Leica V-LUX1
The second digital camera from Leica is the V-LUX 1, which is clearly based on Panasonic’s DMC-FZ50 technology. This camera has almost identical specifications to the DMC-FZ50 with a 10 megapixel CCD, a Leica branded 12x optically image stabilized lens, a tilting 2 inch LCD screen for optimum picture checking, electronic viewfinder, flash hot-shoe and full manual controls. The V-LUX 1 also comes with a 512 MB SD card. The V-LUX 1 has a 0.44″ color electronic viewfinder with 235,000 pixels for those who prefer to hold the camera to their eye.
Pros:
• ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 1600
• High Movie resolution at 848×480 pixels
• The large range of focal lengths offered eliminates the need of changing lens.
• Optical Image Stabilization which can be switched ON or OFF at any time
• The Picture Signal Processor (Venus Engine III) ensures quick picture signal processing
Cons:
• The V-LUX 1 is priced quite high at $800 compared to other models with the same features
Specifications:
Megapixels – 10.0
Weight (oz.) – 25.7
Optical Zoom – 12x
LCD Size – 2.0 inch
Flash Range (ft) – 1 to 22 ft
Image stabilizer – Yes
Battery type – Custom Lithium Ion
Special features – Support for SDHC Memory Cards, NTSC/PAL TV standards, USB 2.0 High speed support, High movie resolution at 848×480 pixels, JPEG, RAW and MOV file format supported
Summary:
The V-LUX 1 model is recommended due to the numerous positive features it has compared with its only drawback of being a bit highly priced which I guess most consumers will ignore.