Buy-n-Shoot were recently privy to a sneak peak of the 100% German-made pre-production model of Leica’s X1, which packs a large 12.2 megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor (similar to that of the Nikon D300) into a compact and unexpectedly lightweight unit.

While consumers can’t expect to see the X1 on the Australian market until January 2010, they can be assured it will be worth the wait.

Where Leica is renowned for their sturdy, full-bodied cameras, the X1 seems an exception to the norm weighing in at a measly 286g making it particularly compact and portable.

Not surprisingly, no compromise has been made in terms of lens quality however, with the Leica Elmarit fixed-mount, triple-tiered 24mm F2.8 lens promising to deliver incredible optical performance.

Despite its compact size, the X1 offers photographers complete manual control along with the ability to override automatic focusing using a discreet dial located on the unit’s back.

When required, users can engage the manual focus dial positioned on the back of the camera’s body (not the lens) for use with the right thumb. The dial controls a magnified preview displayed on the 2.7 inch screen to select a focus point – a feature we have yet to see on any competitor.

A maximum ISO of 3200 is available and when combined with the X1’s largest aperture of F2.8 should perform solidly in natural and lower light situations.

The X1 hosts the same back control dial as many models across the Leica range, the repetitive use of which is justified by its reliability and ease-of-use.

A quirky feature too, is the circular pop-up fill-flash that lifts out of and retracts neatly back into the X1 body with a gentle push. If further flash power is required, either the Leica SF 24D or SF 58 flash unit is compatible with the X1 via the hot shoe.

There is no viewfinder with this Leica model, instead users will preview their composition on the 2.7 inch TFT LCD screen that covers more than half of the X1’s back. An external viewfinder will be available however as an optional accessory and can be attached via the hot shoe connection.

In spite of its compact camera status, the X1 is capable of recording in both RAW and JPEG formats, comes conveniently bundled with Adobe Lightroom via a download and offers users a degree of quality not oft available in cameras within the compact class.

At $2,799.00 the Leica X1 is not at all cheap for a compact camera but in saying that, this unit is likely to far out-class hundreds of competing brand compacts and in truth, is not really comparable to what initially springs to mind under the ‘compact’ banner.

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for and given our initial preview here at Buy-n-Shoot the Leica X1 certainly looks promising.