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Anyone who even remotely considers themselves a photography fan will have lusted over a Leica at some point in their lives – but most will have quickly discounted the thought after seeing how much the fixed-lens and mirrorless cameras usually go for. That could change in July, when the Leica D-Lux 8 will make its full debut.
Leica has officially confirmed the fixed-lens compact is on the way, with a radical glow-up that closely mirrors the phenomenal Leica Q3. That will remain the full-frame flagship, with the D-Lux 8 using the same 4/3in CMOS sensor as the outgoing D-Lux 7. That camera’s Vario-Summilux 10.9–34mm, f/1.7–2.8 lens will also make a return here. The aspect ratio switch on the lens barrel will be a boon to content creators that post to multiple social feeds.
Unlike the D-Lux 7, which was a joint effort with Panasonic that borrowed heavily from the LX100 II, the new model will be an all-Leica creation externally. That means a much simpler set of controls at the rear and a stripped-back top plate. The new touchscreen interface is apparently inspired by the Q range, too.
Underneath it might be more of the same, meaning a 21MP total pixel count with 17MP used for imaging, 11fps continuous shooting, ISO200-25,600 stills and 4K/30p video recording – though those are all TBC until Leica says otherwise.
Judging by the few images released so far, it’ll also pair with Leica’s Fotos app, and will feature an electronic viewfinder – something I thought was sorely missing from the recently-launched Panasonic Lumix S9. It seems like the rear touchscreen will be fixed, as it was on the previous generation, rather than gaining any sort of tilt or flip-out abilities. I can’t tell if the body is machined from metal, like the Q3.
Updating the D-Lux for 2024 makes a lot of sense. Rangefinder-style compact cameras have been racking up millions of social media views lately, with the Fujifilm X100VI almost instantly going onto back-order straight from launch. And seeing how Sony, Panasonic and Nikon have all taken the interchangeable lens approach, that only really left Leica and Ricoh competing in the fixed-lens space.
Leica hasn’t waited until the July 2 launch to officially confirm pricing, at least in the US. It’s available to pre-order now for $1595. That’s quite the hike from the D-Lux 7, which launched in 2018 for $999/£1195, but ever-so-slightly undercuts what Fuji is currently asking for an X100VI.
The D-Lux 8 was never going to be a value champion, but this looks like an excellent way into Leica ownership – and will be considerably easier on the wallet than the £5000+ Q3.
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