Introduction

Ease of Use

Closely (and clearly) modeled on Panasonic’s TZ-series travel zooms, but with, alternatively, that covetous red logo and the knowledge it’s been put together by hand, is Leica’s new C-Lux compact. As you’d expect, this is a premium snapshot model eminently suitable for those holiday breaks – and moreover any time you don’t want to lug around that DSLR or compact system camera.

Obviously, being a Leica, this is at the luxury end of the market when it comes to pocket sized snappers (part indicated by the ‘Lux’ in its name). Then there’s the fact the new C-Lux will set you back £875 if bought in the UK, as opposed to, say, around £730 for Panasonic’s nigh identical TZ200 model. Neither is inexpensive.

For that outlay, the Leica badged version feels well built and solid when held in the palm; the gunmetal grey in appearance and black of our review sample – in fact, officially, it’s the ‘Midnight Blue’ option - additionally marking this one out as a serious proposition, even if the size and looks ape what we’d normally view as a £300-£400 snapshot.

Front of the Leica C-Lux

The alternative colour option to choose is Light Gold, while body pouches and wrist straps are available as optional extras. We prefer the look and feel of the Leica version overall, when compared to the TZ200, particularly as regards the handgrip. Indeed, the front of the Leica C-Lux has a nice leatherette type finish, while a raised rubberized pad at the back provides a steady purchase point for the thumb of the right hand. Both help enable a firm hold when shooting handheld, particularly at the extremities of the zoom range where image detail tends to soften.

Speaking of which, helping the C-Lux market itself as a one-size-fits-all solution is the lens reach here. Its retracting 15x optical zoom stretches from an ultra wide angle 24mm to a respectable 360mm at the telephoto end (exactly the same as the Panasonic TZ200). Attendant features tick the boxes for what we’d expect from a contemporary camera, too: namely a maximum 4K video capture at up to 30fps (from which 8 megapixel stills can be retrieved), 3-inch touch screen (non articulating) plus very respectable 10fps maximum capture rate. What will be bringing imaging enthusiasts to the party here however is the camera’s larger than average for its compact class one-inch sensor which boasts a resolution of 20 megapixels – also going someway to justifying the price tag.

From the front the Leica C-Lux looks reasonably stylish if completely conventional, that bright red Leica logo being the first thing you notice, apart from the lens itself, which is encircled by a ridged control ring. As this is a Leica camera, unsurprisingly we get Leica optics too, here offering an aperture range stretching between f/3.3 and f/6.4. Lens and logo aside, on the faceplate we also get a small porthole of a window for the camera’s AF assist/self timer lamp.

Top of the Leica C-Lux

Switch the Leica C-Lux on via the top plate lever that sits beneath the bottle top style shooting mode dial, and the camera powers up ready for the first shot in just under two seconds, being the time it takes for the lens to extend from its dormant state to maximum wide angle setting. With the lever for adjusting the zoom handily encircling the raised shutter release button, the camera takes around four seconds to glide from extreme wideangle to maximum telephoto. The other ‘button’ on the top plate is in fact a rotating control wheel for tabbing through onscreen menu settings, plus, with a flick of the thumb, providing a way to whizz through captured images in batches rather than one at a time. The fact that we have three circular controls on the right hand side of the camera’s top plate (when viewed from the rear) – or four controls if you count the recessed button dedicated to shooting video clips – makes for a slightly busy control panel – and one that momentarily throws people as to which one is the shutter release button if you subsequently hand the camera to them to take your portrait.

The five pence piece sized shooting mode dial has 10 selectable settings. Alongside the familiar P,A,S,M modes, we get an Auto mode, a Colour effects mode, scene modes, a panorama mode, a custom mode and a manual video mode – though whatever setting you’re in, a press of the dedicated video button on the top plate will nonetheless instantaneously commence filming.

When auto focusing, the Leica C-Lux is quick to lock on target too, thanks to 49 AF points – while there is the added opportunity to bias focus to a particular area in the frame, by simply tapping the rear touch screen, which displays the selectable points. As one would expect, there is the inherent ability here to shoot Raw files as well as JPEGs, or both in tandem, which across the two weeks of our test period didn’t appear to noticeably slow the camera’s performance down at all (though, as we were, you might be wanting to use a fast, as well as high capacity, SD card).

Rear of the Leica C-Lux

In terms of the C-Lux’s core light sensitivity range and what advantages it offers for low light photography, this stretches from the standard ISO100 up to a manually selectable ISO12500, with both Auto and ‘intelligent Auto’ as alternatives, though if you delve into the camera menus there is the ability to extend this to an equivalent of ISO25600, should you ever wish to do so. With results predictably resembling a crude colour photocopy when this highest setting is deployed, it’s debatable why you’d want to push the camera beyond its core range however.

The back plate buttons, as usual on a pocket compact, are a little small – the fact that they are inlaid too means that, while it isn’t easy to activate them accidentally, they have to be pressed with a finger or thumbnail to implement their various settings, which makes operation a little fiddly. Yes, there is touch screen access too, but here also icons are obviously tiny with it, so it can take a couple of presses to arrive where you want to. If you want a pocket camera, it is not without compromise, obviously, yet equally obviously the positives of convenience and performance largely outweigh any gripes.

Apart from the 3-inch 3:2 ratio rear plate LCD screen, the most noticeable aspect of the back plate is the eye level electronic viewfinder with 2.33 million dot resolution and 100% frame coverage, which, equally unusually for a pocket camera, has a built-in eye sensor alongside it. We’re even spoilt by a dioptric adjustment wheel alongside it for spectacle wearers.

The Leica C-Lux In-hand

That said, because in most instances apart from very strong sunlight the larger (sadly non tilting) LCD screen is perfectly useable and adequate, in practice it’s easy to forget the eye level viewfinder is there – or at least you find yourself intuitively switching between one and the other with barely a second thought. What’s pleasing here also is the fact that the camera’s LCD features what’s described as a special repellent coating that helps prevent fingerprints and smears (while not actually eradicating them entirely) so you’re not constantly feeling you have to wipe the screen clean. In other words there’s less distracting you from your subject – and the reason you want to take a photograph in the first place.

Despite having an eye level sensor we’re also provided with a dedicated Live Viewfinder ‘LVF’ activation button, next to which is one for raising the pop up flash otherwise sunk into the Leica C-Lux’s top plate – wherein it is flanked by two pin prick sized holes housing the camera’s stereo microphones. It is only when the flash is raised that obviously the available flash settings – including red eye reduction as well as slow synchro flash – become active. Similarly, if the flash is already raised, the camera won’t power off without it first being returned to its ‘hidden’ (off) position within the camera’s top plate.

The other function buttons on the Leica C-Lux back are otherwise set up to take us straight to 4K photo mode – with the option of shooting in bursts or single shots – plus (Panasonic’s) Post Focus mode – where the options here are merely mode on or mode off. A third function button provides a short cut to the camera’s key settings – a ‘quick’ menu if you like. In playback mode, this button also multi tasks as a delete button. Pressing this button takes us straight to ISO options, white balance settings, photo styles (including the popular vivid and two monochrome modes), along with auto focus mode, drive modes, exposure compensation (+ or – 3EV) and even the ability to call up a live histogram on screen. All are very useful, as is the short cut route to find them. We further get a dedicated ‘display’ button, a press of which either calls up or turns off all the on-screen information, including a level gauge to ensure our horizons are straight, or deactivates the screen itself altogether. Despite the small buttons, operation is therefore intuitive.

Front of the Leica C-Lux

The other buttons on the backplate are a self-explanatory playback button, plus then a familiar quartet of buttons – governing self-timer, exposure, white balance, manual focus/macro mode – surrounding a central menu/set button, rather than the usual scroll wheel or toggle pad.

The base of the Leica C-Lux meanwhile is where its lithium battery is stored – which can be charged in camera with the aid of a provided USB lead. No standalone charger came with our review sample. The same compartment also features a slot for access to removable media – here the common use SD card format. Battery life is good for up to 370 shots per charge – more than acceptable for its class, if not an absolute ‘wow’.

With the Leica C-Lux however being as quick to power up, find focus and actually take the shot as we’d hope given the price being asked – this is a premium model after all – there is little to find fault with when it comes to the Leica C-Lux, apart from small buttons and a rather cramped top plate control layout. But these are relatively minor niggles. The question is, can a comparatively small camera match the performance of the big boys from competing brands – or a compact system camera that you might otherwise buy for this price – when it comes to image quality? Also, does the on-paper advantage of that one-inch sensor noticeably better the performance of a 1/2.3-inch chip that formerly used to feature in a camera of this size and specification? In other words are we getting what we’re being asked to pay for? Read on to find out…

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

A one-inch sensor as opposed to a standard 1/2.3-inch chip formerly found in most (much cheaper) point and shoots would, you’d imagine, make a big difference to the Leica C-Lux's image quality, right? While images are certainly detailed, well defined and colour rich at the wider and mid range of the zoom, as with most pocket zooms, detail begins to appear less strongly defined at the telephoto end, lacking in contrast as well as clarity when the JPEGs are examined. Happily we can shoot Raw too, however, to maximise the detail we’re getting, and as we noted in the main body of the review, implementing the shooting of both file formats in tandem doesn’t appear to slow the camera’s performance down unduly. Shooting portraits at the ultra-wide 24mm setting does sometimes deliver rather elongated facial features however, so we found ourselves wanting/needing to zoom in just a tad.

The (physically) larger sensor begins to strut its stuff more when working our way through the Leica C-Lux’s available light sensitivity range. Here the C-Lux delivers very acceptable largely noise free results up to and including ISO6400. It is only really that we stray above that – and obviously most noticeably at ISO25600 – that detail suffers, and results resemble a bad photocopy rather than a print which could comfortably be described as ‘photographic’.

Noise

JPEG

ISO 125 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

Chromatic Aberrations

The Leica C-Lux handled chromatic aberrations well during the review, with just a little purple fringing present around the edges of objects in certain high-contrast situations, as shown in the examples below.

Chromatic Aberrations 1 (100% Crop)	Chromatic Aberrations 2 (100% Crop)

Macro

The minimum focus distance is 3cm from the front of the lens, when the lens is set to its widest focal length of 24mm.

Macro

Flash

There is a built-in flash in the Leica C-Lux which has the option of red eye removal, slow sync, 1st or 2nd curtain and exposure compensation up to ±2EV.

On

Red-eye Reduction

Night

The Leica C-Lux's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds, which is great news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 60 seconds at ISO 1600. The camera takes the same amount of time again to apply noise reduction, so for example at the 15 second setting the actual exposure takes 30 seconds.

Night

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Leica C-Lux camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Leica C-Lux enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Leica RAW (RWL) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

Yes, £875 is a lot to spend on a compact camera – it would alternatively buy a very decent interchangeable compact system camera or consumer level DSLR for example – even if you do get more ‘bang’ for your buck in the shape of a one inch sensor.

However, for the ownership of a Leica camera it is inexpensive and could even be considered reasonable, particularly when the very similar Panasonic TZ200 is a ‘mere’ £150 less. A sizeable monetary difference for sure, but maybe not enough to completely put you off going for the C-Lux and eschewing the closest alternative of the Lumix. We preferred the implementation of the grip on the Leica, for example, even if the camera’s innards and specification is otherwise identical. Whether that small fact, the Leica badging plus the Ready Brek-like glow of pride the latter may bring is worth your investment in the C-Lux is up to you.

Arguing over price is somewhat academic in these circumstances however, as, if you are considering the Leica C-Lux, you’re not going to be rating it in your mind against a CSC or DSLR; you’ll be looking for a much more portable solution with sufficient lens reach to allow you to frame a wide variety of subjects without having to take a step backwards or forwards. And very probably you’ll be wanting a compact with a big enough sensor – both in terms of physical size and overall pixel count – to enable you to achieve detailed images that wouldn’t disgrace anyone. In these latter aspects it’s fair to say the Leica C-Lux can be considered a definite success.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	3.5
Features	3.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	4
Value for money	3

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Leica C-Lux.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Leica C-Lux from around the web.

Specifications

News

The new Leica C-Lux is a rebranded version of the Panasonic Lumix ZS200 / TZ200 compact camera. The versatile Leica C-Lux features a 15x zoom, a convenient touchscreen and exceptional design. The Leica C-Lux will be available in Light Gold and Midnight Blue colours, beginning mid-July 2018 for £875 / $1,050.

Leica Press Release

Leica Camera Announces the Leica C-Lux

The spirit of adventure in a compact size, the versatile Leica C-Lux features a 15x zoom, a convenient touchscreen and exceptional design

June 15, 2018 – Leica Camera today announces the Leica C-Lux, a versatile compact camera that unites speed, intuitive handling and stylish design. Embodying the spirit of photographic adventure, the C-Lux enables users to bring what’s far away up close, in a pocket-sized and easy-to-use form. Featuring a Leica DC Vario-Elmar 8.8–132 mm (equivalent 24–360 in 35 mm format) f/3.3–6.4 ASPH. lens and a high-performance 20-megapixel sensor for continuous shooting at a rate of up to 10 frames per second, the Leica C-Lux adapts quickly and nimbly to every shot and effortlessly delivers high-quality photos from any distance. Also, integrated connectivity allows still pictures and videos to be quickly and easily shared with family and friends by a simple tap of a finger on the touchscreen display. Available in Light Gold and Midnight Blue, the Leica C-Lux impresses not only with its precision, accessibility and compact size, but also with exceptional design.

All components of the Leica C-Lux, including the lens and one-inch image sensor, are precisely matched to one another to deliver brilliant photos on the go. With an impressive maximum ISO sensitivity of 25,600, the C-Lux guarantees pictures with natural colors and exceptional quality, particularly when used for available-light photography. Its versatile zoom lens, fast autofocus and face detection allow for enormous flexibility in almost all areas of photography, especially in spontaneous quick-changing situations. Fast autofocus with 49 metering points focuses on subjects sharply in an instant, and a continuous shooting rate of 10 frames per second ensures that even the most fleeting moments will never be missed. Intuitively designed scene modes provide valuable assistance when shooting landscapes, portraits or at night and enable users to let the camera do the heavy lifting so they can concentrate exclusively on their subjects.

The built-in electronic viewfinder’s high resolution of 2.33 megapixels allows for the clarity and contrast of the viewing image to be outstanding at all times – even in the brightest sunlight. As the viewfinder covers 100% of the image field, the framing of subjects is extremely precise and users have ideal control of composition. 

The 3-inch touchscreen display ensures ease of handling in all shooting situations. Similar to a smartphone, many of the camera’s functions can be controlled by simply touching the screen, including the transfer of still pictures and videos via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The ‘Leica C-Lux’ app that supports this function can be downloaded free of charge to iOS or Android devices from their respective app stores. The touchscreen of the C-Lux features a specialized coating that protects against smudges and fingerprints.

The ultra-high-definition digital video recording function with 4K resolution expands the spectrum of features offered by the Leica C-Lux. The exceptional resolution – four-times higher than full-HD – and up to 30p & 100 Mbit in MP4 format, delivers all the technical prerequisites for shooting a personal short film. Additionally, still pictures can be extracted and saved from video footage at a resolution of up to eight megapixels.

The compact Leica C-Lux impresses not only with its technical features, but also with elegant design that is further highlighted by a portfolio of stylish accessories. An extensive range of accessories in matching and complementary colors is available for both versions of the camera. These include, for example, carrying straps and wrist straps for the camera in the colors taupe, blue and red; alongside an extensive collection of premium quality camera cases, protectors and soft pouches that make the C-Lux an elegant companion for every occasion. 

The Leica C-Lux will be on sale in Leica stores, boutiques and dealers in Light Gold and Midnight Blue beginning mid-July 2018 for $1,050.

About Leica Camera

Passion for creating perfect pictures. Leica represents a union of craftsmanship, design and experience. It is a beautiful collision of art and engineering, and the future of form and functionality. Leica Camera is an internationally operating, premium-segment manufacturer of cameras and sport optics products. The legendary status of the Leica brand is founded on a long tradition of excellence in the supreme quality and performance of cameras and lenses, and the iconic images that artists and photojournalists everywhere captured with them. For more information about Leica visit www.leicacamerausa.com, or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

Technical Data Leica C-Lux

Type of camera: Compact digital camera with built-in zoom lens
Image sensor: 1″ MOS sensor, total pixel number: 20,900,000, effective pixels: 20,100,000, primary color filter
Minimum Illuminance: approx. 10lx (when i-Low light is used, the shutter speed is  
1/30s)
Lens: Leica DC Vario-Elmar 3.3 - 6.4 / 8.8 – 132mm ASPH., 35mm camera equivalent: 24 - 360mm, aperture range: 3.3 – 8 / 6.4 - 8 (at 8.8 / 360mm)
Image stabilization: Optical 5-axis compensation system
Focusing range
AF: Maximum wideangle setting: 0.5m/ 1′ 6″ to ∞ 
Maximum telephoto setting: 1m/ 3′ 3″ to ∞
AF Macro / MF / Snapshot Modes / 
Motion Pictures: Maximum wideangle setting: 3cm/ 13/16″ to ∞ 
Maximum telephoto setting: 1m/ 3′ 3″ to ∞
Digital zoom: Max. 4x
Shutter system: Electronically and mechanically controlled
Shutter speeds
Still pictures: T (max. approx. 120s),  60 - 1/2000s (with the mechanical 
shutter)  1 - 1/16000s (with the electronic shutter)
Motion pictures: 1/30* - 1/16000s
1/2 - 1/16000s (When [Exposure Mode] is set to [M] in
Creative Video Mode and [MF] is selected)
An uninterrupted motion picture take cannot be longer than 29 minutes, regardless of the circumstances, e.g. the respective settings. In the case of 4K videos, the
time limit is 15 minutes.
* Differs according to frame rate
Continuous series 
exposure frequency: Electronic /Mechanical shutter:  2fps (L) / 7fps (M) / 10fps (H)
Number of serially 
recordable pictures: With RAW files: 28 or more*
Without RAW files: 85 or more*
* Based on CIPA standards and a card with a fast read/write speed
Exposure control modes: Program (P), Aperture-priority (A), Shutter-priority (S), Manual setting (M)
Exposure compensation: ±5EV in 1/3EV steps
Recording file formats
Still pictures: RAW/JPEG (based on “Design rule for Camera File system” and 
on the “Exif 2.31” standard)
Motion pictures (with audio): [MP4]
3840x2160/30p (100 Mbit/s)
3840x2160/24p (100 Mbit/s)
1920x1080/60p (28 Mbit/s)
1920x1080/30p (20 Mbit/s)
1280x720/30p (10 Mbit/s)
Audio recording format: AAC (2ch)
Exposure metering modes: Multi-zone, center-weighted, spot
Monitor: 3.0″ TFT LCD, resolution: approx. 1,240,000 dots, field of view: approx. 100%, aspect ratio: 3:2, touch screen functionality
Viewfinder: 0.21″ LCD viewfinder, resolution: approx. 2,330,000 dots, field of view: approx. 100%, aspect ratio: 3:2, with diopter adjustment -4 to +3 diopters, Magnification: approx. 1.45x / 0.53x (35mm camera equivalent with 50mm lens at infinity; -1.0 m-1), eye sensor
Flash: Built-in pop up flash 
AUTO, AUTO/Red-Eye Reduction, Forced ON, Forced ON/Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Sync., Slow Sync./Red-Eye Reduction, Forced OFF
Microphones: Stereo
Speaker: Monaural
Recording media: SD / SDHC* /SDXC* memory cards, (*UHS-Ι/UHS Speed Class 3)
Wi-Fi Compliance standard: IEEE 802.11b/g/n (standard wireless LAN protocol)
Frequency range used
(central frequency): 2412- 2462MHz (1 to 11ch), maximum output power: 13dBm 
(EIRP)
Encryption method: Wi-Fi compliant WPA™ / WPA2™
Access method: Infrastructure mode
Bluetooth function 
Compliance standard: Bluetooth Ver. 4.2 (Bluetooth low energy (BLE))
Frequency range used
(central frequency): 2402 to 2480MHz, maximum output power: 10dBm (EIRP)
Operating temperature/
humidity: 0 - 40°C (32 - 104°F) / 10 - 80% RH
Power Consumption: 1.8W/2.8W (When recording with monitor/viewfinder)
1.6W/1.6W (When playing back with monitor/viewfinder)
Terminals / Interfaces: [HDMI]: Micro HDMI Type D 
[USB/CHARGE]: USB 2.0 (High Speed) Micro-B
Dimensions:
(W x H x D; lens retracted): approx. 113 x 67 x 46mm / 47/16 x 27/32 x 113/16″
Weight: (with/without card and battery) approx. 340 / 12oz / 300 /10.5oz

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