Leica V-LUX 4 Digital Camera

The V-LUX 4 Digital Camera from Leica is an advanced point-and-shoot camera with a newly developed CMOS sensor and a fast 24x optical zoom lens with f/2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range. It brings to the table high resolution, fast and reliable performance and the quality of the Leica name.

First and foremost, the V-LUX 4 boasts a newly designed Leica DC Vario-Elmarit lens with a 24x optical zoom which allows it to traverse the range of focal lengths from 25-600mm in the 35mm format. That huge range of focal lengths takes you from true wide angle to ultra telephoto and incorporates almost any type of shot you can imagine. More so, its fast aperture of f/2.8 throughout the zoom is equal to that of any professional grade interchangeable zoom lens. You can confidently shoot in low light and with long focal lengths knowing that faster shutter speeds will keep your images sharp. And the integrated optical image stabilizer will further reduce blur and the effects of camera shake on telephoto and low-light shots.

An impressive lens like the Leica 25-600mm f/2.8 deserves a sensor to match and the V-LUX 4 abides. A new 12.1MP CMOS sensor delivers exceptional image quality and fast autofocus. An increased ISO sensitivity range up to 6400 provides low-noise imagery in limited light and you can expect sharp details and saturated colors when shooting fast moving subjects in telephoto lengths.

High image quality is true of video as well as still photography and the V-LUX 4 shoots Full HD 1080 AVCHD video at up to 60 frames per second. Fast moving action, such as sporting events, is captured in crisp detail and the full range of 24x zoom is available while shooting. Also, a one-touch dedicated button can switch you from video to photo and back again in an instant. Added convenience comes in the form of MP4 video capture as an alternative to the higher quality AVCHD. Save your videos in MP4 and you're able to directly upload them to the internet without conversion. A built-in stereo microphone with wind filter allows for quality audio to match your video.

For image composition the V-LUX 4 provides two options, an integrated high resolution (1.3 million pixels) electronic view finder and a 3.0" LCD screen. The view finder offers 100% image view and ultra sharp details for fine focusing, it also displays all the menu settings and capture options. The LCD, which provides superb playback, can tilt and rotate for composing from low-angles, from overhead or in a manner more discreet than bringing the camera to your eye.

Fast performance is also part of the V-LUX 4 package. It starts up in less than one second and can autofocus in less than a tenth of a second. Its burst rate is as fast as 12 frames per second in full resolution when you need to capture that one perfect shot amidst a flurry of activity. And the V-LUX 4 saves its images in both JPG and RAW so that you have more options for creative control in post processing.