Features

Overview: The Leica V-Lux 5 (Order No. 19120) digital camera is a high-quality long zoom camera with a fast 16x optical zoom lens and large image sensor. The V-Lux 5 has a 3" LCD monitor and a high resolution OLED viewfinder for precisely framing your shots. It comes with a lens hood, a neck strap, rechargeable battery, and USB charging cable.

Lens: Leica lenses have been known for their high quality and clarity for over 150 years. The Leica V-Lux 5 is equipped with a DC Vario-Elmarit 9.1-146mm f/2-4.0 ASPH 16x zoom lens, that is perfectly matched to its image sensor. The 35mm equivalent focal length of the lens is 25-400mm, perfect for available-light photography, including portraits, landscapes, architecture, macro, and reportage photography. The lens features 15 elements in 11 groups, including 5 aspherical lenses, 8 aspherical surfaces, and 4 ED lenses. A lens hood is included to help prevent lens flare and ghosting caused by excess light entering the lens.

Zoom Types: The camera has a 16x optical zoom. Some resolutions let you extend the focal length to a maximum of 32x (Extended Optical Zoom). The camera's Intelligent Resolution technology can also extend the focal length to twice the original magnification while minimizing the deterioration of the image quality (i.Zoom). In addition, a 4x Digital Zoom can be used in conjunction with the Optical or Extended Optical Zoom, but the image quality deteriorates as you extend the focal length.

Image Sensor: The Leica V-Lux 5 is equipped with a 1" High-sensitivity MOS image sensor with 20.9-million total pixels and 20.1-million effective pixels. This gives the camera the ability to take 20MP JPEG and RAW still images and 4K (3840 x 2160) and Full HD movies (1920 x 1080).

Monitor/Electronic Viewfinder: The Leica V-Lux 5 has a 3.0" TFT LCD free-angle color monitor with 1,240,000 dots. The monitor has a 3:2 aspect ratio, and provides a 100% (approx.) field of view. The monitor can swivel out 180°, and rotate 270°. In addition to the LCD monitor, the Leica V-Lux 5 has a 0.39" OLED Electronic Viewfinder with an equivalent of 2,360,000 dots, and a 4:3 aspect ratio. An eye sensor in the viewfinder automatically switches between the viewfinder and the monitor as you raise/lower the camera to/from your eye. The viewfinder features a diopter adjustment dial to set the viewfinder image to your eyesight.

Memory Cards: You can record still images and movies onto SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards from 512 MB to 128 GB. The camera is also compatible with memory cards with the UHS-I Speed Class 3 (U3) standard.

Still Images: The Leica V-Lux 5 can record JPEG images with Standard and Fine compression rates. In addition, RAW format images can be captured, and can be processed in the camera or on your computer with appropriate software to edit and convert raw data to JPEG images. You can also combine RAW images with JPEG images in Standard or Fine, saving images in both file formats simultaneously. Still images can be recorded in the following sizes and aspect ratios:

Video Recording: You can record movies in MP4 format in 4K (3840 x 2160/30p or 24p), Full HD (1920 x 1080/60p or 30p), and HD (1280 x 720/30p). AAC Audio is recorded in stereo on the built-in microphone or an optional external microphone (plugged into the provided 3.5mm mic jack). Recording 4K movies requires a UHS Speed Class 3 memory card. Playback of 4K motion pictures requires connection to a 4K-compatible TV via HDMI.

Recording Modes: The Leica V-Lux 5 has a top-mounted mode dial that lets you select from 10 Recording Modes:

• Program (P): A fully automatic mode--exposure controlled by an automatic shutter speed and aperture setting. You can shift the preset values using the Shift function to get faster shutter speeds for sports photography, or larger depth of field for landscape shots. (Aperture Setting: A, Shutter Speed: A)
• Aperture Priority (A): Aperture Priority allows you to manually set the aperture value to expand or reduce the depth of field (f/2 to f/11) while the camera automatically sets the appropriate shutter speed based on the exposure. (Aperture Setting: set by user, Shutter Speed: A)
• Shutter Priority (S): Shutter Priority allows you to manually set the shutter speed to freeze action or create a sense of motion, while the camera automatically sets the appropriate aperture value. The shutter speed ranges from 60 sec to 1/4000 sec. with mechanical shutter, and 1-1/16000 sec with electronic shutter. (Aperture Setting: A, Shutter Speed: set by user)
• Manual (M): You can manually choose the exposure you want by manually setting both the aperture and shutter speed. (Aperture Setting: set by user, Shutter Speed: set by user)
• Snapshot Mode: There are ten Snapshot Modes which are designed for specific subject types: i-Portrait, i-Scenery, i-Macro, i-Night Portrait, i-Night Scenery, i-Handheld Night Shot, i-Food, i-Baby, i-Sunset, and Auto (when the subject doesn't correspond to any of the other scene modes). For movies, i-Portrait, i-Scenery, i-Low Light, i-Macro, and Auto are available.
• Snapshot Plus Mode: Similar to Snapshot Mode, but adds the ability to set the brightness and color tone of your pictures to suit your preferences instead of what the camera sets. Many other settings can be adjusted in the Snapshot Plus Mode that cannot be set in Snapshot Mode.
• Creative Video Mode: In this mode, you can manually change the aperture and shutter speed for recording motion pictures. You can use the same controls to adjust the aperture and shutter speed as when the mode dial is set to P, A, S, or M. In addition, you can create slow motion pictures by utilizing ultra-high-speed recording.
• Scene Guide Mode: The camera allows you to select a Scene Mode to match the subject and recording situation, and the camera sets the optimal exposure, hue, and focus for the desired result. You can select from the following: Clear Portrait, Silky Skin, Backlit Softness, Clear in Backlight, Relaxing Tone, Sweet Child's Face, Distinct Scenery, Bright Blue Sky, Romantic Sunset Glow, Vivid Sunset Glow, Glistening Water, Clear Nightscape, Cool Night Sky, Warm Glowing Nightscape, Artistic Nightscape, Glittering Illuminations, Handheld Night Shot, Clear Night Portrait, Soft Image of a Flower, Appetizing Food, Cute Dessert, Freeze Animal Motion, Clear Sports Shot, Monochrome, and Panorama Shot.
• Creative Control Mode: Creative Control Mode employs additional image effects to create unique photographs. The effect of each filter can be viewed in the display before taking the photo. Once you have selected the effect, you can dial in the intensity of the effect to suit your preference. Creative Control effects include: Expressive, Retro, Old Days, High Key, Low Key, Sepia, Monochrome, Dynamic Monochrome, Rough Monochrome, Silky Monochrome, Impressive Art, High Dynamic, Cross Process, Toy Effect, Toy Pop, Bleach Bypass, Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Fantasy, Star Filter, One Point Color, and Sunshine.
• Custom Mode: You can register frequently used or unique camera settings and store them as a Custom Mode (C1 and C2). Often used settings can be registered to C1. Up to 3 settings can be registered to C2 (C2-1, C2-2, and C2-3). Whenever you wish to use these settings, you can simply recall them in the Custom Mode.

Shutter Types: The Leica V-Lux 5 has two shutter types from which to choose: a mechanical shutter and an electronic shutter. The mechanical shutter starts the exposure electronically and ends it using the mechanical shutter. Shutter speeds from 60 seconds to 1/4000 second are available. The mechanical shutter sound cannot be silenced. The electronic shutter starts and ends the exposure electronically, and can provide shutter speeds of 1 second to 1/16000 seconds. In the menu, you can choose between the mechanical shutter and the electronic shutter, or let the camera select it automatically.

Photo Style: You can select Photo Style effects to match the type of image you wish to record. By adding one of the following filters, you can adjust the color and image quality: Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome, Scenery, Portrait, Custom, Cinelike D, and Cinelike V.

White Balance: You can set the White Balance automatically, manually (using measured results), or use one of the WB presets, based on the type of lighting on the subject. White Balance settings include: Automatic, Clear Sky, Cloudy Sky, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, Manually set (4 values saved), and Color Temperature.

ISO: The ISO sensitivity setting specifies the possible shutter speeds and aperture settings based on a particular brightness. High sensitivities allow faster shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures. You can choose from Auto ISO, Intelligent ISO, or set it manually between ISO 125 to ISO 12500 in 1 EV or 1/3 EV steps. When Extended ISO is on, ISO settings of 80, 100, and 25000 are possible.

Drive Modes: Drive Modes can be selected by a small mode dial on the top of the camera body. The following drive modes are available:

• Single: One picture is taken when the shutter button is pressed.
• Burst: Pictures are taken as long as the shutter button is pressed. Available frame rates include: Super High Speed (50 fps), High Speed (12 fps), Middle Speed (7 fps), Low Speed (2 fps).
• 4K Photo: Pictures are taken at 3840 x 2160 with a burst rate of 30 fps. You can also take 4K Burst Start/Stop, and 4K Pre-Burst in this mode.
• Post Focus: You canc record 4K burst pictures while changing the focus point, then select a focus point after recording.
• Time Lapse Shot: The camera can automatically create a series of photographs that can be combined into a time lapse motion picture or group pictures to be viewed consecutively. You can select a start time of "now" or delay the start up to 23 hours 59 minutes ahead. The number of pictures recorded can be set from 1 to 9999 at an interval of between 1 second and 99 minutes 59 seconds.
• Self Timer: Photos are taken after a preset delay after pressing the shutter button. You can choose between 10 seconds (for self-portraits), 2 seconds (to prevent camera shake), or 10 seconds with 3 photos taken at intervals of 2 seconds.

Multiple Exposures: You can make multiple exposures on one picture, up to 4 times equivalent per single image. After taking the first image, you can select "Next" to advance to the next picture, "Retake" to retake the first image, or "Exit" to record the first image and finish the session. As you frame the second, third, and fourth images, you will see the previous images faintly in the monitor so you can position the camera properly.

Focus Modes: You can set the focus automatically or manually. There are three Auto Focus modes: Autofocus Single (AFS) for still subjects, Autofocus Flexible (AFF) for subjects whose movements can't be predicted, and Autofocus Continuous (AFC) for moving subjects. Other special focusing modes include: Macro Focus, Face/Eye Detection, AF Tracking, 49-area Focus, Custom Multi Focus, 1-area Focusing, and Pinpoint Focusing. The focusing range is as follows:

Metering: To set the camera to the lighting conditions, the Leica V-Lux 5 offers three Exposure Metering Modes: Intelligent Multiple Field, Center-weighted, and Spot Metering.

Image Stabilization: The Leica V-Lux 5 offers the 5-Axis Hybrid Image Stabilizer function to detect and compensate for camera shake. It uses both the optical stabilizer of the lens and the electronic stabilizer of the image sensor. Normal Mode compensates for vertical and horizontal camera shake. Panning Mode compensates for vertical camera shake, ideal for use while panning the camera. You can turn off Image Stabilization when not needed. E-Stabilization (for video) offers 5-way correction in a vertical direction, horizontal direction, rotation axis, vertical rotation, and horizontal rotation.

Wi-Fi/Bluetooth: You can wirelessly connect with the Leica V-Lux 5 by Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz) or Bluetooth Low Energy using the free Leica FOTOS App, available for Apple iPhone and iPad (with iOS 11.0 or later) and Android devices (running version 6.0 and up). The Leica FOTOS App allows you to remotely control the camera from a smartphone or tablet, and take still images and movies remotely. You can also wirelessly copy images from the camera to the smartphone/tablet and share them with others on social networks.

Flash: The Leica V-Lux 5 has a built-in, pop-up flash with a flash range of 0.98' to 44' at maximum wide angle, and 3'-3"-31' at maximum telephoto. There are 4 basic flash modes: Forced Flash On, Forced Flash with Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, and Slow Sync with Red-Eye reduction. During Slow Sync flash, you can select 1st or 2nd curtain sync. If the flash exposure is too dark or bright, you can adjust it with Flash Exposure Compensation between -3EV and +3EV in 1/3-EV steps.

Hot Shoe: The camera is equipped with a hot shoe for attaching an optional external flash unit.

Battery Information: The Leica V-Lux 5 is powered by the BP-DC12-U Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (7.2V, 1200mAh, 8.7Wh). The battery charges in approximately 180 minutes, using the supplied AC adapter and USB-C cable. The estimated battery life is as follows:

Image Playback: You can view one image at a time on the LCD monitor. Playback zoom allows you to enlarge a single image to see details in the photo. You can increase the magnification by 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. Other ways to view images include: 12-image index, 30-image index view, and Calendar View.

Slide Show: You can show your pictures and movies automatically in a Slide Show. You can choose the duration (1 sec, 2 sec, 3 sec, or 5 sec), Repeat function (On, Off), Effects (Auto, Natural, Slow, Swing, Urban, Off), and Sound (Off, Auto, Music, Audio).

RAW Processing: RAW images taken with the camera can be processed in the camera and saved in the JPEG format. The following edits can be made to the images before they are "developed": White Balance, Exposure Compensation, Photo Style, i.Dynamic, Contrast, Highlight, Shadow, Saturation/Color Tone, Filter Effect, Grain Effect, Noise Reduction, i.Resolution, Sharpness, and Setup.

HDMI: The Leica V-Lux 5 has a Micro HDMI (Type D) output for connecting the camera to a High-Definition TV. You can set the HDMI output resolution to Auto, 4K/30p, 1080p, 1080i, 720p, or 480p. The HDTV Link (HDMI CEC) function automatically links the camera to HDTV-compatible devices via HDMI micro cables for easy operation with the TV's remote control.

USB Connection: The Leica V-Lux 5 has a Micro-B USB connection for connecting the camera to a computer for uploading pictures, and firmware updates. You can also connect the camera to a PictBridge-compatible printer to print your still images. A 2' USB cable is included.

External Microphone Jack: The V-Lux 5 has a 3.5mm input for use with an optional external microphone. When using an external mic, you can effectively reduce the amount of wind noise with the Wind Cut feature (High, Standard, Low, or Off). You can also set the recording level of the external microphone when in use. Microphones with a cable of 9.8' or less are recommended.

Remote Control Input: A 2.5mm sub-mini jack is provided for plugging in an optional remote control. Use of a remote control is recommended for long exposures or bulb shooting.