Setup
The Digilux came as a complete set. The camera was included with: a USB-to-mini USB cable (not the more common A- to B-type) that is used for image transfer to a computer; a CD with image filing and editing software; an 8MB SmartMedia card for image storage; and two NiCd rechargeable AA batteries with a charger. The CD includes specific-use file managing software called Exif Viewer, as well as DP Editor, a print-order manager, and Adobe Photoshop 5.0 Limited Edition.
Appearance
The Digilux is similar in appearance to most other digital cameras; a relatively small body, with a decent-sized LCD screen on the back and smallish buttons. About 5" tall, 4" wide, and 1.5" thick, it fits in your hand relatively well. The case seems to be made of metal or some metalloid plastic; it is decently hefty, making it feel solid and professional. The placement of controls is relatively ergonomic, with the main shutter/action button being in the same place as on a normal camera - on the top right, near the optical viewfinder. All the shooting and menu navigation functions are used via a smaller one-color LCD window with four directional buttons. Images are stored on an included 8MB SmartMedia card - a small, wafer-thin storage device. The card is accessible through a small door on the side of the camera. A ring-switch around the main shutter button allows different camera settings, including auto/manual mode, video mode, portrait/landscape modes, and night scene, among others.
Performance
Leica has positioned the Digilux as a high-resolution digital camera suited for any application. It most certainly gets the job done well, while being fun and easy to use.
The Digilux could not have been easier to set up and use. Some of the controls are very intuitive, and those that are not are clearly labeled. After pressing the power key, the user is greeted with a "Hello!" message in the navigation window, backlit in either orange or green (more on this later). After a few seconds, the camera is ready to use. Two main modes are available - capture and playback. When in playback mode, the navigation window is backlit in green; while in capture/camera mode, the navigation window is in orange. This makes it extremely easy to see if the camera is ready to shoot.
The camera has three main resolution modes: 640x480, 1280x960, and the high-quality 4.32 million pixels of 2400x1800. The high resolution is impressive, to say the least. Even with the camera on full zoom, images of this quality can be enlarged to show detail that never would have been expected - all without becoming grainy or pixellated. However, for almost any use (in fact, nearly every use) the 1280x690 resolution is the most useful. The quality difference between that and the 2400x1800 is not very noticeable for most applications, and the file sizes are much smaller. This means more pictures can fit on the storage card, and fewer trips back to the computer to transfer files.
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