The Sell: A classic Leica updated with a touchscreen, GPS, and HD video.
The Test: The V-Lux 30 snaps pictures quicker than most, so we missed fewer moments. Its crisp 15.1-mp sensor and 16x zoom yielded vibrant color, and the 1080i video was good, not great. Note: the V-Lux’s guts are nearly identical to what’s inside the Panasonic ZS10, which is $350 less. But the Leica comes with Adobe editing software.
The Verdict: Get it if you’d use the software and you prefer, say, an Audi to a Volkswagen. Otherwise, go Panasonic. Image Quality: 4.5. Ease of Use: 4.5.