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With regret I say good bye!

globalnomadic

globalnomadic

New Member
I have really enjoyed using the Ricoh R8, it helped me to take my photography to a new level. I would have liked to have moved on to a GR or GX, but alas the appeal of Leica was too much for me to resist.

Thanks to everyone who has been so hospitable on this forum, I wish you all the best in your future photography!

Many thanks for keeping such a friendly community!
 
Sad to hear you are leaving us! What Leica did you bought (M8/9 or X1)? There is no need to leave us for all! Don't hesitate to post some photos taken with it in our "open gallery"! I'm sure, many folks here would also like to hear your opinion about Leica image quality and user experience!

Enjoy your new camera and if you wish, check us from time to time ;)
 
Hi globalnomadic,

I seem to recall in an earlier post you were considering an X1?... and if I am right I'd be keen to hear your opinion on it.
Pavel is right - we do like to see posts of images in the Other camera section and no matter what you buy I'd be keen to see something from it.
Our friend and member DetailMan often drops by and posts something from his LX3, it always a pleasure to see his images.
 
thelps":325eu4dr said:
Our friend and member DetailMan often drops by and posts something from his LX3, it always a pleasure to see his images.
Click to expand...
Well, I'm glad that somebody (other than our friend Muddy, and perhaps a few occasional lurkers) enjoys them!
When you pull some good ones out of your new Panasonic DMC-GF1, I would be interested in seeing them ... :p
 
I would have liked to have moved on to a GR or GX, but alas the appeal of Leica was too much for me to resist.
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I would like to see one of your new "Leica" shots too. I`m also a new "Leica" fan, and forever a Ricoh`s fan since I bought the GRD2 (that I hope I`ll keep it with me for good). Here`s a sample of a timeless Leica quality, taken with a 3.9mp Leica Digilux 1, a lovely camera.
 

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I got a Leica D-Lux 4, cost effective step on to the Leica ladder. It is more usable than the X1, having a 24mm to 60mm zoom. Only beaten by the image sensor size.

I have enjoyed the journey to good quality compact cameras.

If anyone asks why I didn't get the Panasonic LX3, my answer is simple. Why get the Range Rover Evoque over the Land Rover Freelander - both eventually the same thing in different clothes and slightly different functions. It is all about taste at the end of the day.

My photos; http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnimages/s ... 427620840/
 
If anyone asks why I didn't get the Panasonic LX3, my answer is simple. Why get the Range Rover Evoque over the Land Rover Freelander - both eventually the same thing in different clothes and slightly different functions. It is all about taste at the end of the day.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with you. I would do the same thinking. They are "almost" the same, but...
 
Detail Man":1k90cl0m said:
When you pull some good ones out of your new Panasonic DMC-GF1, I would be interested in seeing them ... :p
Click to expand...

I hope you wont have to wait too long, but I will try to soon!
 
The DMC-GF1 with the G Series 20 mm F/1.7 pancake lens compared to your DMC-LX3 camera/lens system:

Hyperfocal Distance (the camera-subject distance to achieve full focus of the background behind the focal-plane) comparison:
DMC-LX3 = 1.27 Meter
DMC-GF1 (with G Series 20 mm pancake) = 11.74 Meters - a factor of 9.22 times greater than the DMC-LX3.

Note: While increasing the F-Number will result in only a direct (linear) increase in the Depth of Field,
increasing the camera-subject distance at closer distances (up to 3 Meters) will closely follow a "square-law"
(doubling the camera-subject distance will quadruple the Depth of Field). It's your best bet - and does not reduce
the amount of incoming light to the image-sensor (as does increasing the F-Number) whatsoever.

I used my Depth of Field program to calculate that the DOF for the DMC-GF1 with 20 mm pancake lens at F = 1.7.
This is the "object-space" DOF applicable when viewing with a 1080 pixel-height display screen at close viewing-range:

Approximately 15 cm at a sensor to focal-plane distance of 1.22 Meters; and

Approximately 30 cm at a sensor to focal-plane distance of 1.72 Meters.

It sure appears like you will want/need to crop portraits down from the 12 Mpixel full-frame in order to achieve (even) moderate Depths of Field.
This has to do with the pancake lens together with 20 mm actual-size Micro 4/3 image-sensors (also true for GXR A12, as well as the Olympus PEN E-P2).

As the DMC-GF1 (with the G Series 20 mm pancake) does not have any optical image stabilization implemented in that particular lens,
it seems that it is a good idea to keep the F-Number as low as possible (in order to maximize the Shutter-Speed for reduced camera-shake).

The DMC-GF1 "tonal-range" (signal/noise ratio) is good in JPG files up to ISO = 800 (so the corresponding RW2 recorded image-files should be a bit better, still).
 
Well I have been over to Online DOF calculator - http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html
and I figure if my subject is about 4ft away - a reasonable head/torso frame filling image (would this be agreeable for this lens?) then at f2.8

Subject distance - 4 ft
Depth of field
Near limit 3.55 ft
Far limit 4.58 ft
Total 1.03 ft

This gives me 1 foot DOF for the average head size front to back, with most in focus - locking on the eyes should give room for the nose back to the ears. Then from there the shutter/ISO combination have to fight it out for the ambient light EV value to yield what the sensor can do.
As DM had said previously there is no OIS on the GF1/20mm so maybe down to 1/15th or better is needed with a subject who is agreeable enough to stay still.
Although even at 1/15th you'd risk losing a good image so that would be the bottom floor for this camera. Does this add up for the GF1/20mm up you think?

Past this its invest in a flashgun and a good handle.
 
Tim,

That's in the range of the results that I get from my program [which calculates "object-space" DoF with a "circle of confusion" (CoC) of one pixel-width].

For a viewing display height of 1080 Pixels, and F = 2.8, my program yields:

Subject distance = 4.0 ft

Depth of field
Near limit 3.63 ft
Far limit 4.45 ft
Total 9.85 inches

Hyperfocal Distance = 38.82 ft

Minimum Shutter-Speed (to avoid camera-shake) = 40

At Shutter-Speed = 40:
With F = 2.8, the Minimum EV (ref. ISO 100) = 8.32
With F = 1.7, the Minimum EV (ref. ISO 100) = 6.85
___________________________________________

In comparison, here are the numbers for your DMC-LX3 (with the OIS providing 2 "stops" of image-stabilization):

For a viewing display height of 1080 Pixels, and F = 2.8, my program yields:

Subject distance = 4.0 ft

Depth of field
Near limit 2.38 ft
Far limit 12.40 ft
Total 10.01 ft

Hyperfocal Distance = 5.90 ft

Minimum Shutter-Speed (to avoid camera-shake) = 6

At Shutter-Speed = 6:
With F = 2.8, the Minimum EV (ref. ISO 100) = 5.58
With F = 1.7, the Minimum EV (ref. ISO 100) = 4.58
___________________________________________


The above comparison demonstrates the dramatic differences between the performance of cameras with image-sensors of size on the order of 1/1.7 Inches
(1/1.63 Inches in the case of the DMC-LX3) as compared to (all of the) "Micro 4/3" cameras using 20 mm "pancake" lens-systems ... :p
 
Panasonic 20 mm F/1.7 ASPH LUMIX G - DoF

Tim,

(I assumed, from your units used) that Feet/Inches is your preference ... My program outputs that, so it made these calculations straightforward.
Here are two DoF tables for the Panasonic 20 mm F/1.7 ASPH LUMIX G lens (with a 12.93 mm active sensor-height for the DMC-GF1).
This is "object-space" DoF using a circle Circle of Confusion based on the active sensor height and the vertical height of display pixels.
It is based on a 1x1 Pixel uncertainty, and assumes that the image is viewed close-up (as one can focus) by a 1080 pixel-height display.
It is somewhat conservative (relative to DOF Master DoF results) because it imposes a somewhat more rigorous standard for calculating DoF.
Note: Sensor to focal-plane distances (D) are in Feet. Output data is in Feet (or Inches).

F = 2.8 (Hyperfocal Distance = 38.82 Feet)

D=1---0.58"
D=2---2.40"
D=3---5.48"
D=4---9.85"
D=5---1.29'
D=6---1.88'
D=7---2.59'
D=8---3.42'
D=9---4.38'
D=10---5.49'

(If you have enough light to allow for a Shutter-Speed of 40 or greater at an acceptable ISO Sensitivity),
this interactive "applet" shows that the "lens-blur-index" for the lens-system appears to be near minimum at F = 5.6:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/zproduct ... loader.htm
which is part of the entire lens review at SLR Gear:
http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/showprod ... 295/cat/67
(The active sensor height is likely nearly identical on the DMC-GF1 as on the Olympus PEN EP-1)

Panasonic (as do all marketing behemoths) has such a nice way of framing the limited Depth of Field:
"The new LUMIX G 20mm ƒ/1.7 ASPH. features a dramatic compactness and light weight
despite its ƒ/1.7 brightness allowing a beautiful soft focus for photos to be even more impressive."

So (given sufficient light/ISO for S => 40), you might prefer the rather improved performance of:

F = 5.6 (Hyperfocal Distance = 19.44 Feet)

D=1---1.16"
D=2---4.84"
D=3---11.16"
D=4---1.69'
D=5---2.72'
D=6---4.06'
D=7---5.75'
D=8---7.87'
D=9---10.54'
D=10---13.91'

Note that a sensor to focal-plane distance of 8 Feet yields a DoF of (approximately) 8 Feet ... :p
 
Leica is a great brand, their optics are great. But I feel the GR lenses , especially the A12 are just as good, if not superior in other applications. Far more affordable, and they designed the UI very well for users who are serious photographers. Leica has a good UI as well, but you're spending much more money for it. I will probably never buy one just because I feel that they are over priced. Good luck with your new camera!
 
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