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Leica V-Lux 40

 
Leica V-Lux 40 front
 
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Optical Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • 24-480mm (F3.3-6.4) lens
  • 210g - 105 x 59 x 28mm
  • Announced May 2012
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
92
Imaging
37
Features
48
Overall
41

Leica V-Lux 40 summary

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 #115 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and over all #658 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.

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

Leica V-Lux 40 family

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.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Leica-V-Lux-4 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 4
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 4
25-600mm
F2.8
12MP1/2.3"2012
Leica-V-Lux-40 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 4024-480mm
F3.3-6.4
14MP1/2.3"2012
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Leica-V-Lux-3 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 3
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 3
25-600mm
F2.8-5.2
12MP1/2.3"2011
Leica-V-Lux-30 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 30
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 30
24-384mm
F3.3-5.9
14MP1/2.3"2011
Leica-V-Lux-2 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 2
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 2
25-600mm
F2.8-5.2
14MP1/2.3"2010
Leica-V-Lux-20 front thumbnailLeica V-Lux 20
V-Lux 40 vs V-Lux 20
25-300mm
F3.3-4.9
12MP1/2.3"2010
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Leica V-Lux 40 Pros and Cons

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.

comes with HDMI support
flash built-in
good megapixels (14 megapixels)
good minimum ISO (100)
has image stabilization (Optical)
includes face detect focusing
includes tracking focus
lighter than competition (210 grams)
long zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
relatively wide (24mm)
screen size is good (3 inches)
supports focus by touch
touchscreen
very long reach (480mm)
video res high (1920 x 1080 resolution)
bad battery pack (210 shots)
can't swap lens (fixed lens mount)
can't use external flash
display is not selfie friendly
lack of headphone jack
lack of microphone jack
lack of phase detect AF
lack of RAW format
lack of Timelapse recording
manual focus not available
max zoom aperture not good (f6.4)
pixelated screen (461 k dot)
screen does not articulate
slow max aperture (f3.3)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
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Leica V-Lux 40 Sensor features

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.

Leica V-Lux 40 sensor size Photography Glossary

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

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Leica V-Lux 40 dimensions

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.

Leica V-Lux 40 dimensions scale

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

Leica V-Lux 40 topview buttons dials

Leica V-Lux 40 Lens features

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.

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Leica V-Lux 40 Connectivity

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.

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Leica V-Lux 40 Video features

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.

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Leica V-Lux 40 Weather Sealing

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

Leica V-Lux 40 Display and Viewfinder

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.

Leica V-Lux 40 screen and viewfinder Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

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 Shutter features

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

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Leica V-Lux 40 Flash and Hot shoe features

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

Leica V-Lux 40 Autofocus features

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.

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Leica V-Lux 40 Battery life

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:

Leica V-Lux 40 for different styles of photography

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.

Leica V-Lux 40 Portrait photography factors

The Leica V-Lux 40 has a score of 35 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.

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good resolution (14MP)
features face detection autofocus
no manual focus
cannot use external flash
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
lacks RAW format

Leica V-Lux 40 as a Street photography camera

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.

Photography Glossary
built in image stabilization (Optical)
comes with touch focus
lighter than competitors in class (210 grams)
fixed screen
very small sensor (1/2.3")
has no RAW support

Leica V-Lux 40 Sports photography info

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.

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long zoom range (24-480mm 20.0 x zoom)
has image stabilization (Optical)
decent sensor resolution (14MP)
supports tracking autofocus
small sensor size (1/2.3")
terrible battery life (210 CIPA)
doesn't have phase detect AF

Leica V-Lux 40 Travel photography factors

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.

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lighter than average (210g)
has touch focus
good MP (14 megapixels)
flash built-in
decently wide (24mm)
great reach (480mm)
no Time Lapse function
low battery power (210 CIPA)
display is not selfie friendly
slow maximum aperture (f3.3)

Leica V-Lux 40 as a Landscape photography camera

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.

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really wide (24mm)
nice screen size (3 inches)
built in image stabilization (Optical)
megapixel count decent (14MP)
lack of manual focus
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.3)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
has no RAW files
terrible battery life (210 shots)
missing Timelapse recording

Leica V-Lux 40 Vlogging info

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.

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decently wide (24mm)
touch screen
image stabilization (Optical)
offers face detection focusing
great video quality (1920 x 1080 pxls)
lighter than competition (210 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.3)
does not have a selfie friendly display
does not have external mic support

Leica V-Lux 40 Alternatives

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.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Leica
Model type
Leica V-Lux 40
Type
Small Sensor Superzoom
Announced
2012-05-10
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor measurements
6.08 x 4.56mm
Sensor area
27.7mm²
Sensor resolution
14 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution
4320 x 3240
RAW data
Highest native ISO
6400
Minimum native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
Touch focus
AF continuous
Single AF
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
Multi area AF
AF live view
Face detect focusing
Contract detect focusing
Phase detect focusing
Total focus points
23
Lens
Lens support
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
24-480mm (20.0x)
Maximal aperture
f/3.3-6.4
Macro focusing range
3cm
Crop factor
5.9
Screen
Range of display
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
3 inches
Resolution of display
461k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder
None
DXO scores
DXO Overall rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Min shutter speed
15s
Max shutter speed
1/2000s
Continuous shutter speed
10.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash distance
6.40 m
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Slow Syncro
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment exposure
Average exposure
Spot exposure
Partial exposure
AF area exposure
Center weighted exposure
Video features
Supported video resolutions
1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (220 fps)
Highest video resolution
1920x1080
Video format
MPEG-4, AVCHD
Microphone input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
BuiltIn
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
210 grams (0.46 pounds)
Dimensions
105 x 59 x 28mm (4.1" x 2.3" x 1.1")
Other
Battery life
210 photographs
Battery format
Battery Pack
Self timer
Yes (2 or 10 sec)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC/SDXC, Internal
Storage slots
One
Retail pricing
$699