LEICA D-LUX4(2009・Safari)
Review and Photo example of the Leica D-LUX4 (Safari-2009ver) digital camera.
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Review
The D-LUX4 is a Leica compact digital camera (hereafter, compact digital camera) with the following features.
- The shooting distance is 30cm to infinity, and it has a macro mode that allows you to get as close as 1cm in front of the lens.
- The recording format is JPEG and RAW (the RAW format is Panasonic’s RWL format).
- It comes in three colors: black, safari, and titanium.
Compared to the black version that was first released, the safari color has a calm matte green texture and goes well with the Leica red badge. The titanium color released at the same time also has a titanium-colored red badge, making it look more sophisticated as a tool.
Among Leica’s compact digital cameras, I think the color lineup of the D-LUX4 is very good.
The safari color is a traditional Leica color that has continued from the LEICA R3. There is a LEICA Q compact digital camera model with safari-colored leather, but this camera is the only one with a safari-colored body. The Leica M-type bodies are available in Safari colors for the Leica M8.2, Leica M-P, and Leica M10-P.
The Panasonic DMC-LX3, a sister model of the D-LUX4, has a raised body grip, which is designed to make it easier to hold the camera. In comparison, the D-LUX4 has a flat shape except for the lens barrel, which seems to emphasize simplicity of appearance.
The D-LUX4 can be equipped with a grip sold separately to improve the grip. Or, you can improve the grip by attaching a leather case sold separately.
The lens of this model is a specially designed Vario-Summicron 5.1mm F2-12.8mm F2.8 2.5x zoom lens, which has a focal length of 24mm-60mm in 35mm format.
The D-LUX5 and D-LUX6 have the same focal length at the wide-angle end, but the telephoto end is extended to 90mm.
It depends on how you use it, but I think 60mm is enough for street snapshots.
Although it is a compact digital camera, it supports shooting in RAW format, and shooting in RAW increases the flexibility of post-processing. If you use RAW development software that does not support lens correction, barrel distortion may be noticeable, while JPEG corrects distortion when recording.
I think it has sufficient resolution for both distant and close-up shots, but I feel that the image becomes noisy when the ISO is increased, which is the limit of compact digital cameras.
The model number of the battery, which can be difficult to obtain with compact digital cameras, is “BP-DC4-J/E *2”. This battery has many compatible products for models such as FUJIFILM’s NP-70, Panasonic’s DMW-BCC12, PICOH’s DB-60/65, SIGMA’s BP-41, and PENTAX’s D-LI106/D-BC106 *1. As of 2022, compatible products can be purchased from Rakuten *2 and Amazon *1.
*1: Amazon affiliate link, *2: Rakuten affiliate link
This camera is a Panasonic OEM, and the original OEM product is the DMC-LX3.
Specification
| Item | Value | Note |
| Number of pixels (Megapixcel) | 10.1 Megapixels | |
| Lens | LEICA DC VARIO-SUMMICRON 1:2-2.8 /5.1-12.8 ASPH. | 8 elements in 6 groups (4 aspherical lenses) 24-60mm equivalent |
| Image Sensor | 1/1.63 inc CCD sensor | |
| Viewfinder | none | |
| Back LCD Panel | 3 inch TFT LCD | |
| Memory card | SD / SDHC card | Supports up to 32GB |
| Battery-type | BP-DC4-J/E | DMW-BCC12 *1 |
| Camera size | W x H x D 108.7×59.5×27.1mm | |
| Weight(g) | 228 |
Model History
| Model name | D-LUX | D-LUX2 | D-LUX3 | D-LUX4 | D-LUX5 | D-LUX6 | D-LUX Typ109 | D-LUX7 |
| 35mm equivalent focal length | 35-105 | 28-112 | 28-112 | 24-60 | 24-90 | 24-90 | 24-57 | 24-75 |
| Number of pixels (Megapixcel) | 3.2 | 8.6 | 10.2 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 12.8 | 17 |
| Image Sensor Size | 1/2.5 | 1/1.65 | 1/1.65 | 1/1.63 | 1/1.63 | 1/1.63 | 4/3 | 4/3 |
| Viewfinder | OVF | none | none | none | EVF1 | EvF3 | Inner- EVF | Inner- EVF |
| Back LCD Panel | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Battery-type | BP-DC6 | BP-DC4 | BP-DC4 | BP-DC4 | BP-DC10 | BP-DC10 | BP-DC15 | BP-DC15 |
| Memory card | SD | SDHC | SDHC | SDHC | SDXC | SDXC | SDXC | SDXC |
| Release date | 2003 | 2005 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2018 |
| Body color | Silver | Silver | Black Silver | Black Safari Titan | Black Titan | Black Y100 G-star RAW | Black Gray | Black Silver |
Options
- Leather Case
- Strap
- Dedicated back
- Dedicated grip (#18697)
Reference links
- D-LUX4 Safari product introduction by Impress digital camera-watch
- DCM-LX3 product introduction by Panasonic official
Update history
- 2024.06.25
- 2024.03.06
- 2022.08.24
Affiliate links
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