Just two years ago I was testing the new Leica V-Lux, courtesy of Leica’s press department. Two of my Leica-owning friends, George James and John Cartwright, and I were invited by Ivor Cooper of Red Dot Cameras to join him and Elaine in tracing the route of the London to Brighton veteran car run. We set off from Hyde Park corner at some ungodly hour in Ivor’s 4×4, festooned with an array of Leica stuff and raring for action.
Ivor also had a V-Lux in the glove compartment and both of us managed to capture some firm keepers with this super-zoom, small-sensor shooter. I was mightily impressed but have never actually owned a V-Lux. Ivor is clearly even more impressed because most of his work over the past two years has been done with the V-Lux. Why? Because of its flexibility and unbeatable combination of focal range — from 24 to 400mm — and the better-than-they-ought-to-be pictures that come from that 1in sensor.
This is a the same sensor sensor size introduced by Nikon in their Nikon 1 with the CX designation. It is also pretty famous for service in the ground-braking Sony RX100 and the RX10 which is Sony’s competitor to the Leica V-Lux (a modified version of the Panasonic FZ1000).
I’m constantly being shown impressive pictures from this camera. And the aforementioned John Cartwright has since succumbed and now swears by the V-Lux as a convenient all-in-one travel companion.
So here we are two years on and Ivor is still wedded to his V-Lux. He took it out again last weekend to get some action shots of the London-Brighton competitors. The day before the run, Saturday, I was out and about at the pre-event gathering in London’s Regent Street, traitorously wielding an Olympus PEN-F and the new f/1.2 25mm prime.
But I really liked Ivor’s car pictures and asked if I could let you see them. Again, the V-Lux and its small sensor impresses. For an event such as this it offers just the right zoom range, from 24mm for the static car shots through to 400mm for some of the moving snaps on Westminster Bridge. What better background could you hope for than Big Ben (officially it was originally St.Stephen’s Tower but has now been renamed as the Queen Elizabeth Tower) and the Palace of Westminster itself?
Meanwhile, on the Brighton Road
Leica V-Lux gallery (click to enlarge and see full frame)
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- Ivor will be happy to sell you a V-Lux at Red Dot Cameras in Goswell Road, London.
- See our photo gallery of the 2014 London-Brighton run.
- See our test of the Leica V-Lux.
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Looked like it was a grand day for grand pictures! Very enjoyable thank you.
Absolutely agree with you about "better-than-they-ought-to-be pictures". I’ve said the same about my V-lux 1 with its 1/1.8 sensor from 2006! Have found it very difficult to think of upgrading, especially given its entirely internal focussing lens (also 400mm equiv.). Every bit as good in practice as the Sony RX10. But maybe your article and pictures will persuade me………..