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This product was a complete letdown. Something I wouldn't have expected from something carrying the Leica name and price tag.
First I'll start with the positives. The case is made of very nice leather (or leather-like material). It feels good in the hand, and makes the very slippery body of the DLUX-6 much more manageable. It also has a nice firm raised area that acts as a grip, which greatly improves the handling of the camera, and negates the need to buy the optional handgrip accessory.
That is where the positive aspects of this case end for me. My first complaint about it, is despite it being labeled as black, and despite an email to Amazon customer service confirming it is black, the case is in fact a very light tan. It's not a deal breaker, color is not important to me at all, but it's annoying that the description is incorrect, and when I inquired about it, Amazon very confidently gave me absolutely false information. While I was able to easily overlook the color issue, there are far greater concerns I have with the item. For one, when the case is on, it blocks access to everything on the bottom of the camera. There is no way to access the battery or memory card, nor is there any way to use the tripod screw while the case is on. This wouldn't prove so mind boggling to me if the case were simple to install and remove, but it is not. To put the case on you have to remove any strap thats on the camera, this is because the case is made so it tapers toward the top, and holds itself to the body of the camera using its lugs. This becomes even more inconvenient if you use the lens cap tether included with the camera. Fiddling around with camera strap buckles has never been a favorite pastime of mine, but having to do it every single time I change the battery or change memory cards is absurd. For this reason alone, the case is completely useless to me, and will be returned.
If you are someone who is also put off by the inability to access the memory card, battery, and tripod mount, I suggest you check out the Gariz XS cases available on eBay. While they don't have a grip, and don't look as refined as the Leica product, they are very useable. Access to everything on the camera, and additional lugs on the bottom of the camera for using a shoulder strap make up for what the case lacks in style.
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Like the grip, but it's a pain to have to pull it off to get to the battery compartment or to the side where cords fit into the camera for downloading purposes. The strap goes through the holes in the sides to hold the protector on, so to change the battery, you have to pull the case down, get it past the strap and then try to get the battery in while holding all of it.
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The user design for this very well made and very protective case is poorly thought out. While the leather is thick and the inside padding a nice extra that I did not expect, the case has to be placed on the camera first and then the camera straps deftly threaded through the strap lugs of the camera to secure this case to the camera; otherwise this protective case will fall off. In theory this sounds good but when you want to remove the SD card or battery, you have to pry out the edges of the case and then slip it down the straps part way to access the SD card and/or battery. A pain in the a$$! This case would get five-stars and must-have recommendation if Leica put snap-on tabs to secure this case to the camera as they do with the protective half-case for the X2 camera. I can only offer a tepid recommendation to buy this protective case.
Honest reviews on Leica 18730 D-LUX 6 Protector (Black)
As most photographers do, I have a variety of cameras, lenses, bags, cases, straps, etc. I try all kinds of gear out and have settled on a few different configurations that are my "go to" setups for one purpose or another. For instance, the "go to" setup to shoot surfers at Rocky Point is totally different than the "go to" setup for weddings, or the "go to" setup for everyday point-and-shoot photography.
This half-case with the Leica is my "go to" setup when I'm not carrying a full camera bag with me and photography is an afterthought for the event--not the primary purpose of the event (for instance, if I'm bringing a camera along to a dinner out with friends, I take the Leica in this case with one spare battery in my pocket--if you're reading this review, you probably know the lux6 eats batteries). In this configuration, I use a wrist tether only.
This way, I can pull the left-hand side of the case off the body and away from the camera to get access to the battery/memory card door. I leave the right-hand (grip) side of the case essentially still connected to the camera with the wrist tether cord still connected. I don't use a lens cap because I have a UV lens cover over the "real" Leica glass. Configured in this way, I'm able to make battery changes (or memory card changes, if necessary) very easily.
The lux6 is such a tiny little camera that for someone with large bear claw hands (like me) a grip is a "must have" on the camera. The grip on this case is very functional and is also beautiful. It is perfect for protecting the camera from the normal bumps and rubs of being left on a table or chair during a dinner party, etc. The leather is attractive and the whole package with the red-dot camera is classy and attractive and the whole setup doesn't look out-of-place sitting on the table in a fine dining situation the way my full-frame Canon with auxiliary battery grip, flash and giant grey lens would look in the same setting.
When I use the lux6 in an event that is primarily photography-focused I use the Leica branded black-aluminum side grip that attaches to the camera using the tripod mount threads in the bottom of the camera body. That particular standalone grip is fantastic and gives great comfort and security on the camera and also contains a female-threaded access point for a tripod to mount to, unlike the leather half-case with grip which has no tripod mounting point. Similar to the leather half case, the black-aluminum side grip also blocks access to the bottom of the camera and requires removal before one can remove the memory card or battery.
All in, this is a great grip and protection device for a majority of the times I'm using the lux6.
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To protect camera but to change battery or memory card requires that your lift the camera out of the protector. However, its not a real problem if the strap is properly attached
