LEICA DIGILUX 3
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Before Use
Before UseDear Customer,
We would like to take this opportunity to 
thank you for purchasing this LEICA 
DIGILUX 3. Please read these Operating 
Instructions carefully and keep them handy 
for future reference.
Information for Your 
Safety
WARNING
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR 
SHOCK HAZARD AND ANNOYING 
INTERFERENCE, USE ONLY THE 
RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES 
AND DO NOT EXPOSE THIS 
EQUIPMENT TO RAIN OR 
MOISTURE. DO NOT REMOVE THE 
COVER (OR BACK); THERE ARE NO 
USER SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE. 
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED 
SERVICE PERSONNEL.
Carefully observe copyright laws.
Recording of pre-recorded tapes or 
discs or other published or broadcast 
material for purposes other than your 
own private use may infringe copyright 
laws. Even for the purpose of private 
use, recording of certain material may 
be restricted.
• Please note that the actual controls and 
components, menu items, etc. of your 
LEICA DIGILUX 3 may look somewhat 
different from those shown in the 
illustrations in these  Instructions.
• Four ThirdsTM is a trademark.
• SDHC Logo is a trademark.
• Adobe is a trademark or registered 
trademark of Adobe Systems 
Incorporated in the United States and/or 
other countries.
• Leica is a registered trademark of Leica 
Microsystems IR GmbH.
• Elmarit is a registered trademark of Leica 
Camera AG.
• Other names, company names, and 
product names printed in these 
instructions are trademarks or registered 
trademarks of the companies concerned.
THE SOCKET OUTLET SHALL BE 
INSTALLED NEAR THE EQUIPMENT 
AND SHALL BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE.
CAUTION
Danger of explosion if battery is 
incorrectly replaced. Replace only with 
the same or equivalent type 
recommended by the manufacturer. 
Dispose of used batteries according to 
the manufacturer’s instructions.
R B R C
T M
L i - i o n
A lithium ion/polymer battery that is recyclable powers the 
product you have purchased. Please call 1-800-8-BATTERY for 
information on how to recycle this battery.
QuickTime and the QuickTime logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., used under license.
2
FCC Note: (U.S. only)
This equipment has been tested and 
found to comply with the limits for a 
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are 
designed to provide reasonable 
protection against harmful interference 
in a residential installation. This 
equipment generates, uses, and can 
radiate radio frequency energy and, if 
not installed and used in accordance 
with the instructions, may cause harmful 
interference to radio communications. 
However, there is no guarantee that 
interference will not occur in a particular 
installation. If this equipment does 
cause harmful interference to radio or 
television reception, which can be 
determined by turning the equipment off 
and on, the user is encouraged to try to 
correct the interference by one or more 
of the following measures:
• Reorient or relocate the receiving 
antenna.
• Increase the separation between the 
equipment and receiver.
• Connect the equipment into an outlet 
on a circuit different from that to which 
the receiver is connected.
• Consult the dealer or an experienced 
radio/TV technician for help.
FCC Caution: To assure continued 
compliance, follow the 
attached installation 
instructions and use only 
shielded interface cables 
with ferrite core when 
connecting to computer or 
peripheral devices.
Any changes or modifications not 
expressly approved by the party 
responsible for compliance could void 
the user’s authority to operate this 
equipment.
Before Use
 LEICA
 DIGILUX 3
Trade Name: 
Model No.: 
Responsible party / Support Contact:
Leica Camera AG
Oskar-Barnack-Str. 11
D-35606 Solms
Tel.: +49 (0) 64 42-208-0
Fax: +49 (0) 64 42-208-333
www.leica.camera.com
info@leica-camera.com
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) This device
may not cause harmful interference, 
and
(2) this device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
This Class B digital apparatus complies 
with Canadian ICES-003
LEICA
DIGILUX 3
3
Before Use
-If you see this symbol-
Information on Disposal for Users of
Waste Electrical & Electronic
Equipment (private households)
This symbol on the 
products and/or 
accompanying 
documents means 
that used electrical 
and electronic 
products should not 
be mixed with 
general household 
waste. 
For proper treatment, recovery and 
recycling, please take these products to 
designated collection points, where they 
will be accepted on a free of charge basis. 
Alternatively, in some countries you may 
be able to return your products to your 
local retailer upon the purchase of an 
equivalent new product. Disposing of this 
product correctly will help to save valuable 
resources and prevent any potential 
negative effects on human health and the 
environment which ould otherwise arise 
from inappropriate waste handling. Please 
contact your local authority for further 
details of your nearest designated 
collection point. Penalties may be 
applicable for incorrect disposal of this 
waste, in accordance with national 
legislation.
For business users in the European
Union
If you wish to discard electrical and 
electronic equipment, please contact your 
dealer or supplier for further information.
Information on Disposal in other 
Countries outside the European Union
This symbol is only valid in the European
Union.
If you wish to discard this product, please 
contact your local authorities or dealer and 
ask for the correct method of disposal.
4
 Care of the camera
• Do not strongly shake or bump the 
camera. The camera may stop operating 
normally, pictures may not be recorded or 
the lens may be damaged.
• Sand or dust may cause the camera to 
malfunction. Make sure that sand or dust 
does not get into the lens or the 
terminals when using the camera on a 
beach etc.
• Make sure that water does not get into the 
camera when using it on a rainy day or on a 
beach.
 This unit is not waterproof. If rain water 
or other drops of water splash onto the 
camera, wipe it with a dry cloth.
• Do not put your hands inside the mirror. 
Do not press, push or use a blower brush to 
forcefully blow air on the shutter curtains as 
they are very thin. Be careful as they may 
get scratched, bent or damaged.
 About the LCD monitor
 Do not press the LCD monitor with 
excessive force as it may cause the 
camera to malfunction.
• Condensation may form on the LCD monitor 
in places with large temperature differences. 
Wipe the condensation with a soft, dry cloth.
• If the camera is cold when you turn it on, the 
picture on the LCD monitor will be slightly 
darker than usual at first. However, the 
picture will return to normal brightness when 
the internal temperature of the camera 
increases.
Extremely high precision technology is employed 
to produce the LCD monitor. However there may 
be some dark or bright spots (red, blue or green) 
on the screen. This is not a malfunction. The LCD 
monitor screen has more than 99.99% effective 
pixels with a mere 0.01% of the pixels inactive or 
always lit. The spots will not be recorded on 
pictures on a card.
 About the Lens
• Do not press the lens with excessive 
force.
• Do not leave the camera with the lens 
facing the sun as it may cause the camera 
to malfunction. Also, be careful when you 
leave the camera outside or near a 
window.
• When there is dirt (water, oil, and 
fingerprints, etc.) on the surface of the 
lens, the picture may be affected. Lightly 
wipe the surface of the lens with a soft, 
dry cloth before and after taking pictures.
• Do not place the lens mount facing 
downwards. Do not allow the lens mount 
contacts  to become dirty.
 About Condensation (When the lens 
or the Viewfinder is fogged up)
• Condensation occurs when the ambient 
temperature or humidity changes as 
follows. Be careful of condensation since it 
causes lens stains, fungus and camera 
malfunction.
– When the camera is taken from the cold 
outdoors to the warm indoors.
– When the camera is taken from outside 
to inside an air-conditioned car.
– When cool wind from an air conditioner 
etc. blows directly on the camera.
– In humid places.
• To prevent condensation, put the camera 
in a plastic bag until the temperature of 
the camera is close to the ambient 
temperature. If condensation occurs, turn 
the camera off and leave it for about 
2 hours. The fog will disappear naturally 
when the temperature of the camera 
becomes close to the ambient 
temperature.
Before Use
 When not using the camera for a long 
period of time
• Store the battery in a cool and dry place 
with a relatively stable temperature.
[Recommended temperature:
15 C to 25 C (59 F to 77 F),
Recommended humidity:
40% to 60%]
• Always remove the battery and the card 
from the camera.
• When the battery is left inserted in the 
camera, it will discharge even if the 
camera is turned off. If left like this the 
battery will discharge excessively and 
may become unusable even if charged.
• When storing the battery for a long period 
of time, we recommend charging it once a 
year. Remove the battery from the camera 
and store it again after it has completely 
discharged.
• We recommend storing the camera with a 
desiccant (silica gel) when you keep it in a 
closet or a cabinet.
 If you have not used the camera for a 
long period of time, check all the parts 
before taking pictures.
5
Before Use
About These 
Operating Instructions
 About indications in these operating 
instructions
Convenient or helpful information for using 
the camera is described.
 About illustrations of the cursor 
button
In these operating instructions, operations 
using the cursor button are described with 
illustrations.
e.g.: When you press the  button
MENU
SET
 About the command dial
In these operating instructions, the 
operations on the command dial are 
described as illustrated to match the screen 
icon.
Rotate the command dial firmly and slowly.
 About illustrations in these operating 
instructions
The appearance of the product, the 
illustrations and menu screens etc. will 
differ slightly from those in actual use.
6
Contents
Before Use
Information for Your Safety.......................2
About These Operating Instructions .........6
Preparation
Scope of delivery ....................................10
Names of the Components .....................11
Screen Display........................................13
About the Lens........................................16
Attaching/Detaching the Lens.................16
Charging the Battery 
with the Charger..................................18
About the Battery (charging/
number of recordable pictures) ...........19
Inserting/Removing the Battery ..............20
Using the AC Adaptor .............................21
Inserting/Removing the Card 
(Optional) ............................................21
About the Card........................................22
Attaching the Lens Hood ........................23
Attaching the Strap .................................24
Attaching the Eyepiece Cap ...................25
Turning the Camera On ..........................25
Setting Date/Time (Clock Set) ................26
About the Setup Menu ............................27
Basic
Before Taking Pictures With 
the Viewfinder .....................................31
• Tips for taking good pictures............. 31
• Making the Viewfinder 
easier to see (Diopter adjustment) ... 31
• Changing the information 
display on the LCD monitor .............. 31
Setting the Focus and the 
Exposure Automatically 
(AF: Auto Focus/
Program AE mode) .............................32
• Taking good pictures ........................ 34
• Continuously focusing on a subject 
(AFC) (When taking pictures 
with the Viewfinder) .......................... 35
Aperture-priority AE ................................36
Shutter-priority AE ..................................36
Manual Exposure....................................38
Compensating the Exposure ..................40
Taking Pictures with Manual Focus ........42
Taking Pictures with the Zoom................43
Playing Back Pictures .............................44
• Changing the Information 
Displayed on the 
playback screen................................ 45
Deleting Pictures.....................................45
Using the Playback Zoom.......................47
Displaying Multiple Screens
(Multi Playback)...................................48
Displaying Pictures by Recording Date
(Calendar Playback)............................49
Advanced
Switching to Live View ............................50
• Tips for taking good pictures 
with Live View................................... 51
• Changing the Information 
Displayed.......................................... 51
• Recording a picture with the camera 
held high above your head
(High angle mode) ............................ 53
• Auto focus when taking 
pictures with Live View ..................... 54
• Manual focus when taking 
pictures with Live View ..................... 55
Checking the Depth of Field ...................57
Taking Pictures using 
the Built-in Flash .................................58
• Adjusting the flash output ................. 61
• Bounce flash ..................................... 62
Fixing the Focus and the Exposure 
(AF/AE Lock).......................................63
Taking Pictures using Continuous Mode.... 64
Taking Pictures using Auto Bracket........66
Taking Pictures with the Self-timer .........67
7
Adjusting the White Balance................... 68
• [SELF-TIMER]
• [WHITE SET]
Setting the time for the self-timer ..... 81
Resetting the white balance ............. 70
• [AF ASSIST LAMP]
• [COLOR TEMPERATURE 
SETTING]
Setting the color temperature ........... 70
• [WHITE BALANCE
ADJUSTMENT]
Finely adjusting the 
white balance ................................... 70
Setting the ISO Sensitivity ...................... 71
Deciding the Method to 
Measure Brightness 
(Metering mode).................................. 72
Menu Settings
Setting Frequently Used Functions......... 73
Using the [REC] Mode Menu .................. 75
• [FILM MODE]
Setting the color tone of the 
picture to be recorded ...................... 76
• [PICT.SIZE]/[QUALITY]
Setting a picture size and 
quality that match your 
use of the pictures ............................ 78
• [RAW REC.]
Recording a RAW file 
simultaneously.................................. 79
• [ASPECT RATIO]
Setting the aspect ratio of pictures
(When taking pictures 
with Live View only).......................... 79
• [EX. OPT. ZOOM]
Enlarging a picture with no 
picture quality deterioration 
(When taking pictures 
with Live View only).......................... 80
• [D.ZOOM] 
Further extending the zoom
(When taking pictures
 with Live View only)......................... 81
8
Focusing in low light 
conditions becomes easier............... 82
• [OIS MODE] 
Optical Image Stabilizer ................... 82
• [AUTO BRACKET]
Taking Pictures using 
Auto Bracket..................................... 83
• [AF/AE LOCK]
Switching the [AFL/AEL] 
button setting.................................... 83
• [BURST RATE]
Setting the frequency ....................... 83
• [FLASH SYNC.]
Setting to the 2nd 
Curtain Synchro................................ 83
Using the [CUSTOM] Menu .................... 84
• Saving settings in 
[CUST. SET MEM.] .......................... 87
Using the [PLAY] mode menu ................ 88
• [SLIDE SHOW]
Playing back pictures in 
order for a fixed duration .................. 89
• [FAVORITE]
Setting your favorite pictures............ 90
• [ROTATE DISP.]/[ROTATE]
To display the picture rotated ........... 91
• [DPOF PRINT]
Setting the picture to print 
and the number of prints .................. 92
• [PROTECT]
Preventing accidental erasure 
of pictures......................................... 94
• [RESIZE]
Making the picture smaller ............... 94
• [TRIMMING]
Enlarging a picture and 
trimming it......................................... 95
• [ASPECT CONV.]
Changing the aspect ratio 
of a 16:9 picture................................ 96
• [FORMAT]
Initializing the card............................ 97