Leica C-LUX Comparison Review

The Leica C-LUX is a fixed lens compact camera that was officially introduced in June 2018 and is equipped with an one-inch sensor. It offers a resolution of 20 megapixel.

Is the Leica C-LUX a good camera? The C-LUX has a Camera Elo of 2342. This rating puts the C-LUX among the top 10 percent of all superzoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (one inch cameras), the C-LUX ranks among the top 30 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size of the Leica C-LUX vis-à-vis a credit card. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are presented. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica C-LUX alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	121 mm	74 mm	43 mm	337 g	350	n	Sep 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	118 mm	83 mm	41 mm	383 g	350	n	Jan 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
5.		Leica CL	131 mm	78 mm	45 mm	403 g	220	n	Nov 2017	EUR 2 490	ebay.com
6.		Leica D-LUX 7	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
7.		Leica TL2	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	399 g	250	n	Jul 2017	EUR 1 949	ebay.com
8.		Leica V-LUX 5	136 mm	97 mm	131 mm	812 g	350	n	Jul 2019	EUR 1 199	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 VII	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	302 g	260	n	Jul 2019	EUR 1 299	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica C-LUX was launched in the US market at a price of $1,049. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check C-LUX offers at
ebay.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Leica C-LUX features an one-inch sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.7. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica C-LUX among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1764	82
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	23.9	13.2	1704	81
5.		Leica CL	APS-C	24.1	6014	4014	4K/30p	24.0	13.3	1788	82
6.		Leica D-LUX 7	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.9	12.8	1002	72
7.		Leica TL2	APS-C	24.1	6014	4014	4K/30p	23.9	13.3	1753	82
8.		Leica V-LUX 5	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	584	65
9.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
10.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
11.		Sony RX100 VII	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.8	12.4	418	63
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. The C-LUX indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the C-LUX can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the C-LUX has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2330k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.53x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Leica C-LUX in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	n	n
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	8.0/s	Y	n
5.		Leica CL	2360	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/8000s	10.0/s	n	n
6.		Leica D-LUX 7	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
7.		Leica TL2	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	n
8.		Leica V-LUX 5	2360	n	3.0 / 1240	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
10.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 VII	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	Y	1/2000s	90.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the C-LUX is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica C-LUX and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
5.		Leica CL	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
6.		Leica D-LUX 7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Leica TL2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	-
8.		Leica V-LUX 5	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Sony RX100 VII	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the C-LUX offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The C-LUX has a zoom lens built in (8.8-132mm f/3.3-6.4), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 360mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Further information on the features and operation of the C-LUX can be found in the free online Leica C-LUX Manual or on the Leica support site.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the C-LUX in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
3.		Fujifilm X-E3	4.5/5	+	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
4.		Fujifilm X-T20	5/5	+ +	5/5	82/100	5/5	4.5/5	Jan 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
5.		Leica CL	..	..	4.2/5	..	..	4/5	Nov 2017	EUR 2 490	ebay.com
6.		Leica D-LUX 7	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
7.		Leica TL2	3.5/5	..	3/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2017	EUR 1 949	ebay.com
8.		Leica V-LUX 5	..	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2019	EUR 1 199	amazon.com
9.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
10.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	EUR 1 299	ebay.com
11.		Sony RX100 VII	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	4/5	5/5	Jul 2019	EUR 1 299	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check C-LUX offers at
ebay.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just make your choice using the following search menu. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Leica C-LUX Review