Leica has finally unveiled the long-rumoured V-Lux 5; a premium superzoom camera with an impressive focal range that will appeal to travel photographers wishing to shoot at various focal lengths without the need for a bag full of additional lenses.
The V-Lux 5 features a vast 25-400mm focal range.
The V-Lux 5 is built around a 20-megapixel, 1-inch CMOS sensor, the V-Lux 5 features a fixed Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 9.1–146 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH lens, which delivers a 35mm equivalent focal length of 25-400mm. This focal range covers everything from wide-angle landscapes to mid-range portraits, right through to long lens wildlife or travel-style imagery.
Images and video are recorded to a single SD card slot.
Images can be composed using the 2.36 megapixel resolution Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) or via the 3-inch fully articulating touch-sensitive LCD and the camera features a maximum ISO ceiling of ISO 12800.
The V-Lux 5 features a 3-inch fully articulating LCD.
When shooting at longer focal lengths, shake can become a problem for photographers, but the V-Lux 5 has this covered with an integrated optical image stabiliser system. The new Leica is speedy too; taking only around 0.1 seconds to focus on subjects and offering a rapid burst rate of up to 12 Frames Per Second (FPS).
The V-Lux 5 should appeal to travel photographers who seek an all-in-one camera solution.
Along with decent stills photography specifications, the V-Lux 5 has plenty to offer videographers too. In fact, the camera can shoot 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) at frame rates of 24, 25 or 30p or, alternatively, users can shoot Full HD at 60p.
The V-Lux 5 can also shoot 4K video and features a fast 12 FPS burst rate.
Other features include Post Focusing and Focus Stacking modes along with a 4K Burst mode too. There’s also GPS, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and the V-Lux 5 can be recharged on the go via USB connection. The V-Lux 5 is available now and is priced at $1250/£1050.