My dad recently asked me why I generally carry a four-year-old camera, the Leica Digilux 2 (D2), when I have several more recent bodies to choose from. Clearly I am not alone. The Leica D2 and its Panasonic clone, the LC1, continue to find themselves in the hands of photographers who own much newer and more expensive equipment. Despite known sensor susceptibility to failure, these cameras also command a very high cost on the used market considering their age. They are 5 megapixel cameras, only go up to ISO 400, take about 5 seconds to buffer a RAW image, and don't autofocus very quickly. Why then do we carry them? Some love the appearance, feel, controls, and optically-great DC Vario Summicron lens. I carry it for the following reasons:

- 28-90mm (equivalent) is a nearly perfect focal length range for my general needs.
- With its relatively large (2/3") sensor, the D2/LC1 can achieve some nice portrait background blur at 90mm and f/2.4.
- The f/2-2.4 zoom is nice and fast.
- The relatively large pixel pitch makes for good dynamic range and tone separation.
- The noise at higher ISO values has a more pleasing quality than that of any other small-sensor digital camera I have tried.
- There's something about a mechanically-linked zoom that just feels right.

No small-sensor digital camera currently made can replace this one in my kit. Until now, no cameras with larger sensors and an equivalent zoom range have been compact enough to replace it. None are as quiet, which is another thing I appreciate about the D2. I do have my eye on the new Olympus E-410 with kit lens, which looks to be a viable alternative in most respects. If you are interested in learning more about the Digilux 2, I recommend the following two reviews:

http://photo.net/equipment/leica/digilux2/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/leica-digilux2-part1.shtml