Leica D-Lux 8: Initial impressions

[ljclark]

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Prior to purchase, I pretty much devoured everything about this camera that I could find online.  As a basis for comparison, I had owned a Lumix LX100 back a few years back, so at least the lens was a known quantity.

I was looking for good performing compact a camera for travel -- plus all those other shooting situations that that just pop up.  For more serious work I still have a pair of Fujifilm X-T5s, an X-E-3, and a bunch of Fuji lenses.  In the past, I’ve used combination of Fuji X100 cameras (X100, X100S, and X100F) and the Fuji X10/20/30 series for travel.  Back in the day, I used rangefinder film cameras for travel, starting with the first (guess focus) Cosina/Voigtlander Bessa LTMs, to their M-mount RFs, and finally to a pair of M6s.  The move to RF digital was via an M8, and then an M9 which was superseded by the RF-styled Fuji X-Pro1.

Recently, as I began considering the D-Lux 8, I realized that it could replace both the X100F and the X30 (the X-E3 had already made the X-100F a bit redundant).  A nice outcome of that decision was that sale of the X100F and X-30 paid for 84% of the D-Lux 8.  The D-Lux 8, combined with my trusty Olympus TG-6 for backup and monsoon duty, significantly reduced my carry-on’s weight and space needs.

In mid-March, I started running the D-Lux 8 through a series of trials, trying to figure out its boundaries.  The results so far are in a Flickr album.  No great art here – just poking around and seeing what the camera can do.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38649302@N04/albums/72177720324597838

Issues:

Step Zoom:  For some reason, this is a subject to debate here.  That puzzles me because it isn’t an either/or situation – at least it wasn’t for the LX100 and the D-Lux 7.  

From the D-Lux 7 manual: “You can set that zooming operates in steps, stopping at (equivalent) focal lengths familiar from 35mm film cameras.  Using [Step Zoom] is as easy as normal zoom operation.

“• By default you can use Step Zoom by rotating the control ring in the following exposure control modes:  Snapshot mode, Program mode, and Aperture-Priority mode.

“• If you change the [Control Ring] setting in the [Custom] ([Operation]) menu to [Step Zoom], Step Zoom becomes available for other modes as well.

“You can use Step Zoom by setting [Zoom lever] in the [Custom] ([Operation]) menu to [Step Zoom].”

I have a fair amount of RF experience (and I also have decades of non-zoom interchangeable lens camera experience).  With rangefinder cameras my favorite lenses were:  25mm (Zeiss), 28mm (various Voigtlander), 35mm (Voigtlander Skopar f/2.5 or Leica ASPH Summicron f/2), 50mm (Leica pre ASPH Summilux f/1.4), and 75mm (Voigtlander Heliar f/1.8).  

What the step zoom option provides is the equivalent of five favorite prime lenses that I can change without opening a camera bag…And I’ll still have the option for continuous zoom.  How could any D-Lux 8 user find a problem with that?  Even if the camera always starts at 24mm, finger taps on the zoom lever can have the right focal length selected before the camera is even up to eye level.  (With step zoom, the changes in focal length can be (or should be?) much faster that with continuous zoom.)  Come on Leica…

File Naming:  I’d like to see the first four characters editable for alpha-numeric characters and hyphen.  I do this for all my other cameras.  I’m not sure why this is something Leica can’t accommodate, but perhaps the P&S origin of the Panasonic versions is still haunting the menu design.

Panoramic:  I’d love to see a 65:24 (X-Pan) panoramic mode added, but that would require a hardware change.

Add-ons/Stuff:

• Soft round woven shoulder strap (I prefer soft nylon over cotton).
• Square Hood mini (7mm) soft shutter button:  I’ve never been a fan of the big “soft release buttons” and I’m not sure the large diameter ones are actually a good idea.  This one is nice and presents a different touch feel.
• Haoge Thumb Up:  Gives better access to top dial than the JJC, although not quite as firm in the hotshoe as the JJC.
•  iWoodStore Leica DLux9 Grip Wood YW design:  The YW’s bottom front of the grip mount is at an angle so your hand (or pinkie) doesn’t have to deal the right-angle front edge such as the JJC and every other base plate/grip I’ve seen.
• NiteCore UL109 dual battery charger:  This is a 3-pin charger which has one pin for thermal information from the battery.  I don’t buy 2-pin chargers unless there is no option.  This model has been discontinued and they are increasingly hard to find.  I got mine on eBay from China.  Packaging and printed material look the same as NiteCore items I have purchased directly from NiteCore and domestic online stores.

Post Processing:  

When Adobe moved to a subscription model for PhotoShop I began looking for an alternative.  I tried Paintshop Pro, but they seemed to be lagging a bit behind the rest of the market.  PhotoShop continued to be my go-to, but it finally became a bit stale.  During this time, I tried DXO PhotoLab and liked it, though initially I had to rewire my brain a little bit and jump through some hoops to make it run Fujifilm X-Trans files.  

I’m now using DXO PureRAW5 for demosaicing, noise reduction, camera/lens correction, and sharpening (all are selectable) and output conversion to whatever file format I choose to use in my primary post processing software; DNG, TIFF (16-bit, 8-bit, or 8-bit compressed), and JPEG (adjustable). I’ve used PureRAW from versions 2 through 5, and the capabilities have increased.  I’m using DXO PhotoLab 8.5 to finish the files, do B&W conversions, etc.

Bottom Line:

The D-Lux 8 is not perfect, but it’s a very good camera for my intended uses.  I like the way that Leica developed a rational, slimmed-down menu system – perhaps recognizing that the intended users would prefer to handle adjustments in post-processing instead of in the camera.

As I recalled from my LX100, the lens is usually happier no wider than f/4.  

When I had my M8 and M9, their DNG files were the easiest ever to work with, and DNGs from the D-Lux 8 are also nice.  The sensor has a few years on it, but has performed better than I expected, no doubt benefiting from more sophisticated post-processing software.  This is good, because I really like night work.   

 

Edited May 2 by ljclark
Formatting Issues

[starcolony]

Nice write up. I was also looking for a compact travel/walkabout camera. I just received my D-Lux 8 last week. I think I have sorted my way through the operations enough to have some impressions. I have an Oly EM1 with 12-40 f2.8 for any "serious" work.

Positives:

-Aesthetically it is a handsome camera. I Love the overall utilitarian design. Coolest looking camera I have ever owned.

-Feels solid and well built. Very tank like for its modest size.

-Built in EVF. Living in sunny SoCal, a rear screen just wont cut it much of the time. The EVF is pretty good as well.

-The JPEGs have a nice look to them. I haven't had the chance to get out and really see what it can do in the field, but pics around the house and yard are promising.

-With limited testing, the included flash does a nice job of fill flash. Very natural looking, without blown out highlights.

-The menu system seems fairly simple and tidy (with a few quirks).

WTH? I just don't get this:

-Using the MENU button steps through each of the 5 menus, going to the right. The left arrow button is used to step to the left. Why? That is just non-intuitive and not necessary. Why not just use the left or right arrows to step left or right, like any normal camera. I seem to often press the wrong buttons when navigating the menus.

-No sleep mode. I've never owned a digital camera that couldn't quickly awaken with the half press of the shutter button, ready to roll.

-No Step Zoom. The DL7 had it. It was in my Panasonic LX5 as well. I enjoyed using this feature to get my mind thinking more in terms of focal lengths, rather than just zooming around. It was especially useful for street photography. I've read a lot of naysayers that poo-poo this feature saying nobody used it. I say, "How would you have this knowledge?" I used it, and liked it.

-No zoom resume. This was on the DL7, and Panasonic LX cameras. This is especially useful to set a focal length for street photography. With the DL8, I have to dial in the focal length after each power cycle. My only other option is to set auto-off to never, and burn through the battery.

-I don't see any feature to assist with hyperfocal distances for street photography. My humble LX5 had this. Really helpful tool.

-The lens is always extended during playback mode. This adds unnecessary cycles to the lens system, increasing wear, using up battery power, leaving the lens in a more vulnerable configuration, and creating one more opportunity to suck in some dust inside to end up on the sensor. Every Canon Powershot camera that I have owned permitted pushing the playback button to directly view pics, without extending the lens. Same with getting into the menus to setup or confirm configurations, without extending the lens. I would like to see the PLAY button be configured for direct access to photo files, and the MENU button be configured for direct access to menus, without fully turning on the camera, and extending the lens.

Wish list:

-Fix the odd/inexplicable features above.

-Flip rear screen. I'm really torn here. I don't really want the camera any bigger or heavier, but those low and high pics can be tough with a fixed screen, and an ageing body. And please no swivel screen. I don't like them.

-Built in flash. I don't like having to carry and stick on another accessory to get a bit of fill flash. My nice, sleek, compact DL8 ends up with a large wart on the top. Dump the hot shoe and install a pop-up flash. My Cannon G5XII has an evf and a pop up flash. That camera's features spoil me, but its tiny sensor gets noisy when the lights are low.

-Weather/Dust protection. This is my #1 wish list item. Keeping dust/moisture out of the camera and off the sensor. I would lay down another $500 for this feature. This would make the DL8 my ultimate EDC/Travel/Field/Walkabout camera. I don't see this ever happening, but a guy can wish. For now, I'll just break out my EM1 or EM5 when the environment gets sketchy.

Upgrades:

-Hand grip. The flat fronted DL8 doesn't provide good purchase for my large hands. Leica solved this with their optional hand grip, which I really like. It's a bit spendy, but is comfy and classy.

-I still struggled with the built-in thumb ramp. It was just too slick for me. I grabbed a pack of grippy "Gecko Strips", applying a small, narrow, strip to the existing thumb ramp. Wow, what a difference. It adds just enough grip to be decently secure in my hands. I won't be shopping for a hot show mounted thumb grip.

-Screen Protection. I really like the Kenko screen protectors. They apply easily, without bubbles, protect well, and have an anti reflection coating. I couldn't find one made for the DL8, so I grabbed one made for the EM1 and cut an 1/8 inch off one end.

-B+W clear filter. It has all the fancy nano, MRC and other coatings. I live in a beach community, and I can tell you the waves atomize the sea water and the wind carries it inland. It wrecks everything it touches. I have a Citizen dive watch with a mineral crystal that is lightly pitted (like the front windshield of a car, afters years of driving). Depending on the waves and the wind, there are times I have to clean my glasses hourly, from the accumulation of mist on the lenses. I had an expensive pair of Oakley sunglasses that I wore to the beach, and forgot to clean when I returned home. Next time I pulled them out, they were pitted and ruined. Oakley would not warranty cover the damage. I recently read an article from Lens Rentals on the increasing cost of front element replacement. I'd much rather replace a clear filter, than a front element.

-Sensei low profile lens cap. The OEM lens caps are $45 and going up. I put the factory cap back in the factory box. I'll be using the Sensei cap. If I lose it, replacement is cheap and easy. There is a thicker version, with bigger finger grips, but the low profile version will help with fitting in a snug camera case.

-Spare hot shoe cover. I figure I'll be taking this on and off a fair bit to install the accessory flash. It's a small and easily lost item. I was unable to locate an OEM shoe cover for the DL8. The DL8 cover has a downward lip on the back, to fully cover the shoe. Shoe covers for my Olys don't have this lip and leave a small area on the rear exposed. I found an M10 shoe cover online, but it will not slide all the way to the front of the shoe, and would likely fall out. If anyone knows a source for OEM DL8 shoe covers, I'd be grateful for the source.

-Still shopping for a wrist strap

-Still shopping for a Shoulder strap.

-Still shopping for a travel case. This one has been frustrating. I'm looking at something like the offerings from Lowpro, Tamrac, ThinkTank etc. The problem is, all the cases are made for smaller compacts, or larger (mirrorless and up) cameras. The DL8 is an odd-ball middle size that gets jumped over.

Final thoughts:

I watched a video review of a photographer taking a DL8 and a Fuji X100s on a photography trip to use when the big cameras/lenses were too much. The trip began with him leaning towards the X100s and not really liking the DL8. As the trip wore on, the X100s was eventually put away and the DL8 became the preferred compact photo tool.

I think I am on a similar path with the DL8. When I was doing my initial research, I was quite frustrated with many of the German centric design choices that were made. When finally in hand, I loved the overall design, but struggled a bit with adapting to its quirks. I think over time I will continue to adapt and familiarize myself with the camera, and see it becoming a long term, trusty companion.

Cheers

Edited May 2 by starcolony

[starcolony]

I spent sometime editing my post above, with additional thoughts, but the forum system timed me out and wouldn't allow me to save it.

Just one more upgrade thought:

-Spare battery/charger. Since the DL8 shares battery size with the Panasonic LX100 cameras, I purchased a Panasonic battery/charger travel combo from B&H. It arrived in obviously used condition, with poorly wrapped components, as well as a used and dog eared user manual. The battery inside was almost certainly used. B&H is taking it back for an exchange. Be wary with purchasing spare batteries. On Amazon, their Panasonic battery has very good customer rating, but there was a warning that this item was frequently returned. I think that dishonest folks are buying a new battery from Amazon, putting their old battery back in the box, and returning for a refund. I know for a fact that Amazon will just ship the returned item right out to the next poor customer. I once ordered a bathroom scale from Amazon, and received a scale that was so used, the previous customer's foot prints were worn into the rubber top.  Marks all over it. It was gross. The customer had obviously used it for years, when it got too funky, ordered a new one, and returned to old one for a refund. I have received obviously used, and sometimes broken items from B&H, Adorama, Crutchfield, and Amazon. Its all due to generous return policies, and an increasingly dishonest culture. When I need to be certain I'm getting new, when I pay for new, I buy from Samy's Camera. They charge a restocking fee for non-defective returns. This cuts the abuse way down.

All done, Cheers

[ljclark]

6 hours ago, starcolony said:

-Spare battery/charger. Since the DL8 shares battery size with the Panasonic LX100 cameras, I purchased a Panasonic battery/charger travel combo from B&H. It arrived in obviously used condition, with poorly wrapped components, as well as a used and dog eared user manual. The battery inside was almost certainly used. B&H is taking it back for an exchange. Be wary with purchasing spare batteries. On Amazon, their Panasonic battery has very good customer rating, but there was a warning that this item was frequently returned. I think that dishonest folks are buying a new battery from Amazon, putting their old battery back in the box, and returning for a refund. I know for a fact that Amazon will just ship the returned item right out to the next poor customer. I once ordered a bathroom scale from Amazon, and received a scale that was so used, the previous customer's foot prints were worn into the rubber top.  Marks all over it. It was gross. The customer had obviously used it for years, when it got too funky, ordered a new one, and returned to old one for a refund. I have received obviously used, and sometimes broken items from B&H, Adorama, Crutchfield, and Amazon. Its all due to generous return policies, and an increasingly dishonest culture. When I need to be certain I'm getting new, when I pay for new, I buy from Samy's Camera. They charge a restocking fee for non-defective returns. This cuts the abuse way down.

All done, Cheers

When I ordered my D-Lux 8 (from Mike's), the Panasonic equivalent BLG10PP was out of stock at many retailers, but B&H had a few -- so I ordered two of them.  Typically there is a date code pressed into the plastic case of the lithium camera batteries.  Both of my BLG10PPs have "EGM1A".  The Leica BP-DC15 battery that came with the camera is marked "EJW2C".  Looking for the decoding information this morning, I've drawn a black so far.  This seems odd, because it's an easy find for Fujifilm batteries - I put a small P-touch label on my camera batteries with the actual date.

[starcolony]

1 hour ago, ljclark said:

When I ordered my D-Lux 8 (from Mike's), the Panasonic equivalent BLG10PP was out of stock at many retailers, but B&H had a few -- so I ordered two of them.  Typically there is a date code pressed into the plastic case of the lithium camera batteries.  Both of my BLG10PPs have "EGM1A".  The Leica BP-DC15 battery that came with the camera is marked "EJW2C".  Looking for the decoding information this morning, I've drawn a black so far.  This seems odd, because it's an easy find for Fujifilm batteries - I put a small P-touch label on my camera batteries with the actual date.

My Oly batteries are also dated in small print. I as well, bust out my Dymo labeler and afix readable stickers to the batteries.

 

[ceflynn]

This Nitecore product is discontinued, but some dealers may have a few left:

 

Nitecore UL109 Dual-Slot USB Charger for Leica BP-DC15-E Battery

[ljclark]

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3 minutes ago, ceflynn said:

This Nitecore product is discontinued, but some dealers may have a few left:

Nitecore UL109 Dual-Slot USB Charger for Leica BP-DC15-E Battery

I felt lucky to find mine, but I didn't expect to go the eBay/China route.

Given the interest in the D-Lux 8 and the rumors of a next generation LX100, I wonder if Nitecore might bring it back.  It certainly beats the many 2-pin chargers, or the $1600 charger (the camera itself).

[prymsnap]

I purchased this battery charger in September of 2024, and it's working great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JPNJ728?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

Edited May 3 by prymsnap
added info

[ljclark]

30 minutes ago, prymsnap said:

I purchased this battery charger in September of 2024, and it's working great.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JPNJ728?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

I have Kastar 2-slot charger, but only for situations where all else fails.  The main problem is that it is a 2-pin charger and does not have access to the battery's thermal sensor (assuming that the battery has an internal sensor - cheap ones may not).  You need at least three contacts in the charger.  The three contacts in the Nitecore charger are clearly labeled "+", "T", and "-".

The Panasonic BLG10PP battery (equivalent to the Leica BP-DC15 used in the D-Lux 8 ) terminal strips are labeled "+", "T", "D", and "-", though the terminals Leica battery aren't labeled. My white Kastar batteries don't have markings for the terminal strips, though the illustrations for the black Kastar batteries do have the four labels.  I may dissect one of the Kastar batteries to see what's inside.

[prymsnap]

Great info! I appreciate it.

[jimtong]

Great write up. How is the auto focus?

[ljclark]

36 minutes ago, jimtong said:

Great write up. How is the auto focus?

It is contrast detection, so certainly not as snappy as high-end phase detection AFs.  However, it is certainly better than some early contrast detect cameras.  One of the things I haven't tested is focus from moving platforms -- I'll need to explore that since it is a interest of mine.

Edited May 8 by ljclark

[XMan]

I'm travelling with my DLux8 and have had a frustrating day trying to photograph flowers in close up mode and having the focus hunt back and forth.  My wife, tired of my griping said 'get on to the forum' so here I am.  By way of background I have owned and loved every iteration of the Panasonic LX range and they were my favourite travel cameras and upgraded as soon as the next model came out.  I absolutely adored my LX 100 but it suddenly showed a spot of dust on the sensor and I put it away, for years!  Then one day I took it out to play and the dust spot had gone.  A great surprise.  But I did find the camera was a little erratic and I sensed that it might finally fail when I most needed it so put it away again and purchased a Fuji X100 VI.  Great camera in every respect except for the fixed focal length and I sold it and purchased a Fuji XT50 to be a backup, and light compact, body to my XH2S and XT5.  But then Leica released the DLux8 and I could not resist.  The LX100 was my ultimate travel companion, except for the wife who sends me off to the forum. LOL.  I do like the simple Leica menus system which was easy to pick up as I also own a Q3.  But I do not know what Leica have done to the focus system.  I have taken hundreds of flower photos with all of the LX range and AF has never let me down.  However this DLux8 is a bummer in this respect.  The other thing I do not like is the screen with no articulation.  I am 86 years old now and crouching down to look at the screen is a total pain.  Question.  Are others having difficulty with close up focus?  To finish, my other travel companion is the Fuji XT 50 carrying the XF8mm lens which is totally brilliant and with the two I can hand hold down to 1/4 second and get pin sharp images in the darkest of cathedrals. Lightroom's Denoise seems to handle incredible amounts of noise and I still have clean images.  I look forward to comments.

[ljclark]

5 hours ago, XMan said:

I'm travelling with my DLux8 and have had a frustrating day trying to photograph flowers in close up mode and having the focus hunt back and forth.  My wife, tired of my griping said 'get on to the forum' so here I am.  By way of background I have owned and loved every iteration of the Panasonic LX range and they were my favourite travel cameras and upgraded as soon as the next model came out.  <snip>  

But I do not know what Leica have done to the focus system.  I have taken hundreds of flower photos with all of the LX range and AF has never let me down.  However this DLux8 is a bummer in this respect.  <snip>

Question.  Are others having difficulty with close up focus? 

This is probably not the most appropriate thread in which to raise this issue, since it is really about first impressions. I think I've seen one or two posts relating to macro focusing.  Search here and on YouTube

Questions:

• Have you spent enough time orienting yourself to the D-Lux 8 in a more controlled setting (sitting on a chair with real or artificial flowers on a table in front of you)?  You might be able to isolate the problem.
• How does manual focus with focus-assist work for you? 
• Have you considered an auxiliary LED light?  I recently picked up a Lume Cube Mini for $60.  You can adjust its intensity range from 1% to 100% and the color temperature from 2700K to 7500K.  It comes with a slip-over silicone white diffuser to soften the light.  USB C charging.  3.6 x 2.2 x 0.5" / 9.1 x 5.6 x 1.3 cm.
• And it might be malfunctioning.

[Note:  You started a thread on this exact subject in March.  Did you take action on any of the suggestions offered?]

Edited May 9 by ljclark
Added Note

[GMJ]

My DL8 is fine in macro mode

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[ljclark]

13 minutes ago, GMJ said:

My DL8 is fine in macro mode

To be truthful, if I was serious about shooting close-ups of flowers, I'd be using manual focus.  Because they are so three-dimensional, a photographer needs to think about where the focus plane will be, and how much (or little) depth of field is needed.

[starcolony]

I generally don't travel in the realm of macro photography, but after receiving my new camera I wanted to thoroughly test it.

I clicked it into macro mode, held the camera relatively close to a handy bouquet, and snapped away.

The output was pretty poor with regard to focus. Maybe 1 out of 5 was even acceptable.

This could easily be operator error, as I did not read the manual before the shots, and macro is outside my wheelhouse.

That said, when testing macro mode in other cameras in the past, I had a higher keeper rate.

When I get a chance, I need to better familiarize myself with this mode, then do a head to head competition with my trusty LX5.

[MikeD70]

I like it!  It does what it is supposed to do, and does it well.  IMHO, a mini-Q

[ljclark]

34 minutes ago, MikeD70 said:

I like it!  It does what it is supposed to do, and does it well.  IMHO, a mini-Q

No disagreement there.  I've been looking at Flickr posts and there are some D-Lux 8 shots that are quite impressive.  (To be honest, some postings can be pretty grim, but that's usually not the camera's fault).  I appreciate the Flickr posts that allow all three levels of magnification.  From those, it looks like f/5.6 is used a lot in the photos with the most detail.  I've found f/4 to be very good and has worked well for some of my night work.

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[tom0511]

I have used my D-Lux 8 now for some weeks and it has become my little go to camera. I even sold the X100VI (nothing against the Fuji though) . The simple menues, the flexible focal length make the D-Lux 8 the "better" compact for my intended use. I wish it would startup and switch off a little fast, but I can live with it.

I shoot quite often at the longer focal length end.

 

Edited June 1 by tom0511