Leica’s cheapest compact camera has just received a successor with Leica Q series features
Compact cameras aren’t dead – that is, if Leica has anything to do with it. Following the full-frame Leica Q3, one of our favorite cameras in 2023, the maker of premium red-dot rangefinders has announced the D-Lux 8, a successor to its long-in-the-tooth D-Lux 7 .
Previous speculation about a new travel camera from Leica pointed to an all-new fixed-lens compact camera with an APS-C sensor that could rival the Fujifilm X100VI, and complement Leica’s interchangeable-lens cameras, the CL and TL2 with same sensor size.
It turned out to be wishful thinking, and the safer bet rumor has proven accurate with the launch of a D-Lux 7 successor. The new D-Lux 8 comes almost six years after the D-Lux 7, which was released in November 2018 and is no longer available, meaning the eighth-generation mode takes over the mantle as Leica’s cheapest compact camera.
The Leica D-Lux 8 will go on sale from July 2, 2024, priced at £1,450 in the UK. Prices in the US and Australia are not yet known, but respective prices in those countries are likely to be around $1,600 and AU$3,000.
Like the D-Lux 7, the D-Lux 8 is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor and a built-in 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens, although we don’t know if it’s exactly the same lens as that of its predecessor . The Four Thirds sensor is new, however, and sees an increase in resolution from 17 MP to 21 MP.
Leica also mentions some Q-series inspired improvements, including an updated user interface, while the camera controls have been redesigned and simplified to improve the user experience.
The camera also offers the raw DNG format, which is a first for a Leica D-Lux series camera. DNG is supported by most of the top photo editors, making it one of the best file formats to work with.
The D-Lux 8 also comes with an external flash that attaches via a hot shoe, although we don’t know the exact specifications of this accessory. A host of other new optional accessories will be available, with more details to be revealed closer to the launch date.
It’s been almost six years since the Leica D-Lux 7 was launched, but despite the advancements in camera technology we’ve seen in that time, it doesn’t seem like there’s much new in the D-Lux 8. However, Leica stopped Leica from raising the price of its latest compact camera: at £1,450 (about $1,600 / AU$3,000), this is around 50% more than the D-Lux 7 at launch, which was around $1,000 / £1,000 came out.
That’s quite a price increase, although to put this into perspective you’ll struggle to find a premium compact camera under $1,000/£1,000 these days from brands like Sony, Panasonic, Canon and Fujifilm. And since Leica cameras tend to be more expensive than other brands, the price of the D-Lux 8 is acceptable.
Compact cameras were almost wiped out by the rise of smartphones, but have been making a comeback lately and we’re hoping for more cameras like the D-Lux 8.
Based on the limited information we have, Leica’s latest compact camera appears to be on par with the highly regarded Panasonic LX100 II, which burst onto the scene in 2018 just ahead of the D-Lux 7, and is still rated as one of the best compact cameras in 2024. Hopefully the D-Lux 8 will be sprinkled with the necessary improvements to bring this format up to speed in the current camera market.