Leica V-Lux 40

Leica V-Lux 40 is Leica's Small Sensor Superzoom camera first announced on May of 2012. It comes with a 14 MegaPixel, CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a max resolution of 4320 x 3240.

The V-Lux 40 ranks at #100 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over all #620 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. You should look at our Smart camera search to see camera listings based on your personalized requirements.

The following is a graph of different factors used in the rating system.

The Leica V-Lux 40 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Below, you can look at all older and latest models as well as important specifications.

You can view the V-Lux 40 from different angles in the gallery underneath.

Here is a list of pluses and minuses of the Leica V-Lux 40 based on things that are typically considered essential in a camera.

The size of the sensor on the Leica V-Lux 40 is 6.08mm x 4.56mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor is able to capture 4320 x 3240 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9. The camera has got Image Stabilization (Optical). Sensor stabilization is superior than digital stabilization since the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 14 megapixels and gives a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. Sadly, RAW files are not saved which means that you have less margin for error.

The graphic below shows the V-Lux 40's sensor size in comparison to other common sizes. The V-Lux 40 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.9 and is displayed in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Leica V-Lux 40 weighs about 0.46 lb (210 gr or 7.41 oz) and the size of the camera is 105mm x 59mm x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1"). The weight of typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Leica V-Lux 40 is less heavy compared to various rivals.

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The following is a pic of the Leica V-Lux 40 with a softdrink so you can have a feel for its size.

The top view directly below will highlight the button layout on the V-Lux 40.

The V-Lux 40 houses a built-in lens giving a focal range of 24-480mm making it a 20.0 x zoom which is huge and can enable you to zoom right in.

At it's widest 24mm, it provides an aperture of f3.3 and that is rather sluggish and not ideal in low light situations and you might find it difficult to capture good bokeh. You will likely also need to up your ISO which results in noisy photographs. With the long end, 480mm is exceptional zoom and comes to f6.4 making it pretty sluggish and you may have to apply slow shutter speeds.

The V-Lux 40 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes
• GPS Yes

Digital cameras that incorporate NFC or Bluetooth connectivity are able to be used wirelessly via smartphones. You can transfer pictures and in some cases alter settings with no need to connect straight with the camera.

A few apps also provide a Liveview and hit the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera contains a HDMI out, it can easily be attached to an external display. A lot of cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack using the USB socket.

The max video resolution on the Leica V-Lux 40 is 1920 x 1080 and it can save in MPEG-4 and AVCHD format. 1080p resolution delivers a great balance between quality versus file size but 1080p won't give you much room to downsample. The body does not have a mic or headphone jack which means you have zero control over your sound. It is probably a better idea to purchase an alternative camera if you require good sound in your video clips.

Leica V-Lux 40 does not have environment proofing so wet conditions could affect the camera.

The Leica V-Lux 40 comes with a 3" fixed screen with a resolution of 461k dots.

Moreover the screen is touch friendly which means that you can easily change focus point as well as adjust settings by using your fingertips.

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The View Finder specifications regarding Leica V-Lux 40 are the following:

• ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor situations that make the camera displays washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders will be quite useful.

Leica V-Lux 40 continuous shooting speed is 10.0 frames/s. The max shutter speed is 1/2000s.

Leica V-Lux 40 has got just in-built flash without external flash support.

Leica V-Lux 40 has got only Contrast Based Autofocus and lacks Phase Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more snappier and accurate compared to Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera comes with Face detect which can be valuable for portraits.

The AF system comes with 23 focus points to pick from. Leica V-Lux 40 has touch to focus. You can use your fingers to adjust where you focus. It also has Tracking Autofocus for moving subjects. Leica V-Lux 40 does not have manual focusing. Manual focusing ability can be good during low light situations or you need more precise depth of field control.

The battery pack in the Leica V-Lux 40 is fashioned to last for 210 shots as per the CIPA specifications which is lower as compared to its rivals. The usual Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has the maximum (600) battery life within this kind of cameras.

Below is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras having the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm HS35EXR
V-Lux 40 vs Fujifilm HS35EXR600 yesnono

Nikon B500
V-Lux 40 vs B500600 nonoyes

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Nikon L840
V-Lux 40 vs L840590 noyesno

Panasonic FZ200
V-Lux 40 vs FZ200540 yesnono

Leica V-Lux 4
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 4540 yesnono

The following graph shows a rundown of the Leica V-Lux 40 for different styles of photography. To find out more, have a look at the specific section below.

The Leica V-Lux 40 has a score of 36 which is horrible, meaning that it is not really acceptable to use for portraits. Taking portrait photos leans heavily to sensor size, support for RAW photos plus the potential to utilize off-camera lighting.

Having a above average points total of 65, the Leica V-Lux 40 is a good option for street photography. A good street photography camera offers a good balance of image quality plus portability.

A reasonable sports photography score of 47 suggests the Leica V-Lux 40 is reasonably suitable for photographing sports. A camera needs good tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Portability is super important in selecting a travel camera. All things considered, the Leica V-Lux 40 gets a nice 68 for a travel camera which makes it a very decent fit for your journeys.

For anyone looking to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most essential factor is going to be image quality. The Leica V-Lux 40 with it's horrible grade of 42 for a landscape camera is not really acceptable compared to it's rivals.

A vlogging camera should really posses a articulating display screen, mic input and preferably image stabilization. Considering everything, the Leica V-Lux 40 is not really acceptable for vlogging as it delivers a horrible score of 35.

If you are trying to find alternatives to the V-Lux 40, below is a selection of the top ranked cameras that fall within the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The diagram underneath gives you an overview of the V-Lux 40 versus it's highest scoring competitors suggested above.

Following are several cameras you may take a look at as alternate options. To read a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.