The new Digilux 1 is here

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), February 24, 2002

Answers

Looks interesting. But my google translation didn't give me much info (I don't think there was much anyway) so I'll be interested to see what else we all hear.

-- Josh Root (rootj@att.net), February 24, 2002.

Doesn't it look like a Cannon G1/G2. Probably has the same lens as well. It's also a 7-21mm F2.0 - 2.5 on the Cannons. Even the general layout shows more than a passing resemblance - notice the view-finder, shutter botton, zoom lever etc. just to name a few.

-- Arthur Yue (yueart@ctimail.com), February 24, 2002.

NO, it was designed by Leica and made by Panasonic.

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), February 24, 2002.

not that it matters, but that is clearly one of the ugliest cameras I have seen.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), February 24, 2002.

What are the specs? Price? I would be interested to see how it feels in the hand. I can't stand the feel of most digital cameras, they feel so plasticy (is that a word?), and flimsy. I have been searching for a digital camera just to use as a point and shoot. But untill i find something that does not feel like a cheap hunk of plastic with bad ergonomics, I will stick with my Yashica T4, at least that plasticy flimsy feeling camera has the resolving power of more than a few mpxls. Hopefully a local dealer will have it on display.

-- Chris Lutz (mesheca@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

This doesn't look like a serious threat to the Canon D60 or Nikon D100, though it's probably a little cheaper (bet this puppy is around $800, thus, indeed, making it similar to the Canon G2).

For those of us with R lenses and a photography business, a six megapixel SLR body would have been far more attractive. Right now the most exciting thing I've heard about from PMA is the Canon D60.

C'mon Leica, join us in the 21st century.

-- Robert Schneider (rolopix@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

I think the design of this camera is superb. It looks like a maserati to me - ugly-beautiful -joli-laid. The sample pictures are of a very high quality indeed for a digital camera. I'm really impressed.

-- Steve Jones (stephenjjones@btopenworld.com), February 24, 2002.

Here is the first Digilux 1 report

-- Lucien (lucien_vd@yahoo.fr), February 24, 2002.

it's looking better. I like the front view, but something is odd about the view from the back.

-- daniel taylor (lightsmythe@agalis.net), February 24, 2002.

Argus and Leica have formed a joint venture. This is the "brick" transmogrified.

But seriously.

While this camera lacks M-ness, I like it very much. Finally, intelligent controls on a digital camera. Finally, a digital camera that does not look "plasticy" and brittle.

The M7 kept my up all night. This little camera is a bonus. What a delightful surprise!

What is cool is that Leica has employed the minimalist M philosophy in making this camera.

If only it looked more like an M and less like an Argus "brick." Ah well.

-- Alex Shishin (shishin@pp.iij4-u.or.jp), February 24, 2002.

First impression: Bauhaus meets LSD. However, after a few more pics it grew on me. I hope the image quality is there as well, unlike that Sony/Zeiss camera of a couple of years ago.

-- Igor Osatuke (visionstudios@yahoo.com), February 24, 2002.

Yawn...

Why would Leica even put their name of that contraption?

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), February 24, 2002.

I wanted to phrase the question as "Did you ever wonder why they they don't ever list 'shutter lag time' in the the specifications of all these whiz-bang digital cameras". But, the answer is pitifully obvious. What is absurd is to print a ridiculously long list of useless features for a camera that fails the most obvious camera requirement of all...to take photograph the instant the shutter button is pressed. Leica just went down 10% in my estimation.

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), February 24, 2002.

I know the camera was designed by Leica and built by Panasonic. What I was trying to say is that some of the components look quite familiar so is there a chance that the camera companies are getting their parts from the same supplier?

Good to hear that it has a short shutter lag time any idea what the value is?

-- Arthur Yue (yueart@ctimail.com), February 25, 2002.

Did you notice that "This camera features a 3x F2.0 - F2.5 optical zoom lens (sound familiar?)" remark? The lens may be the same lens used by Sony/Canon/Epson under different names. See:

http://www.dpreview .com/reviews/sonydscs75/ and scroll down a little.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), February 25, 2002.

That camera was no more designed by Leica than the new Jaguar was designed by Jaguar (hint: IT'S A FORD!).

-- Dan Brown (brpatent@swbell.net), February 25, 2002.