Camera drool....

[self-deleted_user]

Anyone out there use Leicas?? Our lab 'scopes and such (and cameras for 'scopes) are often Leicas and I thought uh maybe they make other cameras...

I am now drooling, so compact, yet it looks soooo much like it functions as a dSLR...anyone have any experience with these?
Leica D-Lux5


Which seems to be the cousins to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX series which still sport a Leica lens (although the Panasonics seem to have cheaper price tags).
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

I'm drooling over the size, shooting in RAW, has a hotshoe, 24mm on the wide side and at least the Leica one you can get it to 18mm, f/2.0, fully manual focus...in that tiny body! omg!

But I don't know brands other than Nikon really...

...not like I can afford one but you know...birthday/christmas this year...haha. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these little guys which look holyshitawesome from the specs and reviews!

[John Lovaas]

The Lumixs are co-designed and engineered by Leica and Panasonic, and the comparable Leicas are manufactured by Panasonic. The major differences between the two brands are minor fit and finish, and the Leicas have some proprietary firmware that the Panasonics don't have.

Buy a Lumix.

[self-deleted_user]

(this quick reply is so cool!)

Okay thanks! Glad to know I"m not drooling over something that isn't as nice as it seems :)

[wyandottecaver]

here is my drool camera

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/techn ... amera.html

[self-deleted_user]

:o wowwwwwwwwwww

[NZcaver]

The Lumixs are co-designed and engineered by Leica and Panasonic, and the comparable Leicas are manufactured by Panasonic. The major differences between the two brands are minor fit and finish, and the Leicas have some proprietary firmware that the Panasonics don't have.

Buy a Lumix.

Agreed. If that's the style of camera you're looking for.

here is my drool camera

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/techn ... amera.html

Very interesting. Strange they don't show you the camera itself. I was at a presentation a few months ago about focus bracketing, but I don't recall this camera mentioned. I wasn't paying too much attention at the time but I think they were talking about software-driven options for Canon DSLRs.

I already own one of my drool cameras, and my older caving camera isn't too shabby for its age either. But I'm always looking for more to add to the drool list.

Right now I wouldn't mind a Canon 7D and/or 5D Mk II body, and maybe a new ultrawide/fisheye. But when it comes to glass, here's my favorite lens to drool over. But not for caving.

[Scott McCrea]

One of the Panasonic Lumix cameras is on Woot today. $69.

[self-deleted_user]

Oooh Janson....that lens....oooh my...

Although my current drool lens is a 24-70mm f/2.8. Again...not for caving haha. I don't take my dSLR underground.

Did you see these?? I think they look really cool for caving...interchanging lenses but it's like, the whole base, so you can't get dust and such into it just ambient in the air if you have to change lenses in the cave. It's also really compact. Ahh if I had money to drop on cameras... I know nothing about Ricoh though nor have I ever heard of them.
Ricoh GXR

[JR-Orion]

I'd like to have one of these, just so I could quit worrying about my camera underground-

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-TS3 ... Descending

Waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, and freezeproof too. Though I have no desire to test that last part.

Might be good for the occasional shallow dive. It's rated to 40 feet, but I'd probably keep it to 20 or 30 just to be safe.

[captnemo]

My Canon G9 has a Leica f/2.8-4.8 lens and I've been very pleased with it as a smaller camera.
On the 24-70 f2.8 lens, these recent cave pics were all taken with one made by tamron
http://captnemo.smugmug.com/Caving/Rippled-cave-trip-2011 and I've been quite happy with it.

[Steven Johnson]

I've been using a Canon S90 as a cave camera for over a year with happy results... same concept as the Panasonic/Leica above: compact size but with manual control and full RAW ability. Not the same quality as you're going to get with a full DSLR but waaaay more compact (will fit into a Pelican 1010 case easily) -- as they say, "the best camera is the one you have with you", and even in a case this is small enough to take on most trips. It's now replaced by the essentially-the-same Canon S95. If you like the idea of a compact with full control and better-than-typical-point-and-shoot picture quality, it's worth considering.

[Steven Johnson]

Possibly-useful comparative review of the Lumix LX-5, S95, and Nikon P7000: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q42010h ... pactgroup/

[harrym]

The magnificent Rollei 35......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollei_35

[self-deleted_user]

eeeee it's so tiny and cuteeeeeeeeeee!