Last Updated on 06/24/2024 by Chris Gampat
2024 is the year that camera manufacturers seem to finally be listening to photographers who love rangefinder-style camera bodies. The latest compact camera to embrace this philosophy is the brand-new Leica DLUX 8. Announced not too long ago, it’s easy to dismiss it as a rebadged Panasonic LX100 series camera. But after using this camera in mental vacation mode and while photographing a few major events in NYC, I can say with certainty that it seems like far more than the expensive firmware update that the OM System OM1 Mk II seems like. This indeed feels like a Frankenstein Leica camera. Don’t get me wrong, it feels like a Leica. But if you’re picking this up with the idea that it’s going to replace the romantic idea of the Fujifilm X100Vi, it probably won’t if you’re looking for weather resistance and film simulations. But if you just want a solid compact camera, this is probably the toughest one to beat on the market.
Table of Contents
Declarations
The Phoblographer is one of the last standing dedicated photography publications that speaks to both art and tech in our articles. We put declarations up front in our reviews to adhere to journalistic standards that several publications abide by. These help you understand a lot more about what we do:
- At the time of publishing this review, Leica is an advertiser with the Phoblographer. However, our campaign focuses on showcasing art that photographers make with their products first and foremost. It has nothing to do with our reviews.
- We’re initially publishing this review with a pre-production unit. Later, we’ll update it with a production unit, which could even be updated as new firmware comes in.
- Leica asked us to hold more of the images until the start of the sale on July 2nd, 2024. Tune in then for more.
- Note that this isn’t our final review of the camera. It will be updated, and it’s more of an in-progress review than anything. In fact, almost all our reviews are like this.
- This review, and none of the reviews on the Phoblographer, are sponsored. That’s against FTC laws and we adhere to them just the same way that newspapers, magazines, and corporate publications do.
- Leica loaned the Leica DLUX 8 and accessories to the Phoblographer for review. There was no money exchange between Leica and the Phoblographer for this to happen. Leica and several other manufacturers trust the Phoblographer’s reviews, as they are incredibly blunt.
- Leica knows that they cannot influence the site’s reviews. If we don’t like something or if we have issues with it, we’ll let folks know. We were the first publication to inform about the issue with the Leica M10R and how it renders the color orange.
- Leica met up with the Phoblographer in NYC to loan the camera to us. Our home office is based in New York.
- The Phoblographer’s standards for reviewing products have become much stricter. After having the world’s largest database of real-world lens reviews, we choose not to review anything we don’t find innovative or unique, and in many cases, products that lack weather resistance. We’ve also steered away from Micro Four Thirds and APS-C as they’re dying formats. This is a conclusion that even the other members of TIPA agree on. Unless something is very unique, we probably won’t touch it.
- At the time of publishing, the Leica DLUX 8 is the only compact camera with a Four Thirds sensor at its heart. It’s also the only large-sensor compact zoom camera currently in production. To clarify this statement more, we don’t consider 1-inch sensors large. A large-sensor compact refers to a compact camera with a fixed lens and a sensor that is large enough to be at the heart of interchangeable-lens cameras currently in production.
- In recent years, brands have withheld NDA information from us or stopped working with us because they feel they cannot control our coverage. These days, many brands will not give products to the press unless they get favorable coverage. In other situations, we’ve stopped working with several brands for ethical issues. Either way, we report as honestly and rawly as humanity allows.
- At the time of publishing, the Phoblographer is the only photography publication that is a member of Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative. We champion human-made art and are frank with our audience. We are also the only photography publication that labels when an image is edited or not.
More can be found on our Disclaimers page.
The Big Picture: Leica DLUX 8 Review Conclusions
It’s not a Fuji. In fact, it’s really, really, not a Fujifilm camera. It also doesn’t fully feel like a Leica either. But the Leica DLUX 8 is overall an incredibly solid camera. More importantly, it’s the most versatile and useful compact camera available on the market right now. Where the Ricoh GR series lacks in autofocus, the Leica DLUX 8 is a jackrabbit with nigh-endless stamina. It’s not quite as gorgeous as the X100Vi, but in truth, you’re going to realize that it doesn’t matter. These days, I can throw a rock at a photo event and find someone with an X100 camera. It’s just not that special anymore — and what makes something special is how you use it and how rare it is.
What the Leica DLUX 8 has going for it is the truly compact size — it’s pocketable. It also has a Four Thirds sensor — granted, it’s a very old one that’s powered with what I believe is a newer processor. Plus, it’s a zoom lens, so that lets you compose scenes differently and use it in a way that other compact cameras don’t let you do. The battery life is also absolutely incredible.
But in many ways, this feels like a camera that should’ve come out years ago — just like the Fujifilm X100vi did. Leica currently incorporates Leica looks into many of their cameras, but this one most likely will not get it. Instead, it’s kind of a Micro Four Thirds version of the Leica SL2s. This doesn’t mean that it’s a bad camera — indeed,it’s the only Four Thirds camera on the market with a leaf shutter built-in. That gives you lots of possibilities with flash.
And if you’re really working with the files in Capture One, we’d argue that it has the best image quality of any Micro Four Thirds camera on the market as long as you’re not trying to print really big. But also, it’s still just a Micro Four Thirds camera.
The Leica DLUX 8 receives three out of five stars. I don’t at all dislike it. But considering the insanely stellar performance of Leica consistently with products for the past few years, I expected more. If Leica charged me around $2,000 and I got weather resistance and Leica Looks, this would be a 5-star camera. For $1,595, it’s still cheaper than the X100vi. You’re also more likely to actually get the camera in your hands.
Pros
- Incredible ergonomics
- Good autofocus
- Insanely clean high-iso images
- Exceptional battery life
- Beautiful viewfinder
- Nice screen
- Feels great in the hand
- Very quiet
- Capture One does a million times better of job with the colors than Lightroom does. It’s not even close. The Phoblographer has our own Lightroom presets available for purchase, but Lightroom’s editing engine just can’t compare.
Cons
- At times, I want a joystick.
- You need to shoot raw because it’s Micro Four Thirds, and I really wish that the Leica looks came to this camera. In fact, they’d be a saving grace.
- Not weather resistant
Who Should Buy the Leica DLUX 8?
Buy the Leica DLUX 8 if you’re one of the following:
- Anyone who wants the X100vi but doesn’t care for weather resistance or film simulations, but wants their camera now instead of several months from now.
- Anyone that just wants a solid compact camera
- If you define your style and photojournalistic.
Gear Used
We used the Leica DLUX 8 with the included flash and the Profoto B10. The light is our own unit that we purchased several years ago.
Innovations: What Makes the Leica DLUX 8 Worthy of a Review?
As it is, this is the only compact camera on the market right now with a zoom lens and a large sensor — it’s bigger than 1 inch and is a sensor of a similar size to interchangeable lens cameras. It’s also actually pocketable.
Hardware
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Chris-Gampat-The-Phoblographer-Leica-DLUX-8-review-extra-product-images-2.21-125s400-1-770x513.jpg)
Ergonomically speaking, the Leica DLUX 8 feels incredible. Those who might complain that it’s too small for them or who want a grip perhaps just need to understand how to hold cameras like this. It’s a rangefinder-style camera and not a gun. You’re shooting photos of the moments you love, not killing. And most of all, it’s nigh-silent with the leaf shutter built in.
The body design reminds me of every other Leica camera on the market with a rangefinder-style design. The dials click like a solidly made camera—in fact, they feel better than Fuji’s dials. The buttons on the back also help you get to exactly what you want pretty quickly—as long as you’re used to dealing with Leica’s cameras.
An included detail that might go missing: the threaded shutter release can actually accommodate a release from what we’re told. It’s unlike the Nikon Zf, which is just there for aesthetic purposes only.
The oddest part of all this is the hot shoe — which looks like it could handle Canon’s pins but doesn’t quite fit them.
The coolest part? All the functions around the lens. There’s aperture control, format aspect ratios, and focusing types all there. It’s an incredible use of space on the camera body.
Most of the images in this review feature the collapsible lens cap. But here are images of the camera without it.
Ease of Use
As this is a pre-production unit, Leica is currently not allowing us to show off the camera’s interface because it’s not final. But after our initial June 3rd publishing, this will change. However, I can say that the menu system is very similar to what I’d find with the pre-2024 SL system cameras. That said, the menu isn’t fully touch-compatible. And like those cameras, you can long-press a button to rewire its functionality.
Honestly, the Leica DLUX 8 is a great camera to use, but it lacks more of the Leica experience that I really like. I want the Leica look in this camera — and so the image quality is akin to milk when I ask for cream. However, it does a few cool tricks. You can use more automatic modes like auto, Night scene, and miniature. Miniature effect requires you to set the camera to JPEG, which can work similarly to a tilt-shift. You, as the photographer, just need to use your imagination accordingly to make the most of it.
As it is, this is the only compact camera on the market right now with a zoom lens and a large sensor — it’s bigger than 1 inch and is a sensor of a similar size to interchangeable lens cameras. It’s also actually pocketable.
The included flash is quite weak, and at times, it feels useless. I’m not sure I’d ever use it if I purchased this camera. Instead, I used a Profoto light. The problem is that I’m not sure whose hot shoe this is. It’s not Panasonic or Leica’s hot shoe. I own nearly every Profoto transmitter, and none of them delivered a TTL experience for me. So, instead, I needed to shoot with a strobe in manual mode. For many of us who shoot strobe, that’s perfectly fine.
If you’re wondering why you’d do this, consider that big cameras intimidate many folks. At this year’s pride parade, more people than not said “yes” when I asked them for a photo when the Leica was in my hand vs bigger cameras.
Performance-wise, it did an incredible job, and the battery life is something that many other cameras would simply dream of. Because of this, I’m inclined to say that Leica did the right thing. Where Fujifilm took two-year-old guts and processors, then shoved them into the X100vi with a battery that’s been around for over a decade, Leica ensured the battery life could be like the Energizer bunny.
However, unlike with Fuji and Ricoh, I have to shoot raw to get the most out of this camera. The lack of Leica looks is kind of disappointing, as I really want those looks in my images.
Focusing
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Chris-Gampat-The-Phoblographer-Leica-DLUX-8-review-sample-images-edited-with-Leica-profiles-2.81-1000s100-770x578.jpg)
In many ways, the Leica DLUX 8 works similarly to the autofocus of the Leica SL2s — which means that it’s damn great. It dons the Speedy Gonzalez outfit when the camera is set to the AF-mode. When it’s set to Af and Macro (flower), it slows down a bit more. And in manual focus, it’s as standard as you’d think. However, I’m not sure I’d use it while zone focusing, as the focusing ring turns too easily for my liking.
At times, in AF-C or iAF mode, it will miss the focus. But because it’s a Four Thirds sensor, it will probably be forgivable. Honestly, I rarely missed shots with the Leica DLUX 8, and any time I did, I found the images forgivable.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Chris-Gampat-The-Phoblographer-Leica-DLUX-8-review-sample-images-edited-51-125s400-1-770x578.jpg)
Metering
In our tests, the metering from this camera felt very in line with Sunny 16 standards. That’s to say that it works, and you’ll be just fine.
Where Fujifilm took two-year-old guts and processors, then shoved them into the X100vi with a battery that’s been around for over a decade, Leica ensured the battery life could be like the Energizer bunny.
Image Quality
I’ve become really weary of talking tech with cameras, and so I won’t be doing it for very long.
The Leica DLUX 8’s RAW files fall apart when edited at high ISOs, but this could be a pre-production issue. In Capture One, at higher ISOs, I found that setting the camera profile to the Leica SL2s ProStandard and then using one of their various curves combined with a built-in film style made the images look very nice. Because of the leaf shutter, you can do high-speed sync with this camera really easily. So I often set it to manual mode, and shot away.
![](https://www.thephoblographer.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Chris-Gampat-The-Phoblographer-Leica-DLUX-8-review-sample-images-edited-with-Leica-profiles-2.51-1000s100-9-770x1027.jpg)
I’m a trained photojournalist, and when shooting with the Leica D-LUX 8, I photographed things that made me happy or that gave me some sort of emotional rise. This varied much. It could’ve been how parents interact with their children, how the light sneaks into a scene to illuminate a dog, the emotional reaction of someone, contrast, intimate moments, shiny things, etc.
In all of my images, you can find admiration for something. When I ask people for photos, I do so with a smile on my face that I’m told is infectious. Combined with solidly good people skills that photographers like Jamel Shabazz have, I get my images. That often spreads to the heroes of my images. During the Queens Pride Parade, people were ready to have their images taken. My creative vision often involves using a flash and putting people in the spotlight they deserve.
And overall, I like to focus more on moments rather than letting the technical parts of the camera get in the way.
Ultimately, I’m the photographer, and it’s up to me to make images that an AI can’t necessarily make. I’m more than doing my job here. Are you?
Extra Image Samples
The Phoblographer has been huge on transparency with our audience since day one. Nothing from this review is sponsored. Further, many folks will post reviews and show lots of editing in the photos. The problem then becomes that anyone and everyone can do the same thing. They’re not showing what the lens can do. So, we have a section in our Extra Image Samples area to show edited and unedited photos. From this, you can decide for yourself.
Leica asked us to hold these images until later on. Tune in for more during the start of sales on July 2nd, 2024.
Unedited
Edited
Tech Specs
Here are the tech specs of the Leica D-LUX 8:
- Shoots DNG
- 4/3 CMOS sensor with 17 effect megapixels
- 24-75mm lens equivalence with an f1.7-2.8 aperture
- No weather resistance
- No on-camera flash
- Magnesium die-cast housing
- 397 grams of weight That’s about as heavy as an American football.
- 69mm tall, which is 2.7 inches
- 39mm thick, which is 1.3 inches
- 130mm long, which is a bit over 5 inches
- E43 lens filter thread
- 3 inch TFT LCD screen with 1.843MP dot resolution
- OLED viewfinder with 2.360K resolution
- Leaf shutter
- 2 frames a second with autofocus, otherwise it can shoot up to 11 frames a second
- Close focusing to 50cm.