Leica Digilux 3 - the first digital 4:3 system Leica

The rest of my website - and my panorama page

Leica Digilux 3

This camera is the most "analog" digital camera I have ever used, with both a aperature ring and a shutter speed dial. if you are used to shooting film in the "old days" or like that way of working, this camera will work just the way you expect it to. maybe that is what really is the recipie of a Leica camera.?

For a growing selection of images captured with this camera take a look at my zenfolio gallery at www.bophoto.zenfolio.com

NEW - GeoTagging your picture with GPS location data

NEW - The RINGS are comming - now testing metal spacer rings for adapting Konica HEXANON lenses on 4:3 system cameras.

Split Screen Focusing with the KatzEye screen.
Using a aftermarket splitscreen for manual focusing of lenses, this works with both the Leica, Olympus and generally any Manual lens you can mount on the camera.

NEW - how to make a home-made cable release or connect your camera to a timer

- Olympus 150mm f 2.0 -

- Olympus 50-200mm f 2.8 -

- Leica Digilux 3 with Olympus 8mm f 3.5 -

The 8mm really is dramatically wide, about 180 degrees FOV diagonally, the pictues here was photographerd with the camera aboud 18 inches from the window. for reference I did two shots with the Leica "KIT" lens the 14-50mm all 3 pictures was captured from the same position and is shown full frame. I am making up a panorama bracket for the 8mm so I can use it for spherical panorama photography.

Split Screen
Focusing
Aid

Other
Non system
Lenses

It was with a big grin that I put on my nikor 300mm and started taking pictues which before would have required a 600mm, honestly the 4:3 system really become very meaningful once you pop some big glas on the camera, the weight and size savings become significant. It would be great if I could autofocus the nikor 300mm, but I can't it would be great if they would make a autofocusing lens extender like Minolta did long time ago. mostly because with the shallow dof on 300mm the focus is so critical that I miss quite often. The big glass is fun, but I also found my old Nikon nikkor 50mm to be a very cool portrait lens with a minimal depth of field at f. 1.4

Its worth noting that these "Non 4:3" legacy lenses have a very large rear lens and therfore a lightpath made for fullframe 35mm cameras... in order to get the full fun of using these, you MUST make a baffle and install this at the end of the lens, I cut a piece of cardboard and put it in the lens adaptor, this cuts the stray light and significantly increases the contrast from these lenses. This is practically speaking a round disk of black cardboard cut with a rectanular hole in the center, the hole is cut to the rough dimentions of the mirrorbox.

- Nikkor 300mm f 4 -

- Leica Digilux 3 with Nikkor 50mm f. 1.4 -

Pictures - Comming soon

Leica users forum - digital - great place for all information about the D3

Olympus 4:3 system website - all pieces compatible with 4:3 will work on your Leica Digilux 3

Thoughts about the cousin the L1 by Andrzej Wrotniak, I have beena big fan of his since we started comunicating in the early days of the Olympus E-10 - He give you a good idea what this camera is all about.

Lens Adaptors - Stephen at Camera Quest sell very nice and clean adaptors for most major camera brand lenses, I purchased the one for Nikon and it works flawlessly.

Popular Photography - Review of the Panasonic L1 cousin of the D3

Camera labs - Another L1 review