D-Lux 8 Feature Request Collection / D-Lux 9 Wish List

[Alexander108]

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Being a happy owner of a Q3 (28) I just got my D-Lux 8 which replaced my GRIII which did not meed my requirements on business trips where the Q3 is just too bulky. 

I came across a couple of features which I wish Leica could add with the next firmware update:

1. Allow renaming profiles like in the Q3. Not a big deal, I'd say but would make working with the camera so much easier if you know "Profile 1" is indeed "Black & White"
2. Remember the last zoom setting when being switched on again. Many users already mentioned that.
3. Allow zoom steps would be useful (28, 35, 40, 50, 75 or sth like that).
4. Allow switching off digital zoom when set to JPG-S or DNG+JPG-S. It's just too easy to overshoot 75. I'd love small JPGs to share with my wife but I always shoot RAW as I edit every shot in Lightroom. It's just a switch.
5. Fix the lengthy switch off time if connected to the phone (measured up to 10s from pressing the on/off button until the lens retracts). I always keep connectivity switched on as I want GPS to be tracked in EXIF. I only switch it off when not using it. On vacation it's always switched on.

D-Lux 9 Wish list

1. Tilt screen!!!
2. Better Sensor. 
3. Faster Zoom (really slow on the D-Lux 8).
4. IBIS

These are surely my preferences but I am not asking to change behavior but more options to configure. One might argue that this is a "cheap" Leica but by (cheaper) Canon G5X Mark II does pretty much all of this. I am nonetheless pretty happy with the D-Lux 8. Beautiful little camera. 

Any thoughts?

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[Dazzajl]

This is a camera that has been on my radar for a while and is still very tempting. 
 

What would you change about the sensor? 

[Alexander108]

vor einer Stunde schrieb Dazzajl:

What would you change about the sensor? 

The senors is fine. But it is outdated. I personally love cropping including the aspect ratio. From 4:3 to 3:2 for instance or vice versa. While still possible (of course) you'd be better off making the decision before you take the shot. In street photography this is not always easy as things are typically rather fast. As I post-process every single shot in Lightroom I sometimes find other aspect rations more appealing. 

A slightly higher MP count would be helpful as well. But that might be just me: I typically zoom a bit out to ensure that everything is in the frame and I have some headroom for cropping (due to adjusting the angle a bit or applying transformation in Lightroom). Post processing is part of my photography approach. I consider a taken picture from the camera as 80% done (or even less). The rest comes in post and cropping is part of that.

Hence, I'd like to see a more modern sensor with a standard 3:2 ratio with a higher resolution. Ideally APS-C (which might be challenging given the size of the camera). 

As you can see, all that did not make me not buy this camera. It's a great always with me extension to my Q3. Especially on business trips where every mm³ and kg counts and I cannot bring the Q3. I just believe it could be better. 

[starcolony]

Firmware requests:

1} Zoom resume. Important for street photography.

2} Step zoom. Important for street photography.

3) Sleep mode (wake from sleep with 1/2 press shutter, remembering all settings from before sleep.} Very important for street photography.

4) Allow access to PLAY mode, when off, via long press of Play button, without extending the lens. Canon compacts have allowed this for many years. When viewing pics or handing my cam to someone to see some pics, why have the fragile lens extended?

5) Allow access to MENU mode, when off, via long press of MENU button, without extending lens. When setting up the camera in MENU mode, why have the fragile lens extended?

 

D-Lux 9:

1) Tilt screen

2} Built-in flash (for fill flash).

3} Faster zoom is tempting, but worried about the resulting faster air movement bringing more dust inside.

 

Not wanted:

1) Larger sensor. Leads to larger lens/body and/or slower lens and reduced depth of field.

2} More pixels, if this leads to reduced dynamic range or more high ISO noise.

 

Edited July 8 by starcolony

[acordes]

the power on / off button would be good to be able to set the 'off' only after pressing for 2 seconds - too often a single short stroke switches off the thing... 

 

[Alexander108]

vor 51 Minuten schrieb acordes:

the power on / off button would be good to be able to set the 'off' only after pressing for 2 seconds - too often a single short stroke switches off the thing... 

 

Good point. I experienced the same. Also because the location of the button makes it prone to inadvertently touch it. 

[flappo]

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I’d like an integrated flash for fill in purposes out and about

[tom0511]

The wishes for step zoom and remembering focal length have been articulated from many of us DLux-8 users and I fully agree.

I don't need a tilt screen, small size body is more important for me.

Overall I really like the DLUX 8, the good user interface is fun and I find it more flexible than fix focus cameras.

 

 

[Alexander108]

vor 51 Minuten schrieb tom0511:

I don't need a tilt screen, small size body is more important for me

Have a look at the Canon G5X Mark II. Smaller, IBIS and tilt screen, step zoom and remembering focal length. But... not a Leica 🤣

[prymsnap]

I'd love to see a quicker way to re-center the focus point. For example, the ability to assign that function to a physical button.

[tom0511]

Have used the g1xiii for quite some time but prefer the simplicity of Leica menus and user interface and IQ. g5x is 1 inch sensor, so even smaller than dlux8.

Why Leica doesn't include the step zoom is something I can't understand though. 

I have some cameras with tilt screen, don't use it often.

Edited August 22 by tom0511

[tom0511]

vor 7 Stunden schrieb prymsnap:

I'd love to see a quicker way to re-center the focus point. For example, the ability to assign that function to a physical button.

agree

[Synchronicity II]

I'm new to Leica, and I've only had my D-Lux 8 for a week now, but so far:

• Higher resolution sensor
• Faster zoom
• Integrated pop-up flash
• Tilt screen
• Weather sealing
• Auto lens cap-compatible filter option
• Integrated handgrip (without having to height to the camera as in the Leica handgrip)

These are wishes for a future D-Lux, not complaints. I'm really enjoying the D-Lux 8.

[DenverSteve]

Maybe after you've had some months behind you, you'll appreciate it for what it is.  To add the things you listed would require the camera to be much larger and heavier.  That's not really what the d'lux cameras are about. 

[Synchronicity II]

On 8/24/2025 at 4:15 PM, DenverSteve said:

Maybe after you've had some months behind you, you'll appreciate it for what it is.  To add the things you listed would require the camera to be much larger and heavier.  That's not really what the d'lux cameras are about. 

I think I appreciate it quite well now—as I said, I'm really enjoying it. As for "much larger and heavier", well, maybe. Some educated guesses made with the assistance of ChatGPT:

• Higher resolution sensor. No appreciable change to dimensions, maybe 1–2 g of weight at most for knock-on effects.
• Faster zoom. Same, no appreciable change to dimensions, maybe another 1–2 g for a different motor.
• Integrated pop-up flash. Something like 2–4 mm in height for the mechanism and 10–20 g for the mechanism, tube, reflector, and capacitor.
• Tilt screen. Let's say 3–6 mm in depth for the hinge + frame and 15–30 g for all the mechanics.
• Weather sealing. Maybe 1 mm each in depth and height and 10–15 g to reinforce the shell and doors.
• Auto lens cap-compatible filter option. Maybe 1–2 mm in depth and 5–10 g of weight for added complexity.
• Integrated handgrip (without having to add height to the camera as in the Leica handgrip). Nothing added to the overall bounding box of the camera, but maybe 15–35 g of weight.

So what are we at if I get my entire wish list?

• Dimensions:
  • Current: 130 x 69 x 62 mm (WHD) = 556,140 mm^3 = 556 cc
  • New minimum: 130 x 72 x 67 mm = 627,120 mm^3 = 627 cc = 12% increase over D-Lux 8
  • New maximum: 130 x 74 x 71 mm = 683,020 mm^3 = 683 cc = 23% increase over D-Lux 8
• Weight:
  • Current: 397 g with battery = 14.0 oz
  • New minimum: 454 g with battery = 16.0 oz = 14% increase over D-Lux 8
  • New maximum: 511 g with battery = 18.0 oz = 29% increase over D-Lux 8

Would I take a a 12% increase in volume and a 14% increase in weight to get every single thing on my list? Absolutely. At the scale of the D-Lux 8, I'd bet many folks would be hard pressed to tell the difference (which would be something like 1.5–2 oz heavier and less than 1/4" larger in any one dimension). What about a 23% increase in volume and a 29% increase in weight? There it gets tougher. But there has to be some subset of my wishes that is achievable in a camera that's within 10% of the D-Lux 8's volume and weight.

Edited August 26 by Synchronicity II
A missing word

[ljclark]

Step Zoom.  I have no idea why Leica decided to not have it with the D-Lux8.  I had an LX100 (v1) and I found it very useful.  The 24/28/35/50/75 presets were essentially like having 5 primes -- in a very useful range.  When I would come across a shooting opportunity, I could turn on the camera and whilst in the process of bringing it up to eye, tap to the focal length I wanted.  Easy - Peasy.

When you use the step zoom (single taps on the lever -- up or down) the zoom can be much faster since it knows where it is going to stop.  Normal zooming (finger staying on the lever) requires that the zooming be slower in order not to be too "twitchy". 

You can see the setup options for the LX100 in the user manuals.

[ljclark]

On 8/25/2025 at 7:47 PM, Synchronicity II said:

• Faster zoom. Same, no appreciable change to dimensions, maybe another 1–2 g for a different motor.

A good indicator of the difference between real experience and AI.  I can't see the value with ChatGPT's "knowledge", or why it would be posted here at all.

Since ChatGPT is harvesting a mass of subjective observations and jamming those into faux technical lingo, it manages to miss the point entirely.  The speed setting has nothing to do with the motor.  It has everything to do with the handling of the camera.  I have the D-Lux8, and at one time, owned an LX100.  The continuous zoom needs to be slower so that the photographer (and remember that ChatGPT is not a photographer) can control the zoom with less under/over run.  In other words. less "fidgety".  Step zoom can be fast because it knows where to stop -- and that requires no change in the "motor".

[Synchronicity II]

11 hours ago, ljclark said:

A good indicator of the difference between real experience and AI.  I can't see the value with ChatGPT's "knowledge", or why it would be posted here at all.

Since ChatGPT is harvesting a mass of subjective observations and jamming those into faux technical lingo, it manages to miss the point entirely.  The speed setting has nothing to do with the motor.  It has everything to do with the handling of the camera.  I have the D-Lux8, and at one time, owned an LX100.  The continuous zoom needs to be slower so that the photographer (and remember that ChatGPT is not a photographer) can control the zoom with less under/over run.  In other words. less "fidgety".  Step zoom can be fast because it knows where to stop -- and that requires no change in the "motor".

It's correct to point out that Leica may not need a bigger motor to be able to increase the zoom speed on the D-Lux 8. I framed my list of educated guesses—which was informed but not written by ChatGPT—in terms of what would affect the dimensions and weight if Leica did make hardware changes. In that context, the effect of a faster zoom motor is trivial: maybe 1–2 g, maybe nothing at all. So ultimately we're in agreement to the extent that a change to zoom speed would require minimal or no changes to weight or dimensions.

That said, are you aware of the precise mechanical characteristics of the zoom motor used in the D-Lux 8? I'm not. You might be right that simply adding step zoom could allow Leica to increase zoom speed, but it might also be that they use a motor that is specifically tuned for its current speed and that could not easily be re-tuned to support faster speeds. Again, though, even if so—and this was my basic point—it wouldn't materially affect weight or dimensions.

Finally, I didn't include step zoom in my wish list. Would I appreciate having it? Yes. But there might be times when all I want is faster traversal across the entire zoom range, not stepped zoom. If you think of the current situation as "step zoom with just two steps" (in other words, at 24 and 75 mm), and if, as you say, Leica can make the zoom faster with step zoom, then why don't they? Your answer is that it's so that "the photographer can control the zoom with less under/over run", which is certainly a possibility. It's also possible that the motor doesn't support faster zoom. Or it could be because Leica didn't include a variable speed, graduated zoom lever, which would be a logical approach to achieving faster zoom with minimal under/over run.

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[ljclark]

16 hours ago, Synchronicity II said:

Finally, I didn't include step zoom in my wish list. Would I appreciate having it? Yes. But there might be times when all I want is faster traversal across the entire zoom range, not stepped zoom. If you think of the current situation as "step zoom with just two steps" (in other words, at 24 and 75 mm), and if, as you say, Leica can make the zoom faster with step zoom, then why don't they? Your answer is that it's so that "the photographer can control the zoom with less under/over run", which is certainly a possibility. It's also possible that the motor doesn't support faster zoom. Or it could be because Leica didn't include a variable speed, graduated zoom lever, which would be a logical approach to achieving faster zoom with minimal under/over run.

Here is would be best if a current owner of an LX100 or LX100ii would step in and tell us if a 4-tap "zoom" speed is faster, the same, or slower than a long-press full-range zoom.