Leica D-LUX 8 Comparison Review

The Leica D-LUX 8 is a fixed lens compact camera that was revealed to the public in July 2024 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 16.8 megapixel.

Is the Leica D-LUX 8 a good camera? The D-LUX 8 has a Camera Elo of 2601. This rating puts the D-LUX 8 among the top 10 percent of all travel zoom compact cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the D-LUX 8 ranks among the top 20 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Leica D-LUX 8 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Leica D-LUX 8 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica D-LUX 8	130 mm	69 mm	62 mm	397 g	300	n	Jul 2024	EUR 1 599	amazon.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Leica T	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	384 g	400	n	Apr 2014	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica TL	134 mm	69 mm	33 mm	384 g	400	n	Nov 2016	EUR 1 649	ebay.com
7.		Leica V-LUX Typ 114	137 mm	99 mm	131 mm	830 g	360	n	Sep 2014	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
8.		Leica X2	124 mm	69 mm	52 mm	345 g	450	n	May 2012	EUR 1 749	ebay.com
9.		Nikon A1000	114 mm	72 mm	41 mm	330 g	250	n	Jan 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic TZ95	112 mm	69 mm	42 mm	327 g	380	n	Feb 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Leica D-LUX 8 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,599. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check D-LUX 8 price at
amazon.com

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Leica D-LUX 8 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.2. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Leica D-LUX 8 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Leica D-LUX 8	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	23.1	13.4	1557	75
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
3.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.9	12.8	1002	72
5.		Leica T	APS-C	16.2	4944	3278	1080/30p	23.0	12.7	1082	75
6.		Leica TL	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	1080/30p	23.9	13.2	1690	81
7.		Leica V-LUX Typ 114	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	21.6	11.7	127	60
8.		Leica X2	APS-C	16.1	4928	3264	none	23.2	12.4	1275	74
9.		Nikon A1000	1/2.3	15.9	4608	3456	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1095	52
10.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
11.		Panasonic TZ95	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.7	12.2	1103	52
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The D-LUX 8 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the D-LUX 8 can use is 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the D-LUX 8 has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 2360k dots. The viewfinder offers a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.74x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Leica D-LUX 8 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Leica D-LUX 8	2360	n	3.0 / 1860	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
3.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
5.		Leica T	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Leica TL	optional	n	3.7 / 1230	fixed	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Leica V-LUX Typ 114	2359	n	3.0 / 921	swivel	n	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	Y
8.		Leica X2	optional	n	2.7 / 230	fixed	n	1/2000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Nikon A1000	1166	n	3.0 / 1036	tilting	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	Y	Y
10.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
11.		Panasonic TZ95	2330	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

It is worthwhile pointing out that the D-LUX 8 has a touchscreen. Touch control can be particularly helpful, for example, when trying to adjust the focus point.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Leica D-LUX 8 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Leica D-LUX 8	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
3.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Leica T	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	Y	-	-
6.		Leica TL	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
7.		Leica V-LUX Typ 114	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Leica X2	Y	- / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Nikon A1000	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Panasonic TZ95	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the D-LUX 8 offers wifi support. Wifi can be a very convenient means to transfer image data to an off-camera location.

The D-LUX 8 has a zoom lens built in (10.9-34mm f/1.7-2.8), which, in full frame equivalent terms, provides a focal length range from 24 to 75mm. The camera is, hence, ready to shoot, while remaining more compact in size than an interchangeable lens camera with an optic that offers similar focal length and aperture specifications.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the D-LUX 8 in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Leica D-LUX 8	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jul 2024	EUR 1 599	amazon.com
2.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	EUR 929	ebay.com
3.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	EUR 970	ebay.com
4.		Leica D-LUX 7	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Nov 2018	EUR 1 149	ebay.com
5.		Leica T	3/5	..	..	..	4/5	4/5	Apr 2014	EUR 1 499	ebay.com
6.		Leica TL	..	..	..	..	..	4/5	Nov 2016	EUR 1 649	ebay.com
7.		Leica V-LUX Typ 114	..	..	..	..	..	5/5	Sep 2014	EUR 1 099	ebay.com
8.		Leica X2	3/5	..	..	..	3/5	4/5	May 2012	EUR 1 749	ebay.com
9.		Nikon A1000	..	+ +	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3/5	Jan 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
10.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	EUR 949	ebay.com
11.		Panasonic TZ95	..	+ +	..	..	4.5/5	..	Feb 2019	EUR 449	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

Check D-LUX 8 price at
amazon.com

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

~

Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

You are here:  Home  »  CAM-parator  »  Leica D-LUX 8 Review