Performance, Image Quality & Value

Leica D-Lux 4 review – Performance

In use the D-Lux 4 is a pleasure to shoot with. The three autofocus options are easy to jump between and the manual focus – although there’s no focus ring on the lens – is easy to adjust with the rear buttons and optional on-screen auto-magnification options. Those hoping for a viewfinder will have to fork out around £200 extra for a fixed 24mm optical viewfinder that, while delightful for the fixed wide focal length, is otherwise a great expense for relatively limited use beyond the widest angle setting. The AF itself, considering the speed at which cameras are being tweaked and updated these days, isn’t above and beyond the usual order. It’s good, but it will hunt a bit before attaining final focus due to the contrast-detect system employed.

Leica D-Lux 4 review – test sample image gallery – click for full size

The lens is excellent, with notably sharp results that outperform a considerable number of rivals. With an available aperture of f/2.0 at the wide end (down to f/2.8 at full extension), the creative control is there for shallow depth of field control (enhanced beyond the average compact thanks to sensor size) or making the most of low-light scenarios. The lens isn’t lightning-fast, though. Transition between focal lengths is smooth, but an extra kick of speed wouldn’t go amiss. Also, for some, the limitation of 24-60mm may be outside the work ethic that’s of interest. Of course, many traditionalists will be used to using a fixed 50mm or wideangle lens, in which case the D-Lux 4 provides ample coverage, though won’t satisfy all prospective buyers.

The clarity of the LCD screen is considerable, with punchy colours and relatively low-lag response when moving or panning.

It’s hard to find much to complain about overall, though slight improvements and enhancements would help the D-Lux 4 raise its game above and beyond some of the competition elsewhere in the market.

Leica D-Lux 4 review – Image Quality

Many traditionalists will be happy to keep to a low-mid ISO sensitivity setting, with ISO 80-100 providing very smooth results. ISO 200-400 is still successful, though above this colour image noise creeps in incrementally. From ISO 1600 and above, luminance noise becomes quite significant too, limiting the ability to reproduce detail as successfully due to interference – though this is much like other competitors’ high-end compacts. Quality is still of a high-level, though.

Leica D-Lux 4 review – test sample image gallery – click for full size

One contentious issue many photographers raise is the comparative image quality between the D-Lux 4 and Panasonic’s LX3. Many users suggest that the Leica’s different processing algorithm sharpens images better when processing Jpegs. However, in this test, images revealed themselves to be nigh-on identical, and the high lens quality of both cameras means that the images are successfully sharp anyway.

For Raw file processing, the excellent Phase One Capture One 4 software comes boxed up with the Leica, a further nod towards its pro-level spec and respect for quality from conception, to build quality, right through to the post-processing stage.

Leica D-Lux 4 review – Value

Leica is akin to the ‘designer label’ of the camera world. Some people may regard them as overpriced where others are immediately sold on the badge alone. Either way, the D-Lux 4 isn’t a devastating bank-breaker, nor a casual purchase. It draws a lot of comparison to Panasonic’s LX3 which is, for the most part, the very same camera for around half the price. Of course, Leica products do have extended warranties, and higher re-sale values than competitor brands should you happen to ever sell on. Not monetarily accessible to all, yet undeniably gorgeous and, on the badge alone, worth the money to many buyers.