Leica X Vario

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 13 expert reviews

Excellent:

1
Good:

9
Average:

0
Bad:

3

Pros:

APS-C image sensor.
5fps burst shooting.
Includes leather strap.

Cons:

Very expensive.
Big lens offsets compact body design.

TechSpot is supported by its audience. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

Last revision on January 16, 2015

Reviewers Liked

APS-C image sensor
5fps burst shooting
Includes leather strap
Supports accessory EVF
Stellar build quality
Sharp rear LCD
Snappy autofocus in good light
Excellent manual focus experience
Detailed JPG output through ISO 6400
Includes Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Reviewers Didn't Like

Very expensive
Big lens offsets compact body design
Modest light-gathering capability
No optical image stabilization
Edges and corners are not tack sharp
Some rolling shutter motion artifacts in video
No mic input

Expert reviews and ratings

The Leica X Vario is a 16 megapixel prosumer compact camera with an image-stabilized 28-70mm (eq.) f/3.5-6.4 zoom lens. The X Vario has an APS-C sized 16.1 megapixel CMOS sensor with a 3:2 aspect ratio which promises to deliver similar image quality to a...

By PhotographyBLOG on April 16, 2014

The Leica X Vario proved to be more than just an X2 with a fixed-lens zoom, and certainly adds up to more than the sum of its parts. The camera's body design and controls drip with precision engineering, making it a complete joy to hold and shoot....

By The Imaging Resource on November 07, 2013

For the discerning photographer (with deep pockets) the Leica X Vario produces good image quality from a small, lightweight body. Initially it is hard not to be frustrated by the relatively small maximum aperture of the cameras fixed zoom lens,...

By Amateur Photographer on August 07, 2013

The Leica X Vario (Typ 107) camera marries a zoom lens to a big APS-C image sensor, but its slow lens and high price make it a tough...

By PC Mag on July 30, 2013

Add about $500 to the cost of a Leica X Vario and you can buy a full-frame DSLR body, such as the Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon D800.So why does the Leica X Vario, a compact camera with no built-in electronic viewfinder, merit such a huge premium?It is,...

By AsiaOne on July 06, 2013

The Leica X Vario is quite unique in that it is one of very few cameras with a large APS-C CMOS sensor and zoom lens. Most other APS-C sensor cameras have stuck with a fixed focal length lens to keep the camera as small as possible. Whereas the Leica X...

By ePHOTOzine on July 05, 2013

Have you been considering buying a Leica camera but can't justify the price tag or the learning curve it takes to use an M-System rangefinder? With the X Vario, Leica has done an excellent job of combining the image and build quality of a classic Leica...

By pdnonline.com on March 03, 2014

Leica has been making digital models for some years now, but its cameras – both the cheaper versions created in Japan and the ones still produced in Germany – continue to take recognisably Leica pictures. By this, I mean photos that are extraordinarily...

By howtospendit.ft.com on November 16, 2013

There's been much rumour and speculation that Leica might be about to produce a compact system camera, a smaller version of the full-frame Leica M with a 1.3x crop factor sensor like the Leica M8, or maybe an APS-C format sensor, but that is still...

By TechRadar on June 11, 2013

Read the official Leica X Vario press release Leica certainly resorted to marketing hype in advance of today's launch of the X Vario. Speculation ranged from a fixed prime lens full frame special to a new compact system camera with interchangeable...

By Digital Photography Now on June 11, 2013

Load More Reviews…