TechCamerasLeica D-Lux 8 review: the best Leica camera for most peopleIs the Leica D-Lux 8 the best cheap Leica? We think it might beWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Sam Cross)T3 VerdictThe Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilitiesReasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standardsWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechCamerasLeica D-Lux 8 review: the best Leica camera for most peopleIs the Leica D-Lux 8 the best cheap Leica? We think it might beWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Sam Cross)T3 VerdictThe Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilitiesReasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standardsWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Is the Leica D-Lux 8 the best cheap Leica? We think it might be
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)T3 VerdictThe Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilitiesReasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standards
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
T3 VerdictThe Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilitiesReasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standards
T3 VerdictThe Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.
T3 Verdict
The Leica D-Lux 8 is unquestionably the best value-for-money camera in the Leica family. Image quality is magnificent, with the iconic look the brand is famed for. It’s not perfect, but it’s the cheapest way of getting that iconic style, and that’s a great thing, indeed.
Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilitiesReasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standards
Reasons to buy+Iconic Leica imaging style+Compact footprint+Simple button and menu layout+Full manual control capabilities
Iconic Leica imaging style
Compact footprint
Simple button and menu layout
Full manual control capabilities
Reasons to avoid-Zoom is agonisingly slow-Autofocus can sometimes struggle-Burst rate is not up to modern standards
Zoom is agonisingly slow
Autofocus can sometimes struggle
Burst rate is not up to modern standards
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Leica D-Lux 8 deals
$1,595View$2,484.95View
$1,595View
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$1,595
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$2,484.95View
$2,484.95View
$2,484.95
$2,484.95
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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 thebest camerason the market, Leica stand above the pack with a history which defies belief.
I’ve been lucky enough to use both theLeica Q3and theLeica SL3among 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 newappleof 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 theLeica D-Lux 8, the brand is setting its sights on making thebest compact cameraon the market. Will it succeed? Well, let’s dive in and find out.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Price and Release Date
The Leica D-Lux 8 was first revealed on the 23rd of May 2024. It thenwent on saleon the 2nd of July 2024.
The camera retails for £1,450 / $1,595 / AU$2,790.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
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.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
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.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Performance
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-peepinghardon 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.
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Image1of8(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)
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(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
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.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
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.
But itisa fantastic camera, and it takes absolutely killer images. That’s something which you really can’t put a price on.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
Leica D-Lux 8 review: Also consider
If you’re in the market for a hyped-up compact camera with film-like appointments, theFujifilm X100VIis a no brainer. Good luck getting one, though,
Alternatively, for the same sort of cash, you could get a compact mirrorless camera. Something like theSony A6600with 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.
Leica D-Lux 8: Price Comparison
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$1,595View
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$1,595View
$1,595
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$2,484.95View
$2,484.95View
$2,484.95View
$2,484.95
$2,484.95
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