If owning a Leica camera is a mere pipe dream for you, you wouldn't be alone. It'll cost you an arm and a leg to bag a camera with the famed red dot, so it comes as no surprise that social media is showing us another way (besides selling a kidney): faking it. L-mount Rumors has reported a craze in China — which is one of the fastest growing markets for genuine Leica cameras — of customizing Lumix cameras with Leica branding. One model of choice appearing on Rednote and Weibo feeds, such as those in the images above by Photographer Lifestyle at Xiaohongshu, is the Panasonic Lumix S9, which is a full-frame mirrorless camera available in multiple colors. Some pimped Lumix S9s merely have a Leica branding sticker attached, while others go the whole way with believable engraving. It's quite the sight, a customized L-mount camera with both Lumix and Leica branding, but in a way I'm not surprised.
Would you fake it?
Lumix and Leica cameras, especially those of the mirrorless and compact persuasion, already have more in common than you might think. Their mirrorless cameras are both part of the L-mount alliance. The Lumix S9, which is the affordable model of choice for many camera-tinkerers, features the same 24MP sensor as the Leica SL3-S and both pair with L-mount lenses. Meanwhile, the Leica D-Lux 8 compact is based on the Lumix LX100 II, with its 17MP Micro Four Thirds sensor and built-in 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens.For such models, core tech and image quality can be largely the same. However, there are many design and UI differences between similar Lumix and Leica bodies, so a customized Lumix won't feel completely like the real deal. Asides from lacking authenticity, some of the modified Lumix S9's I've seen, including the above with wooden grip and Leica branding, look pretty good to me! Would you pick up a low-cost Lumix alternative and fake it as a Leica? Let me know in the comments below.
