Leica announce new V-Lux 30 potential D-Lux 5 beater at 15 megapixels.

Announced by Leica just two days ago on the 25th of May, we present their newest high quality compact, the v-lux 30.  This new model comes with a seriously impressive and up to date feature set, on the optical side we of course have the peerless Leica lens, in this case a Leica DC Vario Elemar type, with 4.3 - 68.8mm f3/3 - 5.59 ASPH.  It's lens has up 16x zoom and an extended range of focal lengths equivalent to 24 - 384mm in 35mm format.  It's equally impressive new sensor provides the highest Megapixel rating in any of it's compact camera ranges, 1/2.33" CMOS enables consecutive burst shooting at a rate of ten frames per second with a full resolution of 14.1MP.  Not only that, a new 3D mode brings some seriously modern technology to even the optical side of things here, allowing the camera to take two images and combine them as a stereo image pair and saving them as a MPO format for 3D viewing.

On the tech front the camera really breaks the Leica mould, 1080i full HD recording in the AVCHD format, allowing 10fps continuous shooting at full 14.1MP resolution, Built in GPS for geotagging, a touch sensitive 3" screen and image stabilisation technology, all in a compact 104.9mm x 57.6mm x 33.4mm 219g package, nicely round off Leica's most advanced own branded camera yet.

Priced at £550 it starts off entering the market at a price point lower than the Leica D-Lux 5, it's only logical competitor in Leica's range until they produce a model to supercede it.  Current D-Lux 5 owners and those considering a new purchase will have to think very hard when this baby is released in Mid June, just a few short weeks away.

N.B. :  Incidentally, anyone blown away by the feature set but overwhelmed by the price should be aware that as with all compact Leica Camera's this is made by Panasonic and Branded by Leica (shouldn't hav to say this but just in case that doesn't include the M or X series), Yes Leica do add some extra features and software, but essentially you are looking at in this case the Panasonic TZ10.  If luxury and the Leica Marque is irrelevant to you then we suggest you have a little search for the aforementioned  product.