Value & Verdict

Leica X2 review – Value

The £1575 price tag will put the X2 out of the reach of most people, and while there are some nice touches to be found, it’s hard to see where all your cash goes when you consider the fairly conservative specification the camera offers.

Leica X2 review – Verdict

High-quality compact-sized cameras were few and far between when the X1 was released, and that made it a tempting (if pricey) proposition. Today, however, the market the X2 enters has changed considerably. Not only have we seen the arrival of a host of high-end creative compacts, namely the Fujifilm X100 and the Canon PowerShot G1 X, but there’s also the burgeoning Compact System Camera market, where you’ll find comparable sized models such as the Panasonic GX1 and Sony NEX-7, but with the luxury of interchangeable lenses.

With this kind of competition, the X2 needed to deliver something really special to set it apart from its rivals and justify the price, but it falls short. Images are excellent and the styling makes it look the part, but the level of features and performance let it down. There’s simply not enough here to tempt you away from opting for a more affordable and better performing rival such as the Fujifilm X100.