It's been quite some time since Leica refreshed its V-Lux camera stable – almost five years, in fact – but leaked images suggests that a new arrival isn't far off.
The images, leaked by camera-rumors website Nokishita, show a camera that resembles the Panasonic FZ2000 II, a superzoom compact that Panasonic unveiled back in February.
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Panasonic and Leica have long been buddies where camera development is concerned, so this similarity shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
The previous Leica V-Lux (Typ 114) was modelled on the Panasonic FZ1000, which arrived back in 2014, while previous V-Lux models, in addition to the likes of the D-Lux 7 and C-Lux lines, have also been quite clearly based on Panasonic releases.
Interestingly, Leica didn't release a model based on the Panasonic FZ2500 / FZ2000, which was announced back in 2017.
What we expect
So what will the Leica V-Lux 5 offer?
The Panasonic FZ1000 II is designed around a 20MP 1-inch sensor and a zoom lens that offers a focal range equivalent to 25-400mm in 35mm terms. It also packs a 5-axis hybrid Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.+) and 4K video recording, in addition to a 2.36 million-dot EVF, a flip-out touchscreen and 12fps burst shooting.
We reckon the V-Lux 5 will get these specs, although the body looks to have had a cosmetic overhaul to distinguish it from the FZ1000 II, and the user interface is also likely to be different.
While the FZ1000 II's RRP of $899 / £769 / AU$1,399 places it towards the middle of the pack for a camera with these kinds of specs, we also think it's likely the Leica V-Lux 5 will have a higher RRP – because, after all, it's a Leica.