Leica announces X Vario zoom compact with APS-C sensor

Leica has officially announced its much-teased (and leaked) X Vario – the world’s first compact camera with an APS-C sensor and fixed zoom lens. Its Vario Elmar 18-46mm 1:3.5-6.4 ASPH lens offers a 28-70mm equivalent range, and sits in front of a 16.1MP CMOS sensor. Viewing is via a 920k dot 3″ LCD, or the same optional plug-in EVF as used by the M Typ 240 and X2. The camera has control dials on the top plate for shutter speed and aperture, and zoom and focus rings around the lens barrel. The price tag is a hefty £2250.

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Press Release:

New: Leica X Vario

The Highly Anticipated ‘Mini M’ Features Characteristics Reminiscent of the Legendary M-System

Solms, Germany, 11 June 2013: Leica Camera AG has unveiled the latest addition to its digital compact camera offerings and presents the Leica X Vario. Made in Leica Camera’s headquarters in Germany, the X Vario features a high-performance 16.5-megapixel (effective 16.1), APS-C format, CMOS image sensor, a zoom lens covering a range of focal lengths from 28 to 70 mm (35 mm equivalent) and Full-HD video recording capability. With several design and handling characteristics of the storied M-System, the ‘Made in Germany’ Leica X Vario offers great versatility and creative freedom.

The X Vario’s high performance image sensor is unusually large for a camera in its class. Combined with the Leica Vario Elmar 18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4 ASPH, it sets completely new standards for imaging quality in the compact segment with outstanding exposures in all situations. The Leica X Vario is the world’s first compact camera to combine a large, APS-C format, CMOS image sensor with a zoom lens.

From expansive interior shots, landscapes to portrait photography, the range of focal lengths offered by the Leica X Vario opens up entirely new horizons for creative photography. The camera’s versatility is further expanded by a new, 1080p Full HD video recording function that allows photographers to record memories at a frame rate of 30 full frames per second. The video data can be saved in MP4 format and uploaded directly to social media or mobile devices without any need for conversion. An integrated wind-noise filter that reduces undesirable noise guarantees crystal-clear sound recording.

The Leica X Vario’s wide range of camera setting options combined with its fast and precise autofocus offers even the most demanding photographers maximum creative freedom – for spontaneous shots as well as for carefully arranged compositions.

The Leica X Vario is distinguished by an intensely focused design concept. Its handy form, linear design and the premium materials used in its construction are reminiscent of the Leica M-System. For instance, the top plate is machined from solid aluminium in the same process used for the Leica M. This, in combination with its robust metal construction and premium high-grip leather trim ensures that the X Vario is a classic Leica camera in terms of both look and feel.

Further showcasing Leica M DNA, the X Vario features an intuitive handling concept with clearly laid out functions. The user-friendly operation of the menu interface guarantees rapid access to an impressive range of automatic and versatile manual setting options. Combined with the ease of switching between manual and automatic control, it allows photographers to concentrate completely on composing their subjects and choosing the decisive instant to shoot in any situation. The dials on the top plate provide grip when setting the shutter speed and aperture. Moreover, changing the plane of focus, the white balance, and other imaging parameters allows photographers to consciously influence the look or mood of their images. In Live View mode, the generously sized high-contrast, 3-inch monitor offers photographers complete control at all times and a detailed view– even in bright surroundings.

Accessories

An extensive range of accessories is also available to adapt the Leica X Vario to photographers’ particular needs. For example, the Leica EVF 2 Viso-Flex electronic accessory viewfinder with 1.4 megapixels and a 90° swivel function is extremely helpful when shooting from unusual angles. An accessory handgrip makes it easier to shoot one-handed and provides a better grip. As with the Leica M (Typ 240), finger loops in three different sizes (S, M and L) can be attached to the handgrip, helping further ensure safe and steady handling of the camera. An optional lens hood ensures the minimisation of reflections and the Leica SF 24 D flash unit offers greater freedom for subject lighting.

Leica continues to provide a comprehensive range of superbly finished bags, cases and straps that complement the elegance of the X Vario: An ergonomically designed camera protector and an every-ready case in premium black or tan leather; wrist and carrying straps that can be combined with all Leica X and M cameras are also offered in untreated natural leather in black or tan. Whenever the X Vario is used with multiple accessories, photographers can take advantage of the system bag.

Included Software

Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom®, a professional digital workflow solution for Apple Mac® OS X and Microsoft Windows®, is also included in the Leica X Vario package. This digital image processing software offers a wide range of functions for the management, processing and presentation of digital images. The software is available to X Vario customers as an online download after product registration.

Pricing and Availability

Available now in the UK from authorised Leica dealers including the Leica Store Mayfair, www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk, tel: 020 7629 1351, the Leica X Vario is offered in a black finish. It is also available as a set with the X Vario camera protector and carrying strap in tan leather. The suggested retail price of the Leica X Vario is £2,150 inc. VAT; the set SRP is £2,250.

Individual accessories are priced as follows (SRP including VAT): 

• EVF 2 Viso-Flex: £380
• Lens hood: £90
• Handgrip: £100
• SF 24 D flash unit: £270
• Finger loops for handgrip: £90 in S, M or L
• Leather ever-ready case in black or tan: £180
• Leather camera protector in black or tan: £90
• Carrying strap with protective flap in black or tan: £80
• Wrist strap with protective flap in black or tan: £60

The range of optional accessories will be available following the launch of the camera.

Leica X Vario specifications

Additional images

Leica X Vario

Comments

“The Leica X Vario is the world’s first compact camera to combine a large, APS-C format, CMOS image sensor with a zoom lens.”

This is debatable if you consider the Sony R1. Much faster lens on that camera and a multi angle LCD and included EVF, wider and longer telephoto to boot. Soon as you stick an EVF on this leica, its compactness becomes debatable.

Carl

Mmm

Not compact, slow lens — why
Leica groupies may buy it but there are better cameras for a fraction of the price.

I was expecting something else and something better
its a no from me

They say things happen in 3’s. This completes it. Adobe, Hassleblad & Leica have all just had strokes. That’s the only way to explain it. I would hate to think they they have underestimated the knowledge and intellect of their customers. Fuji must be receiving some of the best press they’ve had in awhile because of this. BTW, the effective DOF on this camera in full frame equivalent is f/9.6 at 70mm. Boo-f’ing-ya-aawn

Well put…The D-Lux 6 (Panasonic LX7) is far more versatile than this one. A f3.5-5.6 lens? Are they kidding? Is the fact that it is entirely made in Solms of the moment? I took some shots with my FZ200 (Leica Lens) that are too sharp for “straight printing”. My 25 mm micro 4/3 Summilux marketed by Panasonic was also used used at the NYC PR day parade and again the results are staggeringly good. I don’t know where the two lenses are manufactured, my guess is not in Germany but the results are “Leica” results. The final product transcends the place of manufacture. I can never get over the way that the Leica Co, thinks, or rather, how little they think of the intelligence and needs of their consumers.

f3.5-6.4.

It’s a Leica. It must be good!

So, they weren’t kidding about 6.4 then. Well, I guess I should stop complaining about the OM-D kit lens being so slow. It’s faster than a Leica lens after all.

Was expecting a RX1 competitor to try push Sony to lower price…but geez..this is just ridiculous…

Better save that money, add 200USD more and you can go with the RX1, small camera, fullframe with a fixed f2 lens and 24MP. Even cropping to 16Mp gives you a fair amount of “zoom”.

I don’t understand one thing. How can they call this camera compact?

Leica is the Gucci of the camera market. A once inspired brand that is now relegated to logo placement that commands high prices amongst the uninformed.

“X Vario – the world’s first compact camera with an APS-C sensor and fixed zoom lens”

And EOS-M is what?

EOS-M is an interchangeable lens camera.

EOS-M has a removable lens, so its not a “fixed zoom lens”. Also, the EOS-M (and Nex, etc) are typically called compact *system* cameras.

What if we glue the lens?

f:3.5-6.4
No EVF
920K fixed LCD
APS-C
16 MP
Mpeg-4 video format
2000+ US street price
1/2000

What year is it – 2009? Am I supposed to be raving about this? What’s wrong with you Leica people?
Give us a break, really. I get a Sony NEX-6, third party adapters with macro helicoid for next to nothing, and have barrels of fun with my old M and Minolta MD lenses, or get proprietary Zeiss or Sony glass for less. Who needs a half blind compact lens with no DOF these days? The only sexy feature is the M footprint, the rest is hogwash. Mein Gott!

It is a nice $3000 large badge that communicates “I don’t know much about making photographs but have some money.”
————
Made in Leica Camera’s headquarters in Germany
———————
the range of focal lengths offered by the Leica X Vario opens up entirely new horizons for creative photography.
——————-
The Highly Anticipated ‘Mini M’
—————
image sensor is unusually large for a camera in its class
———–
design and handling characteristics of the storied M-System,
———-
‘Made in Germany’
———
it sets completely new standards
——–
a new, 1080p Full HD video recording function that allows photographers to record memories at a frame rate of 30 full frames per second.
———-
The Leica X Vario is the world’s first compact camera to combine a large, APS-C format, CMOS image sensor with a zoom lens.
——-
Made in Germany
—–
Made in Germany
—–
Made in Germany
—–
Made in Portugal?

Combined with the Leica Vario Elmar 18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4 ASPH, it sets completely new standards for imaging quality in the compact segment with outstanding exposures in all situations.

Have not seen the IQ, but the lower exposure (46/6.4 vs. the usual 55/4.6) is a new (low) standard, indeed.

lower exposure?

my friend, have you heard something compact named, “olympus XZ-1”

Dear Leica ,

Why did not you make X2´s hot shue as stylish as this new APS-C cam ?

Why do peopel has to choose something between “old or ugly”

ohh leica….

18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4?
6.4???
SIX point FOUR?!!

It looks like they’re trolling themselves.

I agree with your sentiment. What the hell as Leica thinking? With a 6.4 minimum aperture at the equivalent of 70mm, hard to steady form factor (especially if you don’t spring for the EVF), and no stabilization, it is going to basically be a tripod camera at is max focal length in all but the best light.

Compare this to Fujifilm X-E1 with 18-55mm 2.8-4 zoom.

Price, features, lens….

Enough said.

Should have been M-mount without the Rangefinder. Fail.

(SCREAMING)
LEICA- Please just update the Digilux 2 to a black body, new sensor and processor, and new EVF and LCD screen.. add a couple of button/switch refinements, thats all. Leave the rest of the camera and menu system largely untouched please, and you’ll have another amazing winner on your hands.

This camera is half way there.

Carl

There is a lot of cynicism here about the camera.
What I found immediately attractive were the simple, classic ergonomics (which I also like on my XE1).
Yes, it is too expensive, but let’s wait for results on its optical performance. The lens is indeed slow at the tele end but that does not need to mean that it would be optically bad. After it is an area where Leica has a reputation.

At f/6.4 it is already diffraction limited with APS-C size sensor. Say goodbye to great optics.

I highly doubt you’ll notice much “optical” difference between this camera and a Fuji XE-1. If one were thinking of blowing a ton of change on a small camera, the Sony RX-1 makes the most sense. If you can call it “sense”.

Jesus holy Mary, what could possibly go wrong optically with a 70mm (equiv.) / 6.4 (!!!!!) lens? Even Lyubitel can make a plastic lens perform OK with that front element size and f-value! And Petka is right, optimal lens performance is in the f:4-5.6-8 vicinity. I feel like screaming, packing up and ditching my Leica gear (all but the M6 and 50 ‘cron, of course 🙂

If it had, at its widest, a 24mm f2.0 at least, with vibration control, plus attachable EVF, it would be close to my ideal camera.

The Lumix LX5 / Leica D-Lux 5 had a very sharp Leica zoom lens with f2.0 aperture. Why couldn’t Leica have provided something like that?

In the past, I have owned a few Leica cameras, including an M, but I consider it a nonsense for Leica to only offer here a f3.5 maximum aperture.

Leica, you missed the boat on this one. Very disappointed.

24mm equiv @f2.0 lens on an APS-C sensor? You’re talking about a whole different form factor.

I’ll pass – the red dot is not big enough 😉

It is clear today that Leica understands digital photography better than Hasselblad.

Hey D1NO – the camera has a flash.

then where is it?

It’s not compact, it doesn’t have a flash, it has a slow zoom and no viewfinder and it costs more than everything else.

Regardless of the camera itself, why can’t Leica allow raw only? Same for the X1 and X2. Is it so difficult for Leica to program? Or is it so awful or perverted to want to shoot raw only? Sorry, folks in Solms, I can’t understand that. It was the major reason I didn’t buy an X2.

It’s what I expected and should do ok with doctors and lawyers who want to travel light. Certainly not a lot here for the photo enthusiast.

Those Leica specifications were the 50 reasons NOT to buy this cam.

A containerload of these is en route from Solms to discerning photographers at duty-free shops in Dubai as we speak.

Ah well, the Hasselblad Lunar really needed some competition for shelf space…

Ridiculous………I think Fuji have already shown they can do this better at a not inconsiderable cost saving.

ugly. the person who could easily afford this might have already have any version/s of the M just for its looks. this one, this is NO Mini of the M.

LOL, you actually have to wonder if Leica has a guy that comes with this stuff just to see what the fans will pay for the Leica badge. Hmm, lets see… ok … f/6.4 at 70mm, make them pay for a VF, lens hood, etc at super high rates, this one will really separate the die hard Leica fans from the masses.

For me the glass is half full: another step toward a killer outdoor photography camera. Now, a faster lens and a built-in EVF?

Meh.

Things would be a lot better if they’d simply abandon the old, (based on 35mm ratio) 3:2 APS ratio which requires larger lenses to support the width of the standard. Make a 4:3 sensor with the same image area, smaller lenses, same quality, less cropping for most situations.

3:2 in my opinion a nice rectangular aspect ratio, it prints well on A4 pages for example.

+++. Drop the width and APSC is virtually the same height as M43 and gives you optimum lens size.

Wow! This release sounds as popular as another brand, albeit a software one. Maybe it should be called the Leica CC. 🙂

boring

18-46 mm f/3.5-6.4?

70mm equiv. at 6.4?

Leica?

Incomprehensible!

Maybe it is just me.

I wonder how much I could sell my Fed if I painted a red dot at the front and a fluorescent half-eaten apple in the back…..

I’m going to try that with an old vacuum cleaner I have.

Thanks!

You can put red dot and apple, but
You’d better stay with your FED, it’s a really great camera, when looking at this new Leica … and even Fed lenses are very good, humm the 5cm f2 done for KGB ….. 🙂
aarfff , not 6.4 … 🙂

Made by……. Panasonic.

while such a slow zoom is so big ? It’s as big as a brighter and longer reach kit zoom o_O

Ah! The waiting is finally over for Leica fans. As expected the price is exorbitantly high for what is a Panasonic Lumix GX1 with an APS-C sensor and a fixed zoom lens instead. At least with the GX1, one can change lenses eventhough the sensor is smaller.

Leica should have at least try to fit in a lens similar to that made by Sigma recently, an 18-35mm f/1.8. If they can’t do it at f/1.8, at least do it at f/2.0. That would have made a difference.

For now, I think most of us must as well go for the Canon G1X. I am not saying that will be a superior camera but at least one don’t have to pay the price.

Leica and Apple both lay an egg the same week. Coincidence?

Leica Yes apple No to early to betray them

What’s the connection?

> What’s the connection?

I don’t know, you tell me. I’m just trying to spin some cool conspiracy theory. 😉

I guess all companies think alike. Introduce this is changeable mount and a small series of compact, fast lenses: 24-28mm; 40-45mm; 75-85mm. NO, don’t want to cut into the sales of the Mother or Father starship.

No IS
No f2.8
No thanks.

Cynical really. For the same money one can buy any number of new camera & lens combinations from another compan or a used M8 & 50mm ‘cron, a used M9….the list goes on.

The M T240 should really be sold at this price, just when you think Leica have switched from jewellery to photography, they release this.

Huh?

At least it’s not as ugly as the Hasselblad Lunar 😀

I knew the red dot would translate to “Expensive Panasonic Lumix, but dang that’s one pricey camera for what it is! The protruding, yet slow, lens puts it in the same size class as a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, which (as countless others have already pointed out) will be much cheaper with the included kit zoom. The difference in price would pay for some fast lenses.

The next question is: How much are they asking for a re-branded Panasonic LVF2?

It’s not a rebranded Panasonic LVF2; instead it’s a rebranded Olympus VF-2.

And we complained abt a $3000 full frame 35mm f2 RX1…
Lets hope Sony releases a full frame NEX body soon..
Wonder what was the business logic behind this camera…Dpreview should cover this

It’s beneath my dignity to buy a Leica to sell a few hundreds.. I’ll rather wait for the Hermes version.

and the wooden “luna” grip 🙂

leica just need a good product manager….

I totally agree with you.