Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Review

Main Features

13MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 200 - 25600( expands to 100)

24-75 mm F1.7-2.8 Zoom Lens

Optical Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

2760k dot Electronic viewfinder

11.0 fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video

Built-in Wireless

405g. 118 x 66 x 55 mm

Also known as Typ 109

Replaced by Leica D-Lux 7

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Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Overview

First introduced in September 2014 , Leica D-Lux Typ 109 is a 13.0MP Large Sensor Compact camera with a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor. D-Lux Typ 109 is also sold as Typ 109 in some of the countries. Leica later replaced D-Lux Typ 109 with D-Lux 7. Follow the link to read our in-depth comparison of these cameras:
Compare Leica D-Lux (Typ 109) vs Leica D-Lux 7

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Review - Click for Table of Contents

Overview
Pros and Cons
Sensor and Photography Features
Physical Specs
LCD and Viewfinder
Connectivity, Storage and Battery
Video
Other Features
Lens
Photography Type Scores
Alternatives
Popular Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
Detailed Specifications

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has an Overall Score of 65/100 and ranked #19 out of 60 in Large Sensor Compact cameras (Top 10 Compact), and ranked #210 out of 1212 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Compared to other Compact Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Leica D-Lux Typ 109 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)

NFC Connectivity

Image Stabilization

External Flash Shoe

4K (UHD) Video

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

RAW Shooting

Face Detection Focusing

25.600 Max ISO

49 Focus Points

921k dots LCD Resolution

1/4000s High Shutter Speed

11.0fps Shooting w/ Mechanical Shutter

Manual Focusing

Manual Exposure

Timelapse Recording

24mm Wide Angle Lens

Fast 1.70 Lens at Wide

Fast 2.80 Lens at Tele

2760kdot Viewfinder Resolution

AE Bracketing

UHS-I Memory Card Support

Report a correction

Buy Leica D-Lux Typ 109 from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Articulating Screen

No Touch Screen

Low Resolution Sensor: 13.0MP

Heavy Body: 405

No Environmental Sealing

75 mm - Poor Telezoom Coverage

Optical Zoom only 3.1X

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Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Sensor and Photography Features

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a 13.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4112 x 3088 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. D-Lux Typ 109 has a native ISO range of 200 - 25600 which can be boosted to 100 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 is not the highest resolution Four Thirds camera. Panasonic G95 with its 20.3MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 vs Panasonic G95 or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

Let's look at how the size of the Leica D-Lux Typ 109's Four Thirds sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Physical Specs

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 weighs 405 g (0.89 lb / 14.29 oz) and has external dimensions of 118 x 66 x 55 mm (4.65 x 2.6 x 2.17″). Considering that the average weight of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 395g, its weight is about average in its class. With a thickness of 55mm, it also has an average thickness.

Weight Comparison

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Min

Average

Max

Here is the front and top view image of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 with the dimensions:

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 with its main competitors:

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Weight	vs D-Lux Typ 109	Thickness	vs D-Lux Typ 109
Leica D-Lux 7 Compare	403g	2g lighter	64mm	9mm thicker
Panasonic LX100 Compare	393g	12g lighter	55mm	equal thickness
Leica D-Lux 6 Compare	298g	107g lighter	46mm	9mm thinner
Leica C-Lux Compare	340g	65g lighter	46mm	9mm thinner
Fujifilm X100F Compare	469g	64g heavier	52mm	3mm thinner
Leica X2 Compare	345g	60g lighter	52mm	3mm thinner
Panasonic LX100 II Compare	392g	13g lighter	64mm	9mm thicker
Leica X1 Compare	306g	99g lighter	32mm	23mm thinner

Weather Sealing

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top Compact Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Lens

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 features a 24-75 mm F1.7-2.8 3.1× zoom lens. This camera offers exceptional wide angle capacity thanks to 24mm focal length on the wide end. On the contrary, 75mm on the tele side is only good for classic portrait shots, but doesn't provide a real telephoto reach.

Wide Coverage

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

D-Lux Typ 109

Widest - Sony ZV-1

Average

Telezoom

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

D-Lux Typ 109

Longest - Panasonic ZS200

Average

Providing a max aperture of f1.70 at 24mm, this lens is remarkably fast on wide end. Even better, having an aperture of f2.80 on tele end, this lens is exceptionally fast through out its range.

Max Aperture at Wide

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

D-Lux Typ 109

Fastest - Panasonic LX10

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Large Sensor Compact Cameras

D-Lux Typ 109

Fastest - Leica Q

Average

D-Lux Typ 109 is also equipped with Optical image stabilization system which is very handy especially at lower shutter speeds. Leica D-Lux Typ 109's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 LCD and Viewfinder

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a Fixed Type 3" LCD screen with a resolution of 921k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.

D-Lux Typ 109 has a built-in Electronic viewfinder. The viewfinder has a resolution of 2,760kdots and coverage of 100%. 100% coverage ensures that what you see in the viewfinder while shooting matches exactly what you will get later in your image, helping accurate framing your shots and minimizes the need for cropping images later. The magnification ratio of the viewfinder is 0.7x (35mm equivalent).

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Connectivity, Storage and Battery

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 features built-in wireless (Wi-Fi) connectivity ( 802.11b/g/n with NFC) which lets you transfer your photos directly to compatible devices without any physical connection. With its NFC feature, D-Lux Typ 109 can communicate with devices such as smartphones which are also equipped with this technology by simply touching each other.

You can connect D-Lux Typ 109 to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

Battery

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 is powered by a proprietary battery which provides a shooting life of 300 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 302 shots, its battery life is about average in its class but it would still be wise to invest in some spare batteries for long photo trips.

Battery Life Comparison in Large Sensor Compact Cameras

Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Min

Average

Max

Leica X Vario with its 450shots is the model with longest battery life among Large Sensor Compact cameras. Check the comparison of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 vs Leica X Vario or take a look at Longest Battery Life Compact cameras list.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Leica D-Lux 7 Compare	3840 x 2160	340shots	Yes	Yes	No
Panasonic LX100 Compare	3840 x 2160	300shots	Yes	No	Yes
Leica D-Lux 6 Compare	1920 x 1080	330shots	No	No	No
Leica C-Lux Compare	3840 x 2160	370shots	Yes	Yes	No
Fujifilm X100F Compare	1920 x 1080	390shots	Yes	No	No
Leica X2 Compare	None	450shots	No	No	No
Panasonic LX100 II Compare	3840 x 2160	340shots	Yes	Yes	No
Leica X1 Compare	None	shots	No	No	No

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Video Features

With Leica D-Lux Typ 109, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 3840 x 2160 at 30p,24p fps and save in and MPEG-4 formats. This means that Leica D-Lux Typ 109 provides 4K (Ultra-HD) video. Except some exotic 6K and 8K video recording cameras, 4K is the new standard in consumer video world.
It is also a big step up from its predecessor which has a max video resolution of only. If you are thinking of upgrading your and shoot a lot of video, this is a big factor to consider in favor of D-Lux Typ 109.

D-Lux Typ 109 has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker.
Leica D-Lux Typ 109 doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Large Sensor Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Fujifilm X100V or Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII in a similar price range.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Other Features

Max Shutter speed

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 can shoot continuously at max speed of 11.0 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash

Unfortunately D-Lux Typ 109 doesn't have a built-in flash but it has a flash shoe for mounting external flashes.

Focusing

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 49 points to choose from.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

What type of Photography is Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Leica D-Lux Typ 109 in 5 different photography areas.

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Portrait Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a score of 61 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
External Flash Shoe
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

Manual Focus Mode
Manual Exposure Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 13.0MP
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

Read the details of how we scored Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Portrait Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Street Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a score of 85 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Manual Focus Mode
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Image Stabilization

Fast Lens at Wide: f1.70
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
RAW shooting capability
Small Body
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor

Read the details of how we scored Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Street Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Sports Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a score of 52 for Sports Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Sports is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Continuous Shooting: 11.0fps
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
49 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder

External Flash Shoe
Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Environmental Sealings
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
75 mm Tele Lens

Read the details of how we scored Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Sports Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Daily Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a score of 74 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Compact Body
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
RAW shooting capability

405g
Body Thickness 55mm
3.1X Optical Zoom

Read the details of how we scored Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Daily Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Landscape Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 has a score of 40 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Manual Exposure Mode
Manual Focus Mode
24 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
RAW shooting capability

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Average Resolution Sensor: 13.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Leica D-Lux Typ 109 for Landscape Photography

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Leica D-Lux Typ 109 compares with other Large Sensor Compact cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of D-Lux Typ 109 and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Leica D-Lux Typ 109 amongst Camera Decision readers.

Leica D-Lux 7

Compare

Panasonic LX100

Compare

Leica D-Lux 6

Compare

Leica C-Lux

Compare

Fujifilm X100F

Compare

Leica X2

Compare

Panasonic LX100 II

Compare

Leica X1

Compare

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Alternatives in Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Leica D-Lux Typ 109 with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Leica D-Lux Typ 109's price range.

Frequently Asked Questions about Leica D-Lux Typ 109

Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have RAW support?
Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Leica D-Lux Typ 109?
What is the Sensor Size of Leica D-Lux Typ 109?
is the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have Touch Screen?
Does the Leica D-Lux Typ 109 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Leica D-Lux Typ 109?

Leica D-Lux Typ 109 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Leica
Model	Leica D-Lux Typ 109
Also known as	Typ 109
Announced	2014-09-23
Body Type	Large sensor compact
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	24-75 mm (3.1×)
Max Aperture	F1.7-2.8
Macro Focus Range	3cm
Screen
Screen Type	Fixed Type
Screen Size	3"
Screen Resolution	921k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Electronic
Viewfinder Resolution	2,760k dots
Viewfinder Coverage	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.7
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	60s
Max Mechanical Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Continuous Shooting	11.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	7.00 m (with included external flash at ISO 100)
Flash Modes	Auto, auto w/redeye reduction, on, on w/redeye reduction, slow sync, slow sync w/redeye reduction, off
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	not tested
DxO Color Depth	not tested
DxO Dynamic Range	not tested
DxO Low Light ISO	not tested
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	Four Thirds
Sensor Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm
Sensor Area	224.90mm²
Sensor Resolution	13 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4112 x 3088
Max Native ISO	25,600
Min Native ISO	200
Min Boosted ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	49
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Video Resolutions	3840 x 2160 (30p, 24p), 1920 x 1080 (60p, 60i, 30p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (30p), 640 x 480
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	405g
Physical Dimensions	118 x 66 x 55mm
Battery Life	300 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I)
Storage Slots	1