When it comes to action cameras, the first thing that rings the bell is the GoPro. Yes, the GoPro has carved itself a niche and they are doing pretty well until now as competitors are already swarming the action camera arena with their produce. Last month, we had written about the Polaroid Cube, an affordable action camera and Nikon KeyMission, the 360-degree action camera. Now it seems that Leica has a fitting answer to the GoPro in the form of the X-U. This camera differs in formfactor and also its pricing but yes it sure does seem to grind in the right amount of functionality and design turning it into something unique.
Leica has been building binoculars and military inspired cameras, which sort of means that you can trust them here. Although Leica had been toying around with great optical stuff, they never made a go anywhere rugged camera and the Leica X-U indicates a change of mind. The X-U comes with a 3-inch display at the rear but what is noticeably missing is the view finder. The waterproof feature will let you immerse the camera up to 49 feet for a maximum time of 60 minutes. Leica has also devised a protection filter, which according to the company, will result in pin-sharp pictures with perfect resolution.
The lens unit along with the screen is held together with a sealed body that has also been optimised to be used in the colder temperatures along with it being shock proof. At its heart lies a 16.5-Megapixel APS-C sensor and fixed Leica Summilux 23mm lens with fast f/1.7 aperture. The Leica X-U will allow videographers to shoot the videos at FHD 30FPS and it includes all the standard ISO settings along with the power button.
So now coming to the price, the Leica X-U plans to break your bank with a $3000 price tag, but hey, if you can afford one without causing a financial mayhem, the camera is worth a consideration! The Leica X-U will soon be up for sale and can be purchased from multiple retailers by end of January.