Leica D-Lux 8 | First Look

Our very own Ben Wright braved the urban jungle known as Cirencester to bring you his thoughts on the recently released Leica D-Lux 8. But was it worth the trip? Check out the video to find out.

So What's New?

At the heart of the D-Lux 8 is a micro 4/3 21 MP CMOS Sensor (17MP effective) and is the first D-Lux camera to offer the versatile DNG format for an easier time with post-processing and editing. It features a simplified design (inspired by their Q line of cameras) for a more user-friendly experience allowing you to concentrate on the one thing that we all want from a camera… photography.

The menu has been minimised, leaving only the essential functions and settings while the button layout on the back of the camera has received the same treatment and left us with just the “Play”, “Menu”, navigation wheel and two function buttons.

You still have the shutter dial on the top of the camera along with the aperture ring on the lens so that you can get that tactile, hands-on experience and dial in your settings quickly. Speaking of the lens we have the fast Leica DC Vario-Summilux 10.9–34 f/1.7–2.8 ASPH. lens. As this is on a micro-four-thirds sensor that gives us a 35mm equivalent of around 24-75mm which will gives a lot of options for when out in the field.

Other noteworthy features include a brighter 3” 1.84 million dot display, an improved high-res, real-time 2.4 million dot OLED EVF, the same leatherette covering as the Q3 and also offers seamless connectivity to the Leica FOTOS app for easy sharing and editing.

Last but by no means least, the D-Lux 8 comes with a compact flash unit giving you even more versatility straight out of the box.

Perfect for Street Photography

The D-Lux 8 is perfect for street photography and candid shots. The focal range helped me out here as I was able to get a couple of images without being too intrusive. Not only that, the D-Lux 8 was completely silent which further aided in me not drawing too much attention to myself.

Conclusion

In many respects, this is possibly the easiest time I have had to review a camera because it just does everything that you want it to without any unnecessary features getting in the way.

The focal length is spot-on. The 17MP sensor is more than adequate and the camera is so light and compact that you barely even notice that you are holding it.

The EVF is fantastic, the settings are incredibly easy to dial in and the menu system is just kept to the essentials.

I don’t have anything negative to say about this camera.

It is often said that the best camera is the one that you have with you and this is a great example of that as you can take it with you anywhere.

Sample Gallery

Convinced yet?

Buy the Leica D-Lux 8

Key Features

21MP CMOS Sensor (17MP effective)
First D-Lux camera with DNG format
Simplified design inspired by Q-cameras
24-75mm f1.7-2.8 fixed lens (35mm equivalent)
Brighter screen
Leatherette body
FOTOS app connectivity

Thank you!

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog, we really do hope they help you out and answer some of your questions. If you still have some unanswered, then please feel free to get in touch with our team of experts.

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By Ben Wright
2 Jul 2024