Picture quality.

Somewhat limited zoom range, but perhaps this contributes to picture quality by not trying to do too much with a small package.

I purchased this seven years ago to use as a "carry all the time" camera. I normally use Canon SLRs and L series lenses. I have no sense of disappointment when viewing photographs taken with this camera. The results are excellent. All my photographs are normally printed 12x8 and photographs taken with this camera, I feel, will stand comparison with almost any.

Very sharp and color saturated pictures

Touchy on/off switch

When I bought my first point and shoot, I decided to go for the Leica. What I like about the camera is the fact that I take more pictures because it is so easy to carry in a jacket pocket or my glove compartment. The color saturation is great and the auto foucus works very well. I have several Contax SLRs with Zeiss lenses and the Leica stacks up quite well. The only small complaint I have is that the On/off switch sometimes gets triggered inside the case. I would probably be able to remedy that with a small hard case.

Good photo quality at 3 to 15 ft. Sharp lens in this range.

Quality degrades beyond 15 ft. The on/off button is too easy to be pushed on accidently so the lens will zoom out leaving lens unprotect (in the soft bag). Can not shoot with aperture priority mood.

I purchased this camera in 1999 in a trip to Italy. I did not do much research on this camera, by simply carried over with Leica's name. This is a good camera, but I have to agree with one review that for the price I paid, I could have had a fully equipped SLR. Well, not 100% correct statement since with this one, my wife can use it with ease. In terms of quality, this is great camera for people shot. Do not expect high quality on scenary shot. The quality is some what soft with scenary beyond 15 feet.

Customer Service

none needed.

Similar Products Used:

This is my first but probably last PS. I will keep it for my wife. I now only carry a 20 year old Nikon FE or F100 occationaly. The picture quality and flexibility is beyond what PS can even dream of.

Reliable (in my experience) Attractive 'Leica soft glow' in shots taken in some conditions

Really only average results for way above average cost

I purchased a Z2X to supplement my SLRs and collectection of old rangefinder cameras (Olympus 35RD, Canon G111 and similar) - I wanted a simple point and shoot that I could use quickly for everyday shots. I have to say that I was disappointed with the results overall. There is nothing wrong with the Z2X - it performs satisfactorily in most conditions but results are no better that many other cameras of similar specification (Canon, Minolta, Olympus etc)that all cost a lot less. Exposure is good, flash performance satisfactory, sharpness 'OK' but I think that the user should expect more than average for the cost and also given the Leica reputation (although the Z2X is not, I think, made by Leica). Build quality is pretty good but although the front has an attractive 'metal' look, the rear is the same black plastic found on many cheaper models. My experience having used many types and models is that if lens performance is critical (that is if you want really clear sharp results) avoid compacts with zoom lenses altogether and go for one with a fixed lens (and walk to frame your subject!). Others have made this observation and it's true. The Olympus range offers good value for money in this respect and if you can afford a Ricoh GR1, so much the better. A personal favourite of mine is the Fuji Supermini (with fixed 28mm lens - not the zoom model) although not sure if this is available in the US - I've never seen it referred to on websites such as this. The Z2X has now been replaced by the C1/C2/C3 family in Europe - they still look expensive to me for what they offer.

Customer Service

Not used

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Pentax, Canon, Fuji, Nikon compacts.

Pics excellent in sharpness and brilliance Useful features, esp. lock at infinity (for shooting through windows) Also "B" shutter speed and +2 EV overexposure

Limited zoom range Fastest shutter speed around 1/350 sec AF does not work very well with close objects Significant red eye effect despite preflash Very small pushbuttons, going through the menu is tedious

To be honest, I have the predecessor model (Leica Mini Zoom), but when testing the Z2X, I found out that there is not much difference (silver instead of black body). Best P&S camera I have seen for the 35-70 mm zoom range (which I find too short). The quality of the pics comes close to those of many SLRs. The features are quite straightforward and well-designed. A panorama frame is available, but this must be placed inside before loading a film. The camera is manufactured in Japan, only the lens seems to come from Leica

Customer Service

not needed within 6 years

Similar Products Used:

Minolta Riva Zoom 135 EX

Good quality prints

Size and cost, leather case is $45.

I no longer carry my Pentax LX every time I go on vacation.

Customer Service

None need yet

Similar Products Used:

Pentax LX and various Pentax P&S.

Amazing picture quality, you just can't beat that Leica lens. Easy to use.

It's a little bigger than I thought it would be (I ordered it over the web).

Because of it's ease of use and solid contruction this is the camera that I will take with me everywhere. It's the camera for when I used to say, "D***, I wish I had a camera with me." Especially since I can trust that the color and sharpness will be what I had intended.

Similar Products Used:

Canon ELPH 370z. It has great features, but the 24mm APS format leaves a lot to be desired.

Excellent sharpness, color rendition, easy to carry, great lens

none

For point and shoots, this is definitely one of the best. My wife wanted a lightweight camera that would be capable of taking great pictures of our newborn twins. While I am a user of the Leica M6, I admittedly didn't think much of their point and shoot cameras when she suggested the Z2X. Nonetheless, she had to have a Leica. I'm glad she persisted. After we developed our first couple of rolls, I remember being shocked at the quality of the pictures that this little camera produced. The fantastic pictures are a tribute to the fine Leica lens they stuck in this baby. Candids and close-ups are excellent. The flash is quite good and doesn't wash out the subjects. A built-in infinity mode aid in landscapes through-the-window pictures. My wife will be the first to admit that she isn't the family's best photographer, but she hasn't missed many photo opportunities with the Z2X. It isn't loaded with a lot of fancy features that the Japanese cameras tend to include in their products. But at the end of the day, it's the quality of pictures and the number of keepers that matter. For the money, it's worth your consideration.

Customer Service

not necessary

Similar Products Used:

Leica M6, Minilux Zoom, C1

The Z2X is capable of producing prints that are above average in sharpness.

Of note, the sharpness is high enough to beat the Olympus Stylus, Olympus Stylus Epic, Ricoh R1, and probably the T4 Super as well (based on my own comparisons of what I remember of the print quality).

In direct comparison to the pictures taken by a 50mm 1.8 Canon FD lens,
the Leica Z2X is capable of nearly matching the quality of photos from the Canon 50mm is set at f8 - based on lens resolution tests made by others that's approximately 80-100 lp/mm for the Canon lens, so expect the Z2X to perform ~70-95lp/mm.
(f4 is even sharper on the 50mm FD lens however)

As an example, taking a photo of three newspaper spreads laid out side-by-side from a distance of ~5 1/2 feet away, you can just read the text at both 35 & 70mm lengths.

Similarly, photos with perspective like those taken along the pier at a beach, have an impressive crispness that beats other P&S cameras easily in the sharpness department.

Of course, high contrast and low color fringing must also be present to produce fine pictures, and with the Z2X, both characteristics are present.

In photos set at infinity mode of the beach, you can pick out individual persons standing in the far, far distance even though they've entirely turned into fine toothpicks that far away. Unlike other lower-end cameras, they do not blur and turn into an indistinct blob.

Built-in, bright focusing lamp allows for focusing in complete darkness - firing when you have gently pressed the shutter button halfway to lock AE/AF.

Relatively fast zoom from 35 to 70mm.

Ability to select Infinity focus means with bright daylight and/or fast film, you can easily take photos that are very sharply focused from closeup to infinity.

You do not have to turn on the camera when loading film - the LCD indicator will blink for several seconds after proper or improper film load even if the camera has not been turned on.

Continuous firing of the shutter as long as you keep your finger on the shutter - AE/AF adjusts dynamically as well to match changing conditions.

Fits well in a pant pocket with the accessory leather camera pouch - the silver version has a delicate chromed front that I would not recomment you put into a pocket with other hard items w/o the pouch, unless you don't care about scratching the surface.

Relatively simple design and relatively easy to understand and use.

Infinity mode works well. Don't know if it is hyperfocusing or focusing on infinity, but the pictures I've taken with infinity on show crisp sharpness close and far during daylight at the beach and elsewhere.

Image distortion is very low, with edges of newspaper spread out looking straight at both 35 & 70mm modes.

Far too many modes that you must cycle though in one mode button (eg. flash on, flash auto, flash off, etc., etc., etc.).

Weighs more & larger than other P&S 35-70mm cameras. A monster next to the svelte 6oz Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80.

This will not be one camera you can toss into a shirt pocket.

No film pre-winding. This means that any accidental opening of the camera back will result in ruining the entire roll of film.

Film wind, zoom, and shutter are all 'noisy'.

Flash at 35mm mode has noticable falloff at the corners. Flash at 70mm is better, with only a tiny bit of falloff at the extreme, extreme corners of prints.

Slight falloff in prints in daytime at the corners of 35mm prints. Not bad, but still noticable if you look for it. Again, 70mm seems to be better and falloff is significantly reduced, but still present to a very small degree.

Blinking green LED indicator next to the viewfinder is far too overloaded. It indicates either the subject is too close to achieve focus, the shutter speed is too slow, and something else. Quite useless for night shots because you have no idea if you simply need to hold the camera more steady, or if you need to refocus, if you haven't read the manual -- does slow blinking or fast blinking mean one or the other?

Some buttons are chromed, some are not, including the shutter button which is left in boring black plastic. You wonder why they started silvering/chroming the front and other buttons, but stopped there before completing the job.

Expect the shiny chrome trim on front to easily pickup fingerprints & scratches as you wipe the easily marred chromed plastic. Watch out for the accessory leather pouch - the zipper down the center when open is a potential scratcher if you don't watch out.(How about a more intelligent pouch, Leica?)

Manual is short and doesn't clearly explain the various flash modes in detail for beginners.

No spot focus mode.

No switchable panoramic mode ala Olympus or Ricoh cameras built-in. Instead, they offer a silly panoramic frame accessory that you manually insert into the camera before a new roll of film.

What happened Leica? Did your designers fall asleep after working on the lens?

It can match the quality of a SLR lens for the most part, but don't expect this P&S camera to exceed the quality, sharpness and resolution of a good SLR & lens - it is, after all, just a low-end Leica P&S. Still why carry a SLR around when you can carry the Z2X?

Bulky size (how did Minolta squeeze all those features and that 35-150 zoom lens into their latest 6.7oz Minolta Freedom Zoom 150 P&S zoom that's about the same weight as my first 35mm fixed lens Olympus P&S from a decade ago?), noisy, myriad of annoying design flaws in both the camera and carry pouch, a below average manual, and very costly price for a P&S detract from the ownership of the Z2X.

Let's face it - for the price of this camera (~$350 w/case), you can start off with a fully featured AF SLR & 50mm lens.

Unless you just happen to find the camera on sale or used on ebay.com, it should be a well-considered purchase with actual hands-on time in a camera store before you consider buying it. You may be disappointed by the operation of the camera and the limited 35-70mm range despite the excellent image quality.

Visible flash falloff in a camera of this price, along with slight falloff in day shots at the edges of prints are disconcerting as well for a camera of this price.

In conclusion, a very good camera if you just happen to win one, but a toss up despite excellent print quality if you have to decide to buy one due to the many faults for a camera of this price along with limited zoom range. It almost feels like Leica was in the middle of designing a great camera, then forgot to finish the job before shipping the product, leaving it with many obviously correctable flaws that simply aren't in other cameras in the P&S market, at a cheaper cost than the Z2X.

Customer Service

Warranty requires dealer stamp in warranty card. So what if you just happen to come across a good deal on ebay.com like I did? Pray the camera doesn't break I suppose. Strange how the camera world doesn't run like the consumer products' world where they pretty much replace or repair it as long as you give them a receipt of some sort.

Suppose this is a rant on most other camera brands as well -- they all seem to do the same thing, unfortunately.

And quite unlike the computer products or food products fields -- if it's broken, bad or whatever, just bring it back for an instant exchange.

Similar Products Used:

Ricoh R1
Olympus Stylus Epic, Epic 80 Zoom Deluxe
Canon Z135, 120
Minolta Supreme EX
Yashica T4 Super
Pen

Sharp, colorful pictures; high-quality zoom lens; easy to use; compact and lightweight; auto-rewind

Doesn't look too rugged; looks like it would break easily if dropped.

If you're looking for a compact, versatile, easy-to-use camera that takes great pictures, the Leica Z2X should be first on your list of models to consider. List price is high ($329) but you can get it for $229 or less if you shop around, and at that price it's a definite winner! Unless it breaks, this is probably the last camera I'll ever buy!

Customer Service

N/A

Similar Products Used:

Yashica Zoom 90