Product Description

If you want a stylish, slim compact camera but don't want to sacrifice picture quality then you'll love the ultra compact Leica C-LUX 2! Sporting a classic black metal body, it's a design classic - which can fit into even the smallest pocket. In fact it's the slimmest Leica digital camera ever made! That elegant exterior design - unmistakably Leica - is matched by an impressive array of precision optics and digital technology inside. If you want to take the style even further, then you can also compliment your LEICA C-LUX 2 with its own exclusive tan leather case and carry strap.The high-speed wide-angle 28 mm zoom lens enables you to take stunning, space-grabbing shots. The optical image stabilizer and intelligent exposure control prevent camera shake and the 7.2 megapixel CCD sensor enables you to take superlative prints you can enlarge - even up to poster size.The extra large 2.5" display, the image stabilization and short shutter delay of the Leica C-LUX 2 all combine to guarantee carefree photography with high-quality results. Fast, discreet snapshots captured on the fly, or picture perfect compositions at twilight or in other tricky conditions - all are possible with this elegant compact. Where the Vario-Elmarit zoom lens also retracts entirely into the camera body at the flick of the ?off? switch.So whether you're a partygoer, city stroller or nature lover, the Leica C-LUX 2 is always your dependable companion - any time, any place, you need never miss another photo opportunity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26503 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Leica
• Model: 18326
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 2.50" w x 4.00" l, 1.50 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 7.2-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 3.6x optical zoom; 2.5-inch LCD display
• High-speed wide-angle lens allows for creative framing
• Classic, ultra-compact metal body measures 3.5 x 2 x .9 inches
• Powered by lithium-ion battery (battery and charger included); stores images on SD memory cards (64MB memory card included)

From the Manufacturer
If you value style but not weight when you're out looking for great images, consider the ultra-compact Leica C-LUX 2. Sporting a classic silver metal body and measuring just 3.5 x 2 x .9 inches, it fits into even the smallest pocket. (The Leica C-LUX 2 is also available in black.) The elegant exterior design is unmistakably Leica and is matched by an immaculate standard of optics and digital technology inside.

The high-speed wide-angle 28mm zoom lens takes stunning, space-grabbing shots. The optical image stabilizer and the intelligent exposure control prevent camera shake and ensure optimum definition. The 7.2-megapixel CCD sensor enables superlative prints up to poster size.

The extra large 2.5-inch display, the image stabilization, and short shutter delay of the Leica C-LUX 2 all guarantee carefree photography with high-quality results. Fast, discreet snapshots captured on the fly, or picture-perfect compositions at twilight or in other tricky conditions--everything is possible with the Leica C-LUX 2. The Vario-Elmarit zoom lens retracts entirely into the camera body at the flick of the 'off' switch. Whether you're a partygoer, beachcomber, city stroller, or nature lover, the Leica C-LUX 2 is always a dependable companion--any time, any place, you'll never miss another photo op.

What's in the box
Leica C-Lux 2 digital camera, battery charger, battery, 64MB SD memory card, AV cable, USB cable, AC cable, wrist strap, CD-ROM with software (Adobe Photoshop Elements 3/4/5, QuickTime Movieplayer)

Customer Reviews

Leica C-Lux 2
I won't go into technical details here because those can be found on the Leica site etc. I really wanted to love this camera but...for the price I expected better. Here is a short and simple synopsis of what I found:

PROS:The material and workmanship of the product are supurb. The design is flawless and all controls are easy to access. You don't have to go deep into the menu to change basic important features. The "self protrait" feature works very well. Color and low light capture are superior.

CONS:The macro feature is only OK. The landscape pictures I took were poor. I tried all the different settings, took about 50 pictures and only a handful were acceptable to me. The video capture is OK with somewhat poor sound quality. You can't zoom while filming.

Overall, this is an interesting little camera. But for the price there are better alternatives like the Sony T-100. It is incredible both for pictures and video.

Excitment turns to "meh".
I was hoping to find something different. Something better than the rest. Sometimes you just don't feel like the usual selection is good enough. I already had a Canon, everyone and their brother had a Nikon.
I was thinking about the slim line Casio, but who wants to buy a Casio?
So one late night / early morning I found this Leica. It looked different than the Canon/Nikon/Casio/Olympus and plus it had that little red badge on the front. I had to have it.
I found a local dealer on the Leica website and the next day I bought it for the same price as Amazon.
BTW, I knew there was a Panasonic version for half the price. I bought into the cosmetic of the Leica, the story, and that little red badge.
Supposedly this model has different firmware than the Panasonic which gives your JPEG files a color palette similar to classic Leica cameras.
It does not shoot in RAW.

Design

The look of this camera is gorgeous. It is very understated but an instant classic design. The build quality is also very good. It doesn't attract unwanted attention but once you put your hands on it you know it is a well built product.

Ease Of Use

The button layout is nice. It is simple and clean with access to shortcuts for flash, exposure, self timer, and review.
Choosing auto settings or manual mode is easy and the icons make sense.
I wish there were shortcuts for shutter speed and ISO settings. To access those you have to get into the menu which is time consuming and cumbersome. PS most cameras are like that though.

Ergonomics

It is so small and thin that it is kind of hard to hold steadily. Definitely use the wrist strap because it has slipped out of my hands a few times.

Picture Quality

This is very subjective. With good lighting I love the way my pictures turn out. Colors are very natural and not over saturated at all. It is very hard to get "tac sharp" shots with it but I don't think that is the point of a point and shoot.
With average or difficult lighting this point and shoot really struggles. I hate using high ISO settings because anything over 400 has a lot of noise of this camera. The flash blows out the picture if you are less then 6 feet away. It isn't powerful enough in a dim room if you are more then 8 feet away. There are no controls to dial down the flash. To get a good picture with or without flash you spend a lot of time changing exposure, ISO, and shutter speed. There is a +/- 2 exposure control but the shutter speed can only be set to a maximum of 1 second in manual mode. ISO can be set from 100-1250 but again anything over 400 has a lot of noise. Using "simple mode" usually jacks up the ISO settings in dark rooms or uses the flash which is useless most of the time. You can get a good shot in a dark room or outdoors but it will take some time to set it up.

Extra

Includes a copy of Photoshop Elements which is a fun program to add effects to your photos.

Overall

If you are thinking about this for outdoor day trips to the beach or mountains then this might be a good choice for you. If you want something to take to parties and nights out with your friends then you need to find something with better low light performance and a smarter auto mode. I don't regret buying it but it is not all that I hoped for considering Leica's reputation and premium price.

An Amazing Ultra-Compact
I have had the Leica C-Lux 2 for a few months now, and am happy to report that it is a fantastic camera. I appreciate the small size and light-weight and the fantastic image quality. I upgraded from an older Canon Powershot that was only 4.2MPs and over twice the size. Needless to say, I could not be happier! I really like the fact that, although small and compact, the camera still feels solid. That is, there are some other ultra-small cameras I looked at that which felt flimsy (plastic-y and not durable), but the Leica (despite its super small size) does not have this quality. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quality piece of electronics!