Leica V-Lux 3 (2011)
The Leica V-Lux 3 is a fixed-lens bridge camera introduced in December 2011 at a launch price of US$949. Like most of Leica's fixed-lens models of this era, it is a rebadged Panasonic. It is essentially Leica's take on the Lumix DMC-FZ150, and it shares its service manual with that model. It was positioned as the company's flagship fixed-lens camera at the time, aimed at travel and wildlife shooters who wanted a long zoom range in a single body.
The lens is the main draw. It is a non-removable Leica DC Vario-Elmarit covering 25-600mm equivalent at f/2.8-5.2, paired with a 12.1MP 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor that omits an anti-alias filter. There's an electronic viewfinder (202k dots) and a 3.0-inch swivel LCD (460k dots). The swivel is useful for low-angle or overhead shots, but the screen is not touch-sensitive. The camera is not weather-sealed. A 70MB internal memory supplements SD/SDHC/SDXC card storage, and the BP-DC9 power pack is rated for roughly 410 shots per charge.
The record on this model is otherwise thin. No production end year, no detailed autofocus or shutter-speed specs, and no common-failure or repair information are documented. A Russian retrospective still finds it attractive for its impressive focal-length range, and used examples appear on the market - one listing shows roughly £224 at MPB. There's no real collector market data to speak of.
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