No one can deny the beauty of a Leica camera and, with its distinctive body shape and stylish build, the D-Lux 4 gives enthusiastic photographers a chance to get their mitts on a functional digital compact with as much sophistication as a vintage 35mm.

The Leica D-Lux 4 is a satisfying camera to unbox. Over £500 may seem a little pricey for a compact digital camera, but it's pleasing to see Leica has included some thoughtful accessories including a branded, detachable lens cap as well as a leather-look strap. There are plenty of other accessories available for this particular camera, too, including a dedicated flashgun for a bit more oomph (this compact comes complete with a hot-shoe), a separate eyepiece so you don't have to rely on the 3-inch LCD screen and a purposely-designed leather case with shoulder strap.

Leica has managed to pile an awful lot of controls and functions onto a relatively small body. Measuring 108 x 59.5 x 27mm and weighing around 228g with card and battery (that's quite a lot heavier than most compacts) there are plenty of functions that prove handy for quick, manual adjustments and help complete that retro look. As well as dedicated controls on the lens to adjust the focussing mode between Auto Focus, Auto Focus Manual and Manual it also includes an Aspect Ratio control at the top of the lens (the D-Lux 4 is capable of capturing 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9 ratios).

Just underneath where the left forefinger sits there's a small slide control. Move this to the left and a hidden internal flash pops up. From the front this looks fantastic and would be guaranteed to turn a few heads.

Keen photographers who thrive on capturing more artistic photographs than snapshots will be pleased to find the Leica DC Variod-Summicron lens offers scope for a pleasing amount of depth of field. Capable of opening up to f2.0-2.8, the generous aperture range allows for more creative compositions. It's even possible to open up to f/2.8 with the lens at full zoom.

The optical 2.5x zoom lens is operated by a dedicated control that surrounds the camera's shutter button. Although it's relatively smooth, this proves a little noisy if you're in shooting in quiet conditions. It's also worth noting that it's not possible to zoom in or out when capturing video (which is stored in Quicktime Motion JPEG format).

There are plenty of shooting modes to have fun with on the Leica D-Lux 4. As well as the more traditional Portrait, Sports and Scenery modes you can have a bit of fun with the quirkier options such as Pin Hole mode, or add artificial Film Grain, or optimise the shots for taking an aerial photo when travelling on a plane.

With a dedicated shooting control on the top of the camera body it's easy to shift between auto mode and having a bit more control over shots in Program, Manual or Aperture/Shutter Speed-priority mode. If you find yourself falling back on similar shooting modes you can set a number of custom-saved modes for quick access to your favourite settings. Alternatively, you can jump straight to dedicated Scene modes quickly using the control dial.

The camera's menu system is pretty straightforward and easy enough to navigate and, with a separate Quick Menu directional control button, it's easy to adjust aperture and shutter speed when you're in Manual Mode.

In low light, the camera's Stabilizer mode proved to be useful and effective. Normally these features are something of an empty gesture, but we were pleased to see that with this switched to Auto we were able to get sharp results with a handheld, slow shutter setting. We also loved the fact that it was possible to view an on-screen histogram (something that's normally only available on chunkier 'prosumer' models) as it helped us to check picture exposure, even in brighter outdoor conditions when it was a bit too dazzling to check the actual image on screen.

It's not uncommon for stylish cameras - with plenty of attention given to body design or special functions - to fail when it comes to image quality. However, Leica hasn't formed a dedicated following through style alone. Although it traditionally has its roots in film, the digital stills captured on the D-Lux 4 are very pleasing. Its ability to take low light shots without firing the flash is a particular bonus and we were happy to see noise levels nicely under control and rich images with charismatic tonal quality.

Unfortunately, although we loved the mechanics behind the internal flash, it proved too harsh for low light indoor shots, even with it set to soft using a dedicated Night Portrait mode. Instead, we had much better success keeping the internal flash down and opting for high sensitivity.

Motion JPEG proved to be the least useful feature, with poor video and sound quality. With most compact cameras now offering photographers the chance to capture video, this felt as if it was thrown in as an afterthought.

Verdict
The Leica D-Lux 4 is a beautiful compact camera, ticking all the style boxes with some lovely, thoughtful design elements and accessories to boot. It offers an impressive amount of manual control considering its size and copes well in challenging low-light conditions. Macro shots are particularly pleasing thanks to a shallow aperture of f/2. Image quality is good, although we found the internal flash to be far too harsh even in soft mode. Unfortunately its dedicated video mode is poor; instead we suggest spending more time playing with the generous selection of creative scene modes. Assuming you want to spend this much money on a compact camera, of course.

Company: Leica

Contact: 01908 256400

Tags: digital camera leica camera film grain aspect ratio liquid crystal display motion jpeg flash (photography) zoom lens