Leica C-Lux review

A versatile superzoom compact camera and an ideal travel companion, but that Leica badge doesn't come cheap

Leica C-Lux review
(Image: © Leica)

Digital Camera World Verdict

On paper the C-Lux pretty much as it all: a compact camera with a large image sensor promising decent image quality, teamed with 15x optical zoom and plenty of features. Trouble is, you get all these benefits with the near identical Panasonic ZS200/TZ200, and for significantly less money. If you really must have that Leica red dot kudos, then the extra outlay may just be worth it, but if you're not fussed with brand snobbery, the humble Panasonic is the smarter buy.

Pros

  • +

    Relatively large sensor

  • +

    Versatile zoom range

  • +

    Feature-packed, with 4K video

Cons

  • -

    Just a re-skin of a (much) cheaper Panasonic

  • -

    Image quality barely beats a camera phone

  • -

    Screen doesn't articulate

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Where most compact cameras have been killed off by the best camera phones, the Leica C-Lux has two main advantages over its smartphone rivals: it packs a larger sensor (1-inch in size), and it offers 15x optical zoom. Up-to-date features like optical image stabilisation and 4K video, along Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, further help justify the C-Lux's fairly hefty price tag.

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Ben Andrews

Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.