Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) Review

Shooting, Drive and Flash Modes

The D-Lux has a classical control layout. The aperture is set by an aperture ring and the shutter speed by an old-fashioned shutter speed dial:

The combination of how the aperture ring and shutter speed dial are set determines the shooting mode: 

Aperture
ring set to
Shutter speed
dial set to
Shooting
mode
Effect
A A Program Camera sets the exposure
Any f-stop A Aperture Priority You set the aperture,
camera sets a matching shutter speed
A Any shutter speed Shutter Priority You set the shutter speed,
camera sets a matching aperture
Any f-stop Any shutter speed Manual You set aperture and shutter speed

Additionally, the D-Lux features a manual exposure compensation dial that clicks in 1/3 EV stops from -3 EV to +3 EV. The aperture ring is also calibrated in 1/3 EV increments, whereas the shutter speed dial is calibrated in full EV stops.

The extended shutter speeds (longer than 1s or shorter than 1/4000s) are set by the front or rear control ring (can be configured otherwise).

This layout is easy to use. Having the shutter speed dial on the top plate is a bit slower in use than an e-dial like on a DSLR, but changing the shutter speed manually isn't the operation that is done the most so it isn't an issue in our view.

In Program mode the program line can be altered with the rear command dial (i.e. the shutter speed/aperture combination set by the camera can be altered while maintaining the exposure value unaltered).

In addition to the above, there is a fully automatic setting where the camera analyzes the scene and exposes correspondingly. In this mode the shutter speed dial and aperture ring are disabled and many other settings are also unavailable. Exposure compensation is available. This automatic scene detection mode is engaged with the "A" button on the top plate.

The following scene modes are possible:

  • Portrait
  • Scenery
  • Macro
  • Night Scenery
  • Handheld Night Shot
  • Food
  • Night Portrait
  • Baby
  • Sunset

If none of these scenes is detected then a general program mode is used.

Notes on Handheld Night Shot

Rather than using a long shutter speed which would cause blur, the camera takes multiple exposures with a short shutter speed, aligns and combines the exposures into one image. When the camera selects this scene mode (upon half press of the shutter button), the display will indicate how many shots will be taken so that you can be prepared to hold the camera steady long enough. When the shutter is pressed all the way, the shots are taken in rapid succession. The subsequent merge of the images is surprisingly fast, the D-Lux clearly has a quite capable processor.

This sample required six exposures. The stacking of the images works well, but the result is marred by the high ISO of 3200 combined with aggressive noise reduction. Unfortunately, the sensitivity cannot be adjusted manually in the scene modes, nor can the upper limit for auto ISO be changed. Click image to enlarge.

Drive Modes

The drive mode menu is accessed via the "down" button on the four-way controller. These are the options:

Burst mode can be set to 40, 11, 7, or 2 fps. In the two fastest modes, live view is disabled during the capture. Buffer size is 20 RAW (RAW not available in the 40 fps burst mode) and limited by card size only for JPGs except for 40 fps, where the limit is 60 images.

Exposure bracketing can be set to take 3, 5, or 7 shots 1/3 EV, 2/3 EV or 1 EV apart. This is more than an ample selection of settings for serious HDR shooting (there is an option for in-camera HDR shooting in the record menu. That option is limited to three exposures, but can stack the images automatically).

The selection of drive modes leaves nothing to be desired.

Flash Modes

Flash settings are controlled from the Record Menu and can only be accessed when the external flash is mounted.

The flash output can be controlled in two ways:

  • TTL: The camera's meter sets the flash output
  • Manual: The user sets the output. The settings go from full (1/1) to 1/64th of full in 1/3 increments

There are five flash modes:

  • Forced on
  • Forced on with red-eye reduction
  • Slow sync. (balances exposure of fore- and background when the latter is dark)
  • Slow sync. with red-eye reduction
  • Forced off

Red-eye reduction is available under TTL control only. Slow sync is only available in P and Av exposure modes. Flash control and mode cannot be set in the fully automatic exposure mode. Here, the camera determines whether to use the flash and in which mode. The synchronization can be set to fire the flash just as the shutter closes ("2nd curtain sync.") in the record menu.

We found exposure when using TTL control very accurate as witnessed by this sample shot in P exposure mode:

The only issue with using the small flash is that the camera is quick to boost the ISO to achieve sufficient range which adds noise. It is not the issue in the above image, though, where the camera just called for an ISO of 800.

Verdict on Shooting Modes

The D-Lux has all the shooting modes one would expect and they are convenient to set with the classic control layout. We don't see much need for the fully automatic scene modes given the audience for this camera other than the "Handheld Night Shot" mode which makes hand held night shots perfectly possible. Regrettably, this mode will boost ISO to 3200, leading to visible degradation of image quality.

All conceivable drives modes are available and the traditional flash modes as well. The included external flash produces excellently exposed results. The only thing missing is Pentax-style "one push bracketing."


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