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Leica X Vario Review

  • Overview
  • Alternatives
  • Leica X Vario

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    Main Features

    • 16MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
    • ISO 100 - 12500
    • 28-70 mm F3.5-6.4 Zoom Lens
    • 3" Fixed Type Screen
    • 5 fps continuous shooting
    • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video
    • 680g. 133 x 73 x 95 mm
    • Replaced Leica X2
    CHECK PRICE
    CHECK PRICE

    Leica X Vario Overview

    First introduced in June 2013 , Leica X Vario is a 16.0MP Large Sensor Compact camera with a APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and 28-70 mm F3.5-6.4 lens. Leica replaced the older X2 with this model. Follow the link to read our detailed comparison of these models:
    Compare Leica X Vario vs Leica X2

    Leica X Vario Review - Click for Table of Contents

    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. Sensor and Photography Features
    4. Physical Specs
    5. LCD and Viewfinder
    6. Connectivity, Storage and Battery
    7. Video
    8. Other Features
    9. Lens
    10. Photography Type Scores
    11. Alternatives
    12. Popular Comparisons
    13. Frequently Asked Questions
    14. Detailed Specifications

    Leica X Vario has an Overall Score of 56/100 and ranked #42 out of 61 in Large Sensor Compact cameras (Top 10 Compact), and ranked #375 out of 1220 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

    Main Scores
    Imaging
    Features
    Value for Money
    Portability
    Overall Score
    Check our Smart Finder Tool to filter, sort and compare all digital cameras.



    Leica X Vario Physical Specs
    Leica X Vario weighs 680 g (1.50 lb / 23.99 oz) and has external dimensions of 133 x 73 x 95 mm (5.24 x 2.87 x 3.74″). Considering that the average weight of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 401g, Leica X Vario is a significantly heavy camera for its class. With a thickness of 95mm, it is not small either, 39mm thicker than the average of its class.
    Weight Comparison

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    Leica X Vario
    Min
    Average
    Max
    Thickness Comparison

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    Leica X Vario
    Min
    Average
    Max

    Here is the front and top view image of Leica X Vario with the dimensions:

    Leica X Vario Body Size Dimensions
    Front and Top View External Dimensions and Size of Leica X Vario Camera Body

    In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Leica X Vario, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.


    Leica X Vario Body Size Compared to a Credit card and a Battery
    Physical size of the Leica X Vario Body Compared to a Credit Card and an AA Battery

    Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Leica X Vario with its main competitors:

    Leica X Vario Size Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Weight vs X Vario Thickness vs X Vario
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X (Typ 113)
    Compare
    486g 194g lighter 78mm 17mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X2
    Compare
    345g 335g lighter 52mm 43mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica D-Lux 7
    Compare
    403g 277g lighter 64mm 31mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Fujifilm X100V
    Compare
    478g 202g lighter 53mm 42mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica D-Lux Typ 109
    Compare
    405g 275g lighter 55mm 40mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica Q
    Compare
    640g 40g lighter 93mm 2mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X1
    Compare
    306g 374g lighter 32mm 63mm thinner
    Leica X Vario Camera Fujifilm X100F
    Compare
    469g 211g lighter 52mm 43mm thinner

    Weather Sealing

    Leica X Vario 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 X Vario Sensor and Photography Features

    Leica X Vario has a 16.0MP APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm ) sized CMOS sensor . You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4928 x 3272 pixels with aspect ratios of and 3:2. X Vario has a native ISO range of 100 - 12500 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

    Leica X Vario is not the highest resolution APS-C camera. Canon M6 MII with its 33.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Leica X Vario vs Canon M6 MII or take a look at Highest resolution Compact cameras list.

    Leica X Vario DxOMark Sensor Scores

    DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Leica X Vario sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 78 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Leica X Vario here.

    Let's look at how the size of the Leica X Vario's APS-C sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

    Leica X Vario Sensor Size Comparison
    Comparison image of Leica X Vario Sensor Size with other standard sensors

    Leica X Vario Lens

    Leica X Vario features a 28-70 mm F3.5-6.4 2.5× zoom lens. Lens has a good wide angle capability starting at 28mm, However 70mm on the tele side is only good for classic portrait shots at best, but doesn't provide a real telephoto reach.

    Wide Coverage

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    X Vario
    Widest - Canon G1 X II
    Average
    Telezoom

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    X Vario
    Longest - Panasonic ZS200
    Average

    With a max aperture of f3.50 at 28mm, we can not consider this lens fast on wide end, and it is slow at the tele end with its max aperture of f6.40.

    Max Aperture at Wide

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    X Vario
    Fastest - Panasonic LX10
    Average
    Max Aperture at Tele

    Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    X Vario
    Fastest - Leica Q
    Average

    Leica X Vario's lens also has a Manual Focus Mode.



    Leica X Vario LCD

    Leica X Vario has a Fixed Type 3" LCD screen with a resolution of 920k dots. Both the screen size and the screen resolution is up to the standards of this class.



    Leica X Vario back view and LCD

    X Vario doesn't have a built-in viewfinder but an optional external viewfinder is available. Lack of a viewfinder can be problematic especially under strong light where visibility of LCD screens goes down dramatically. If you need a Large Sensor Compact camera with a built-in viewfinder in a similar price range, consider Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II (Compare) or Fujifilm X100V (Compare).
    If the price is not an issue, take a look at our Top Rated Cameras with Viewfinders.

    Leica X Vario Connectivity, Storage and Battery

    You can connect X Vario to compatible devices via its HDMI port or USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port.

    Battery

    Leica X Vario is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 450 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of Large Sensor Compact type cameras is 303 shots, Leica X Vario has a good battery life for its class.

    Battery Life Comparison in Large Sensor Compact Cameras

    Leica X Vario
    Min
    Average
    Max

    Leica X Vario is the longest battery life Large Sensor Compact camera in our database. The closest competitor in this class is Leica X-U with its 450 shots battery life. Check the comparison of Leica X Vario vs Leica X-U or take a look at Longest battery life Compact cameras list.

    Leica X Vario Features Compared to Main Competitors
    Model Max Video Battery Life Wi-fi Bluetooth NFC
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X (Typ 113)
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 350shots No No No
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X2
    Compare
    None 450shots No No No
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica D-Lux 7
    Compare
    3840 x 2160 340shots Yes Yes No
    Leica X Vario Camera Fujifilm X100V
    Compare
    4096 x 2160 420shots Yes Yes No
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica D-Lux Typ 109
    Compare
    3840 x 2160 300shots Yes No Yes
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica Q
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 shots Yes No No
    Leica X Vario Camera Leica X1
    Compare
    None shots No No No
    Leica X Vario Camera Fujifilm X100F
    Compare
    1920 x 1080 390shots Yes No No

    Leica X Vario Video Features

    With Leica X Vario, you can record your videos at a highest resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 30p fps and save in and MPEG-4 formats. Full HD resolution of Leica X Vario will be adequate in most of the situations. But if you are after the highest resolution videos available, see our list of Top Cameras with 4K (Ultra-HD) Video.

    X Vario has a built-in Stereo microphone and a Mono speaker.
    Leica X Vario doesn't have any connections for external microphones and headphones. If you need a Large Sensor Compact camera with external microphone connectivity, consider Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II or Fujifilm X100V in a similar price range.

    Leica X Vario Other Features

    Max Shutter speed

    Leica X Vario can shoot continuously at max speed of 5 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/2000 sec.

    Flash

    X Vario has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

    Focusing

    Leica X Vario features a Contrast Detection autofocusing system. The AF system has 11 points to choose from.

    Leica X Vario also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

    Leica X Vario PROs and CONs Review

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

    PROs
    External Flash Shoe
    Full HD Video
    Electronic (Optional) Optional Viewfinder
    RAW Shooting
    Face Detection Focusing
    11 Focus Points
    920k dots LCD Resolution
    Long Battery Life (450 shots)
    Manual Focusing
    Manual Exposure
    Good Low Light ISO - 1320
    AE Bracketing
    Report a correction

    Buy Leica X Vario from AMAZON or B&H PHOTO


    CONs
    No Wireless Connection
    No Image Stabilization
    No Articulating Screen
    No Touch Screen
    No Built-in Viewfinder
    Heavy Body: 680
    No Environmental Sealing
    70 mm - Poor Telezoom Coverage
    Optical Zoom only 2.5X
    Slow Lens at Wide: f3.50
    Slow Lens at Tele: f6.40
    Report a correction
    What type of Photography is Leica X Vario Good for?
    In this section, we review and score Leica X Vario in 5 different photography areas.

    Leica X Vario for Portrait Photography

    Leica X Vario has a score of 50 for Portrait Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Portrait is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top Compact Cameras for Portrait Photography list.
    Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
    RAW shooting capability
    External Flash Shoe
    Manual Focus Mode
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
    No Image Stabilization
    Not so good Ergonomics&Handling

    Read the details of how we scored Leica X Vario for Portrait Photography

    Leica X Vario for Street Photography

    Leica X Vario has a score of 60 for Street Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Street Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 Compact Cameras for Street Photography list.
    Manual Focus Mode
    Live-view
    Face-Detection Focusing
    28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    RAW shooting capability
    Small Body
    Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
    No Image Stabilization

    Read the details of how we scored Leica X Vario for Street Photography

    Leica X Vario for Sports Photography

    Leica X Vario has a score of 40 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.
    11 Focus Points
    Good Low Light ISO
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Manual Focus Mode
    External Flash Shoe
    RAW shooting capability
    Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
    Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
    Environmental Sealings
    Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
    No Image Stabilization
    70 mm Tele Lens

    Read the details of how we scored Leica X Vario for Sports Photography

    Leica X Vario for Daily Photography

    Leica X Vario has a score of 67 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 APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
    RAW shooting capability
    680g
    Body Thickness 95mm
    2.5X Optical Zoom

    Read the details of how we scored Leica X Vario for Daily Photography

    Leica X Vario for Landscape Photography

    Leica X Vario 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
    28 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
    RAW shooting capability
    Large APS-C (23.6 x 15.8 mm) sensor
    Average Resolution Sensor: 16.0MP
    No Environmental Sealings

    Read the details of how we scored Leica X Vario for Landscape Photography
    Leica X Vario Alternatives
    In this section, we analyse how Leica X Vario compares with other Large Sensor Compact cameras within a similar price range.
    Read a more detailed analysis of Leica X Vario alternatives.

    Popular Comparisons of Leica X Vario

    Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Leica X Vario amongst Camera Decision readers.

    Leica X (Typ 113)
    Leica X (Typ 113)
    Compare
    Leica X2
    Leica X2
    Compare
    Leica D-Lux 7
    Leica D-Lux 7
    Compare
    Fujifilm X100V
    Fujifilm X100V
    Compare
    Leica D-Lux Typ 109
    Leica D-Lux Typ 109
    Compare
    Leica Q
    Leica Q
    Compare
    Leica X1
    Leica X1
    Compare
    Fujifilm X100F
    Fujifilm X100F
    Compare

    Leica X Vario Alternatives in Cameras

    It would also be interesting to compare Leica X Vario with Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked cameras in Leica X Vario's price range.

    Frequently Asked Questions about Leica X Vario
    Does the Leica X Vario have Image Stabilization?
    Does the Leica X Vario have RAW support?
    Does the Leica X Vario have Weather Sealing?
    Does the Leica X Vario have built-in GPS?
    What is the Max ISO of Leica X Vario?
    What is the Sensor Size of Leica X Vario?
    is the Leica X Vario a Full Frame (FF) camera?
    Does the Leica X Vario have Touch Screen?
    Does the Leica X Vario have built-in Wireless?
    What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Leica X Vario?
    What is the Weight of Leica X Vario?
    What are the Dimensions of Leica X Vario?
    Leica X Vario Detailed Specifications

    General
    Brand Leica
    Model Leica X Vario
    Announced 2013-06-11
    Body Type Large sensor compact
    Lens
    Manual Focus
    Lens Mount fixed lens
    Lens Focal Range 28-70 mm (2.5×)
    Max Aperture F3.5-6.4
    Macro Focus Range n/a
    Screen
    Screen Type Fixed Type
    Screen Size 3"
    Screen Resolution 920k dots
    Live View
    Touch Screen
    Viewfinder
    Viewfinder Electronic (optional)
    Viewfinder Resolution no electronic viewfinder
    Viewfinder Coverage n/a
    Viewfinder Magnification n/a
    Photography Features
    Min Shutter Speed 30s
    Max Mechanical Shutter Speed 1/2000s
    Continuous Shooting 5.0 fps
    Shutter Priority
    Aperture Priority
    Manual Exposure Mode
    Exposure Compensation Yes
    Custom White Balance
    Image Stabilization
    Built-in Flash
    Flash Range n/a
    Flash Modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Front Curtain, Rear Curtain, Slow sync, Studio
    External Flash
    AE Bracketing
    WB Bracketing
    Exposure Modes
    Multi-Segment
    Average
    Spot
    Partial
    AF-Area
    Center Weighted
    DxO Sensor Scores
    DxO Overall Score 78
    DxO Color Depth 23.4
    DxO Dynamic Range 12.7
    DxO Low Light ISO 1320
    Report a correction

    Sensor
    Sensor Type CMOS
    Sensor Size APS-C
    Sensor Dimensions 23.6 x 15.8 mm
    Sensor Area 372.88mm2
    Sensor Resolution 16 megapixels
    Max Image Resolution 4928 x 3272
    Max Native ISO 12,500
    Min Native 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 11
    Number of Cross Focus Points Unknown
    Video Features
    Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080
    Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080
    Video Formats MPEG-4
    Microphone Port
    Headphone Port
    Connectivity
    Wireless Connectivity None
    HDMI
    USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
    Physical
    Environmental Sealing
    Water Proof
    Dust Proof
    Shock Proof
    Crush Proof
    Freeze Proof
    Weight 680g
    Physical Dimensions 133 x 73 x 95mm
    Battery Life 450 shots
    Battery Type Battery Pack
    Battery Model BP-DC8
    Other Features
    Self Timer Yes (2 or 12 sec)
    Timelapse Recording
    GPS None
    Storage Type SD/SDHC/SDXC
    Storage Slots 1


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