-Lux 4.
Any differences? :dunno:
I've been looking for a new compact coz I don't have one now. Heard/read alot about the LX3, but the zoom (or lack thereof) was holding me back. But I was thinking, disregarding the zoom, it IS a really attractive camera. I've even convinced a colleague to get one too. Haha! But I saw the Leica one yesterday, then I went to look at the Lumix, and I really have to say, the exterior of the Leica really looks SO-O-O sweet!!! *drools*
tomcat : thanks for the pics. there's certainly much difference. i wasn't referring to chromatic abberation actually. ( u can call me blind, cos i find it hard to distinguish them in the pics i take ).. normally i'll just do lens correction especially for group pictures to make faces at the edges "less flat". that's the only problem for their ultra-wide lens.
personally i also prefer brighter and a little overexposed pictures, so i'll favour the raw output for that section.. but definitely need some curve adjustments for some of the shots. given the ease of adobe bridge, i don't see any problem in adjustments. guess i'll be shooting in raw+jpg next time with my other camera to see how it fares..
muvouser : u won't wanna know, it costs a bomb, literally. lol.
personally i also prefer brighter and a little overexposed pictures, so i'll favour the raw output for that section.. but definitely need some curve adjustments for some of the shots. given the ease of adobe bridge, i don't see any problem in adjustments. guess i'll be shooting in raw+jpg next time with my other camera to see how it fares..
muvouser : u won't wanna know, it costs a bomb, literally. lol.
AxeLa
Senior Member
1.1k...:thumbsup:
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