What to do....What to do

[JoeDif]

For reaching a milestone with my employers I've been given the option of several gifts. Two of the options are:

1) Olympus E-520 with the 2 ket lens 14-42mm & 40 - 150mm

2) Leica D-Lux 4 compact camera

Since I currently use the E - 510 the 520 would be nice for the wireless flash capabilities. However I really like the portability of the Leica as an everyday carry around camera

I'm soooooo confused


Of course I can always go practical over fun and get a snow blower....

 

[MICKEY88]

For reaching a milestone with my employers I've been given the option of several gifts. Two of the options are:

1) Olympus E-520 with the 2 ket lens 14-42mm & 40 - 150mm

2) Leica D-Lux 4 compact camera

Since I currently use the E - 510 the 520 would be nice for the wireless flash capabilities. However I really like the portability of the Leica as an everyday carry around camera

I'm soooooo confused


Of course I can always go practical over fun and get a snow blower....

in another month you won't get much use out of a snowblower,,go for a camera.

 

[Icemann]

Pick any camera send it to me and I will use it and send it back when I'm done or the next time I see you. Problem solved

 

[wenrob]

Hmmn, I don't know much about either camera but I take it they are the same price range? Is the DSLR a minor or major upgrade? Does the Leica shoot RAW?

If the prices are comparable, the DSLR was a minor upgrade and the Leica shot RAW then that would be my choice as I could use something more portable to have in my bag at all times kind of thing.

If the DSLR was a considerable upgrade then I would get that, sell my current camera and buy myself a nice compact that shoots RAW.

 

[JoeDif]

Pick any camera send it to me and I will use it and send it back when I'm done or the next time I see you. Problem solved

Always thinking George!!!

 

[JoeDif]

Hmmn, I don't know much about either camera but I take it they are the same price range? Is the DSLR a minor or major upgrade? Does the Leica shoot RAW?

If the prices are comparable, the DSLR was a minor upgrade and the Leica shot RAW then that would be my choice as I could use something more portable to have in my bag at all times kind of thing.

If the DSLR was a considerable upgrade then I would get that, sell my current camera and buy myself a nice compact that shoots RAW.

Surprisingly on Adorama, the Leica has a higher price tag that the E520 by about $300.

The DSLR would only be a minor upgrade. The only major difference is the ability to remotely handle groups of external flashes.

The Leica does shoot RAW and has P A S M shooting modes.


At this point the only reason for me to get the DSLR would be so that I can give my current DSLR to my nephew who at 13 is about 10 times more talented with a camera than I am (although that isn't saying much )

 

[WDWFigment]

1) Figure out the market value of EVERY item offered by looking at completed auctions on eBay.

2) Get that.

3) Sell that.

4) Use that money to buy whatever you want.

Problem solved! I would be having the same dilemma right now if I weren't willing to go that route. Fortunately for me, the dummies at Westlaw made an iPod Touch not cost very many points. That iPod will become a new lens as soon as its profits are reaped!

 

[boBQuincy]

Any P&S with "Leica" on it is usually an overpriced Panasonic.

From Luminous Landscape:

What is essentially the same camera as the Panasonic LX-3 is also available as the Leica D-Lux 4. The differences between them appear to be the Leica red button badge rather than the Lumix name on the top right hand corner of the body. And....

And, oh yes, almost $400 difference in price. At the time of this writing B&H, for example, is selling the LX-3 for $463 and the D-Lux 4 for $849. How is the remarkable price differential justified? I'm not sure.

UPDATE:

According to a source within Leica here are some salient advantages to the D-Lux 4...

– a provided wrist strap rather than a neck strap (wow - a saving of about $7)
– Phase One Capture One 4 raw software instead of Silkypix (a smart move, but not worth that much once other third party appears)
– A two year warranty, vs Panasonic's 1 Year with 90 days labour (Humm. How about I just buy a second camera for the extra $400 if the first one fails? Seems like expensive insurance to me).

The bottom line on this is that while the Leica version might be worth an extra $100, to my mind it simply isn't worth an almost $400 premium.

 

[wenrob]

Any P&S with "Leica" on it is usually an overpriced Panasonic.

From Luminous Landscape:

What is essentially the same camera as the Panasonic LX-3 is also available as the Leica D-Lux 4. The differences between them appear to be the Leica red button badge rather than the Lumix name on the top right hand corner of the body. And....

And, oh yes, almost $400 difference in price. At the time of this writing B&H, for example, is selling the LX-3 for $463 and the D-Lux 4 for $849. How is the remarkable price differential justified? I'm not sure.

UPDATE:

According to a source within Leica here are some salient advantages to the D-Lux 4...

– a provided wrist strap rather than a neck strap (wow - a saving of about $7)
– Phase One Capture One 4 raw software instead of Silkypix (a smart move, but not worth that much once other third party appears)
– A two year warranty, vs Panasonic's 1 Year with 90 days labour (Humm. How about I just buy a second camera for the extra $400 if the first one fails? Seems like expensive insurance to me).

The bottom line on this is that while the Leica version might be worth an extra $100, to my mind it simply isn't worth an almost $400 premium.

Well then he should get Leica, sell it, buy the Panasonic LX-3 AND a new lens.

 

[wenrob]

Oh and I have seen your pics and think you're quite talented. Also the selfish part of me that always wants to add to her collection totally skipped over the part about your nephew, sorry about that...

 

[JoeDif]

Oh and I have seen your pics and think you're quite talented. Also the selfish part of me that always wants to add to her collection totally skipped over the part about your nephew, sorry about that...

Thanks

The perfect scenario would be get the Leica....sell the Leica

Use funds to upgrade to the E-620 or E-30 and give nephew my current camera

 

[Icemann]

You just got a new P+S this summer so do you really need another one?Get and sell the Leica and upgrade to the E-30 thats what you really want to do.You have been talking about getting it for awhile.I bet your nephew wouldn't care what kind of camera he got as long as Uncle Joe took him out shooting with him and helped him out with photography.Would the E-30 fit the style of photography you want to do

 

[Pugrpooh]

You couldn't talk him into giving you the E620 or E30, body only, instead of the 520 with the two lenses? That's what I would go for. If not, get the Leica and sell it to get the E30. I'm leaning towards the E30 myself, but I'm not going to upgrade my 520 for another 15 or 16 months. Then we'll see what models Olympus has.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If you upgrade, you know you have to go at least E30 or higher.

I would be tempted to get the dSLR w/ kits (or Leica if it's worth more), sell it, then with the money, upgrade to the E30 base, then pass along your E510 to your nephew.

Nice gift giving going on in your neck of the woods, btw.

Oh, and I'd probably wait the two weeks before I bought the E30 to see what Olympus has up their sleeve.

 

[JoeDif]

You couldn't talk him into giving you the E620 or E30, body only, instead of the 520 with the two lenses? That's what I would go for. If not, get the Leica and sell it to get the E30. I'm leaning towards the E30 myself, but I'm not going to upgrade my 520 for another 15 or 16 months. Then we'll see what models Olympus has.

The items are ordered directly from a 3rd party vendor catalog so there isn't any flexibility.

At this point I'm leaning to getting the Leica and selling it then upgrading to the E-30 body.

 

[Icemann]

Just looked the E-30 on-line nice camera I can see you smiling from here

 

[JoeDif]

Just looked the E-30 on-line nice camera I can see you smiling from here

BTW... I checked the ABD Alaska trip for your week,....looks like there is a waiting list now