Leica DLUX 6 10-megapixel Digital Camera

Notwithstanding the limitations discussed below (short zoom, fussy menus, frustrating user's manual, etc.), this is a SUPERIOR compact camera for the photography hobbyist. In terms of construction, versatility, features, responsiveness, and photo quality, this camera is a winner. (The fact that this camera ships with an Adobe Lightroom license underscores that it is a serious piece of photographic equipment that is intended to yield images that will satisfy demanding, recreational photographers.) I think that the typical purchaser will be proud to own and to use this camera for many years to come.HOWEVER ...(1) Your money will be wasted on this camera if you are "merely" looking to buy an outstanding point-and-shoot camera. This camera is designed to please the enthusiast who will spend the necessary amount of time required to learn how to master its controls and menus, and who will take advantage of the post-production processes that are available in Adobe Lightroom. For some people, this type of commitment will not be appealing. For others, it will be very rewarding -- particularly if you save your images as RAW files. But let me say this: If you're not interested in learning to use Lightroom (or another sophisticated image processing program), then you are not going to get the most out of this camera. (Nevertheless, this camera shines as an easy-to-use point-and-shoot camera, if that's how you want to use it.)(2) The 222-page instruction manual is not exactly inscrutable ... nor is it a model of clarity. To use this camera to its fullest potential, you will need to refer to the instruction manual often ... and, when you do, you will need to put your thinking cap on to make sense of what you're reading.(3) For this price, I believe that the camera should have been equipped with an automatic lens protector. Dealing with the lens cap is no big deal, but I'd prefer not to deal with it at all.(4) The D-LUX 6's zoom lens has proven to be perfectly adequate for casual, daily photography, but I tote a Nikon D600 with a 28-300 zoom when I'm traveling/vacationing.(5) The flash is anemic. It's OK, but it could be better.(6) The relationships between the camera's menus and settings, and the reasons for the strange button assignments, are probably known only to Leica/Panasonic. They don't hinder your usage of the camera, but they don't help, either.Bottom line: This is an extraordinary camera that isn't much larger than a pack of cigarettes. And -- when you consider that it ships with an Adobe Lightroom license -- I believe that it is a fair value. (If you already own a copy of Lightroom, then I would suggest that you purchase the Panasonic DMC-LX7 camera instead.) After spending a lot of time with this camera, and capturing a couple of thousand images, I am totally pleased with its performance -- but I would have given it only 4-1/2 stars, if Amazon's rating system had allowed it, for the reasons above.On another note: I often use the optional, external viewfinder, which is an excellent and very useful accessory. It was a worthwhile purchase for me, but its price-to-value ratio is questionable. For the price of the D-Lux 6 ($800) plus the optional viewfinder ($400), you could buy a very nice, used Nikon D7000 and a new, Nikon telephoto lens.

The camera itself is lovely, but please be aware that this does NOT come with a license for Adobe Lightroom as implied by other customer reviews and customer FAQs when purchased through 'Another Deal Site'. You can find a similar deal WITH Lightroom from other sites. 'Another Deal Site' is misleading, and likely keeping the Adobe Lightroom licenses to resell separately.

This camera is ridiculously overpriced for what you are getting. I bought this camera hoping for a lightweight solution allowing creative control to shoot in raw. I took this camera and a canon elf that cost 1/4 the price. The photos taken from the camera that cost only $200 were just as nice and had a lot of creative options too, just no raw. I was so disappointed with this camera I don't even know where to start. Basically save your money and get a DSLR, or get a little compact camera and save your money. Lightroom can add creativity after the fact and there weren't even many creative modes to start with anyway and you are very limited on zoom too. Way overpriced from every angle I could think of.

I ordered a second Leica and it seems to work fine. However, the first Leica that I ordered was missing the latch that shuts the open/close mechanism. Furthermore, an inner metalic latch arrived loose and hard to place. I am not sure how to acquire the missing mechanism.

very compact and powerful!! very nice. can't ask for ore from a compact camera.I would recommend it. worth buying

I've owned both the LX5 and LX7 and found them both to be excellent cameras. The progression to the LX7 was a logical step for me, as these little guys suit my needs and you can produce some amazing images with them.I'd been contemplating the Sony RX100M II, and that camera is a beautifully built and well designed instrument, but there is just something about it that seems a slight bit removed from what a camera should feel like in my hands. That's my opinion, but it's the impression I've been left with after using one. Truly can produce images that rival a micro 4/3's in many ways, but there is just something about how the Sony line has always handled that feel less "photographic" to me. Again, my personal preferences.Here is some history, but I think it's important to my overall opinion of this camera. I've been making images for almost 40 years, many of them with Leicas and even Minolta. Back in the 70's and 80's, Minolta was chosen by Leica to partner, develop and produce some of it's designs in Japan. The Leica CL, the smallest M series Leica ever made and the early R series Leica SLR's were all manufactured by Minolta. Later, Minolta themselves produced their own rangefinder camera (the CLE) and their own small series of lenses, but in the Leica M mount. Why does this matter? Leica's reputation for durability and quality, as well as it's place in the history of photography are indisputable. Their cameras and optics are among the finest ever produced in the world of 35mm, but also photography as a whole. So to me, any company (such as Minolta....or Panasonic) that Leica would choose to partner with has a golden endorsement.Now, in my move to the DLUX 6 I just wanted a Leica. Plain and simple. I also convert every image I shoot with the LX7 to a .dng file, so my workflow stays unchanged. And, whether they've made changes to the .jpg processing or not has no significance to me. Did Panasonic say "hey if you design a lens for us, we can make some bodies for you, and we have an accord"? Was it a total collaboration? I don't really care. I like handling the Leica more, prefer it without the grip on the right side. Some of the controls are easier to read (especially the 4-way buttons on the back). I already own the LVF2. I enjoy the C1/C2 features, double the standard warranty, etc, etc. Never had to use Panasonic customer support, but Leica are excellent.So on the one hand, you can enjoy almost all of the features and benefits of a far less expensive camera in the LX7, or you can pay more and own the Leica. The value of the LX7 is clear, and perhaps that of the DLUX 6 is a little harder to quantify if reasoned in the functional sense of only the camera's feature set. But with the Leica I willingly paid a premium for the name, the history, the design tweaks and a few other things. It's all down to my personal preferences and individual taste and priorities.