I think this camera ROCKS! Small, easy to use, FANTASTIC pictures, and awesome styling...and it's a LEICA!!! What more can one ask for? A Leica for the common man...I was shocked at how well this little camera fit into my hands, how easy it was to use and how great 6 megapixels can be within a stylish package from the worlds greatest optical company.

My suggestion is to RUN, not walk, and buy this great little digital wonder before the rest of the world finds out about it...you WILL NOT BE SORRY!!!!

When I first bought the Leica I was under the impression that this would be,by far, the best digital point and shoot camera out there...I mean, it's made by Leica,right?! Well, come to find out that the new breed of Leica digitals are all Panasonics. Indeed, if you want a review of the C-Lux 1, look for a review of the Panasonic FX01.When I found this out, I asked myself, how much is this little red dot worth...the extra $150...read on.
This little camera performed surprisingly well. Images appear a little soft right out of the camera but respond well to sharpening in post processing. Colors are bright and vivid, exposure was a little on the hot side but only in very tough situations. Skin tones were right on and the flash did not wash out anything close to it.
I really enjoy having the wide angle 28mm as most of my shots are in the 28-50mm range. Macro was wonderful as it allowed me to get within 2 inches of the subject and focusing was quick. The lens boasts an f/16.8 at the tele end but I have yet to see anything smaller than f/5.6.
Okay, so here is the bad stuff. The camera is great at ISO 80 and 100. ISO 200 is still pretty good but 400 is unusable for anything but 4x6 prints and even those need to be run through some sort of noise filter like Neat Image or Noise Ninja. So that means if you do most of your shots in low light areas, this camera is not for you..try the Fuji F30 or F10, they're great in those situations but not so great in daylight. The good thing about the C-Lux (FX01) is that is has image stabilization, allowing you to select a lower ISO in low light situations and your images don't come out blurred due to camera shake.
So, the pros- incredibly small camera, fits in my cell phone pocket of my pants, great images at ISO 80-200, feels solid as opposed to the more plastic construction of the Panasonic, includes better software (i already use Photoshop CS)this package includes Elements 4.0, all around, a great camera if you are not concerned with taking a lot of shots in low light situations..even then, the camera will perform about average, but nothing like the superior Fuji F30 or F10 (and no other camera can match them either in low light).
The cons-NOISE,NOISE,NOISE! Even at ISO 80 you could tell that there was some noise reduction applied but it was minimal. I didn't buy this camera to make 16x24 prints. Most of these shots will not get any larger than an 8x10 and the detail for me is fine for this. I wouldn't try going above 4x6 with a 400iso print or above. There is a high sensitivity setting that will use iso 800 and 1600 but the images come out looking like watercolor or like you're looking through shimmering gas. nice effect but you still want to see the subject clearly. Price is also a concern. You can get the Panasonic for about $150 cheaper and Panasonic just announced the replacement for the FX01 so that also means the Leica is already going to be out of date(it was just realeased!!!).
If you are looking for a great all around camera that you can take ANYWHERE...then this is the camera for you. Only you can decide whether the little red dot is worth the extra money...for me, I like having the dot, the extra warranty, and the sturdier build. It's like buying a Tilley hat...form,function,style and everything in between.

Roger