Leica Vario X: Surprisingly slow lens, unsurprisingly expensive compact
The expensive Vario X camera does have a zoom lens, but it's a surprisingly slow lens.
Lori Grunin
Senior Editor / Reviews
I've been writing about and reviewing consumer technology since before the turn of the century. I'm also a photographer and cat herder, frequently at the same time.
You have to wonder at what point people will actually start balking at Leica's chutzpah. Yes, the company produces some really nice cameras. But it's not alone anymore, and there are a lot more almost-as-nice products available at more easily swallowed prices. Take the company's latest offering, the APS-C-sensor-based Leica X Vario. While the X Vario incorporates a 2.5x zoom lens -- its competitors only have fixed-focal-length lenses -- it's slower than most of the kit lenses you'll find on entry-level dSLRs. F6.4 at 70mm (or quite possibly lower). Seriously? Nor is the lens particularly compact, making the camera bigger than the rest. And it's priced the same as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1, a full-frame camera.
Yes, it has a Leica-worthy design, with physical aperture and shutter speed dials and a body constructed of magnesium and aluminum. And it ships with a full copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
Here's how it compares with the RX1 and other APS-C compacts:
| Fujifilm X100s | Leica X Vario | Leica X2 | Nikon Coolpix A | Ricoh GR | Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor (effective resolution) | 16.3MP X-Trans CMOS II n/a | 16.2MP CMOS | 16.2MP CCD | 16.2MP CMOS 14-bit | 16.2MP CMOS | 24.3MP Exmor CMOS |
| 23.6 x 15.8mm | 23.6 x 15.7mm | 23.6 x 15.8mm | 23.6 x 15.7mm | 23.7 x 15.7mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm | |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 100 (exp)/200 - ISO 6400/ 25600 (exp) | ISO 100 - ISO 12500 | ISO 100 - ISO 12500 | ISO 100 - ISO 3200/ 25600 (exp) | ISO 100 - ISO 25600 | ISO 50 (exp) / ISO 100 - ISO 51200 / ISO 102400 (exp, via multishot NR) |
| Lens (35mm-equiv multiplier) | 35mm f2 1.5x | 28 - 70mm f3.5-6.4 1.5x (2.5x zoom) | 24mm f2.8 1x | 28mm f2.8 | 28mm f2.8 | 35mm f2 1x |
| Closest focus (inches) | 3.9 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 4 | 3.9 | 7.9 |
| Continuous shooting | 6fps 31 JPEG/n/a | 5fps 7 frames (raw + JPEG) | 5fps 8 frames (raw + JPEG) | 4fps n/a | 4fps 4 raw/ unlimited JPEG | 2.5fps (5 fps with fixed exposure) n/a |
| Viewfinder | Hybrid Reverse Galilean 90 percent coverage EVF 0.48-inch/ 2,360,000 dots 100 percent coverage | Optional EVF 1,400,000 dots 100 percent coverage ($499 est) | Optional EVF Tilting LCD n/a ($449 est.) | Optional Reverse Galilean ($449.96) | Optional Reverse Galilean (est $250) | Optional Reverse Galilean Zeiss n/a ($599.99) Optional EVF Tilting OLED 0.5-inch/ 2,359,000 dots 100 percent coverage ($404.99) |
| Autofocus | n/a Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF | 11-area Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF | 190-point hybrid AF | 25-area contrast AF |
| Metering | 256 zones | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a | |
| Shutter | 20 - 1/4,000 sec; bulb to 60 minutes | 30 - 1/2,000 sec | 30 - 1/2,000 sec | 30 - 1/2,000 sec; bulb | 300 - 1/4,000 sec; bulb; time | 30-1/2,000 sec; bulb |
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot shoe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LCD | 2.8-inch fixed 460,000 dots | 3-inch fixed 920,000 dots | 2.7-inch 230,000 dots | 3-inch fixed 921,600 dots | 3-inch fixed 921,600 dots (plus another set of white dots for brightness) | 3-inch fixed 921,600 dots (plus another set of white dots for brightness) |
| Image stabilization | None | Electronic (with caveats) | None | None | None | Electronic (movie only) |
| Video (best quality) | 1080/60p/30p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/30p MP4 | None | 1080/30p/ 25p/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/30p/ 25p/24p Motion JPEG AVI | AVCHD: 1080/60p/50p @ 28Mbps; 1080/60i/50i @ 24, 17Mbps; 1080/24p/25p @ 24, 17Mbps stereo |
| Manual iris and shutter in video | n/a | No | n/a | n/a | Yes | Yes |
| Optical zoom while recording | n/a | Yes | n/a | No | n/a | n/a |
| External mic support | None | Yes | n/a | Optional (with WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter) | No | Yes |
| Battery life (CIPA rating) | 330 shots | 350 shots | 450 shots | 230 shots | 290 shots | 270 shots |
| Size (WHD, inches) | 5 x 2.9 x 2.1 | 5.2 x 2.9 x 3.7 | 4.9 x 2.7 x 2 | 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.6 | 4.6 x 2.4 x 1.4 | 4.5 x 2.6 x 2.8 |
| Weight (ounces) | 15.7 (est) | 24 (est) | 12.2 (est) | 10.6 (est) | 8.6 (est) | 17.6 |
| Mfr. price | $1,299.95 | $2,850 | $1,995 (est) | $1,099.95 | $799.95 | $2,799 |
| Availability | March 2013 | June 2013 | August 2012 | March 2013 | May 2013 | November 2012 |
The camera incorporates an odd type of image stabilization -- at shutter speeds between 1/4 and 1/30 second and at ISO 1600 or lower, it can take two sequential shots and combine them for a lower-noise image. This is of limited usefulness, though. (You can download the manual for more information.)
Getting a zoom lens on a medium-size body with an APS-C sensor might have required feats of technological wizardry, but the lens is so slow it wasn't worth it. In fact, even at $1,000 less I don't think it would be worth it. Then again I tend not to develop fangirl affinities for brands. Am I missing something here?