I bought this camera at the same time I purchased a Canon xti (digital SLR). I had owned Canon before and was very pleased with the company.
I was VERY sure that I would keep the xti and sell the V lux 1. In fact I purchased several Canon lenses. Now that I have used both cameras for about year now, I have come to the conclusion that the V lux 1 takes better photographs.
First to all, the Leica has a very versatile lens that takes clear pictures with great color reproduction. The camera has IN BODY image stabilization that works very well. It has a zoom that is mechanical 35- 420 and incorporates an additional optical choice of 2x or 4x. This is a tremendous choice of range that works well.
The f-stops open up enough to get great photos indoors. The WB seems very accurate as well. It also has a quality lens.
If you are the kind of photographer who wants an all-in-one lens-camera choice that is light, easy to use and takes VERY good 10MP pics this one may be for you.
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You can certainly get a nice usable vintage Leica for $500 or less. However, you need to understand a few things before you choose one. Leitz made two different systems of 35mm rangefinder cameras.
The earlier system has a mount that accepts lenses that screw into the camera body (what we call 39mm screw mount, or LTM for Leica thread mount). They introduced this system in 1930 with the Leica I(C) model, and continued it well into the 1950's up to the classic Leica IIIg. Concurrently during the 1950's, Leitz introduced a new system that accepts lenses with a special bayonet mount (rather than screw in, the lens is placed against the mount lined up with a red dot and a quick quarter turn locks it in place).
This is known as the M bayonet system, which started with the superb Leica M3 and continues right up to the latest M8. Okay, for $500 you want to find a classic Leica that your fiance', who probably knows and appreciates the Leica mystique, can enjoy in his free time.
I'm talking hobby camera, not camera for his work, because a photojournalist today would be doing his job with the latest digital gear. No problem. You're on the right track looking at the Leica IIIf. It's a common model, with over 180,000 sold between 1950 and 1957, it accepts all the zillions of screw mount lenses Leitz made up to that time (and also early 39mm screw mount Canon, Leica V-LUX 1 10.1MP Digital Camera Nikon, and even many Russian made lenses), and there's always a bunch available on eBay.
I do not recommend the Leica IIIg; although it is a better camera, collectors keep it's price hovering in the $1000 range. I do not recommend some other common earlier models like the Leica III, IIIa, or IIIc; although they're equally common and readily available for less money, they are also just old enough to cause a lot of trouble and frustration. Among the screw mount models, the Leica IIIf is a great choice. Find one that work! Don't take a risk on an example that needs any sort of repair.
Look for one that has a bit of external personality (as long as there's no overt damage, a few rub marks or gentle dings are not a problem), the seller guarantees it all works, as it should. And the Leitz Summitry is a fine fast lens, but get the Elmer 5cm f3.5 instead if you can.
Forget the original box (collectors will PUSH the price for original boxes, but there's no advantage for you there), don't worry about a case (they fall apart, and they sometimes cause more damage to the camera because they hold in moisture), but do try to get a proper Leitz lens cap. This is your best bet for a usable vintage Leica in the $400-$500 range.
Now if you want to bend just a bit, and you'd like to explore those later M series cameras, you can probably get a 1960-ish Leica M2 with a superb Submicron 50mm f2 lens somewhere in the $500-$600 range. All the same thoughts apply in regards to condition, etc. The biggest advantage of the M series over the old screw mount series is that if your fiance' eventually wants to get a modern Leica (for work AND pleasure), any lenses he already has with the M2 would be interchangeable with the later camera.
The classic M3 is too desirable among collectors, the M1 has limited features, and you could consider stepping up for the M4 (actually it would have to specifically be the M4-2 because the original M4 has become quite collectible as well), but that model is the first of the "modern" designs. So there you have it, the Leica IIIf or the Leica M2, those are your best choices in your price range. Regarding your question about Leica values, in general, yes, all of them do increase in value.
The vast majority increases slightly ahead of inflation (over time, not right away), so not that terribly high, but certainly enough to equal money in the bank (and assuming you deal only in top condition). The historically significant models, and a few choice rare models, increase by much greater degrees, in some cases to the point of being ridiculous. Common models like the IIIf just seem to float along with the economy. So, in general, Leica cameras appear to be a good to excellent "investment".
Help answer the question about Leica V-LUX 1 10.1MP Digital Camera
What is the difference between Panasonics DMC-FZ50 10.1 MP 12X and the Leica V-LUX 1. 10.1MP 12X ZOOM?
I just cannot figure out the real diffence in these cameras except the $400.00 price tag difference. Is the Leica better in some way than the panasonic? Can someone please help me?
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I wanted a camera with a huge, non-telescoping optical zoom, excellent macro range, and the ability to take photos in low light. I work in dusty, sandy environments a lot, so I decided against an SLR–the Nikon I was replacing broke down because of excessive grit in the zoom mechanism despite daily cleaning, so I hate to think what would happen to a mirror-flipping mechanism. I read the reviews for this camera, here and elsewhere, and debated the Panasonic equivalent, but decided on the Leica both on sentimental grounds (I learned photographyon my mom’s 1940s Leica) and the fact that Leica tweaked the settings, and they know more about photography than Panasonic. I’ve now had the camera for about seven months and I’ve taken thousands and thousands of photographs. (A lot of reviews seem to me to be based on the first 24 hours.) I am very, very happy with it.
Outdoor photographs are wonderful, and the 16:9 ratio is great for landscapes. But that’s the easy part. The indoor photographs are great. (Most of these have been taken in museums and churches.) At first I noticed a lot of noise in low light situations, but after playing around with the settings for a while, I don’t seem to get it any more. Most important: Be sure to use Mode 2 Stabilization. Mode 1 only stabilizes a little, all the time; Mode 2 stabilizes only when the shutter is pressed. Using the self-timer also helps. In a pinch, you can use exposure compensation to take an underexposed photograph and then push it using Photoshop.
I like many things about this camera. The exposure compensation works beautifully, once you get the hang of it. It’s also fairly easy to switch formats (16:9, 3:2, 4:3). I’ve set up my own preferred profiles for various conditions, which makes it easy to switch a lot of settings at once (a church/museum setting without beeps, so people don’t glare at me). The viewfinder grid has saved me hours of straightening shots with Photoshop. And the manual is compact, well organized, indexed, and clear; it fits in my camera case. And the pictures I take with this camera just seem to glow.
The disadvantages are quite managable. I thought I’d lose the lens cap, but I haven’t; sticking it in my pocket means it doesn’t accidentally get in my shots. It’s sometimes hard to get the auto-focus to work at a high zoom, particularly in dim light, which can be quite frustrating. But with resolution like this, you can afford to back off a little. And it is big and heavy, but that will make me strong.
One always has a vested interest in liking a camera that one has paid a lot of money for, but I find I don’t even window shop for the newest cameras any more. I expect to use this one for another three or four years, at least.
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