Leica C-LUX 2 7.2MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

I really like this camera, but I'm dropping my evaluation to only 3-stars. It is lightweight and fits easily in a pocket or purse. The menus are intuitive, and the quality of the pictures taken is much better than anything I've seen from point-'n'-shoot cameras in the past. I even plugged it into my 42" television and projected the pictures I took in that format. I was amazed the even when blowing the image up to that size I still did not get any distoration or pixel loss.The one problem I have had is that for some reason it quit working about a month after I got it. And that is why it only got 4-stars. The lens all of a sudden refused to retract when I turned the camera off. And when I turned it on, the message I got was to turn it off and turn it back on again. That process cycled over and over. The camera is in the shop now.[EDIT - Jan 2, 2009] Well, I got it baack from the shop and took it on vacation with me in early November 2008. The camera functioned properly, and produced some exceptional pictures, mostly from a moving vehicle, since I was using my SLR when out of the car. Then, after returning home, it failed again in mid-December, for no particular reason. It hasn't been dropped or abused in any way. It just quit, so now I'm looking at another repair.Warrantee or not,the postage costs me money, not to mention the time it takes for repair, during which I don't have a small camera at my side. Eval dropped to 3-stars!!! Opps, I mean ***

A very nice camera; very easy to use intuitive interface - you'll rarely if ever need to use the handbook. Choose this or the D-LUX-3 over the cheaper look alikes.CLUX-2 has more pixels (7.2M vs 6M) is smaller in all dimensions, and lighter, but even so I preferred the C-LUX 1 - the interface was just easier to drive, and had a nicer feel to it. (examples: flash mode cycled through options, whereas the C2 requires you to go down a 2 layer menu; the rotary mode select wheel on the C2 doesn't have the end stops the C1 had - so you now have to look to check the mode you've selected).They should have just changed the sensor and kept everything else the same as the C-LUX1 - it was perfect.

I got this camera new and within the first day of use an issue came up. The mechanism to cover/uncover the lens was faulty. When I turn the camera the lens come out but remains covered. Sometimes it just opens halfway. I don't know if other owners have experienced the same problems, but considering how delicate is this mechanism, I imagine is a problem with the model in general. The area around the lens scratches easily, so consider it a warning if you're going to put this camera in your pocket. I wouldn't blame you because it's the perfect pocket size, but it's also a pricey camera. I'm not crazy about picture quality but could be because I have a far superior digital SLR. There's some (barely noticeable) distortion in the images which I attribute to lens size.

Only two of the accessoires were present: a batterycharger (US-standards, not European) and a little bag (both not original). No wires, no memory card...At first, the camera did not work at all.This was due to the battery (non original). A shopkeeper in Brussels discovered that it was broken.When I put in a new battery, everything was fine and I decided to keep the camera and not to return it.The seller was very polite and understanding, and even promised me to pay the new battery !

Great, compact camera with the right features that fit my needs. Supplier did an excellent job in packing and shipping the camera. I received it on time. I recommend them for others.

I am not technologically savvy, but I find this camera intuitive and easy. I take both family photos and art shots and have been pleased with the color quality and the range of options for manipulation. Worth the price for me.

Great compact camera. Excellent lens takes superb pictures.

I was hoping to find something different. Something better than the rest. Sometimes you just don't feel like the usual selection is good enough. I already had a Canon, everyone and their brother had a Nikon.I was thinking about the slim line Casio, but who wants to buy a Casio?So one late night / early morning I found this Leica. It looked different than the Canon/Nikon/Casio/Olympus and plus it had that little red badge on the front. I had to have it.I found a local dealer on the Leica website and the next day I bought it for the same price as Amazon.BTW, I knew there was a Panasonic version for half the price. I bought into the cosmetic of the Leica, the story, and that little red badge.Supposedly this model has different firmware than the Panasonic which gives your JPEG files a color palette similar to classic Leica cameras.It does not shoot in RAW.DesignThe look of this camera is gorgeous. It is very understated but an instant classic design. The build quality is also very good. It doesn't attract unwanted attention but once you put your hands on it you know it is a well built product.Ease Of UseThe button layout is nice. It is simple and clean with access to shortcuts for flash, exposure, self timer, and review.Choosing auto settings or manual mode is easy and the icons make sense.I wish there were shortcuts for shutter speed and ISO settings. To access those you have to get into the menu which is time consuming and cumbersome. PS most cameras are like that though.ErgonomicsIt is so small and thin that it is kind of hard to hold steadily. Definitely use the wrist strap because it has slipped out of my hands a few times.Picture QualityThis is very subjective. With good lighting I love the way my pictures turn out. Colors are very natural and not over saturated at all. It is very hard to get "tac sharp" shots with it but I don't think that is the point of a point and shoot.With average or difficult lighting this point and shoot really struggles. I hate using high ISO settings because anything over 400 has a lot of noise of this camera. The flash blows out the picture if you are less then 6 feet away. It isn't powerful enough in a dim room if you are more then 8 feet away. There are no controls to dial down the flash. To get a good picture with or without flash you spend a lot of time changing exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. There is a +/- 2 exposure control but the shutter speed can only be set to a maximum of 1 second in manual mode. ISO can be set from 100-1250 but again anything over 400 has a lot of noise. Using "simple mode" usually jacks up the ISO settings in dark rooms or uses the flash which is useless most of the time. You can get a good shot in a dark room or outdoors but it will take some time to set it up.ExtraIncludes a copy of Photoshop Elements which is a fun program to add effects to your photos.OverallIf you are thinking about this for outdoor day trips to the beach or mountains then this might be a good choice for you. If you want something to take to parties and nights out with your friends then you need to find something with better low light performance and a smarter auto mode. I don't regret buying it but it is not all that I hoped for considering Leica's reputation and premium price.