Focoro beta

Lecia X Type 113 (and X-E)

The Leica X-E (Typ 102) is a rebranding of the two-year-old Leica X2, whose main purpose appears to be to allow for a consistent numberless Leica X line going forward, starting with the Typ 113 model recently released.

The new Leica X maintains many similarities with 2013's X Vario and the X2 (X-E) it replaces as Leica's premier fixed-lens APS-C camera. It continues to feature an effective 16MP CMOS sensor that run from ISO 100 to 12,500 sensitivities. Like the Leica X2 and earlier X1, the Typ 113 features a fixed normal lens (35mm equivalent), and lacks an integrated view finder.

The most exciting improvement in our opinion is the manual focusing ring on the Typ 113's lens. The X Vario had this, but the earlier X models did not. This comes at the cost of additional weight and size. While still lighter than the X Vario, the Typ 113 is just as wide and tall, making it nearly a full centimeter wider than the X2 and half a centimeter taller (1.5cm taller than the X1). To fit the extra focusing ring, the camera is also 2.6cm deeper and 141g (~.3lbs) heavier than the X2 (still nearly 200g lighter than the X Vario).

The larger Typ 113 also has a higher-resolution LCD, which eats away at the battery life—down from 450 shots to 350 shots. Given the extra size of the camera, and as much as I'd love to have a manual focusing ring, I'll stick with the X2 for now.