Replacement camera

Hi Don,

Are you talking about Leica Cameras?

Take a look to B&H photo video they have a big store in NY, have a good online store, and deliver very quick. (They do not open on Saturdays but they do on Sundays).

Regards.

Erich

Any of the Fuji Xes for me. X30 would be the best equivalent, Xes are real photographers' cameras. I had a Canon G-series before, image quality is better on the Fujifilm X.

Jamie, Erich, Frenchnaim, many thanks for your suggestions.

Unfortunately none of your recommendations are available to handle here in Vernon or even down in Kelowna.

I can manage with Mrs D's Nikon Coolpic5000 if I have to, and i'm reluctant to buy on the internet without actually knowing - hands-on - what i'm buying.

It might be possible (not certain, just possible) to get a Sony RX100 III - any good ?

It's a Leica, but only one of their pocket cameras that cost c. £600 in the UK. It's not a "proper" Leica at £10k !!!!

Don, how about a Pany LX7? : )

I've been using mine for almost 2 years now and love it.

Maybe not as posy and posh as a real deal Leica but the LX7 is a fabulous performer and a bargain at the price; £260 on Amazon uk. 

Plus most of the buttons on it are in the same kind of place [and design] as your Deluxe 4 

Debs

Don, most of the recommendations made here are very safe - it's also a question of taste, of how you get on with the camera, and of whether it's easily available or not.

Thanks Debs and Frenchnaim,

The LX7 is probably top of my list. It is the closest to the D-Lux4 with a good lens ? and about the right size to make me carry it almost everywhere. If I could find one here in Vernon or Kelowna I would buy one and move on ! If I have to wait until I get back to the Uk, I shall probably go with an LX7.

The store that I visited this afternoon didn't have the Sony (that I mentioned above) in stock. It would have been $1k plus tax say $1.12k which at c. £1 = $2 is about £600.

The D-Lux 4 allowed me to print good quality pictures up to about A1 size or even A3 even when heavily cropped e.g. for "zooming in" during processing. The wide angle lens was good for landscapes but the 3x Optical Zoom was a bit limiting for closer shots, but provided exceptionally good detail that allowed post-production cropping  The pre-set colour settings seemed to work most of the time without post-shoot editing. Presumably most of the other cameras mentioned give good colour rendition as well as accurate focus and fine detail to allow cropping ?

Don

I changed from D-Lux 5 to D-Lux (Type 109).  Same as the Panny LX100.  In truth I've hardly used it since I got it - more a reflection of me recently than the camera!  It's definitely slightly bigger and heavier than the 5, especially when you keep it in the leather case - the projection of the lens when parked (front) and electronic viewfinder (rear) must make packaging tricky and it feels bulkier than I would prefer. 

On a positive note, the case itself works 10 times better than the contraption I got with the 5!  Also, the sensor should make for significantly better image sharpness and better ability in poor light than you will experience with the 4 (and indeed than I have with the 5).  Panny/ Leica continue to offer the various perspective filters which you select using a ring at the rear of the lens.  I really like this facility however, it does impose restrictions on the number of pixels available from the sensor due to cropping.  The electronic viewfinder is a great feature to have for bright days when it's near impossible to frame shots using the rear screen.

One feature which irritates me is the exposure compensation dial.  Located on the extreme right of the top plate, behind the zoom toggle/ shutter release, this dial has no lock button and is therefore very prone to accidental rotation.  I cannot comprehend why anyone would provide this feature without a lock button - most people will rarely want to use it. One for the next upgrade list!  Another challenge was, despite the increase in camera size, they ran out of real estate in which to accommodate an in built flash gun, something I find handy on a compact camera.  Instead the camera has a hot shoe and comes with a tiny separate flash unit - one which will be very easily lost!

Hoping to get some great photos with this but you'd need to check out the physical size to establish if this compact is compact enough for your purposes.

Peter

Many thanks Peter.

If I have to wait until I get back to the UK, I will look at the LX100, but I rather suspect it will be too large.

I quite like the size of the D-Lux4. Anything bigger and I might as well go for a full-size DSLR such as a Nikon D7200 plus a decent lens.

Don

I know what you mean.  My foot steps into digital have been slightly timid - I have a D610 which is quite a small bodied camera.  However, I still have my Nikon f2.8 aperture zoom lenses which are 'chunky' to say the least!  Does make the latest D-Lux feel compact though!  Possibly just not compact enough for what you are seeking though.

Peter

I'm sure you already know this Don and that others have said it, but imho buying a camera is a bit like buying hifi, you are better advised to handle it in the flesh and try t ourself than rely on what others think.  There are some excellent Nikon DSLRs around but I find they leave me cold and I prefer the handling and layout of my Canons.  The same will apply to other makes and models and if you can get into a shop and handle them yourself you're more likely to pick one you can live with, especially if you are having to move from one you knew well and were happy with.  Good luck hunting

From everything you've said I think the LX7 will suit you perfectly.

Another camera well worth considering is the Fujifilm XF1. It's a gorgeous looker (especially in silver/black with the black leather hard case), it's small and slim, has an integrated lens cap, larger than usual sensor, and has a pretty quick lens (f1.8).  It also has its quirks that will either annoy or endear it to you, such as the on/off switch being part of the lens zoom bezel.  I used to love my old Saab with the ignition by the gear lever, so I also rather like the XF1...

I do keep wondering whether to go small or large. I should do both of course !

Well, there's always the solution of mirrorless cameras... Lots of very good ones these days. I'm a fan of Fujifilm (the XT10 has had rave reviews), but there are others.

dayjay, you are right. I have no intention of buying a replacement without trying, hands-on ! The request was to help figure out what might be worth searching out in a relatively remote location where the choice is somewhat limited.

Fortunately Mrs D is happy to lend me her Nikon Coolpix and I managed this morning to fly over many of the locations I had passed last week before loosing my own camera and at least take some snappy shots for the family album ! So not a total disaster.

I will probably pop into Kelowna later this week and will take time to look up a couple of shops there, just in case they do have an LX7, LX100, Sony, Canon or Fuji in stock.

I'm getting that feeling as well Jamie

Thanks Richard. This is a quirky town so who knows, there might be an XF1 around !

I have always preferred Volvos in preference to Saabs ever since I worked in Sweden. Both were bust cars, but even back then, the Volvo was less quirky than the Saabs...........

Many thanks for the heads-up tho'

Cheers

Don

I think i'm stuck with a very limited choice at present, but when I return to the UK it will probably be an LX7 or a (second-hand) Leica replacement........

......but I will take a careful look at all the other recommendations.

I've got the original Sony RX100 (the Mk1). It's a stunning camera if you want a pocketable camera that will give good punchy images under most circumstances. I'm considering getting the RX100 IV that's just come out simply because I've been so impressed with the RX100 but I want a flip-up rear screen to allow more candid shots.

Take a look at the reviews - they're pretty impressive and my experience has shown this to be true in practice. Not cheap but a credible alternative to a DSLR that you're actually like to have on you when you want to take that shot...

Hi Penarth,

I popped into the one and only camera shop in Vernon to take a look at a Sony RX100 III (se above), only to find they were not in stock. They didn't mention the Mk IV version, but equally i'm sure they didn't have that.

It's on my list of "possibles" for when I get back to the UK, or if I find a good camera shop out here.

Thanks for the heads up on the Mk IV, I would have missed that !

Don, not sure what to recommend, but in Calgary, this is the store to head to for camera gear http://www.thecamerastore.com/  they have a great selection and ship...  and stock Leica.  Tax here in AB is 5% on top, its 12% in BC.

I only have a cheap Canon for PaS, normal camera is a Nikon D700 or D7000 for travel...

Don, this site will also tell you online prices + history in Canada and help point you to some local stores potentially...  http://www.photoprice.ca

Vistek, are the 'backup' to the Camera Store and also ship.. http://www.vistek.ca

Many thanks Guy, just the type of store I was looking for !

I'm here in Vernon for the next week or so, then hopefully on to Canmore for a few days hiking in the Rockies. I'll try to make the trip into Calgary.

Cheers

Don