Leica D-Lux 8 review: Leica, for less

One-minute
review

It
might
be
the
unmistakable
Leica
style
of
the
D-Lux
8
that
initially
grabs
the
attention,
but
the
pocketable
camera
with
the
famous
red-dot
logo
offers
more
than
just
good
looks.
The
Four-Thirds
sensor
is
a
big
upgrade
on
the
1-inch
sensors
found
in
some
of
the

best
compact
cameras,
and
the
image
quality
is
a
massive
leap
from
what
you
would
expect
from
a
mobile
phone.
Combine
that
with
a
physical
aperture
control
ring,
a
shutter-speed
dial,
and
other
tactile
controls,
and
you
have
a
camera
that
will
appeal
to
fans
of
a
more
retro
shooting
experience.
The
menu
is
also
straightforward
to
navigate,
partly
due
to
the
3-inch
1.8m-dot
touchscreen
being
useable
for
changing
settings. 

However,
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
isn’t
a
major
upgrade
over
its
predecessor,
which
was
essentially
a
rebranded
version
of
the

Panasonic
Lumix
LX100
II,
released
in
2018.
Besides
a
few
new
design
cues
that
simplify
the
design
and
make
it
look
like
the

Leica
Q3, the
main
new
feature
is
a
2.36
million-dot
viewfinder.
This
new
EVF
may
seem
like
a
downgrade
on
the
2.76-million-dot
EVF
of
its
predecessor,
but
the
important
thing
here
is
that
the
screen
tech
is
new
–
the
D-Lux
8
uses
an
OLED
panel,
which
offers
a
better
experience
thanks
to
not
having
color
tearing. 

Leica
D-Lux
8:
design

The
core
of
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
is
based
around
a
21-million-pixel
Four-Thirds
size
sensor.
Focusing
the
image
on
to
this
sensor
is
a
Leica
DC
Vario-Summilux
10.9–34
f/1.7–2.8
ASPH
lens,
the
equivalent
to
a
24-75mm
lens
on
a
35mm
or
full-frame
camera.
This
lens
doesn’t
create
an
image
circle
large
enough
to
cover
the
entire
surface
of
the
Four
Thirds
sensor;
instead,
it
produces
images
that
are
up
to
17
million
pixels.

Rather
than
seeing
the
lack
of
complete
sensor
coverage
as
a
negative,
Leica
has
actually
used
this
to
its
advantage,
allowing
photographers
to
change
the
image
aspect
ratio
in-camera.
You
can
choose
between
1:1,
3:2,
4:3,
and
16:9,
and
you
can
select
these
via
a
ring
around
the
base
of
the
lens. 

As
mentioned,
the
D-Lux
8
is
very
similar
to
its
predecessor,
the

D-Lux
7,
which
itself
was
virtually
identical
to
the

Panasonic
Lumix
LX100
II,
which
was
released
in
2018
–
that’s
a
long
time
ago,
and
we’ve
seen
considerable
advances
in
camera
technology
since
then.

Thankfully,
its
features
hold
up
well,
particularly
given
the
lack
of
competition
in
the
high-end
compact
camera
market,
and
the
Four-Thirds
sensor
size
is
significantly
larger
than
the
1-inch
sensors
typically
used
in
this
size
compact
camera.

Leica
users
have
certain
expectations
for
their
cameras:
manual
controls,
simplicity,
and
a
minimalist
style
that
echoes
the
industrial
German
design
of
all
of
the
Leicas
that
have
come
before
them.
Thankfully,
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
offers
all
of
these
things,
and
it
both
looks
and
feels
like
using
a
Leica
camera,
notably
the
Leica
Q
series. 

Weighing
397g,
including
the
battery,
and
measuring
130
x
69
x
62mm,
the
D-Lux
8
is
a
(jacket)
pocketable
camera
with
a
manual
aperture
ring,
shutter
speed
dial,
hotshoe,
and
there’s
even
a
cable
release
screw
thread
in
the
shutter
button.
On
the
camera’s
top
plate
there’s
a
zoom
control
around
the
shutter
button,
a
custom
dial,
and
a
small
on/off
button. 

The
most
significant
change
compared
to
the
D-Lux
7
is
the
improved
electronic
viewfinder.
The
new
2.36
million-dot
EVF
is
a
lower
resolution
than
the
2.76
million-dot
EVF
of
the
D
LUX-7.
However,
the
new
viewfinder
is
an

OLED
display,
whereas
previously,
it
was
a
sequential
display,
where
the
RGB
LEDs
changed
very
quickly,
given
the
perception
of
the
correct
color.
This
works
well
in
static
subjects
but
can
cause
jarring
RGB
edge
effects,
particularly
when
you’re
panning
quickly.
The
OLED
EVF
solves
this. 

For
those
not
using
the
EVF,
there’s
the
1.8m-dot
fixed
touchscreen.
I
have
to
say
that
with
the
camera’s
manual
controls
and
retro
design
I
found
myself
gravitating
to
the
viewfinder
instead
of
the
touchscreen,
or
perhaps
it
was
because
the
screen
is
fixed
rather
than
the
versatile
tilting
or
flip-out
type. 

The
viewfinder
has
a
0.75x
magnification,
which,
although
it
isn’t
huge
compared
to
a
mirrorless
camera,
is
large
enough
that
your
eye
can
still
roam
around
the
scene
and
you
can
see
details.
And
there
is,
of
course,
a
dioptre
adjustment
if
your
eyesight
requires
it.

Where
the
screen
comes
in
really
useful
is
its
touch
functionality.
Pressing
the
Menu
button
on
the
rear
of
the
camera
pulls
up
all
the
current
shooting
settings,
which
can
be
quickly
changed
using
the
touchscreen.
The
touchscreen
can
also
be
used
to
select
the
AF
tracking
area.

Overall,
the
design
of
the
D-Lux
8
could
be
described
as
streamlined;
all
of
the
key
features
are
easily
accessible,
without
the
camera
being
littered
with
buttons,
dials,
and
labels.
Everything
else
can
be
quickly
changed
using
the
directional
pad
on
the
camera’s
rear,
or
easier
still,
by
using
the
touchscreen.

Leica
D-Lux
8:
performance

Leica
cameras
are
known
for
their
popularity
amongst
documentary
photographers,
who
demand
that
their
cameras
can
be
operated
quickly,
which
is
often
where
compact
cameras
fall
down.
After
you
press
the
power
there’s
a
wait
of
about
a
second
before
you
can
take
a
photo
with
the
D-Lux
8,
which
is
an
acceptable
amount
of
time.
The
aperture
ring
and
shutter
speed
dial
make
changing
the
exposure
extremely
quick,
and
also
easy
to
do
when
you’re
looking
through
the
viewfinder.
That
said,
I’m
a
left-eye
shooter,
which
made
the
dial
a
little
more
awkward
to
use
with
the
camera
held
to
my
eye,
although
I
largely
had
the
camera
set
to
aperture
priority
mode,
so
the
camera
was
adjusting
the
shutter
speed
automatically. 

Zooming
the
lens
from
24mm
to
75mm
is
steady
without
ever
being
fast.
If
you
wish
to
manually
focus
the
lens,
there’s
a
small
switch
on
the
barrel
of
the
lens,
close
to
the
camera’s
body.
A
fly-by-wire
electronic
focusing
ring
allows
for
manual
focusing,
and
it
feels
naturally
responsive,
something
that’s
helped
by
the
magnified
view
presented
on
the
screen
or
through
the
viewfinder.

The
autofocus
system
is
as
comprehensive
as
you
would
expect
from
any
mirrorless
camera.
There
are
options
for
eye/face
detection
and
tracking,
as
well
as
the
more
automated
Zone
Field
and
Multi-spot
autofocus.
I
generally
left
the
camera
set
to
eye/face
tracking,
and
used
touchscreen
focus
when
I
wanted
to
select
a
particular
subject
within
the
scene.
I
had
no
issues
with
the
focusing,
and
the
camera
felt
snappy
and
responsive.

There
are
a
few
continuous
shooting
modes
for
moving
subjects,
each
with
a
varying
degree
of
quality.
At
2fps,
images
can
be
saved
at
12-bit,
with
autofocus.
Shift
to
7fps,
and
the
bit
rate
drops
to
10-bit
with
no
autofocus.
There’s
also
a
higher
option
of
shooting
11fps
in
10-bit
without
autofocus.
Everything
is
kept
simple,
with
these
shooting
rates
working
for
JPEG,
raw
DNG,
and
when
in
JPEG+DNG
mode. 

One
of
the
more
enjoyable
aspects
of
using
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
is
Leica’s
film
styles.
There
aren’t
an
overwhelming
number,
with
Standard,
Vivid,
Natural,
Black
and
White
Natural,
and
Black
and
White
High
Contrast
options.
The
contrast,
saturation,
and
sharpness
of
each
of
these
can
be
adjusted,
and
there’s
also
the
option
elsewhere
to
change
the
I[ntelligent]-DR
and
Highlight/Shadow
settings.
I
found
that
images
taking
using
the
default
settings
looked
great,
although
after
using
the
D-Lux
8
for
a
while
I
changed
the
settings
to
make
the
shadow
areas
slightly
brighter.
It
all
comes
down
to
personal
preference,
but
having
limited
options
that
aren’t
overwhelming
combined
with
excellent
‘default’
image
quality
is
refreshing. 

The
larger
Four-Thirds
sensor
makes
a
difference
in
image
quality.
Images
look
closer
to
what
you’d
expect
from
an
APS-C
sensor
than
the
20-million-pixel
1-inch
sensors
typically
found
in
compact
cameras.
The
dynamic
range
is
good,
with
there
usually
being
plenty
of
detail
in
highlights
and
shadows.
I
was
also
impressed
with
the
low
noise
and
good
detail
at
higher
sensitivities,
with
the
camera
performing
as
you’d
expect
it
to
with
a
Four-Thirds
sensor.
Images
shot
at
up
to
ISO
1600
are
perfectly
useable,
and
even
images
taken
at
ISO
6400
look
acceptable
when
you
need
to
shoot
in
low
light.
Beyond
this
level,
the
image
quality
does
start
to
break
down,
but
we
need
to
keep
in
mind
what
and
who
this
camera
is
for;
this
isn’t
a
camera
for
shooting
landscapes
or
high-end
commercial
work.
It
will
most
likely
be
used
for
travel
and
street
photography;
it’s
a
camera
that’s
easy
to
take
with
you
and
can
take
better
images
in
situations
where
you
may
tend
to
use
your
phone.

It
is
a
pretty
versatile
little
camera.
The
maximum
f/1.7
aperture
creates
a
shallow
enough
depth
of
field
when
the
subject
is
quite
close
to
the
camera,
and
I
tended
to
shoot
a
lot
with
the
lens
in
this
setting,
particularly
when
photographing
people.
It’s
roughly
the
same
as
shooting
at
f/3.5
on
a
camera
with
a
full-frame
sensor,
so
it’s
enough
to
throw
the
background
out
of
focus
to
isolate
your
subject. 

I
didn’t
shoot
much
video,
reserving
this
for
a
few
family
clips
and
social
situations,
as
this
is
how
I
expect
the
camera
to
mostly
be
used,
video-wise.
This
is
not
a
video-first
camera.
It
only
offers 4K
capture
at
30fps
at
100Mbps
and
Full
HD
at
60fps
at
28Mbps,
and
there’s
no
articulated
screen
or
external
mic
socket.
The
Leica
D-Lux
8
simply
isn’t
designed
to
shoot
a
video
longer
than
a
few
seconds;
even
content
creators
would
be
better
off
using
their
smartphones
and
being
able
to
upload
footage
directly.

Should
I
buy
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
Camera?

Buy
it
if…

Don’t
buy
it
if…

How
I
tested
the
Leica
D-Lux
8

• 
  I
  used
  the
  camera
  for
  a
  couple
  of
  weeks
  in
  a
  variety
  of
  situations 
• 
  I
  shot
  documentary
  images
  at
  a
  local
  event
• 
  I
  paid
  close
  attention
  to
  the
  depth
  of
  field
  the
  camera
  captured

I
tested
the
Leica
D-Lux
8
over
a
couple
of
weeks
in
the
summer
in
the
UK,
which
included
a
family
holiday.
During
this
time,
I
used
the
camera
at
a
local
festival,
a
day
out
at
a
farm,
and
took
lots
of
photos
of
friends
and
family.

Overall
I
aimed
to
use
the
D-Lux
8
as
an
everyday
camera,
which
I
believe
is
how
it
will
mainly
be
used. Using
the
camera
in
this
way
allowed
me
to
experience
it
as
the
target
user
would,
and
to
try
all
of
the
various
shooting
options
in
various
situations. I
also
took
it
with
me
on
a
morning
walk
around
London,
shooting
a
few
street
photos,
which
I’ll
admit
I
am
not
very
good
at.

I
viewed
my
images
in

Adobe
Bridge
on
a
computer,
examining
details
in
images
taken
at
different
ISO
settings,
and
I
also
edited
some
images
in
Adobe
Camera
Raw
to
see
how
much
latitude
they
offered
for
manipulation.

First
reviewed
September
2024