Do you remember the first time you heard your favourite song? How the notes seemed to fill the air and flow over your eardrums like doves in flight? Or perhaps the first time you tasted your favourite food, with its distinctive taste overcoming your senses altogether.
That's exactly how I felt the first time I used a Leica camera. Widely praised for manufacturing some of the best cameras on the market, Leica stand above the pack with a history which defies belief.
I've been lucky enough to use both the Leica Q3 and the Leica SL3 among a host of test devices in the last year. That has given me a really good understanding of exactly what makes the brand tick.
There is always one problem though – at the end of every test period, I find myself slowly turning my head back and forth between the new apple of my eye and my cobweb-laden wallet. Rays of sunshine and gospel choirs singing, then tumbleweed and crickets. Alas, Leica makes phenomenal cameras, but they really don't make them cheap.
That is until now. With the launch of the Leica D-Lux 8, the brand is setting its sights on making the best compact camera on the market. Will it succeed? Well, let's dive in and find out.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Price and Release Date
The Leica D-Lux 8 was first revealed on the 23rd of May 2024. It then went on sale on the 2nd of July 2024.
The camera retails for £1,450 / $1,595 / AU$2,790.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Features
We've been talking about this camera for so long that it feels like second nature, but lets quickly run through the key specs one more time. The D-Lux 8 uses a 4/3" CMOS sensor, with 21MP of resolution.
That sees the world through a fixed DC Vario-Summilux lens. The 10.9-34mm design is equivalent to a 24-75mm in full-frame terms, while the aperture ranges from a low end of f/1.7 to f/2.8 depending on where you are in the zoom range, and tops out at f/16.
The body is crafted from magnesium, with a leatherette covering. You'll find a single SD card slot inside, and the camera can utilise up to a UHS-II card.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Design
Before we get into any of the nitty gritty, let's talk about the design. The brand don't really make a bad looking camera – save for a couple of back catalogue models we don't speak of – but this thing is just jaw dropping.
Borrowing a lot of design cues from the Q3, this D-Lux 8 enjoys the same button selection on the rear panel. Users will find playback and menu buttons surrounding a D-pad on the rear of the device. That sits next to a large touchscreen, though it has no tilt function. That's a shame, but it's unlikely to be a deal breaker for the kind of user this is aimed at.
In a word, it's classy. Elegant. Sophisticated. Okay, that's three words, but it deserves them all.
Physically this camera is an absolute knockout, but some of the controls did leave me feeling slightly irked. The zoom, for example, exists on the rocker switch surrounding the shutter button. There is – as far as I could find – no way of switching that, which is really frustrating.
Similarly, while the addition of physical focus selection and aspect ratio switches are welcome, I did find them a little tough to find without pulling the camera away from my eye. That somewhat defeats the point.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Performance
Let me kick off by saying this – if you want Leica image quality, you've got it here in spades. The signature look associated with the brand's cameras is present and correct, with razor sharp focus and pleasing bokeh. Shooting with a Leica is an experience, and boy does this live up to expectations.
I did initially have some concerns about the overall image quality. Given that this camera uses a micro four thirds sensor, it's a fair worry. But it's absolutely unfounded. I went pixel-peeping hard on some of the images I captured here, and had no worries at all.
Instead, the images coming out of this camera were absolutely awe-inspiring. Talking about the "Leica look" always feels like a cop-out, but there's an unmistakable character here which is consistent throughout their range.
In the hand, it feels pretty good overall. The camera is a little smaller than other models from Leica, which can sometimes make it feel a little cramped. But that's really nitpicking, and the sparse layout does help in that arena.
I would have really enjoyed some kind of grip, though. I know, I know, Leica rarely do those, but given the smaller size here it would have helped.
Speaking of that smaller size, it's somewhat misleading. See, while it's idle, the camera is perfectly pocketable, but engaging it at all makes the lens pop out quite significantly. That's quite a nuisance, though I suppose it could be worse.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Verdict
There are any number of reasons why you'd buy this camera. Want a cheap Leica? This is it. Need one of the best compact cameras on the market? Check, again.
Is it perfect? No, not by a long stretch. There's a handful of things which annoy me about it like the zoom speed and the odd placement of that dial.
But it is a fantastic camera, and it takes absolutely killer images. That's something which you really can't put a price on.
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Also consider
If you're in the market for a hyped-up compact camera with film-like appointments, the Fujifilm X100VI is a no brainer. Good luck getting one, though,
Alternatively, for the same sort of cash, you could get a compact mirrorless camera. Something like the Sony A6600 with a lens will put you in the same ballpark, with the bonus of being able to get a lot more out of the interchangeable lens setup.
