Leica has announced a new superzoom camera, offering a 24x lens. Continuing the tradition of remodelling Panasonic Lumix cameras, the Leica V-Lux 4 is the iconic brand's version of the Lumix FZ200. The camera was announced at Photokina 2012.

The Leica V-Lux 4's biggest feature is the 25-600mm (35mm equiv) f/2.8 zoom lens. The highlight of this lens may well be that it’s a constant f/2.8, so offers the maximum aperture throughout the zoom range, which is a rare thing in this type of camera. 

A 12-megapixel CMOS sensor offers ISO sensitivity that runs up to 6400 and promises fast autofocus, with full resolution capture at up to 12fps, ideal for snapping that swinging polo mallet. 

Full HD video capture is also offered, at up to 60fps in AVCHD format (MPEG4 is also offered). There are stereo mics in place and you get to use the entire zoom range of that impressive lens during filming too.

Around the back of the Leica V-Lux 4 is a 3-inch 460k-dot vari-angle display in addition to the high-resolution 100 per cent field of view viewfinder. 

Fortunately, we've already had the chance to review the Panasonic Lumix sibling version of this camera and we can say we're mightily impressed. It might not offer the same extreme ultrazoom range as some rivals, but the constast f/2.8 is an impressive feat. You can read our full review here for all the details. 

The Leica V-Lux 4 will be available from November 2012 for £690 and comes with a licence for Adobe Lightroom 4 as a bonus.