With the worldwide craze for analog images in full swing, we’ve seen one other blast from the previous rise once more. Everyone desires compact digital point-and-shoot cameras once more, to the purpose the place some fashions are going for costs just like after they had been launched. Larger-end fashions with guide management and greater sensors are extremely well-liked, and cameras just like the Sony R1 collection and Panasonic LX100 cameras command prime greenback. The familiarity of the D-Lux 8 additionally comes with a enjoyable issue that I forgot I missed. So it makes good sense for firms resembling Leica to primarily re-release older fashions to fill the demand available in the market. Thus, the $1,595 D-Lux 8 has hit the cabinets and I obtained to see if it has a spot in 2024. The expertise was enjoyable for all the correct causes however got here with a serious case of deja vu. The lovable D-Lux is a really fashionable digicam that simply matches in a pocket as a companion digicam. Leica D-Lux 8 Assessment: Acquainted Dealing with To offer a little bit of context, the predecessor to the D-Lux 8 was the Leica D-Lux 7, itself an nearly carbon copy of the Panasonic LX100 II. Leica and Panasonic share many platforms and know-how with one another and the D-Lux 7 was an excessive instance of rebranding to the purpose the place the menus and even RAW file format had been borrowed straight from Panasonic. The controls had been additionally largely similar.
This time, although, the D-Lux 8 does make a big departure within the dealing with division to set itself aside. Its menus at the moment are similar to the Leica Q3 with an exquisite fast menu popping up with the primary menu button press and the identical easy Leica interface for the deeper menus with a second press. The whole lot is simple to navigate and this is without doubt one of the nicer upgrades to the D-Lux 8 digicam. The Leica Q3 fashion fast menu is a welcome change. The selector swap for various side ratios is correct at your fingertips. The controls have additionally been improved with a brand new command dial changing the outdated, fastened, publicity compensation dial from the D-Lux 7. The brand new dial is less complicated to entry and will be personalized totally, too. Past that, there may be an extra button on the highest of stated dial which will also be personalized. In traditional Leica styling, the D-Lux 8 feels prestigious and premium with a flat grip and small dimensions that make it a pocketable style accent as a lot as a digicam. It solely weighs 14 ounces (397 grams) and is ideal for a time out in a day pack or purse. Though the remainder of the lens controls and buttons are primarily the identical, I do recognize the extra controls and modifications that preserve this digicam from merely being a re-boxed Panasonic digicam once more. The D-Lux 8 can focus fairly near create some fascinating macro photographs when wanted. I really like the sq. format as an possibility on the D-Lux 8 and you continue to get nearly 13 megapixels.
I really like that the D-Lux 8 has sufficient area to suit a 2.36-million dot OLED EVF which doesn’t have the yucky rainbow shade tearing that the older field-sequential EVF had. The again panel LCD is okay nevertheless it lacks the brightness wanted for sunny day use and doesn’t tilt in any manner. Sadly, the Leica D-Lux 8 isn’t any quicker to shoot than its predecessor and may solely shoot two frames per second whereas autofocusing. The digicam is fast sufficient to focus to a single level and keep there for traditional focus and recompose fashion capturing however the steady autofocus is gradual and jittery. The D-Lux 8 is clearly meant to be a extra informal capturing expertise quite than a quick and succesful avenue shooter. The dismal burst charges with autofocus preserve this from being way more than an off-the-cuff walk-around digicam. The D-Lux 8 crops into the sensor a little bit however the change is pretty minor and nonetheless an enormous enchancment over a type-1 sensor. Leica D-Lux 8 Assessment: Similar Picture High quality So whereas the management scheme is perhaps an enchancment, the picture high quality is a nostalgic return to type. The unique LX100 digicam tackled image-making with a novel method: it positioned a pointy 24-75mm full-frame equal zoom with a comparatively quick f/1.7-2.8 aperture in entrance of a Micro 4 Thirds sensor. Relatively than make the most of the entire sensor floor, nevertheless, the lens casts a circle of sunshine that makes use of solely the extra central portion of the chip. This prices some megapixels of decision however does enable for a number of side ratios to be rapidly chosen whereas permitting the lens meeting — and the digicam — to be a lot smaller bodily. The Leica lens is sort of sharp and has some fascinating character. I can shoot traditional 3:2 ratio photographs if I need a little bit wider really feel to my compositions.
The identical lens setup and sensor from the D-Lux 7 is getting used within the D-Lux 8, giving a most of 17 megapixels when utilizing the 4/3 side ratio. It’s a novel method that feels as novel at the moment because it was ten years in the past. I discovered myself switching backwards and forwards between sq. footage and three:2 photographs in addition to the occasional 16:9 ratio for one thing extra panoramic-looking. Picture high quality is suitable because the intention is maybe extra for enjoyable memory-making than severe images. Make no mistake although, there may be loads of potential to take inventive pictures with some management over depth-of-field and shutter speeds. Capturing the D-Lux 8 feels nearer to the expertise of the Ricoh GR cameras or Fujifilm X100 collection than it does a fundamental point-and-shoot. The 16:9 ratio is enjoyable to play with if you need a barely panoramic-looking picture. As a avenue digicam the D-Lux 8 is ample for many photographs. Don’t anticipate any fancy monitoring AF although. I’m additionally joyful to see that Leica is utilizing the RAW DNG format as an alternative of Panasonic’s proprietary file. DNG recordsdata will not be solely common to open in any model of Adobe software program but additionally a format that Leica prefers in its different cameras. Primary enhancing and importing will be achieved by way of the Leica Fotos app, and shade profiles will be downloaded again to the digicam to have extra enjoyable with out-of-camera JPEGS. DNG RAW recordsdata are useful and provide common enhancing assist. This variation brings the D-Lux 8 consistent with different Leica merchandise. The comparatively giant 4/3rds sensor nonetheless permits for shallow depth-of-field and the D-Lux 8 presents first rate guide controls. The video capabilities of the D-Lux 8 haven’t modified from the older mannequin. Video high quality nonetheless appears to be like considerably over-sharpened and though the digicam can shoot 4K as much as 30 frames per second there’s a heavy crop to take action. There is no such thing as a choice to shoot 4k at 60p and no greater dynamic vary log mode. General, the D-Lux 8 is okay for the occasional fast video clip to seize a reminiscence however just isn’t helpful for any form of severe video work. It nearly goes with out saying that you’ll not discover a headphone enter or mic jack anyplace on this digicam both.
The identical lens returns to the D-Lux 8 however it’s fairly quick and fairly sharp. The 24-75mm full-frame focal vary is right for basic work. Leica D-Lux 8 is Value a Journey Down Reminiscence Lane You would cynically take a look at the D-Lux 8 as a comparatively minor improve to an outdated digicam that simply seeks to money in on the stylish resurgence that something older is robotically cool once more. And you’d be completely proper. However I did have a severe case of Deja Vu utilizing the D-Lux 8 and the reminiscence that it introduced again was a enjoyable one. I just like the novel method to the smaller lens and Micro 4 Thirds sensor and it offers an enormous increase in picture high quality over a extra fundamental point-and-shoot sensor. It additionally supplies sufficient inventive management to please extra superior photographers however it’s not a digicam on par with GRs and X100s. I’d actually deal with it as an oddly entertaining gadget that bridges the hole between severe and foolish. It might be the proper pocket digicam for somebody who desires to have enjoyable, be inventive, and are available dwelling with high-quality photographs, with out the majority and issues of a extra severe software. Sadly, the worth of admission is steep. This can be a Leica digicam in any case. The perfect digicam is the one you at all times have with you and the D-Lux 8 presents a extra enjoyable and superior guide expertise than the smartphone does. Are There Alternate options? The one actual choices that compete are the older Leica D-Lux 7 and Panasonic LX-100 II. Each of those older cameras will give primarily the identical expertise however the D-Lux 8 will do it a little bit higher and with the peace of thoughts {that a} new digicam brings. The D-Lux 8 is perhaps a little bit more cash however frankly, the D-Lux 7 and LX100 II are over-inflated in pricing and never as a lot of a discount as you may assume. You would take into account the Ricoh GR III and Fujifilm X100VI as alternate options too, however I discover the capturing expertise to be totally different sufficient that the D-Lux 8 isn’t a straight-across competitor.
Ought to You Purchase It? Sure. Pocket cameras are enjoyable to make use of and the demand is obvious. Kudos to Leica for leaping on the bandwagon and hopefully inspiring different firms to do the identical.
