Leica Tempts DSLR Buyers With High-End V-Lux 3 Compact

With a name like Leica, it's surely the best, right? The company famous for being famous in photography has just presented a new model, the V-Lux 3. It's a shiny new compact digital camera with an extensive range of features, including a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit 4.5 - 108 mm f/2.8 - 5.2 ASPH. 24-fold super-telephoto zoom lens. It's got a 12.1MP CMOS sensor, and the company's angling this as an alternative to an entry-level DSLR. You'll also get 1080p movie mode, bursts of 12 frames per second at full resolution, or 60 frames per second at a resolution of 3.5 MP.

There's also a 3" LCD display with 460,000 pixel resolution delivers an extremely bright and clear view. The monitor screen of the V-Lux 3 can be twisted and turned in almost any direction, opening up entirely new horizons for image composition from even the most unusual angles. When shooting stills or video from above their head or down close to the ground, photographers using the V-Lux 3 always remain in full control.


The Leica V-Lux 3 will be available from Leica Camera dealers beginning January 2012, but pricing remains a mystery.