Leica
August 5th, 2010 by D-Photo
Tim Grey drools over Leica’s latest rangefinder
Leica is synonymous with quality. Associated with the Magnum school of documentary photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa, Leica’s M-series of 35mm rangefinder cameras emphasised simplicity, discretion and reliability. But Leica struggled to maintain its relevance in the early 21st century, where technological advances began to undermine the brand’s reputation for excellence.
The company had always been stoical, if not stubborn, in adhering to its idea of design, and its cameras outwardly changed very little after the 1950s. Leica’s first digital rangefinder, the M8, wasn’t exactly welcomed with cheers, following serious issues with image 
quality. But after four years of headscratching, there’s a team of German engineers who might be listening for the sound of applause.
Announced late last year, the M9 might look identical to its forebears, but the addition of a full-frame, 18 megapixel sensor and a dual processor make Leica’s latest a significant step in the rangefinder evolutionary chain.
Build quality is, as expected, near perfect. In terms of simplicity of form, quality of materials, durability, strength and careful manufacturing, there’s nothing to fault on the M9.
Although the camera’s design was invented before the word ‘ergonomic’ entered the lexicon, the M9 and your hands were meant to be together. There are no dedicated grips or moulded handles because there don’t need to be; the bevelled corners and subtly rough trim provide enough purchase
There’s a compelling reason the camera is identical to the Leicas of yore: they’re beautiful.
The M9 comes in the standard black trim found on the previous model, but there’s also a titanium ‘steel grey’ option that hard-out Leica fanatics will be unable to resist.
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December 17th, 2009 by D-Photo
Gary Pearce examines Leica’s top-of-the-line digital projector
Diversity, it seems, is key to business survival. McDonald’s has added chicken salads and flat whites to its menu of burgers and fries, while giant Korean electronics company LG has teamed up with the Italian fashion gurus at Prada to develop a new range of mobile phones.
And now the pioneer of photography has entered the large-format display sector with a projector designed for photographic exhibitions.
The new Leica Pradovit D-1200 is a DLP design, a technology well regarded for image quality and the ability to produce better than average black-level performance compared with LCD.
The Pradovit D-1200 made its debut at last year’s Photokina trade fair and provided a major talking point. Essentially, the D-1200 is a slide projector with state-of-the-art optics and outstanding image quality, combined with high-resolution digital video capability. No wonder tongues were wagging following its introduction.
Resolution is a handy 1920 x 1200, giving an aspect ratio of 16:10 that is close to the 35mm format invented by Leica. Texas Instruments developed the single-chip DarkChip DLP light engine specifically for the Pradovit, while Leica’s Vario-Elmarit-P f2.8-3.1/33-42mm high-speed lens promises image widths of up to 9.5 m. With projection distances of one to 15 metres, the D-1200 is perfectly formed for large-scale photographic duties.
Brightness is a claimed 2000 ANSI lumen (1400 in photo mode), so it will work well in most situations where ambient light is present.
Getting Connected
There is a raft of connectivity options, too. HDMI 1.3a and DVI-D are on board, as well as two VGA (allowing up to WUXGA resolution), while the mandatory composite/YPbPR and YCbCR
Component/S-Video make up the video connectivity numbers. Both LAN and USB inputs complete the computer options, while separate RS232 input and output and a handy 12v trigger make the Pradovit a cinch for custom installation.
Lightweight magnesium casework has been used for maximum durability, and while the Pradovit won’t win any awards for beauty, the quality of componentry and Leica’s superior optics produced images that upheld the company’s fine reputation.
On The Screen
After connecting the Pradovit to my Mac, it was fed a consistent diet of high-resolution TIFF and RAW image files. After a small amount of tweaking in the image menu (in the search for a neutral grey), I was quite amazed by the resolution and natural quality of the files I saw on screen.
The greens and autumnal oranges in landscape shots were extremely realistic, while the 16 x 10 resolution of the Pradovit made each image jump off the screen, but not in an artificial or enhanced manner. Digital noise was pretty much non-existent, making the Pradovit a class leader compared with any of the DLP displays I have experienced to date.
Moving to HD video produced similar results, with content from Blu-ray disc proving a satisfying experience. However, the D-1200 is not to be lumped in with the cheaper hi-res home theatre projectors; it is a serious exhibition projector first and foremost — with a price tag to match.
CONCLUSION
Leica’s new Pradovit D-1200 should be on the shopping list for any photographer wishing to display his or her work on a massive scale. The quality of its imagery will not fail to impress, and although expensive, it provides a window into the photographer’s subject without even breaking sweat.
LEICA PRADOVIT D-1200 DIGITAL PROJECTOR – SPECS
Type: DLP
Lens: Leica Vario-Elmarit-P
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Engine: DMD single chip with Texas Instruments DarkChip
Contrast Ratio: 2500:1
Brightness: 2000 ANSI Lumen (1400 ANSI lumen in photo mode)
Operation Noise: 28dB (low lamp mode)
Connections: HDMI 1.3A, DVI-D, component, S-Video, Composite, VGA x 2 (max WUXGA resolution), RS232 in/out, 12v trigger
Lamp Life: 3000 hours
Dimensions: 300 x 104 x 268mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 3.6kg
CONTACT:
info@lacklands.co.nz
Pros
- Beautiful image quality
- Ruggedly built for durability
- Good light output for a typical exhibition installation
Cons
- It is a serious investment
Design 16
Performance 18
Features 20
Image Quality 19
Value for money 16
TOTAL 89/100
This article if from D-Photo issue 31.
October 1st, 2009 by D-Photo
Phil Hanson goes wide with Leica’s new compact and says it delivers pictures a pro would be pleased with.
Most of today’s compact digitals are good at pulling in reasonably distant objects with the ‘long’ end of their lens but suffer at the other end of the zoom range, where some cannot even offer a modest 35mm full-frame equivalent.
That’s fine for many photographers who can’t or don’t want to get close to the action, or who like a nice telephoto effect for their portraits. But the market hasn’t been kind to those who like to take photographs in the thick of things, or who enjoy the visual impact of wide panoramas.
Leica’s D-Lux 4 embraces the needs of wide-angle enthusiasts, offering a genuine 24mm full-frame equivalent view. And it goes one step further, with an optional 24mm optical viewfinder that slides into the hot shoe.
DÉJÀ VIEW
The D-Lux 4 replaces the similar looking and well regarded D-Lux 3 but there are many changes to what at first seems like a familiar camera. For example, the D-Lux 3 zoomed to an equivalent 112mm whereas the newcomer stops at 60. The D-Lux 3 didn’t have a hot shoe. But most important, the D-Lux 4 takes better pictures, if only because of less noise at higher ISO. The earlier camera was starting to get noisy at 400 ISO; now, 400 is fine and 800 quite usable.
Two things that haven’t changed are the quality feel of a well-built product and its good handling. I’m somewhat clumsy but the D-Lux 4’s controls, though small, are so well positioned that I never hit the wrong button, something I can say about few compacts.
WIDE PRIDE
The DC Vario Summicron lens offers an aperture of f2 to f2.8 and performs well wide open across the zoom range. Those who buy the D-Lux 4 for its wide view will be pleased by the low distortion and vignetting. Adding icing to the wide-angle cake is the ability to switch to a 16:9 picture format, in which the effective resolution drops to nine megapixels instead of the 10 in 4:3 format. I’m going through a 16:9 junkie phase, so that’s where I pretty much left it.
ON THE GO
Unfortunately, the D-Lux 4 is just a little too big to carry in a shirt pocket, but would be fine for a jacket or bag, meaning it can still be a constant companion.
Leica allows users to have full manual control, or you can just click it into Program and let it work on your behalf. This became my favourite mode because settings can be tweaked to suit your needs.
An easy alternative is using the various Scene modes, ranging from soft skin to film grain; but because Murphy’s Law says you always have the wrong scene selected for the picture that needs to be taken, I abandoned it in favour of Program.
CONCLUSION
Many compacts only produce pictures in JPEG format and there’s no problem with that for many applications. But the D-Lux 4 also shoots RAW, which allows a huge range of adjustments in post-processing and is favoured by professionals.
It’s when burying your head in the pixels during RAW processing that the stellar performance of the D-Lux 4 becomes apparent.
It’s no Leica M8, but costs a fraction of its big brother’s price and will produce images that are perfectly acceptable for the pro and keen amateur.
LEICA D-LUX 4 – Specs
- Effective pixels: 10.1 million
- Lens: DC Vario Summicron 5.1-12.8mm ASPH zoom (24-60mm full-frame equivalent) with image stabiliser
- Viewfinder: 24mm equiv
optional accessory
- Monitor: 3-inch TFT colour LCD
- Shutter: 60 sec-1/2000 sec
- ISO: auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
- Shooting modes: Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, 2 x custom modes, video
- Exposure metering: Multi-field, Centre-weighted averaging or Spot
- Focus modes: Autofocus, face recognition, AF tracking
- Flash: Auto, auto and anti-red-eye, long-time synchro and anti-red-eye, flash always, flash off, first/second shutter curtain
- Battery: Lithium-ion rechargeable or optional mains unit/charger
- Dimensions: 109 x 60 x 27mm (W/H/D)
CONTACT
Your nearest stockist
PROS
- Genuine wide-angle performance
- Optional manual adjustment for almost everything
- It’s got that red Leica dot
CONS
Somewhat pricey
Design 18
Performance 18
Features 18
Image Quality 19
Value for money 15
TOTAL 88/100
This article if from D-Photo issue 29.
